"Hemi, Mommy!"

Been a while since my last update. Didn't have computer access over the holidays. Hope everyone had as great of a time as we did. Christmas was so fun this year watching Maison enjoy her loot from Santa... and the grandparents... and the great-grandparents... and the aunts and uncles... and cousins... and mommy & daddy... Needless to say, our house now looks like Toys R Us exploded in our living room. I spent my Christmas cash from my grandpa on a toy chest to provide shelter to the gazillion baby dolls and 14 pairs of princess shoes our daughter now owns. At least we are not into Barbie's yet... I dread the days of stepping on those pointy little high heels.

I have to say, my favorite part of Christmas was watching Maison interact with my Grandpa and Nana and Trey's MawMaw. It is hard to describe the love you see on her face and our grandparents faces when she walks in their houses. It melts my heart.

We take her to see MawMaw a couple of times a week and she starts hollering "MawMaw!" as soon as we approach the driveway. Then she will run up to the door and I have to let her knock herself or she gets angry. Then the fireworks start. MawMaw's face lights up like a Christmas tree and so does Maison's. She'll climb up in the kitchen chair and grab the Jif jar or a sleeve of Ritz crackers and she is a happy camper. I guess peanut butter and Ritz crackers taste better at MawMaw's table. She got her first dollhouse from MawMaw for Christmas. It stays there so she will have toys when we visit. Last Friday we were on our way home and as I passed MawMaw's, she started screaming "DOLLHOUSE! MAWMAW! DOLLHOUSE!" So I did a U-turn and made both their days!

We spent 5 days in Birmingham between Christmas and New Year's Eve and it spoiled my grandparents rotten. I remember not so long ago that I was the Golden Granddaughter with the Golden Husband. Then we reproduced and got slap knocked off our pedestal... or my Nana's walker... She's got one of those walkers on wheels with the little seat in case she gets tired. Maison thinks the seat is her own personal amusement park ride. She will bring the walker over and say "Ride!". And the first one to jump up to push her is my sweet little 88 year old grandmother. I think she would push that child to the ends of the earth on that walker if it kept a smile on Maison's face. And my grandpa just sits back and smiles at the whole scene. I think the sweetest thing he ever said to me was when he leaned over to me and said "Don't break the mold!"

It sure is special to be able to witness these interactions between the eldest and youngest generations of our families. Trey and I got so much joy out of our grandparents and it makes our world happier to see Maison give it back to them.

OK! Enough sentimental stuff! On to the the funny business...

Maison never ceases to amaze me. About a week ago, she was standing on the sofa and I could tell by the look on her face she was attempting to muster up the courage to jump off. So I sternly told her to sit down on her goula (Italian for your hind parts ~ I learned it from my Nana when I was little). She looked me straight in the face, furrowed her brow and pointed that little finger and said "Hemi, Mommy! Hemi!" Trey and I exchanged a confused stare for about 4 seconds before we realized what she was saying. "Hear me, Mommy! Hear me!" So I guess she is actually listening when I scold her and finish the lecture with "Do you hear me?" Maybe I should have her audition for a Dodge commercial.