September 2013 - Recap

[First, let me preface this: this will be woefully short. September was awful. I had a headache for 95% of the month. You and Charlie were Certified TV Zombies.]

There are many times when I think "Dang, kid, you're too smart for your own good." But, alas, September wasn't full of those times. This wasn't your most logical month, my sweet girl. Allow me to paint a few pictures.

• You are still noise sensitive; Charlie is still noisy. Instead of covering your ears when he gets on one of his noisy kicks, you cover your face with your book and then wail that he's too loud. Let me say that again. You cover your face with a book. Your face. Not your ears. Your face.
• I cooked several new meals this month [to make up for the Mommy Guilt I felt by you two watching so much TV, I tried to cook some fun new meals - some were hits, some were misses] and while I was cooking dinner, you came into the kitchen to ask what we were having. When I told you, a look of horror fell upon your face and you wailed "But I don't like [insert new meal here]". My response was always "You've never had it. How do you know you don't like it?" And your wackadoo response was always "But if I've never had it, how am I supposed to know if I like it or not?" And I said "Right! That's what I'm saying!" And you'd say "But I can't say I don't like something if I've never had it before! And I don't like [insert new meal here]!" And I'd be all "Wait, whaaaaa?" Pure lunacy, I tell ya.
• You've forgotten how to fix your own blankets on your bed. Particularly at 3am. We had this problem last year and it took a month or so to break you of the habit of coming into our room, waking us up, asking us to fix your blankets (which did not need fixing, by the way), us informing you that we were not, in fact, going to fix your blankets, telling you that you had to go back to your room and fix your own blankets. And now you're even a year older! You now even more capable of fixing your own silly blankets. I totally understand waking us up if you have a bad dream or if you can't find your teddy bear - those are Critical Situations. But that your blanket is pushed down to the foot of your bed? That is most assuredly a Situation Whereby You Sit Up and Reach Over And Grab The Blanket And Pull it Back Over You, You Silly Person, You. Mommy and Daddy are not needed. You can tell us all about the fascinating blanket escapades in the morning.

When you don't get your way [which, admittedly happens a lot, because, you know, you're four and also, much to your dismay, YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS], you've developed the delightful habit of stomping off down the hall to your room and announcing to God and everyone "I AM POUTING". This is only after you dramatically throw yourself down on the couch in a gigantic huff (and if you're not sure we didn't take good enough notice of the aforementioned huff, you huff again. And again, if necessary.) It's ever-so charming. And it ever-so must stop because now when Charlie gets frustrated? He throws HIMself down on the couch in frustration and stomps down the hall and hollers in his half-decipherable-half-indecipherable ramblings. Daddy and I are trying as hard as we can to teach you positive ways to vent your frustrations because, clearly, Charlie watches you like a hawk. We'll certainly take the stomping off as opposed to throwing a toy or biting when you're mad, but still - trying to bring down the mood of the house with your incessant pouting and huffy attitude has GOT to stop. We're trying to teach you to take a deep breath a count to four. For a smart kid, you seem to forget how to count to four a LOT. As such, I've had to repeat Galatians 6:9 to myself a LOT this month.

You've heard live music several times in your short little life, but you've never really cared up until now. Francesca Battestelli happened to be performing in Destin as part of Harvest America (a Christian outreach). When Daddy and I heard about it, we knew we had to take you. She's one of your favorites. You prance around the house with your Disney Princess microphone singing 'Strangely Dim' practically 24/7. That's also your song of choice when you spot a microphone in Target or Books-A-Million. You feel that it's your job to serenede the customers. There was more to Harvest America than just Francesca Battestelli, but you didn't care. You were just focused on hearing her. Daddy and I would have loved to hear more, but we understand the season of life that we're in. Sitting still and listening to a speaker for an hour just isn't on your and Charlie's to-do list. You and Charlie wanted to run around and play hide-and-seek - so that's what you did. But when Francesca Battestelli came on stage, the fun and games stopped. Daddy put you on his shoulders and you were mesmerized. She opened her set with 'Strangely Dim' and you were the happiest girl in the entire world. You were the best backup singer Francesca Battestelli never asked for, and watching you watch her for those three minutes were absolutely worth the four hours (round trip) it took to get you to see her.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for October 1, 2013:

• No Deal: Government Shuts Down for First Time in 17 Years
• Twitter won't shut up about 'Breaking Bad' finale, why should you?
• 10-year-old gives gift of running to disabled brother
• UC Berkeley campus evacuated after explosion; injuries reported
• Pa. woman, 102, gets honorary high school diploma
• Number of world hungry drops to one in eight: UN
• Muslim man becomes Christian after recovering from brain aneurysm