I really wanted to talk about Jane today. Jane Louise should, by all accounts, feel very neglected this time of year, with my birthday, Sam's birthday, father's day, and this year throw in Sam's kindergarten graduation to the mix...and by all accounts, she has been just FINE. With the exception of the few days before Sam's birthday, when we were wrapping presents, and she was wondering if SHE was getting any? Thankfully, Grams was ahead of me, and along with Sam's birthday box, one arrived for HER, with some presents too. (Way to go, Grams!!) And in the midst of it all, she remains the sweet, funny, smart and sassy girl we adore so...
She is so funny. She loves to get in on the jokes with Sam and Dad, but is absolutely unable to make an actual joke. One of the boy's favorite jokes is "Guess what?" "what?" "CHICKEN BUTT!" But Jane misses the boat completely. "Daddy, guess what?" "What?" "CHICKEN HAIR!" The lack of an actual joke does not deter her from rolling on the floor in hysterics, though.
She has the cutest lisp. Her little speech impediment keeps her from making some of the sharper sounds--like |ch| in chicken...it comes out as shicken. Jane is Zhane. She will correct people on her own name pronunciation and say, "It is Zhane-ee Ah-weez." Okey dokey, Janie Louise.
She mixes up words all the time--my favorite one in recent days shows up when I am combing the birds nest that is her hair in the morning and come across the inevitable tangle. "mommy? Are there lots of nuts in my hair?" "Yes, darling, there are lots of knots." "Mommy, I do not like when there are nuts in my hair. Did you get all the nuts out?"
She is a peanut! TK came down with her one recent night and told me that he had just put Jane up to the door jamb in Sam's room, where we mark their height, he wanted to see where she was compared to Sam at her age. He said, "I don't know what all the fuss is about her being so small! She is EXACTLY the same size that Sam was at two and a half." It took a minute for that to register, before I realized, "yes, but she is three and a half...."
She has an intermittent imaginary friend named Mini-Morrison. (I have NO idea where she got that!) It started as the normal imaginary friendship, Mini-Morrison got to do all the things that Jane couldn't, like she was 2, and about to have her birthday party where she got to turn 4, instead of the dreaded 3! Lucky! But before I knew it, the stories about Mini Morrison were about how she hits Jane, doesn't want to play with her. I finally said, "YOU TELL THAT MINI-MORRISON that if she doesn't stop hitting you, I am NOT going to let you play with her again!" And all I could think was man, when your IMAGINARY friends won't play with you....
She is KIND OF counting: She gets to ten without a problem, then it is "eleven, twelve, furteen furteen, fifteen, sisteen, seventy, eighty, ninety, twenty-one!"
She knows exatly the time when I am feeling lowdown to come over and hug me and say, "mom, you are my best mom in the whole whole world. And you are my best best friend."
that's my girl.
This is the first time I really see her "bruver" in her look! Have I ever mentioned how nutso I am about this child? Cannot wait to see the two in person. I love this picture!
Posted by: Suzanne E. Morrison | June 25, 2009 at 04:10 PM
Probably my favorite Jane picture of all time! I Love this girl something awful. Great post.
Posted by: Noelle Kristiansen | June 25, 2009 at 06:22 PM
Love Love Love this girl. This adorable Norwegian girl chasing 10,000 Swedes through the weeds. I love the way she talks and sees the world. I'm with Noelle this is my favorite Janie photo.
Posted by: Lori Shaw | June 26, 2009 at 11:52 AM
What a beautiful picture of her!!!
Posted by: Danielle | June 26, 2009 at 12:46 PM