As if she actually needs a reason to wake up during the night...

Most people in my life are aware that Annabelle still rarely sleeps through the night. I mean, it happens. But not most of the time. Not even really 75% of the time. Dave and I have gotten into the rhythm of swapping night duty every month or so. In fact, on the occasions that she does actually sleep through the night, I wake up wondering if she has a fever or is catching a cold or something.

Then there's the whole rhythm of bedtime versus wake up time. If she goes to sleep right at seven pm, then she'll wake up at seven am. To sleep at seven thirty is a six thirty wake up. And if she stays up until eight? Up at six sharp. So we make big efforts to have her in bed at seven as regularly as possible.

In fact, it seems that compared to our parenting friends that Dave and I are pretty uptight about keeping a regular bed time. But those friends probably know their kid will just sleep in and everyone feels caught up the next day. That's not our reality. On my very tired days I actually convince myself that all those other parents aren't telling the truth, that most 3-4 year old children wake up during the night. On the flip side, I've heard Dave telling people that she's pretty good about sleeping through the night and wondered how he convinced himself of that.

Annabelle is aware that she wakes up in the middle of the night. She has the slightest bit of consciousness that night time is when certain things happen that don't normally during the day. The stars and moon are out, certain animals only come out then, the angels fly around, the fairies do a lot of mischief... and apparently she is also now starting to understand that when it's night everyone else is at home asleep.

~~~

(In the car, driving down the freeway, after about fifteen minutes of complete silence.)

Annabelle :: I got a good idea!

(brief pause, putting her thoughts together)

Annabelle :: I could get up in the middle of the night... and check to see there's no traffic! ...that's a good idea, right?

~~~~

I guess if you put it that way, I suppose there are benefits to being up in the middle of night.

The Upstart Spring

There was the most glorious day last Saturday. It was our first truly sunny, warm day. I even put on a short sleeve shirt, can you believe it? Annabelle, following suit, put on a bathing suit to wear outside. Playing on her porch swing offered up the perfect moment to catch the bright light.

It was an okay picture, what with all the gardening stuff piled up on our picnic table, the bug zapper I scored at a garage sale that morning for just ten cents, and her tricycle shining red in the background.

It wasn't until later I noticed her legs. Wow. We bundled her up for one winter and look what sprouted...

Saying Grace

Tonight Annabelle informed us that she would be saying grace before dinner. She spoke in soft tones, holding a mood of complete reverence, using hand gestures, as though truly blessing the food before us...


Annabelle :: Blessings on the fruuuuuuuit.

[pause]

Annabelle :: All the way to Disneyland.

[Dave starts laughing.]

Annabelle :: No. No. I forgot.

[pause, getting hands ready for gestures again]

Annabelle :: Blessings on the fruit. And the rainbows colored. Then night comes and the bats and the witches toooooo.... Then it's moooorrrrning and we eeeeeat breakfaaaaaast.

Our Easter

On Easter morning Annabelle woke up at her usual time: dawn. This time of year that is about 6am. But instead of waking us up demanding food as she usually does, she put on her shoes and hat and grabbed her basket and went outside in search of the Easter Eggs she had reportedly heard that some Easter Hare leaves for children on Easter morning.

I don't think the rain dampened her excitement.

About a half hour later Dave woke up with a sense that something was not quite right. He went downstairs and found her outside, soaked, and blissed out about all the wonderful things the Easter Bunny left. He even gave her some jellybeans!

He corralled her to the inside for some warmth and food and eventually, after some caffeine and bacon and what-else, we all went out together to find what she previously missed.

And so I open this post with my favorite photograph: Annabelle standing in the front yard, opening an Easter Egg, her happy look of finding an ornament for our Easter Tree, Dave in the background sporting his fresh beard. I love how normal this shot is, with the hose across the walkway, the cars in the driveway, the weeds and moss and unmowed grass... an overcast Easter morning. As if that's just how the morning always was.

Collecting the branches for the Easter Tree was fun, but hanging the ornaments was a definite highlight!

Here Annabelle shows us her jellybean!

Gene Kelly watch out!

In order to get Annabelle to allow me to take pictures of her haircut (see below!), I bribed her with the promise to make a couple videos. For your viewing pleasure...








And here, when she's done painting she does a little cheer singing, "Oh! A deer! A femare deer! Of golden suuuuunnn... Okay!"

The A-Line Bob

I cut it myself (!) in a desperate moment of being done with the fights about washing it, the refusals to wear a clip, and the screams in the bath when we attempt to wash the goo that gets in it from being brushed away from her face with sticky hands all day long.

After I cut it she immediately went, in complete excitement, to look at herself in the mirror. The second she saw her reflection she burst into tears.

Oh dear.

But now, a couple weeks later, she wears a clip just fine. No more tears and no more goo. The fights over washing it continue, but I'll settle for two out of three.

Don't you think it's super cute?

Brag Book :: mini variety

Annabelle decided the other day that she loves ham. So together we invented a new meal: Ham on a Stick. It's obviously very easy to make, which I like. And fun to eat, which she likes.



Our friends Doug and Jill came for a one night stopover on their way to the coast. It was so awesome to see them!!



Dave and Annabelle playing a little game together. (Note: this is just prior to getting her hair cut!)

Spring break is over and I'm back in school.

Annabelle :: Mom, will you be home from school tonight or tomorrow morning?

Me :: Tonight. And I'll come in and give you a kiss and fix your covers just like I did last night. Do you remember me coming in to kiss you last night?

Annabelle :: No.

Me :: I gave you a kiss goodnight, and then I couldn't help myself and had to give you three or four more.

[pause]

Annabelle :: Do you think you could not help yourself again tonight?

Sung about thirty times a day

Do a deer, a femare deer.
Re a drop of golden SUUUUUUUNNN!
Ti a name I call myself.
Fa "I don't know these words!"
So a needle pulling fred!
La a note to follow soooooo...
Ti a drink wif jam and beard!
DO! DO! DO! DO!


Edited to add :: Thirty times was an extremely low estimate. I actually counted one morning and we surpassed thirty by 8am. It was probably more like two hundred times a day when I wrote this.