Summer 2012

We spent some time in State College this summer.........

Among other things, went to a Children's Museum which Anna loved.

 Attempted to get a good photo at the Lion Shrine.....

 ......attempt is the key word here.  The one below cracks me up.

Sooooooooooooo.........

Apparently I am only going to blog when I have time off of work.  I feel like I just got done updating this blog but that was already six months ago!  Anyway, in an attempt to get caught up before the end of 2012 I will be posting pictures from July through December and then perhaps make the New Year's resolution to become a better blogger!  Let's see how I do!

Just a Little Bit Old

The other day Anna and I were looking at something (I don't remember what) and I told her it was my grandmother's.  She asked me where my grandmother was and I told her that she had died a number of years ago.  Anna sucked in her breath and said increduously "She DIED??????  Why did she die?".  Without getting into the ins and outs with her I just told her that my grandmother had gotten old and that when people get older things are more likely to happen to them and they die.  Anna thought about this a minute and said "was she really, really, really old?".  I told her that she was.  Anna then asked "are you really, really, really old?".  I assured her that I was NOT really, really, really old.  After a few seconds Anna agreed with me and said "Yah, you're just a little bit old Mama". 

Yup, that's me.  Just a little bit old.

An Interesting Conversation

Anna and I had an interesting conversation while in the car the other day.  It was one of the few times in my life that I really didn't know what to say.  At all.  Whatsoever.
We passed an apartment that I used to live in a long time ago which sparked the following:

M: "Look Anna.  See that house?  Used to live in an apartment there a long time ago."
A: "Where was I?"
M:  "It was looooooong before you were born."
A:  "Oh.  But where was I?"
M:  "I didn't have you yet.  You weren't in my belly yet."
A.  "Oh."  She was quiet a few seconds then "Mama?  How did I get in your belly?"

I was silent.  I didn't know how to answer it.  She is only 3.5 so I was desperately trying to think of a way to answer for her age. Flustered I give out the following response...

M: "Well when mommies really want babies and are ready to have them they just get them in their bellies."  Yes. That is really the answer I gave.  How ridiculous was that? Especially because, yup, you guessed it, she followed up with this question:

A: "But how did I GET IN there?"
M: "Well, I just told you Anna.  When mommies really want babies and are ready to have them they just go in their bellies."  Logically I was thinking, since that response was so good the first time, why not say it again, right?

A: "But Mama, HOW DID I GET IN THERE?" 

My response to this was completely absurd and I am sure will go down in history as one of my true failure moments as a mother.  With, I am certain, panic in my voice at the prospect of discussing this any longer, I said:

M: "I don't know!  I don't know, okay? I have no idea how you got in there, you just did! Let 's talk about something else!"

Seriously.  That's the best I could do.  I sincerely promise to do better when she is older ; ).

Swimming Lessons

Like last summer, Anna has been taking swimming lessons.  While she enjoys them, I think that the instructors coddle her a little too much because at home Anna is all over the place in the pool.  She often doesn't wear floaties and will jump off the side by herself and swim over. The girl lives in her swim suit and we spend hours each day swimming.  At lessons, it is a different story.  Because she can, she often will hold onto the side, her teachers (which they let her do) and holds hands to jump off the sides, etc.  She is in a group with the kids her age but I really think she could be in the next group up.  I by no means think she will be as good as the kids in the next group, but at least she will be challenged to do something.  I would rather her be the worst one a group that is challenging to her and actually be progressing with her skills and learning something rather than be just skating by with skills she already knows and exceeds when she is at home.  I haven't said anything about it because I don't want to come across as being one of those moms who thinks her kid is just sooooooooo extraordinary because that is not at all the case.  I just know the difference between what I observe from her at home and then at lessons and like I said, if she were in the next group I think she will struggle but at least would be learning new skills. Anyway, sorry I have been a little disappointed by the lessons this year but she enjoys them and it gives her more time in a pool each day which she likes!  I am going to be looking into continuing lessons for her into the fall because she loves swimming so much, but I may be looking into a different program.

