team zissou

Dear Della,

For awhile now, we have enjoyed watching the movie, "The Life Aquatic" and you like to pretend you are Jane, the pregnant reporter. Dad is Ned and I am Eleanor. You like to reinact the scenes and even add in new drama. Like when you need help having your baby, and I pull on one leg while you pull on the other.


While you were getting ready to take a "baf" with Ned, you asked me/Eleanor if we could play the game later. Yes, I said, while we get you ready for bed.

"We going to do it in fwont of us?"

"Yes, we will do it in the future when you are getting ready for bed."

"Den wayter it will be behind us!!"

I love you,

Mama

P A N T S

Dear Della,

We spent this past weekend just the girls as Daddy was out of town. So, Granna came over and we went to breakfast at Old Wives' Tale. After that, we headed to the mall for some clothes shopping as you had informed me awhile ago that you were ready for some jeans!! Should I repeat that? Della June Baldwin wanted some pants! You have not voluntarily worn pants without it being 20 degrees or me reworking the word pants in a few years (save when Grammy bought you Christmans pants). Reworking as in, "Do you want to wear your ballet pants?" which are leggings with lace on the bottom or "Do you want to wear footless tights?".

Three stores and about $225 later (what can I say, I am a sucker for the cute, girl clothes and your pathetic sweet pleading), we headed for home. You got several new dresses, a few tshirts, a skirt, a red cardigan sweater with a hood (“like mama’s”), a swimsuit, some accessories and 3 PAIRS of PANTS that you chose!

As you had fallen asleep on the way home, Granna piled all of the booty on the dining room table. When you woke, you dove right in and began trying on the clothes. You started slowly with a dress but moved quickly into the pink Capri pants with a belt. Though, I need to add, the belt was not exactly what you were looking for. We ended up going back to a store that had a pink belt with butterflies at your insistence.

Once you had on the pants, belt and a shirt tucked in so that you could properly show off the belt in all its glory, you discovered that pants are a little uncomfortable. “They are tight!”, you whined. But, it didn’t deter you. You also followed through on your promise to wear the pants the next day and the next day and the next day though I managed to wash them prior to the second round. So proud!

One of the downsides to the magnificent pants/belt combo is the difficulty in working the belt. Last night, you had me help buckle the belt, but you insisted on stringing the tail-end through the loops yourself. “Wait for it, wait for it”, you mused while stringing.

I love you,

Mama

PS-While Daddy was gone, I invited you to sleep in my bed as a special treat. In the morning (which always is the best time for your little quips) after 2 nights, you told me this:

“I kinda miss my bed”

“You do? I can understand that. Do you want to sleep in your bed tonight?”

“NO!”

the way it is

Dear Della,

Last night, we were all in the kitchen cooking dinner and getting ready for Thanksgiving when Daddy tooted. On the loud side. Here is the conversation that ensued (with me giggling in the background):

"You can't be in the band!"

"Why?"

"Acuz you tooted!"

"People in the band toot. And you toot too."

"Yeah, but I toot sparkles!"

I love you,

Mama

last night in bed

Dear Della,

Last night while getting into your bed, you were wrestling around with your pillows a little. You have 3 in your bed, a full sized, feather pillow with a green, polka dot pillow case, a small fuzzy one that Granna gave you with "Princess" on it and a medium sized, feather pillow with a flower pillow case that I made that you always used when you had your toddler bed.

Now that you have the setup, here is your dialog.

"I don't want to sweep wif dis big piwwow," as you hand it to Daddy.

"I want to sweep wif dis little one," as you rest your head on the fuzzy, Princess pillow. "Dis one is too soft!".

Daddy gently suggests that you sleep with the flower pillow, and you try that one out.

"Dis one is too fwowewy," (translation: flowery) as you reach for the big one on the floor.

"Dis one is not too polka dotty!" and you lay down, content.

I love you,

Mama

on the way to school

Dear Della,

"I had a dweam wif Bawack Obama in it."

"You did?"

"Yeah, he came to my pawty and bwought me a gift."

"Was John McCain there too?"

"Yes, but not the bad pwesident."

"George Bush?"

"Yeah!"

I love you,

Mama

heard in bed

Dear Della,

This morning we were laying in bed together (my favorite way to wake up). We were looking at a little book that Granna had given me years ago which was difficult for me because I didn't have my glasses on.

"Wets wead dis witto book."

"Ok, we can read a few pages."

"Five, fow, fee, seconds..."

I love you,

Mama

guts and insides

Dear Della,

Yesterday, we spent the day together enjoying the final days of summer. We went to the library, had lunch at Hollywood Burger Bar, purchased a used/new to you raincoat and cat rain boots, visited Children's Garden and played in the fountain at Jamison Square. By the time we met Daddy at the Lucky Lab, I was exhausted but happy.

You were so happy to be in the fountain. You basically threw your boots off and ran into the water screaming. You informed me that you were screaming because you were having fun. I spent most of the time reading my book and glancing up every 2 or 3 sentences to scan the throngs of children in search of your blue polka dotted swimsuit. I enjoyed watching the crowd too as almost everyone had a smile on there face, kids to adults.

At the library, we found the normal kid books, but we also found an anatomy book from the " 'dult " section. I picked it up for you as you have been talking about how babies breath and eat with your classroom at ChildRoots.
The first thing you asked, "Is there any pee?". You have since seen a cross section of a vertebrae that has the spinal cord in a yellow color. That will forever be known to you as pee. We took it into school today and you proudly showed it off to Teacher Jessica and Harry. On this picture, you informed him that it was, indeed, pee. He responded that it was the same color as pee. He is so good about just reflecting your thoughts and comments. But, of course, I had to say that, "No, it is just the inside of the back bones, blah, blah, blah." I don't think you really care what it actually represents. You also really like looking at the hand bones, putting your hand on it and noticing that the picture is "vewy tiny".

This comes on the heals of watching a Magic School Bus episode that shows the inside of a kid's digestive track. You have always been so fascinated with the Magic School Bus books, and I find it fascinating that you like science so well. It has reinforced my decision to change your preschool. You often tell me that you like your old school better and that "everyone hates you" at your new school. Well, you never talked about a snail's big foot (we even brought one in that is still living in your room) or uterus' or looked for potato bugs at your old school.

I love you,

Mama