Yesterday was Mallory’s preschool Christmas pageant. It was cute; she was an angel (or dressed like one anyway); she sang, she signed “Jesus Loves Me,” she was one of four children specially selected to play the handbells. I briefly envisioned her choosing the handbells as her dedicated extra-curricular activity. Twelve years of attending handbell concerts would be better than twelve years of soccer, or debate, or I don’t know, wrestling. We shall see. I didn’t get any good pictures because I spent most of the event trying to keep Phoebe from climbing into the baptismal font.
After the pageant, I went to collect my angel, and her teacher greeted me with a huge beaming smile. “Is it true?” she said. “Is what true?” I asked. “At circle time, Mallory said that we should all pray for you,” Miss S. explained with a knowing grin. I immediately started saying, “No, no, no, and no,” and Miss S. said, “Oh, so you’re NOT having a new baby?”
No, I’m not, but for some reason Mallory told the entire class that I was. Her teacher said that maybe Mallory knows something the rest of us do not. I think Mallory was just lying. In fact I asked her about it later and she said, “I was just wondering what would happen if I said it.” I then asked her if she wanted another baby and she said that yes, a baby brother would be nice. Sorry, not going to happen.
I will say that I was absurdly flattered that her teacher was so excited about the prospect, and so disappointed when she found out that Mallory was a big fibber. I take that as a sign that she likes the kids I do have (she and her assistant always make much of Phoebe too). But we – as in me and Chris -- are quite happy with two. And Mallory can make do with just a sister.
In other news, Mallory has decided that her favorite Christmas song is “Go, tear it off the mountain.” (No, I haven’t corrected her – it’s too funny.) After one rousing rendition, she said, “You know the part where they say, ‘that Jesus Christ is born’?” Yes? “That’s the part where I make my praying hands.” Good for you!
She also announced that she has a boyfriend – James, a boy in her class. I had to squash my immediate response, which was, “James! He’s a troublemaker! How about Stephen, he seems very nice and quiet.” Funny how automatic that seemed. I asked her why James was her boyfriend and she said, “Me love him so so much!” Not ready for that at all…
And, last night she asked me, “Did you have a way to watch TV when you were a little girl?”
“Yes.”
“How did you do it?”
“Well, we just…had a TV. We turned it on and watched it.”
“But I thought you grew up on a farm.”
“I did.”
“You had a TV on a farm?”
Yes, and running water too!
I feel compelled to add something about Phoebe…let’s see. Oh. If she wakes up and finds any matter of sheet, blanket, or other bedding encumbrance around her feet, she will yell, “Help! Help! Help!” until it is completely removed. She loves, loves, loves the game Hullaballo, which Mallory got for her birthday. In fact I had to hide it because if she sees the box, she will cry and cry until we get it out for her to play. She says, “Ho ho ho!” when she sees Santa. We went to the mall on Sunday to get Santa pics made (a bad idea, a very bad idea) but she had a complete meltdown after spending an hour in line (I sympathized) and my father-in-law just took her home. So we have a picture of Mallory in Santa’s lap, but no Phoebe. Maybe I’ll have Chris photoshop her in. A very digitally enchanced Christmas to you!
After the pageant, I went to collect my angel, and her teacher greeted me with a huge beaming smile. “Is it true?” she said. “Is what true?” I asked. “At circle time, Mallory said that we should all pray for you,” Miss S. explained with a knowing grin. I immediately started saying, “No, no, no, and no,” and Miss S. said, “Oh, so you’re NOT having a new baby?”
No, I’m not, but for some reason Mallory told the entire class that I was. Her teacher said that maybe Mallory knows something the rest of us do not. I think Mallory was just lying. In fact I asked her about it later and she said, “I was just wondering what would happen if I said it.” I then asked her if she wanted another baby and she said that yes, a baby brother would be nice. Sorry, not going to happen.
I will say that I was absurdly flattered that her teacher was so excited about the prospect, and so disappointed when she found out that Mallory was a big fibber. I take that as a sign that she likes the kids I do have (she and her assistant always make much of Phoebe too). But we – as in me and Chris -- are quite happy with two. And Mallory can make do with just a sister.
In other news, Mallory has decided that her favorite Christmas song is “Go, tear it off the mountain.” (No, I haven’t corrected her – it’s too funny.) After one rousing rendition, she said, “You know the part where they say, ‘that Jesus Christ is born’?” Yes? “That’s the part where I make my praying hands.” Good for you!
She also announced that she has a boyfriend – James, a boy in her class. I had to squash my immediate response, which was, “James! He’s a troublemaker! How about Stephen, he seems very nice and quiet.” Funny how automatic that seemed. I asked her why James was her boyfriend and she said, “Me love him so so much!” Not ready for that at all…
And, last night she asked me, “Did you have a way to watch TV when you were a little girl?”
“Yes.”
“How did you do it?”
“Well, we just…had a TV. We turned it on and watched it.”
“But I thought you grew up on a farm.”
“I did.”
“You had a TV on a farm?”
Yes, and running water too!
I feel compelled to add something about Phoebe…let’s see. Oh. If she wakes up and finds any matter of sheet, blanket, or other bedding encumbrance around her feet, she will yell, “Help! Help! Help!” until it is completely removed. She loves, loves, loves the game Hullaballo, which Mallory got for her birthday. In fact I had to hide it because if she sees the box, she will cry and cry until we get it out for her to play. She says, “Ho ho ho!” when she sees Santa. We went to the mall on Sunday to get Santa pics made (a bad idea, a very bad idea) but she had a complete meltdown after spending an hour in line (I sympathized) and my father-in-law just took her home. So we have a picture of Mallory in Santa’s lap, but no Phoebe. Maybe I’ll have Chris photoshop her in. A very digitally enchanced Christmas to you!
Comments
And poor Phoebe, a foot phobia and didn't even get to see Santa. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Mom