For Posterity's Sake: Week in Review 19

On Time Outs, Storms, and the Things Said in Between:

There's no getting around it, Audrey is a cute girl. Not just in the her-mom-thinks-she's-cute sense. In the strangers-take-notice-cute sense. Sunday, while out to lunch, I walked past a stranger with Audrey in tow. The stranger, seeing her, said, "You're such a pretty girl." He walked just out of earshot before she replied, "Yes. I am a pretty girl." Oh boy.

Monday we spent a long day taking our time and playing hard at the Children's Museum. On the drive home, Audrey informed me, "I want to drive, too." When I told her she couldn't drive yet, she cried - for a consecutive thirty minutes, until we turned onto the street that leads to our house, at which point she fell asleep.

This week has been one of frequent rain showers and a couple of storms. Audrey's catch-phrases during these storms are, "Did you hear that?" "What's that?" said in a dramatic whisper. On the night of the biggest storm this week, she woke up frightened and scrambled into bed with us. In the morning, she looked at me and said, "Did you make the thunder loud?"

On Wednesday, after being told she had to go to time-out, she began yelling, "No, time-in, time-in!"

Thursday night, Jason converted her crib into a toddler bed. When we put her to sleep that night, she looked at us puzzled and asked are you going to "close me?"

Today, my little sister flew in from California. Audrey and I made a trip to my parents' house to spend some time catching up with her. Audrey had taken to playing with a spare key on a chain and asked me to go stand on the glassed-in porch so she could "lock me out." When Mamaw asked if Audrey had put me in time-out, she replied, "I'm making Mama settle down."

This stage is one that not only keeps us on our toes, but keeps our interests peeked at full-tilt. We wake up not knowing what the day will bring, what new phrase will come out of our little one's mouth, what game she may invent for us to play, and how she will make us view the world anew, again. Then we wake up and do it all over again. This morning she was a big dog and there were lions on the ceiling. Who knows what treasures the house will hold tomorrow that we would not see without her as our guide? What a blessing. What a ride.

Here's to your own sweet adventures this weekend!