For the Love of Savanna

My dearest Savanna,

 I can’t believe year second year has already passed. My how you have grown! You are 36 inches tall and weigh 31.5 pounds. You remind me daily what a “big girl” you are. Quite often your spirit is much BIGGER than you are.

 Sass, you’ve got to be the strongest willed child this side of the Mississippi. You don’t want help with anything! I am most certain you would try to drive my car if your legs were long enough to reach the pedals. You also create quite a scene if you wish to do something different than what Mom wants you to do. And, it doesn’t matter where we are either. But, no worries, I’m saving pictures and will be certain to show them to your first love, and every love thereafter.

 In January I enrolled you in a Montessori preschool. You were quick to make friends and LOVED playing outside on the swings, and climbing equipment. Good Lord, child, you can climb! Climb, jump, twirl, skip, RUN. I never know which way you are going. I get dizzy just watching you. It’s no wonder Benadryl can be found in every mother’s purse (just kidding, kinda). Anyway, Mom’s friends and family are quite surprised we do not share the same DNA. Faa Faa (Grandma) is very happy to see the “Parents Curse” in action.

  What else have you learned at school? You learned your ABC’s (don’t recognize letters yet), how to count to 20 (but I don’t think you really get it conceptually). You learned how to use a fork, spoon, knife, how to pour milk, water, juice into a cup, how to color in the lines, shapes, the days of the week, the months of the year, map of the world, the concepts of big/small/tall/short/wide/thin. You are now learning your colors. I have found M&M’s great for motivation.

 The most surprising thing you did was perform on stage in front of 200 people with your classmates at the Spring Festival. Your performance was at the University of Cal Poly Pomona. I had no idea you could dance the Hula, Mexican Hat dance, and the one where you swayed your little hips and shook your itty bitty booty side to side. Yes, Momma cried when I saw you up there on that big stage. How you picked me out of the crowd and smiled and waved and waved I’ll never know. You danced like it was just me and you in that big auditorium. You danced your little heart out.  My heart swelled with love and pride. I hope to enroll you in dance classes this fall since you had so much fun. Your teacher, Ms. Dil, did a great job.  Faa Faa was disappointed she was too sick to go, but she bought the DVD of the whole program, and we’ve played it every day for several months (you love watching it).

Along with your classmates, you rode a BIG bus for the first time to an IMAX movie theatre in Hollywood .After the movie all of you went to a 50’s diner for a rootbeer float. You had a blast and were so eager to tell me all about your day. I love when you share your feelings and thoughts with me. 

At school you held a snake (God forbid—didn’t know about this until afterwards), turtle, rabbit, and saw many frogs and fish. All I could think about was repeatedly washing your hands to rid any potential of your catching salmonella.

Sass, you also had your first Swim class this summer. Of course I had to swim with you. You (and the teacher) would not have had it any other way. It was your first time in a BIG pool. You LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. You laughed, splashed, kicked, and jumped. You didn’t want to follow the teacher’s instructions which was a bit of a challenge for me. You just wanted to play. When the teacher asked you to swim to the side of the pool or float on your back you said, “No! I don’t want to! I do it MY way!”. I’m sure my sweet face turned red. It wasn’t the first time, and I know it won’t be the last. So, you had fun in the big pool. You didn’t learn to swim, but we had a great time anyway.

 Other things you accomplished this year with great eagerness were: learning more words and talking in longer sentences (4-8 words), going pee pee and poopy in the potty, washing your hands, brushing your teeth, pouring milk/juice in your cup, putting on your clothes and shoes, riding a tricycle, using utensils, opening and closing the refridgerator and pantry, how to answer and talk on the phone, fold clothes, put groceries away, feed the dogs, and take out the trash. Your favorite chore is picking up the dog poop in the back yard. You demand to do it by yourself. I wonder if this will ever change?

 You also love to sing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, “Patty Cake”, “ABC’s”, “Muffin Man”, “Rock-a-bye Baby”, “Ring Around the Rosey”, and a few other songs that my tired brain cannot recall at the moment. You can sing and dance like no other!

 Your favorite toys are: Bella (floopy eared rabbit), Lilly (lamb), Brenda and Bernard (teddy bears), your doll house, and Annabelle (baby doll). You are hilarious to watch. God forbid if you lose one of these toys and I can’t find it…

 Sass, every morning you leave one of these special toys in Faa Faa’s chair so she can play with it while you are at school. You also cover Faa Faa’s legs when she is asleep with your special blanket to make sure she isn’t cold. It has been hard for you to see Faa Faa sick. Every day you ask her, “you need any help?”.Despite how sick Faa Faa was feeling, she always allowed you to cuddle with her. You told her many times, “Faa Faa you are my very best friend”. And, she is. You just may be her very best friend too.

Little Love, I know this has been a tough year. Faa Faa was diagnosed with cancer and received chemo. “Bull” had to move out because she was too sick for Mom to take care of, Auntie Jan died, and Mom’s best friend was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and started chemo. I am most certain I haven’t been as perfect as I would have liked for you. I hope and pray you won’t endure any scars.

Savanna, I am so very proud of you. You are a very special little girl. You have a great balance of “spunk”, passion, and sensitivity. You love people. You love to laugh, and to make others laugh with you. You have a smile that lights up the room. You are very determined and persistent and my “no’s” are just another way for you to figure out how you can get a “yes” out of me. You are very bright. I can’t imagine my life without you.

 Sass, you are a gift to all who know you. You have been the greatest blessing I have ever known. I am thankful beyond words to be called your “Mom”. I love you beyond infinity.

 May God keep Ramona (first mom) and her family safe from harm and bless them in every way possible. May their hearts be open to meet us one day…

 Good –bye “two” and hello “ three”!

Mom

(Pictures from the past year below will come in a few days, I promise)

10-30-08– the pictures–