We were out for chinese food tonight (I know how lucky am I that my daughter's favorite food is chinese or thai food!) anyway, after the meal Hadley opened up her fortune cookie and it said..
"You are admired for your adventurous ways"
I know that is true now, and I hope it remains true for all her years!
I remember as a little girl I would raid my dad's t-shirt drawer to have a nice comfy shirt to sleep in. I actually did this all through school. They were big and comfy! Now Hadley has taken to doing the same. She loves to wear daddy's shirt around. She usually changes into her own night gown once it is time to go to bed, she says she gets too tangled!! But it warmed my heart to see her in her daddy's t-shirt!
I just love the pics of kids passed out in a car seat!
Let's just hope these are the last years they spend passed out in a car seat!
I see the picture of Hadley and I just think what a little girl in such a big world. Her daddy took this picture at the park, him up on the climbers looking down at her. And there she is this little child looking up lovingly at her daddy. And she has this whole big world of experience surrounding her and waiting for her.
When I think of Hadley growing up and learning she isn't this little girl in a big world anymore, I always think of the song by Lee Ann Womack: "I Hope You Dance" This song just tells just how I hope Hadley lives her life.
Just in case you haven't heard the song, here are the lyrics. And for you moms thinking of your little ones..get ready to feel the tears well up!
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I have started another blog, just for our Disney Trip. It will have a great more detail into the planning and the trip. I figure this way our everyday blog won't get Disney Overload! So feel free to check it out as time goes on and after the trip it will be filled with tons of stories and pics from the trip!
www.day-wdw-2008.blogspot.com
I have added it to my blog list also!
Hadley's fall classes are now in place! She has been asking to go back to ballet since it ended in May..so she will be doing Ballet at Dance Center Evanston on Saturday mornings! This year she is in the bigger kid class, so in May she will be part of the big end of year recital!! I can't wait!
And then we came into deciding on another event.
Now being a working mom I'm not able to do classes during the week, and since most are on Saturday mornings and we were booked for ballet, it left us with three choices: Ice Skating, Gymnastics, or Sport Class. Well, the Sport Class was $400..umm..I don't think so! The Ice Skating..well, Hadley has always mentioned taking classes, yet when I mention going to the ice skating rink to try and see how she likes it, she backs out. So I am going to wait for Ice Skating until I know she is going to like it and not fall once and refuse to go!! So that may still be coming..it is yet to be seen!
So that left us with Gymnastics! Now, some of you know our history with Hadley's elbow (for those of you who don't it is a blog in itself), but the good news is her elbow seems to be fully healed and she is able to hang and swing all she wants with it..so gymnastics is now an option! I was lucky enough to get her into a Sunday class at Wilmette Gymnastics. I am very excited about this as this is supposed to be one of the best places..so if she really likes it, this will be a good place to start!
Gymnastics starts on August 31st and Ballet on Sept 6th..once we get our outfits I will sure post some pics!
I saw fellow blogger Jessica mentioned her little angel has developed a new phrase, "Shit Shit Shit". As I laughed at her blog it brought me back to fond memories of Hadley's little slips..or should I say Mommy's little slips that Hadley just so loved to repeat!
The first came when Hadley was about 18 months old. We were getting into the car and it had just finished raining and there was a large puddle under the car door. I was doing what all moms do, multi-tasking, attempting to put her into the car seat, carry her Frankie animal, and my purse. And well, you guessed it my NEW purse fell right into the puddle. What comes out of my mouth is my favorite saying, "F***, F***, F***". As I was trying not to show my anger at dropping my purse, my daughter says, "uck, uck, uck". I was never so happy that my daughter did not know how to say her "F" sounds at the time!!
Now..bring us a few months later..oh, probably around 2 1/2 yrs old. We heard her say "frog" one day and we both looked at each other with this expression of.."What just came out of her mouth?" and her "frog" sounded like "f***". So we decided to have fun with this, as parents you learn it is okay to have your kids do things to entertain you! We then taught our impressionable little angel to say "Frog you". (I think the first one we tried this on was her Uncle Steve!!) I know, not the phrase you would think parents would teach their kids, but after all..it is only a phrase that is funny coming out of a toddler! We did have to stop this trick soon, trying to say "frog" so much got her to actually say the word correctly.
Oh..and I will mention I took enjoyment in this game long before I had kids..I was the one who taught my loving nephew Zack to say "Trucker". (Just use your imagination and guess what word that was to be.) But I will add, this was only after my own brother, his father, taught him to say "britches" when he couldn't pronounce his "R"!!
Now, I have learned to watch what I say very well..no more calling drivers bad words, no more slips when I stub my toe. But the funny thing is to Hadley the word "stupid" is a bad word! And trust me, you don't realize how many times you say that word until you have a 4 yr old point it out to you!
I will note this blog makes it sound like I have quite the potty mouth..I really don't. I am an (almost) 30 yr old who still can't say a bad word when around my parents!!
So as parents you worry about making sure your kids learn things on time, and secretly hope they learn things ahead of time. We are now on the path to start teaching Hadley to read. I really haven't done a lot of research on this topic yet, but we are trying to begin with her nightly reading. We bought a bunch of the Level 1 reading books and as we read we pick out words for her to spell and then we repeat what the word is.
So..now after that explination..
Tonight Jason was reading a Biscuit book. In one part Biscuit is written on his dog house. This is what transpired:
Jason: Spell this word.
Hadley: B-I-S-C-U-I-T
J: And what does that spell?
H: Dog House!
So, we still have some work to do. At least she is able to spell the word, even if she doesn't know what she is spelling!
We got the cutest little card in the mail today. Julie, who is booking our vacation, sent a card to us. The outside was a cute picture of Cinderella's Castle and the inside said
Hadley, Stacie and Jason,
I heard you were coming to Walt Disney World next month.
See ya real soon!
Love, Mickey
I read it to Hadley and she then ran to Jason and said;
"Daddy, Mickey Mouse sent me a card!"
It was so cute to see her so excited about it and really think Mickey Mouse sent her a card!
