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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.

Anna's twin, Anna, that is. We got her a 'My Twinn' doll for her birthday and she loves it.

Peni? Penises? I have never thought of it in plural I guess. Anyway...

Straight out of a silly email forward, similar to one I read this week, we had a "You Should Always Check Your Child's Homework" moment here yesterday. The funny thing is, even after having laughed at that email, I didn't catch it at first...Curtis did.

Anna's journal assignment was "If I had 100 pencils, I would...". They are supposed to use their journals to sound words out themselves, so we aren't supposed to help her spell. They can also try to 'find' the word they are spelling and copy it. Well, it turns out that the way her teacher wrote 'pencils' ran together a bit...


It caused a startling (at least to both of us) misspelling of "pencils" in her journal. I told her she should go show Daddy her journal, because he was in it, and I thought it was cute. I saw Curtis reading it, and his eyebrows went up (wayyy up). After looking at it, and looking at the assignment, I could see where the misunderstanding came from. I *did* make her fix it...but not before I snapped a picture.

We took Anna bowling for the first time on New Year's Eve...it was hilarious. It still makes me cringe for the lanes to watch this. We had fun though. And I even won one game, 6 months pregnant, with a bad back and a bum knee. Yeah, so what if it was with bumpers, I still WON. :)

Last night, Anna took all of the cushions out of my glider rocker, then couldn't get them back in, so she had to ask Curtis for help.

Curtis told her, "Maybe it's a good idea not to take things apart if you can't put them back together, huh?"

Anna just looked at him and said very matter-of-fact, "I didn't KNOW I wouldn't be able to put it back together when I took it apart. You just never know how life is going to go, Daddy."

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So, I'm 6+ months along now, and my tummy isn't the only thing that has been busy growing. I'm giving Dolly a run for her money these days. Last night, as Anna was cuddling at bedtime, she said, "I think your boobies are getting bigger to get ready for baby. We should either cut off the tops and pour out some milk, or milk you like a cow to make them smaller." What can I say...she leaves me speechless.