Toohig Tidbits

Sometimes when we get home, Helen Grace is caught up in a movie and does not want to get out of the car. One time recently, I left her in the (closed) garage and ran inside to go to the bathroom, telling her when I got back, it’d be time to go inside. When I returned to the car, she looked at me, exasperated, and said, “What took you so short?!”

We have often overheard her lately saying to herself, “If I think I can, I will. But if I think I can’t, I won’t.” (From the Little Engine That Could) PTL that lesson is sinking in!!

She is definitely an exhibitionist. Loves to look at herself in the mirror, dance while looking at herself in the mirror (with or without clothes on), etc., and she will request we play some music when she wants more than the song that she’s making up.

She told me the other day that my hair was black, right around my forehead. Once I went to the hair salon to take care of that “black hair” and got back home, she said, “Oh, thank goodness you got rid of that black hair!”

She’s really into sounding out the initial consonant of words these days (very neat to see what she’s learning at school), but sometimes she gets stuck on the K sound—with any consonant. “Ssssnake. K-K-snake.” At dinner one day this week, John and I were struggling to hold our laughter and maintain our sanity as we tried to correct her and explain the sounds, but she was having nothing to do with our explanation!

She told me that she got something at “online.com.”

Anytime that John starts picking on me, you can count on HG to yell (usually from the backseat), “Daddy, stop picking on my mommy!!” That’s my girl! She’ll also quickly call him out on occasion if she thinks he’s lying- “Quit telling a fib.”

We recently traded in my car for the same model but just newer and a different color. She has missed my old car and often asks me (and even Grandma) when my old car is coming back. Seeing that I used to have breakdowns as a child if I didn’t get to say ‘goodbye’ to my parents’ cars when they sold them, I consider this a minor issue. Genes are no joke.

She correctly used the word “recognized” in conversation the other day. I about fell out of my seat.

Normally, during bedtime prayers, she will repeat my phrases, but last night was the first time that she actually came up with her very own prayer. I was shocked and so proud. “Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day. Thank you for your angels and for my feet. I love you so much.” And a bunch of other gibberish, but there was really good ‘meat’ to it. Happy tears.

Helen Grace had a slumber party at Spiffer and GD’s on Friday night, and she was so chill and happy when we said goodbye. She said, “I’m gonna miss you. Have fun!,” gave me a big kiss, and turned to go play with Spiffer. When we went to their house on Saturday to pick her up, she was napping on the den floor. I laid down next to her, and she started to wake up. She reached out with her arms outstretched like she was trying to see if I was real or not, and when she realized it really was me, she burst into a smile and said sleepily, “I was missing you!”

As big as she is, she’ll still put her arms out and flap her hands when she wants us to pick her up. “Pick up me!” Takes me right back to her baby days.

Probably one of my proudest mama moments to date…there is a new little girl in HG’s class at school. She’s had a hard time when her mama leaves and often cries. Mrs. Maureen told us that Helen Grace walked over to her, sat down at the table next to her, and sang “Grownups Come Back” from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood over and over.

“Grownups come back to you. Grownups come back, they do. Even when they go away, grownups come back.”

To think that we’ve come from this child that was a total hot mess anytime I left her in the nursery to the above child that runs into preschool with not a single tear and comforts her friend, makes me want to get on my knees and yell out my thanks to the man upstairs!!

When Daddy takes you to the grocery store solo…