lovely Little tales... Dalbec Littles

I have to start writing again, it's been forever and I can't think of the perfect way to start. So, once again I'm just going to start. 
On Christmas Eve, Ava skipped over to where I was sitting with a smirk on her face and a Santa bag overflowing with red tissue paper..."Open this one first Mom!" She leaned on my leg and rocked with anticipation. I pulled out of the bag a coffee mug. I love coffee, so it was a fitting gift, but after hearing the story of the mug I hugged my little lady proudly.

Gramma Cindy had taken her to the Dollar Store to look around for goodies, (a regular trip for them, when they are together). Cindy suggested they find something for mom. Ava looked, and looked and then finally spotted a coffee mug. She was extremely excited about her find and proceeded to justify why this was the perfect gift. "She likes coffee, and green is her FAVORITE color!!!"  She explained this to me again after I pulled the mug out of the Santa bag..."Green is your favorite color!!" What made me the most proud was that we had never talked about favorite colors. It seems very simple. But, she notices, and cares about people and I think this is something that takes adults a long time to grasp. She was, and every time she sees it filled with coffee, she is so proud. So am I. 

As I walked down the hall, and past the staircase tonight I noticed a pair of long legs that belonged to a little girl with big crocodile tears perched at the top of the 16 steps. I had placed her in bed an hour prior to this, after 3 Clifford books, a story about princesses, dragons, and caves told by her little voice, from her huge imagination. I met her in the middle of the 16 and inquired about the waterworks. After a few seconds of quivering chin she whimpered "I miss my house..." Doing my best to hold on to my own chin quiver, I took a deep breath, took her into my arms and gave her a hug. I reassured that we will have another house soon enough. That we are lucky to be able to spend time with grandma and grandpa. I asked her what she misses most, she said "my blue sled."

One blue sled will come to 202 Albion Street from the storage unit tomorrow, in the middle of July.

Ava has been a little too independent as of late. She pulled an amazing disappearing act the other day that almost sent me into cardiac arrest. This missing lady also put a full blown search party into motion which included (but was not limited to) a 11 year old on a bike, my neighbor in a van with his Little in the back seat, me franticly speed walking around the neighborhood in my bare feet, and my mom yelling out the back door...

I went to all the places she knows, I panicked when she wasn't eating Cheetos at the table at Dons.

I came back in the house to call an Amber just as she slithered out from under the couch in the living room. She had purposely ignored my hysterical beckoning, and was giggling under her breath when she came out.

That little mama will test me to no limit. Limit. Please limit.

AG bolts through the house, and whizzes by me in the kitchen..."I'm going to DON'S!"
Door slams behind her.

Kate and Don are the neighbors in the look-a-like brick house across the driveway. These are the kind of neighbors you hope to have in a small town. They raised 7 kids in that house. They sit at the green picnic table in the back yard talking and laughing. They feed her Cheetos on a napkin at the kitchen table while she tells them endless stories of when she "was a baby". They are 86 years old. They are Ava's new friends...

After a tornado warning at 7 o'clock Sunday night, the sky cleared, and a full rainbow stretched across the sky. Ava snuck out to see the colors. Her face lit up, and her little PJ butt bounced up the steps at the neighbor's to drag Don outside...

"Yer alright kid" he said as he ruffled her hair and turned to go back inside the screened porch. As she walked away she said "OK! I'll see you tomorrow then!" And she will...

A week before we moved, up way past her bedtime, Ava and I danced in the kitchen to a Ray La Montagne song called You Are The Best Thing... We laughed to relieve the stresses of the packing endeavor...
 



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iTX3-cbWnM

I have been selfish, Little People. I got swept up in the chaos and the turmoil...

In the midst of all of it, Harrison has more hair than before, he is also cutting teeth, and moving on his hands and knees. He sits. He plays. I witnessed him toss a kitchen chair over his head today. I'm not kidding. He lifted it by it's legs and tipped it over his head, knocking himself backward. Missed his head, he had control. Just wanted attention I think...I was hoping for some kind of baby triumphant chant or celebratory act of hyper masculinity. A chest beat paired with a grunt. I got no such thing. He just looked at me... What. I can do stuff now mom.

In the midst of it all, Ava has become sensitive. She needs to be challenged, and needs more band aids, more cold clothes, hugs, and cuddles. I took her to a movie yesterday. She was so good, excited, and outwardly annoyed with my incessant ramblings on the phone the entire drive home, when all she wanted to do was chat about...anything. She screamed when I accidently rolled her finger up in the window. I rumbled to a stop in the gravel, ran around, held her. Apologized. Wanted to cry myself because I know I haven't been there the last 3 weeks. That fact, and remorse poured through me as I held a water soaked cloth to her tiny digit.

In the midst of it all, I will do better. I promise. I love you both, bigger than the sky.

After selling our house in St. Cloud, MN we have transplanted our life into the house I grew up in, now as a family of 4. Trials and tribulations are many, benefits are great, children are managing. Harrison isn't sleeping but he may be getting some chompers. Ava is struggling with hypersensitivity, among other emotional mixers... She finds a pink spot on her delicate skin, melt down ensues. It's hard for everyone, but we're keeping our chins up. We are grateful to the 'rents for allowing us to overturn their even keel existence with our explosion of diapers, plastic rings, and little girl "Why"s, and constant energy. 

En route to Wisconsin today Ava wants to call Gramma 'Antsy'

AG:...Gramma, the moon out my window is taking us to your house! Do you have a moon?
G: Yes! I have the moon too. We have the same moon
AG: ....but, I want my own moon...
G: You can have the moon you see, and I'll have the moon I see.
AG:....I have a great idea. How bout we can share the moon. We can just cut it in half. You can have one piece, and I can have one piece.
G: That is a great idea...

Here's to sharing the moon kid.

We are living in a limbo currently. We are relocating to Wisconsin for Dad's job, and I have no idea when these events will take place because we have not sold our house. Granted it has only been on the market a month, and Realtor Guy said to wait at least thru the end of the summer. He came to take photos and walk a few people through the house so I had to pack, and organize and slim down our excess. Which, to a child that is 3 years old means she has nothing to do. Last week I hauled one of the huge grey tubs upstairs to the living room. She starred at it was wide eyes as I cracked the lid to reveal all of her furry, plastic, and  cottonie guys made in China. Beyond thrilled she squeeled " THANKS MOM! I'm so CITED!.....I'm gonna make a MESSS!"  And. She. Did.

I have to remember that during the move I still have a Little that needs to play, we have a life to live, so we'll live it.

Harrison is not only squealing, laughing, hooting, and screaming, he lets us know...as babies do...that he is Filling. His. Pants.

We stopped at our usual spot on the way to Wisconsin on night. After a bottle, a happy meal and a couple cheeseburgers we were ready to hit the highway again. All the sudden Harrison's little face got all red...his eyes got wide... he flexed his muscles and started groaning. Loud groans that made people across the room look up and then back at their once delicious chocolate shake. I tried to hide in the corner, I had no where to go. People started to snicker, one mom gave me a pitiful smile and then looked back at her 3 handfuls of offspring.

There I was holding the loudest McPooper, in a McDonalds, in Osseo.