Sorry some of the pictures are blurry.  I sit pretty far away and had to zoom in as much as possible.

Doll Potty

You can't set up a picnic without a potty nearby! Especially one that makes a plays a song when  you shut the lid. (She has one of her swimsuits on in these pictures that is why it looks like she doesn't have on pants.  She lives in her suits.)

Funny Friday (But Really Saturday)

Some funny things from the week:
*Somehow Anna changed the language on her portable DVD player to French.  I didn't even notice it.  After a few minutes Anna said "Mama, what's wrong these people?  They are talking all wonka."

*Anna likes to make up names for items, sometimes even if she knows the right name for what the item is  A favorite go-to, made up name she uses a lot is "ponna".  Sometimes it is hard to decipher which "ponna" she is referring to.

*We have been making frequent trips to the library.  We rarely make it there for story time because of swimming lessons but we still go and get books.  One day, the Children's Librarian came up and asked if there was anything in particular Anna was looking for.  Anna said "Oh yes. Scooby Doo books.  Lots of Scooby Doo books.  And ballerina books since I'm gonna be one soon.".  This is definitely one of those you "had to be there" things to really know how funny it sounded.  She said it so seriously and maturely.  Also, it reminded me that I am going to have to make a decision about which one of the two dance schools I am looking into I want to send her to in the fall!

*One day Anna was telling my mom about something or other that she wanted.  My mom jokingly said to her "Anna, you can't have everything you see."  Anna looked at her and said very seriously "Why yes I can."  This is funny because Anna doesn't usually ask for much (other than Scooby Doo videos) or if she does and you tell you no she has never, ever had a fit about not getting something.  I have always been able to take her in toy stores and we have always made a swing through the toy section on Wal-Mart runs without incident.  So, to hear her so confidently tell my mom that "yes she can" have everything was too funny!

*We have gone to few of the Summer Children's Theater shows at the mall after swimming lessons on Tuesdays.  This past Tuesday I knew it was going to be a turtle birthday party show and that kids were going to get a cupcake.  I asked Anna if she wanted to go, told her about the live turtles they would have there and told her about the cupcake.  She said she didn't want to go because cupcakes are too messy. Funny thing because this child never passes up cake of any variety.  So knowing this, we went anyway.  Anna wasn't really into the show because she couldn't see (as a result of swimming lessons we got there like 5 minutes before it started).  When the show was over I asked her if she wanted to get the two turtle song CDs that they were passing out for free. She said "Nah, I just want a cupcake.  Where are they?".  Hmmmmm....now that's the Anna I know!

*Perhaps the funniest thing of the week occurred at swimming lessons.  While she swims, I sit up on the bleachers.  On one particular day this week, I noticed that two of the instructors kept asking Anna something and then were laughing at whatever she was saying.  One of the teachers was one that hadn't been working with her group before and the other had.  This went on for a few minutes and I could only imagine what Anna was telling them that was so funny.  After swimming lessons were over, I went down to get Anna from the pool and the teacher that hadn't worked with Anna's group before came over and asked me what Anna's name was.  I told her and she laughed and said that Anna was INSISTING that her name was Daphne and wouldn't answer to Anna or Annalise.  I laughed and told her about Anna's obsession with Scooby Doo and that she pretends she is that character.  The teacher thought it was so funny.  She said that since she hadn't worked with her group before she had asked Anna her name to which she replied it was Daphne.  The other teacher overheard that and said told her that it was Anna.  Anna then said no it was Daphne.  This went on  until the other teacher (the one that had worked with the group) was confused and questioning herself and thinking that maybe she had been calling her the wrong name all along!  I can't believe Anna was able to convince her of that.  Maybe she has a career as a lawyer someday, or a politician :).  Anyway, another funny part of it was that the whole thing bothered Anna because afterward when she was getting changed in the locker room she knit her eyebrows together and said "Mama, what's wrong with swimming teachers?".  I asked her was she meant and she said "they tell kids that they can't pretend anything!".