This morning Sofia started school. Real school. Full day school. Eat lunch and take a nap at school, school. Although technically today she is only there for a half day, meeting the new kids in her class and shaking hands with her teacher who is there to greet her at the door. She has been counting down the days until this day. “Is today Miss Pamela day?” she asks every morning. Finally today I could say “yes miss bean, today is “Miss Pamela day”.
While she was getting dressed she kept talking about what the day would be like, negotiating a marshmallow for the ride to school, asking a million other questions but all I could focus on were her feet. She had chosen to wear saltwater sandals to school today and I bent down to buckle them and looked down to see little girl feet. Where did the toddler feet go? The ones I could nibble on or tickle, that fit in the palm of my hand. Now they were bigger, and faster, ready to take her out into the world. She reminds me she is growing every day. “Look how big I am Mommy” she will shout, standing as tall as she can. I tell her to stop, to stay little, to not grow any more. She rolls her eyes and gives me a “Moooooom, you’re so silly” look.
We pulled up outside the school a few minutes early and Ajay and I turned around to take one last look at her before she headed inside. “Let’s get out!” she shouted. I told her we were early and we could sit for a few more minutes. She told us no, that she wanted to get out, that she was ready now. I wanted to say “Oh my sweet bean, I don’t know if I am ready yet” but instead smiled, and we got out of the car, walked inside, she shook Miss Pamela’s hand, and off she went.
A couple weekends ago Sofia took a helium filled balloon outside and promptly cut the string. Up, up and away it went. Down, down, down came the tears. Grandpa tried to console her and said that it was heading up to Heaven. She seemed okay with that, and after a bit forgot all about that balloon.
Cut to this past weekend on the coast. Ajay was out packing the car and Sofia and I came out just in time to see the balloon she had gotten at the local Pig n Pancake float out of the car and up into the sky. I braced myself for screams, pouts… tears at least. I slowly turned to Sofia and she just shrugged her shoulders. “That’s okay, it is going to see Kevin”. Um, what? “Ya, just like my other balloon with Grandpa. It floated up to Kevin.” Yea… Kevin.
“Mama? Can I be a prince?”
“Well, usually girls are princesses and boys are the princes”
“Oh”
“So, what would you be?”
“A princess”
“And what would Sebastian be?”
“A prince!”
“Right! And Georgia?”
“A princess”
“And Noah?”
“A princess, just like me and Georgia”
“Uh, okay. And Eloise?”
“The magic witch”
Happy father’s day to all you Dads, Papas, Nonnos and Dadus. We wouldn’t be who we are today without you in our lives. Love you all!
Shake your popo mambo is a dance we do every day in our house.
Bean’s been watching so much World Cup Soccer that during the NBA Finals last night she kept yelling “GOOOOOAAALLLL!” whenever the Lakers scored.
Pop songs are a big hit in our house. On the repeat cycle are Ke$ha, Black Eyed Peas, Selena Gomez and BOB, plus a handful of hindi pop songs as well. Is there anything cuter than a toddler dancing around singing “Bulletproof”? Maybe a toddler dancing around singing “Bulletproof” while holding a kitten. Otherwise I don’t think so.
Movie star is still the someday occupation. At her recent graduation (which I’ll post movies of later) Bean again affirmed when she grows up she wants to be a movie star. She’s already preparing for auditions. She’ll rewind the movie she is watching over and over again to get the dialogue and scenes just right. We are in trouble.
Food items that you will always find in our house: bananas, bubble water, popsicles and oatmeal. And chocolate chips. Always have to have those on hand. And wine. Have you met Bean? Oy.
We are at the edge of toddlerhood, with Bean testing her boundaries and pushing her will every day. It is exciting to see and watch this small bean of ours evolve into a legume, but a little bittersweet at the same time. Even though our life is full of I’ll do it myself’s and go away I’m not talking to you’s, when the sun sets and the stars come out, there is still hand holding and watching a movie in my pocket. At least she still wants to snuggle.
This morning Sofia started school. Real school. Full day school. Eat lunch and take a nap at school, school. Although technically today she is only there for a half day, meeting the new kids in her class and shaking hands with her teacher who is there to greet her at the door. She has been counting down the days until this day. “Is today Miss Pamela day?” she asks every morning. Finally today I could say “yes miss bean, today is “Miss Pamela day”.