Biker Chick

Hana outgrew her old bike so we sold it at the garage sale. Jennifer went with us Thursday to purchase a new big girl bike for Miss Hana Banana. Oops! I forgot. She has requested to not be called that anymore because "she doesn't like it." She "just wants to be called Hana." Her words, not mine. We purchased the bike assembled so she got to ride it through the store, to the check out and into parking lot right up to the car.

It would be nice if we could bring it grocery shopping with us! She had a blast maneuvering it through Toys R Us! The next day she could not wait to hop on it, but there were a couple changes we needed to make first.

Every little girl needs a basket on the front of her bike! Hana said, "So I'll have a place to put flowers I pick!" And I added, "Or a place for your babies to sit."

We also added a bell and a Belle (and a Snow White and Cinderella).

With the new accessories in place, it was time to ride! In went Rapunzel...

on went Hana...

on went some sun block and in went a bottle of water because we're on day 7,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the triple digits here.

Off we went and the pictures tell the story.

Now I'm asking for a bike so I can keep up with her!

Really?

I'm sorry, but did someone really think this was good straw placement?

Buh buh buh bird, bird, bird...

ME: Wow, Hana! You are doing a fantastic job coloring that bird! Who taught you how to do that?

(I totally expected her to give me an all-knowing smile and say, "You did, Momma!" But instead...)

HANA: Uncle Josh.

ME: (Puzzled. I've been working with her and coloring with her for what, three years now?)

Oh, yea? When did he teach you how to color?

HANA: We were at a restaurant and I was coloring on the kids menu. He showed me how to color slow and fill in all the white spots and don't go outside the line like this (she scribbled a little outside the line to show me).

Underwater Swimmer

She makes me so proud!

Snow White & An All-Too-Familiar Smell

Hana had just gone potty where she took care of business, wiped herself and washed her hands. She ate some yogurt and got it all over her face, hands and clothes so I told her to go into the bathroom and wash up. We then headed upstairs where she decided she wanted to put on a ballerina outfit. As I was helping her into the tutu I smelled an all-too-familiar smell, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I assumed she had gotten into my body sprays while in the bathroom.

ME: What's that you smell like, Hana?
HANA: Ummm...
ME: (Now very concerned by her hesitation) What is it? Did you spray some of my body spray on yourself?
HANA: No. Ummm...
ME: (Horrible feeling in my gut. This can't be good.) Tell me what it is, please. (I continue sniffing her trying desperately to place the scent.)
HANA: You know that sticky stuff in the toilet?
ME: The gel? The toilet cleaner that I stick in the toilet?
HANA: Yea.

ME: What did you do?
HANA: I touched it.
ME: Why? (She tells me a story about a friend of hers, who shall remain nameless, showing her to do it while at someone else's house)  What did you do with it after it got on your finger?
HANA: I wiped it on my chest, stomach and legs.
ME: Why? Do you know how gross that is?
HANA: (Now looking very concerned) No.
ME: Honey, it's toilet cleaner. It's inside the toilet. Do you think the inside of the toilet is clean?
HANA: (Thinking about it)
ME: What goes in a toilet?
HANA: Pee and poop.
ME: Now think about that. Pee and poop have probably touched that gel you touched. Are those the only places you wiped it or put it?
HANA: Yes.
ME: Are you sure?
HANA: Yes.
ME: Did you put it in your mouth?
HANA: No.
ME: (Smelling her breath just to be certain) You know you should never put anything like that in your mouth, right?
HANA: Yes, Momma, I know it would taste yucky.
ME: Sweetie, it has very little to do with the taste. It's poison.
HANA: Like in  Snow White?
ME: Yes, just like in Snow White. Poison is stuff that is very bad for you and can make you very, very, very sick. You should never put random things in your mouth and you should never, ever stick your hand in a toilet. I know you're curious, but next time ask me first before you just touch something, okay? We can explore things together, safely.

Then we bathed in antibacterial soap.

Naptastic

Hana starts preschool next week. Sigh. How does that make me feel? Sad. Happy. Sad. Sad. Happy. How does that make her feel? Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. In an effort to get her ready, and since she hadn't napped in a few days anyway, I decided she would "rest" today rather than nap. She's almost 4 and I know her naps might go away when she starts preschool, so I thought she might be ready for that step. For a while now I have given her the option of resting or napping, but usually put in some effort to make sure a nap happens (read to her, snuggle with her, lights off, sing to her, you get the idea). Today she wanted to stay in my bed and read books for her rest time and since she was only resting, I did not get her to potty beforehand. The light was on, the door was open, I was in and out of the room. Five minutes later I found this:

She was so asleep she didn't even flinch when I lifted her and moved her around to put that waterproof sheet under her just in case she had an accident. Sweet girl. She was exhausted. I guess I just might be that mom that puts her daughter down for a nap when she gets home from school. I've never really understood moms who do that, but I've also never questioned them. I figured they had their reasons, and it looks like I'll have mine. I guess I'll have to lay with her because I don't think I'll be too happy missing her while she's at school and again while she sleeps! I'm used to nap time being "me time" (translated: watching what I want on TV while folding laundry, cleaning the house, etc), but I'll have more "me time" than I'll know what to do with come next week.

