Pigtails on Tuesdays

Dear Sonia,

I feel it is my Auntie responsibility to record here your continued brilliance. I partly think this so you can someday put this link on your resume as evidence that you were a genius from the get-go and partly think this because eventually, like your Auntie K, you might just turn out more normal than gifted and you'll want to look back on early evidence that you really were special once upon a time. Either way, you must know this story in case we all forget it and you end up never hearing it, which would just be a travesty.

You go to gym class on Tuesdays. Sometimes you go with Mommy and sometimes you go with Tiffany. You like it and are pretty good at it. Over Easter, while your Uncle S and Auntie K were doing burpees in Nana & Papa's back yard, you showed us your forward roll (which you talk yourself through - head down, tuck, roll) which was perfect. Then you did some kicking with your legs while your hands were anchored on the ground and you did some sideways jumping as well. All very coordinated, especially considering the itty-bittiness of your legs!

You must also know that at this point in your little life, you have never had a haircut. You are two and your hair is very long. You complain sometimes that it gets caught in your armpits. Your mom is supposed to get you a haircut sometime soon. This is relevant information for this story. You are perpetually brushing your hair back from your face with the backs of your hands.

So, last week, you were at gym class with Tiffany. Your mom had put your hair in a barrette, half up. You know, clipped in the back, but the rest still hanging down. It was all in your way and getting in your face and everywhere as you successfully did your forward rolls or whatever other wonderfulness you were doing at gym class.

All of a sudden, you walked up to Tiffany and you said "Need pigtails on Tuesday!" Seriously. That's what you said. Your mom even questioned Tiffany when she received this report, making certain that Tiffany actually understood what you said. Tiffany swears. You demanded pigtails on Tuesdays.

Now, this takes serious forethought. You didn't just ask for a pony right then and there to solve your problem. You actually saw into the future, realized that gym class would continue to be on Tuesdays, and deducted that pigtails EVERY Tuesday ought to do the trick. Second, I figure that you were really thinking, "You adult morons. What the heck? How is it that you need me to tell you that I need pigtails on gym class days? And since even I know that is on Tuesdays, shouldn't you? So how about I'll point it out for you?"

And so, I'm pretty sure that nobody will make that mistake again. You took your destiny into your own hands, spoke up for yourself, and solved a problem. This, my young love, is a skill you should take with you into the rest of your life. It will serve you well.

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More brilliance:

Mommy took you yesterday to the mall with the Merry-Go-Round in it. You rode on a tiger and on a seahorse, which apparently is very big and high up. You were happy to report to me over the phone on this successful trip. Also, at this mall, there was, in the family bathroom, a itty-bitty porcelain toilet just for you. And since you're on your second day of diaperlessness, you were very excited about this.

At the carousel, you said, "Go to the play structure too." There's some big playground thing at this mall too. Not that you could see. You just remembered you'd been there one other time. ONE. And you used the word "play structure." And so you went.

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Why your mom will rue the day:

When you got home from the mall and the tiger and seahorse and play structure, you were barefoot and walking along minding your own business in the living room. And all of a sudden, you started screaming and shaking your foot and screaming more. Your mom asked you what the heck was the matter with you and you just cried and screamed and she looked and you had stepped in a pile of CAT PUKE! And it was all over both your feet. At this point, your mom started laughing hysterically, which she does whenever someone is hurt or something gross happens to someone. You were still screaming and crying and eventually you started laughing too.

Your mom called to tell me this story and she was laughing so hard I couldn't understand anything she said. I told her I was hanging up. She said "Okay, okay. I'll calm down and tell you," and then she proceeded to start laughing so hard again that I finally told her she was annoying. She had to TEXT me the story because she was laughing so hard.

I called her back and told her that if she's not careful, all her children will talk about her when you are older about how evil it was that she laughed at you all the time when you were hurt or covered in cat puke. She just laughed more. Call me when you need to check in on this. I'll confirm it's true. She's done it her whole life.

Side note: She went looking for the cat puke to clean it up, and she couldn't even find where it had been on the carpet. Apparently your feet picked it all up and left not a trace! Now that I'll laugh at!

I love you, 'ita.

Auntie K

Three Things in Common

Dear Sonia,

You are cursed with a few things that you don't have in common with either of your parents, but you do have in common with me.

1. Sweaty hands and feet. This has always grossed your mom out and now you have it. She once told you that I would teach you what to do about it since she is no help to you, having never suffered from this. I will indeed. I have all kinds of tricks and hints.

2. Tooty bum. You fart. A fair bit. Your daddy has been heard to blame this on our entire family. You come from a whole long line of good farters, but your mother, somehow, escaped this. Now, she's been regularly struck with horrible gas pain over the years (once, she had to get out of the driver's seat in LA so I could drive the rest of the way home because she was doubled over!). So, I think that if farting means you never have to be doubled over with gas pain, the more the better!

