Shooting For the Moon

Dear Mackenzie,

You are at that stage where anything you say is just so darn cute! I mean, you just have to look up at me with your big brown eyes and say, "Hi, Mama!" and I will seriously melt into a puddle of mush! Here is some recent cuteness:

-I told you that if you go outside without a jacket, you will get cold. You replied matter-of-factly, "That is true."

-JieJie offered you a toy you didn't want, so you wrinkled your nose and said, "No thank you."

-We play a game where you go to the other end of the room or hallway I'm standing in and I crouch down and say, "Three, two, one, HUGGIE!" Then you run toward me and I catch you in my arms and give you a big hug. The other day, I was in my room when you went to the end of the upstairs hallway and called out, "Mama! Come in the hallway! I want to run to you!"

-When I do something you like, such as play the aforementioned huggie game or spray your face with water during your shower, and you want me to repeat it, you say with the biggest smile on your face, "Again! Again!"

-Second GuhGaw wasn't sharing his toys so you came to me, put your hands on your hips and said, "Thoyer being mean." Then you waved your pointer finger up and down in the air and said, "He not being nice."

-We put up our Christmas decorations over the weekend and when we were done, you exclaimed, "Guys! Look at our living room! Look at our dining room! It so byoo-full!" 

-This morning, you were looking at the Christmas tree when you smiled a big sweet smile and said, "I so thited [excited] for Kiss-mas!"

-When we went to school today, your school had put up a giant 12-foot Christmas tree and when you walked into the room and saw it, your eyes lit up, your jaw dropped and you said, "Whoooooa." I mean, come on! Kids at Christmastime is the best! The joy and wonderment is sooooo heartwarming!

-Your current favorite book is Olivia and we read it every day at naptime and bedtime (you also always go to bed with your Olivia stuffie). We have read it so much that you can recite most of the pages. My favorite is when you say, "Sometimes she likes to bask in the sun." It just sounds so funny when you say it out loud for some reason. On the last page, Olivia's mom tells her, "You really wear me out but I love you anyway." Olivia responds, "I love you anyway, too." So now when you and I cuddle in bed, you say to me, "I love you anyway, too."

-By the way, you are finally sleeping in your own bed for the entire night! You slept with Daddy and me for the longest time, way longer than any of your siblings did, and while I loved the nighttime snuggles, I did not enjoy being jolted awake because you had headbutted me or jabbed my eye in your sleep. I also didn't like the fact that you always rotated your body until your head was against me and your feet were against Daddy, making us form a perfect H where you had all the space in our king-size bed while Daddy and I were pushed to the edges! You have slept in your room all night for five nights and so far, it's been good! You've woken up crying a few times but when I come in and comfort you, you usually go back to sleep. Wooo! I also got you a llama nightlight that changes colors and that seems to comfort you, too. When it arrived and I showed it to you, you were coming out of Daddy's office. Your face lit up and you ran back into Daddy's office and told him, "Daddy! Mama got me a--" Then there was a long pause and you ran back and looked at me because you didn't know the word "llama." You do now! And you actually like to carry your new nightlight all around the house with you during the day.

-As I was typing this post tonight, you were in my room looking out the window. You could see the moon clearly and started talking so cutely that I transcribed your words as you spoke them: "How you touch the moon? You need a very very very tall ladder? I can use my chair. It's a rocket ship. We can use it to touch the moon. It will work. [sticks thumb up] We will get that very very high moon." Is that just not the more adorable thing? And the part with you sticking your thumb up as confirmation. Where did you learn to do that? You are such a cutie!!

Love,

Mom