Hello there, Kitty

The kids and I have a goal: Find the next holiday's themed craft to fill the random pass-through window in our den. Today, it's was heart garland.

Too bad I can't hang this cute girl in the random pass-through window. (And I mean that in a nice way...'cause she's so cute!)

Today as Genivieve packed up and said her good-byes, heading to Norfolk to start fresh; new family and all, I watched the kids playing under blue skies and cool breezes, and thought about family. Togetherness, comfort, and all that family involves.

She's what we call "well rounded." In her ballet shoes, tromping through mud and snow, purse filled with "grown-up" things, slung across her shoulder, while she runs down the driveway. Whatta girl!

We all grew up being eachother's best friends. Then we grew up and stayed that way. It's something that some get and other's do not understand. We were most comfortable with eachother. Ourselves. I want our children to be that way. I want them to be best friends with eachother and with their cousins. I know there will come a time when they'd rather be as far away as possible from us. I just hope they always come back. Declan told Gen, as she was telling him good-bye, "no, I go too." I said, "Declan, don't you want to stay here with mommy?" To which he promptly replied, "No, I go with Gen!"

I hope I never forget how, at the drop of a hat, Isabella well pop out her little leg, put her hand on her hip and say "I'm Gen." She's a funny girl. Funny, yet perceptive ;)

Needless to say, I don't take it personally. I kind of like it actually. I like it that my kids love their aunts and uncle, grand-parents and great grandparents. I love how comfortable they are with their family. I love how Declan glues himself to Aunt Cathy when we go to storytime and how Isabella tells me that Eleanor is her best baby cousin. How Quinn gives her grandpaw the biggest grin when he talks to her and how Isabella tells me that she wishes I would go to work so she could stay with Mia...It all makes me smile. My family makes me really happy. I selfishly wish we could all stay close together. I live 20 minutes from everyone and still have to hear how FAR away I live!! HA! I'm still not convinced Gen and Hass won't be a "country" family in disguise. We'll see.
This little babe just can't get enough lovin' from her brother and sister!

On another note, I hear stories like this a lot, they just never happen to me. So, I have to document this sweet, sweet occasion. Tonight, Ryan went to a co-worker's house after work to fix his truck that had needed some repairs (typically, right when the snow came...) Anyway, mom came over to hang out with us while he was gone. We hadn't planned dinner. We were both tired and debated whether to just fix something or go out. Isabella made the final decision for us and we went to Cracker Barrel. I'll just insert my opinion about stores really quick: Why, why, why, must there be a million toys and candy trinkets in every check out line? Really, why?

Okay, I think we can all agree on that.

So, as I was standing at the counter, Isabella saw a little Hello Kitty doll by the check-out. She picked it up, showed it to me, and asked me to please buy it for her. Wait, let me rephrase that. First, she told me that she was buying it. With her nice shiny quarter. Talk about breaking a poor girl's heart. She thought that quarter could buy her anything in the whole store! Now, let me just tell you--Isabella doesn't like stuffed animals, never really has. She likes baby dolls. She is never attracted to "cartoon" toys. Doesn't ask for them, doesn't pick them up, nothing. A family friend, Addy, had given Isabella a Hello Kitty coloring book months ago, and since then, Isabella recognizes Hello Kitty when she sees it around. At the Dollar Store a few weeks ago, she spotted another Hello Kitty coloring book that she got and proceeded to carry around, sleep with, color diligently in, etc. for days on end. So, that's when this supposed Hello Kitty fascination started. And here she is, at Cracker Barrell, with 10 people lined up behind us, begging for this silling, big headed, kitty. I was holding Quinn, and a bag, and a high chair cover, and what felt like a million other things, so I pulled her aside and explained to her that we weren't getting the stuffed animal......blah, blah, blah.....you know the script. And it was then, that Isabella, who has NEVER not put something back that I've asked her to, NEVER had a 'tantrum' of any sort in a public place, NEVER been so attached to a darn kitty, BURST into tears. Big, Big, I tell you, Crocodile tears. Meanwhile an elderly lady and her daughter had approached us from behind and were watching the whole scenario play out. The elderly lady kept asking me what was wrong, why she was crying, what she wanted, etc. I told her that it was okay, she just wanted the doll and she was going to put it back. She came around to Isabella, patted her head and tried so hard to get her to calm down. Trying to distract her, telling her that Quinn was going to get her hair, and just being genuinly concerned. Then she went on to tell me that she ran a daycare for 32 years and the kids just loved her so much that they cried when it was time for them to leave. I talked to her a little bit...as much as I could with Isabella bawling below me, and then I heard her tell her daughter "I'm getting her that doll." The daughter then came over to me and said "She really would like to buy that for her. All during dinner, she kept looking over at your little girl and she just thought she looked so cute and sweet. She kept telling me to look over at her." I said "No, that's really okay. She's fine and she's going to put it back now." The daughter then put her hand on my arm and said "Please, can she please buy it for her? She has Alzheimers and she really wants to do this."

Geez, break my heart a little more. So, I said okay, picked Isabella up, walked over to the lady and told Isabella that this sweet, sweet, lady wanted to buy her the Hello Kitty and that she needed to thank her and maybe even consider a little hug. Well, Isabella's head popped up with a "Huh? Who? What? Me? Now?" along with a grin the size of Montana. So the lady payed for the doll, told Isabella that she hoped that it made her happy, and I thanked her profusely for being so sweet. And then I felt good that there are people who truly love, truly care, and truly value other human beings. Something so simple, yet so big. I just hope that lady goes to bed tonight, thinking about how happy she made my little three year old who is in bed with her Hello Kitty all swaddled in a baby blanket, tucked in tight, with her yellow nose pressed against Isabella. She told me that she wanted it because "I just love her little yellow nose."

Just to top off all that sweetness, mom then took Isabella to the bathroom. The men's bathroom. And no, she never realized it was the men's room until after they had walked out. And on the way to the car, Isabella said to me "See mom, sometimes you just have to be nice like that lady." Oh, from the mouths of babes....