Stuff Jo Knows ...: January 2018

5 Years + 9 Months:

Sitting down to family breakfast a day after Thanksgiving:

“Instead of looking at the news (I was reading a magazine), we should talk about what I want for Christmas.”

Taking a walk, talking about skunks: “I just don’t want to get stinked.”

Thanksgiving celebration with Daddy, Mama, Beebee, including crafts, advent calendar prep, traditional meal courtesy of Alex, and a whole month’s worth of TV including Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving and later, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

“You know what I want for Xmas? 10 million candy canes.”

Falling asleep (while wearing her Wonder Woman beanie) after watching The Trolls holiday special.

“I know what we should be for Halloween next year! I'll be Poppy, you be Branch, Daddy will be the blue guy with the Wormy, and Birdy will be the wormy! Because you're always lazy like Branch, I'm always hyper like Poppy, and daddy's always like the blue guy and Birdy is like the wormy.”

Art like drawing and coloring - markers or pens - all the time

Mama: “So we’re gonna go back to gymnastics this winter, at Garden Home?”

Francie: “Yup.”

Daddy: “What about basketball? I thought you wanted to play basketball?”

Mama: “When was that? She’s never expressed interest.”

Francie: “I only like playing pretend basketball at school, like this (mimes dribbling a ball).”

(Parents laugh).

Daddy: “There’s got to be a theatrical troupe, maybe a mime class, for her to join.”

(Worried about bad guys):

“Well let's think some good thoughts before going to sleep, just in case. Like eating leftover pumpkin pie for a snack today.”

“How about eating cupcakes all day and never dying? I know, eating cake for every meal.”

“How about going to the movies with your best friend tomorrow?”

“Yeah, and eating popcorn and not listening to your mom or dad. And not cleaning your room.”

“Ok, one more, then time for sleep.”

“Are you thinking too?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about one of my favorite things, shopping for other people.”

“Speaking my of shopping, how about buying things for myself!”

Saw Coco - and the Olaf Holiday Adventure - movie in theater with Mila, Lincoln, and Kadence

“Ormanent”

“I actually want to be a bird because I like laying eggs.”

“I like looking at myself in the mirror. Because I have a great imagination and I pretend it's my sister looking back at me and she looks just like me and we see each other through the mirror.”

She went pee when we got home, and wouldn't wipe after.
"You don't like to wipe?"
"No"
"You just wanna have a soggy vagina?"
"Yeah. That's my superpower."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I just put it to people's faces and then they run away!"

F has been playing with my old nativity set a lot since we got out the Xmas decorations. A bunch of wise men and lambs were scattered all over our coffee table, so I was cleaning up while she’s in the bath. I had to get a new plastic baggie because she ripped the other one, and I realized not all the pieces were there.
Me, shouting to her from the living room to the bathroom: “Where's baby Jesus?”
Her, shouting back nonchalantly: “I dunno."
Me, kind of annoyed: “Seriously? You lost the baby Jesus?”
Her, shrugging: “I think he just got stolen by the bads or something.”

At Laughing Planet:

“I have so many friends …. I'm gonna have a panic attack.”

“I wish Abby didn't like me so much because she always wants to play with me. I don't want to be mean but I don't always want to play with her.”

Came home sick from school.

Me: are you sure you didn't come home just to get out of Art4Life?

Her: I'm sure. I would never lie!

“Can you go to jail even when you're the president?”

So excited to watch the first Star Wars movie with Daddy.

Learning to do the monkey bar rings at the school playground, working on her confidence

"I do love you but why do you touch me when I am mad?"

Baby Evie (Evelyn Hoagland) was born.

LOTS of holiday decor, activities, and celebration, thanks in part to the advent calendar.

Liking to draw all things "royal."

Mama's always on the couch these days.

Gotta love when your daughter draws a family portrait and sounds out the word herself; and her depiction of her father is somewhat spot-on.

Mama Erika and Baby Evie

Sweet Baby Evie

BBQ turkey for Thanksgiving!

Beebee and Francie making a real dream catcher for Hazel's advent.

The Thanksgiving master at work.

All this, in sweatpants, too!

Low-key, but traditional, Thanksgiving celebration.

Mama and the Bean couch time.

Daddy and his Little Bear fast asleep.

Day after Christmas tree hunting!

Mama, Francie (and Birdy) with their favorite tree.

She's got the Christmas spirit.

My Big Girl.

Famle tree pic.

Francie telling Santa about her wish for a new pink doll stroller.

She insisted that Mama sit with her, too.

Santa, his sleigh and presents, and Rudolph with two other reindeer helpers.

That plush tree plays "Rockin Around the Xmas Tree" on repeat - thank goodness the batteries died.

Francie loves to wear my glasses and pretend to be Mama.

Her first short story? "Welcome to the dark forest."

Annual Menne Cookie Party with Finley, Dash, Logan, and Max.

Reindeer art from Maplewood School.

Saying "hi" to Baby Birdy.

'Tis the season. We love Xmas. And Elf.

Mila, Francie and purple donuts at Alpenrose.

Mila, Francie and Lincoln.

Whoa belly.

Dear Santa, This Christmas I am 5 years old. This year I have been nice. The three things I would like most this Christmas are: baby stroller, Madeline doll (from Michael's), and train set. Love, Francie Close

I discovered that "playing with lotion" results in an awesome foot and calf massage.

Francie's card to her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Thomas, to accompany a gift of a button tree ornament, books for the classroom, and a book for her daughter Wyoma-

"tel your baby Hape Chrismis, Love, Francie"