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Playing 20 Questions with Anna can be maddening. While we always pick something solid, tangible, DESCRIBABLE (is that a word?) - she tend to pick more 'esoteric' things: presents, love, the color pink, laughing. Cute - but hard to guess if you start with "Is it a person place or thing?" and get "No."

On the way to San Francisco to visit Daddy at work the other day, we had the following 20 Questions session:

B: Is it a person, place or thing?
A: Mmmm....maybe a thing I guess.
B: Is it bigger than Rigby (turns out, Anna has no idea what a 'breadbox' is, so we had to start using the dog for size reference)?
A: No. It doesn't have a size.
B: *sigh* Here we go... OKaaayy...is it something you can touch?
A: No.
B: Is it something you feel?
A: No.
B: Is it a color?
A: No.
(Insert 15 more rejected questions here before I gave up.)
She finally says:
A: It's the GAME of 20 Questions!!! (and then doubles over laughing)

Yeah, very funny. I have to give her points for creativity, and that her answers were all correct. She's a funny one. But WAIT - that's not the funniest part.

On the way home (with Daddy now), she wants to make him guess what she picked for 20 Questions. She says, "Take a guess, Daddy!"

I told her, "Honey, Daddy didn't play the game with us, so he didn't hear all of the questions. He can't just GUESS a random thing and know what you were thinking. It doesn't work that way."

But, she pressed on, "Come on Daddy, just ONE guess."

Curtis laughed and said, "Um, OK - the GAME of 20 Questions."

Seriously? I probably nearly drove us off the road because my jaw dropped and I just turned to stare at him. He looked surprised, and said, "Oh, that was really it?"

I'll be damned - they share a brain. (Then again - there are worse people to share a brain with...they happen to be my two favorite people.) Like Daddy like Little Girl.

The other day, Anna's class writing assignment for their morning journals was, "If I dug to the center of the earth, I would find..." It was my morning to volunteer in her class, so I got to hear all of the kids sharing what they wrote. Most of them said unicorns, treasures, jewels, etc. When it was Anna's turn, she said, "You would find hot magma and big plates. When the plates move, that's what makes an earthquake." It turns out, JUST the day before, she had asked me how earthquakes happen, and we had talked about it. I thought it was hilarious that it was so well timed...it made her sound like quite a smarty.
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Last night, Anna did something sweet, and Grandma said to her, "You have SUCH a big heart, Anna." Anna immediately corrected her and said, "Actually, it's not really that big Grandma. It's only about the size of my fist."

...is not going so well. Our last big hurdle before we can get the permit on the addition finaled is to complete new grading around the addition, so that water will drain away from the foundation. Unfortunately, this has proved much more complex than we had hoped, for a variety of reasons. We're currently working on removing a LOT of dirt, to lower the level of the ground, and then installing a french-drain type thingy. (Yes, I'm quite certain that "thingy" is the technical term. And by "we" and mean "Curtis".) Well, of course, it finally decided to rain here in Sonoma county...mid-project. This is what our back yard looks like now. Lovely...

Anna's birthday present from Grandpa, Grandma Patsy & Uncle Will arrived today. She has her VERY own first gun. And, perfectly fitting for Anna, it is *pink*. They bought her a Pink Daisy Air Rifle.

We spent the afternoon re-reviewing safety rules, talking about what is and is not safe. I think all kids are different, and some are able to handle that kind of responsibility younger than others (if ever). I don't have any worries about Anna being cautious and following the rules - but we still place a big emphasis on safety around here.

Unfortunately, it's raining here, and she is DYING to go practice now, so we'll have to wait for it to dry out a bit. She LOVES her new gun. Curtis and I both love that she has shown an interest in shooting sports. Since that is how WE met, it holds a sentimental place in our hearts. :)

The other night, Curtis was in Anna's room with her getting ready for bed, when she stopped and said, "Well, that glows." The thing is, it was in the exact same tone and inflection that her parents MIGHT occasionally say something that RHYMES with glows...like...BLOWS. Curtis let out an incredulous, "WHAT did you say?!!" Anna just looked at him and said, "It glows. The stars on my ceiling make it glow." *whew* Time to watch the potty mouth around here...?

So looks SO grown up to me in these. It makes me a little sappy. The same way I get when she reads me something, solves math problems on her own, or says things that are so wise they leave me speechless. She's a treasure and a joy to know...and we're so lucky to have her. :) She's gotten so big, so fast - but I love who she is becoming.