Christmas Time is Here. And Gone.

Except still kind of here because I'm in Hawaii with my sister and niece - the most amazing person on the planet right now (understanding of course that there are three new babies in my life right now and that they, too, are most amazing. Liam, Emmy, and Evan - you rock).

Anyhow, Christmas was sweet this year. Lila is so freaking awesome it is almost impossible to breathe around her. She loves circles - drawing them, singing "circle circle" to her own made up tune, pointing out circles... She also asks "was dat?!" about everything and won't stop until she gets the answer she's looking for. She says "ah no!" and "owwww!" and "sowwy" (sorry), although only one of those is used correctly. She'll throw an "ow" or a "sowwy" out if we're buckling her in her carseat, putting on her shoes, walking on the sidewalk. You know, just whenever. She also says "car!" and "Abby!!!!!!!!!!!!" and knows exactly what she's taking about. She loves her Abby doll that she got for Christmas. I will never be able to forget that "rhyming words is what i like to do...rhyming words is so much fun." Ask me; I'll sing it for you.

She says "pweas" and "mulk" (please and milk), noooooodle, and twooo (for any number). She likes to enunciate her vowels. My mom is "Momsie" and my dad is "Potsie" (Lila's pronunciation of Popsie). Mama and Daddeeeeee and Nnenna (that's me). Twee (tree). She knows what all the animals say, plus what a pirate says ("arrrrr!"). Watuh (water). Taking you by the hand (or hair, as she did tonight during bath time) to what she wants if you aren't smart enough to figure it out the first time. "Hi!!" when she sees your first thing, "byeee!" when you leave, and "yay!" after any and every song we sing.

Lila loves art. She got an easel for Christmas and draws with the chalk and with the wipe-off-able crayons. She also has these cool bath crayons that she draws all over the tub/shower with. Freakin' Picasso. And she also loves Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. And remote control cars. She LOVES to play outside (which I happily indulge). She has a weird fascination with socks.

So that's been my Christmas. That, plus Hawaii sun and warmth (though I have worn a sweatshirt and wished I'd had jeans. It gets chilly at night!). And my folks, who left the other day. Lila loves my dad and asks about three times a day, where da Potsie? Holy crapbagofbeans, it is the most precious and heartbreaking thing. Where da Potsie? Where da Potsie?

Oh yeah, and about 20 minutes after I put her to bed last night, I heard a funny noise upstairs and went to check it out. Lila had gotten out of her bed, went into her parents' room, gotten my sister's Nook, gotten back in her bed, and was playing a game. "Hi!" she said. Ridiculous.