3. Inability to smile on demand. See exhibit A above. This is one of many photos of you already at age 2 where you were told to smile and this is what happened to your face. Your mom and dad, who are apparently brilliant, figured out that if they instead ask you to think of something funny, then you smile just fine. But tell you to smile? You end up like this. You know who else has this problem? Me and your Nana. Neither of us have really ever taken a good photo, but those rare times we have is when someone caught us in some smile and we didn't know they were taking the photo. Or the times when your Nana calls your Papa some silly name while he's snapping the photo and then for some reason, she looks normal. I am really really hoping you outgrow this one. Your mom and dad both know how to smile on cue for a photo and not look deranged, and I have hope you could learn. I worry though, given what I know about myself and Nana that this might be just as biological as your sweaty appendages and your tooty bum.

These things, by the way, are nothing to be ashamed about. They are things you cannot control. Yes, okay, you could get Botox shots in your hands and feet, but I don't recommend it. You'll learn to live with it. And tooting you'll learn to do in private or there's always Beano. And you can adopt some pensive face for photos that will work just fine. You're gorgeous, so it'll hardly matter. I've spent a fair bit of time worrying about some of this stuff myself, and I'm here to tell you it's a big waste. You're awesome. And that's all that matters.

Love you!

Auntie K

Little Bit Nervous

Dear Sonia,

Thanks for visiting! Such a lovely visit full of lovely things.

You went on an Easter egg hunt (twice!). There was such happy joy on your face every time you saw another egg across the yard! And the stuff inside was fun too! The Easter Bunny did a great job with shiny bracelets, socks, little finger puppets! And Uncle John, of course, put coins inside! Nothing wrong with a little Easter money.

At breakfast one morning, Mommy asked you what you wanted to talk about and you said "talk about the rodeo." So we did. You told me about Mutton Busting. What is mutton busting? According to you - "kids ride sheep. Sheep jump." The kids wear helmets, you told me, "so no boo-boos". You also "rode horse" and remembered the horse's name - "Sara" and that it was brown. You also told me that "bulls went crazy." When asked what else you saw at the rodeo, you said "Camel." Mommy asked if you rode the camel and you said no. When asked Why not?, you answered with "scared." You did know that camels have humps but didn't know what was inside. I told you water. There was an Easter dinner dispute which resulted in Auntie Karen being wrong. Daddy checked the internet on his phone right at the table and found out camels' humps actually store fat, not water. (Camels use the fat as reserve when they can't find food. They are also able to lose up to 25 gallons of body water without ill effects. Going without water must be what led to people thinking water is in their humps, because Auntie Karen wasn't the only person at the table who thought that.) And so we learned something.

Back to the story. The next morning after this first Rodeo discussion, your Mommy was off somewhere and Nana and I were with you while you were eating breakfast. You said, completely unprompted, "Talk about rodeo." Okay, I said, and launched into the series of questions that your mom had the day before. When I asked you why you didn't ride the camel, you said "little bit nervous." IT WAS WICKED CUTE. WICKED! Nana and I practically peed our pants laughing it was so cute. Obviously, Mommy taught you this, but the fact that you could report it back ages later is just awesome.

You crab-walked with me and then you were jumping. Then you said "jumping sideways" and proceeded to jump side to side. Pretty impressive, there, chickie, considering you aren't even 2 yet. Aunt Fran gave you a purple tutu and it wasn't even out of the bag yet and you said "tutu!" And then you put it on and went prancing around. You walked Morton at the park and visited Olive at Auntie Patti and Uncle Peter's house. You even let Auntie Patti's brother Peter hold you and did very well with stranger-danger. Not so well other times - you howled all the way out to Cobbett's on Easter morning after cousin Mark poked his head in your window to say hello. You made cookies with Nana and dyed Easter eggs with Uncle Stephen and Auntie Kim. You ran in the yard and threw Morton his toy. You did your new fishing puzzle with me and knew all the names of the fish and animals. You refused to tell me what you were holding when you came down the first morning and Mommy put you in time out until you answered my question. Apparently this isn't the first time that's happened. Seems you aren't very stubborn though. You just have to overcome being "a little bit nervous" and then you're fine.

You just left here only 1 and a half days ago and already this morning you told me you had a dream where animals were singing to you. You told Mommy a cow, horse, sheep, pig and chicken (or some list like that) "singing together to Sonia!" That's a direct quote. Your Mommy and I have no idea whether you actually have these dreams or if you make it up completely when she asks what you dreamed about. She thinks you make it up. I have to say, that is so utterly brilliant. If you can actually make up dream stories on the spot when Mommy comes in to get you from bed, you might actually be a prodigy.

You will get a haircut soon after your birthday. Apparently, you complain sometimes because your hair is stuck in your armpit. HAHAHAHAHHA. I'm sorry, but that is so funny!

I won't see you again till August. That's a LONG TIME. About 5 months! But you'll see Nana and Papa in July and you are also going to France in July! That'll be pretty cool. A world traveller already.

I love you Sonia-ita!

Love,

Auntie K

You are in Boston!

You are here. In Boston! (Well, actually in Chelmsford.)

You got here last night and I can't even see you till 5 p.m. tonight! UGH! I hate that you are only 40 minutes away and I can't see you yet.

I think you brought Houston weather with you, because we are in for a record-breaking weekend. It's supposed to be 82 tomorrow! Holy cow.

I have birthday presents for you, since I won't see you in three weeks for your 2nd birthday. I think you will like them.

Love you. T-minus 7 hours and counting.

Love,

Auntie K