(Just in case you're not caught up: Hana begged to start school, I did not just decide she would start. I would be happy for her to keep staying home with me a bit longer! She is so proud that she is a big enough girl to go to school!)

The Superhero Princess

I guess her superpower is putting a smile on my face!

My Dirty Clothes Hamper in Action

Mommy's

little 

girl!

Have you read the story on the side of my blog under Things Hana Says about the dirty clothes hamper? You should!

Just Don't Look At It

She got some Cinderella temporary tattoos earlier this week. She asked if she could put one on, I said yes. She asked if she could cut the one she wanted out herself, I said yes and handed her her scissors. She did a very good job of cutting it out, she pushed a chair over to the kitchen sink and got a paper towel, wet it and proceeded applying the tattoo to herself. Is it obvious I've done this for her a few times? We celebrated over what a big girl she is and she was so proud of herself and her new tattoo of Cinderella's fairy godmother. Moments later I saw her picking it off. I asked her to please stop. She does that all the time. We put one on, she peels it off and immediately asks for another. Within a couple minutes I saw her picking at it again so I just looked at her. She saw me and quickly stopped. I looked at the tattoo to see how much damage had been done and she jerked her arm away and said in a very low, quiet voice, "Just don't look at it, Momma. Just don't look at it."

Pictures For Daddy

Hana sure missed her daddy this past weekend while he was floating down the river. We colored pictures for him Friday evening and hung them on the wall for him Sunday just before he got home. She used her scissors to cut my picture and that's all I was allowed to color!

She even wrote his name on hers. Can you see it?

Mr(s). Guthrie

Aggie-tude

Kick some butt this year, Aggies, before you go to the SEC!

Annie

We recently went to see the musical Annie and it was awesome. Hana enjoyed it SO MUCH! After every song she would "whistle," clap, cheer and yell, "What's next?" She was cracking us up. Oh, and Santa Clause was there! Yep, some man dressed as Santa was sitting at the end of our aisle! Crazy, right? Hana kept asking, "Momma, can I go visit Santa?" So she did. At least three times! I have a sneaking suspicion we'll be spending lots of time at the mall this holiday season. Hopefully her gift request will change before then, though. When Santa asked what she wants for Christmas, she told him she wants a pogo stick! No way! That's a trip to the ER waiting to happen. She also spied a pirate sitting in front of us. (A man with hoop earrings and a black dew rag) She was having the time of her life up until the last 30-45 minutes. It was a long show and ran late, but boy was she a trooper. She even got to go backstage afterwards, which was nice because before the show started she was disappointed to learn that she would not be getting on stage herself.

Tonight's conversation...

ME: You can use my body wash!
HANA: Mmm! What does that smell like?
ME: It's called Island Waters.
HANA: Did you get it at a store in Florida?
ME: No. Actually Aunt Victoria gave it to me.
HANA: Did she get it at Bath & Body Works?
ME: No. Ironically it came from a store called Victoria's Secret.
HANA: Can only Aunt Vicky go there?

I (just) Heard That!

How long have we had the van? We got it last November, right? Can you believe we just now figured out how to work the headphones that go with the DVD player? Do you have any idea how many (highly intelligent)  people have tried to figure it out? Do you know what we were doing wrong?

You must be wearing them in the back seat for them to work.

Everyone has always sat in the front seat while trying to get them to work. I just happened to be trying it again recently and turned my head and was able to hear for a split second from the side that was closest to the back seat. When I told Joe, who was driving at the time, what had happened, I almost literally saw a light bulb appear over his head as he said, "They'll only work if you're in the back seat!" You would've thought we made fire for the first time.

Pampered

While the guys are away the girls shall play!

This weekend the guys (Geegaw, Uncle Josh & Joe) took a little trip down the river. While they were floating their cares away, the girls (Ninny, Hana and myself) decided to play. First stop: the nail salon where Miss Hana Grace received her very first big girl mani-pedi! She's had her nails painted numerous times and even been pampered a bit while sitting in my lap while I got my feet worked on, but today was special. She sat in her very own chair.

She got her arms and legs massaged:

She even got her arms and legs wrapped in warm towels.

She told me it felt cozy and warm but told Ninny it was silly.

She sat so still the entire time and behaved like a mature little lady!

She talked the guy's head off! She told him about the lizard (Gecko) we found in our house last night...

(Yes, his tail is missing. I accidentally cut it off while trying to get him off the ceiling. I had never done that before. The tail flipped & flopped around for at least 5 minutes after it came off! GROSS! We caught him in a bowl, as you can see, and then we set him free outside...where he belongs.)

...about playing peek-a-boo, about the sparkly lotion she has and likes to put on and I even heard her say once, "Sometimes my daddy lays on me and squishes me!" and "Sometimes my momma laughs like a piggy!" and then she snorted to show him. Nice.

None of the employees could believe she isn't even four years old yet! She was so well behaved and talked and talked and talked. The lady waxing my eyebrows said, "Is that your daughter? She's not shy at all is she?" Nope. Not my girl! She is so very proud of her beautiful, sparkly fingernails,

her extra soft skin from the lotion they rubbed on her and last, but certainly not least, her super sparkly toenails! 

We'll have to do this more often!