January's Girl

This one.

 
The one with the dancing eyes, the wild smile, the spunk and character, the funny little sayings and too much personality to contain.

She starts school tomorrow.

She is two years, 8 months and 2 days old today.  She is ready to take on the world.

The question remains: Is the world ready for her??

Today Miss Ive and her daddy took on the Art Museum.  As I looked at these photos on Nat's phone, little girlie told me about her day.  Before you read her narration, you ought to know that a good deal of their time was spent in the medieval section, looking at various renditions of Christ and other religious scenes (who knew Nat would steer her toward that???) and that Nat had taken photos of some of their favorite paintings...

Ivy: (Looking at the painting of the eunuch being visited by two spirits)
"I lookin at that one, those two (points to spirits).
Me: You like the spirits, Ivy?
Ivy: That one has a baby one!  Why that one have blood drippin from him knife? (note-- the baby one does, in fact, have blood dripping from it's knife.  Think about eunuchs...  Nuff said.)
Me: Is is a little scary that he has blood on his knife?
Ivy: Nope. I not scared!
(scrolling and looking at a "Last Supper rendition) What that Jesus doin?  I see a Jesus missin a foot.  And him missing him arms (holds arms out crucifix style)
Me: (look quizzically at Nat, who confirms that she did in fact view a crucifix that was missing a foo,t and the arms).  Oh.
Ivy:  And him have that other foot.  With a nail in it.
Me:  Oh.
Ivy: (Scrolling and looking at a photo of herself, looking at a bust of a man)  That one not coming back.  That one gone away and not coming back!
Me: (looking quizzically at Nat who confirmed that the bust in question did have the inscription "I am the one that left never to return."  He'd read it to Ivy at her request.  At the museum.  6 hours before.)  Oh.

Girl has got one heck of a memory.  And doesn't miss a trick.  Especially, apparently, when the tricks involve plenty of religion, death, and gore.

Why yes, she IS the funniest thing going.  She's as entertaining as they come and oh so sweet.  Here is the description I put on her school information form when asked "What characteristics would you use to describe your child?"

Funny, friendly, fearless.  Talkative.
Tenacious, charming, bossy, sweet.

All that and so much more.

And two-and-a-half.  And starting school.

She loves to paint and draw and generally create.  Today she sculpted a motor boat for me, out of the pink floam she got for Christmas.  "It a boat, mommy.  There the light.  There the seat! DON'T TOUCH IT!  It made of GOLD...."

She loves to dance and sings the alphabet song to herself sometimes when she plays.  She likes to count things (right up to 5).  She loves Oreos and ice cream and Cinnamon Life cereal ("it DEEElicious!).

She wants to do EVERYTHING herself. It is perfectly logical, to her, that she unzip the sleeper I just zipped up for her, so that she can zip it right back up on her own.

She is love incarnate when she snuggles in to nurse, this great long girl all melted into me, little hand pat-pat-patting, rubbing her eyes.  She is my baby and her hair still smells so good.

And she starts school tomorrow.



Watch out world, indeed.

Photo credits to Nat and his amazing use of Hipstamatic....