Annacdotes 18

This is on a recent horseback riding trip at Bear Lake. I love Anna's faraway look and how it looks like she just popped up right in the middle of all the brush.

Here's a double dose of Annacdotes today so I can catch up. Happy First Day of Autumn, y'all.

1. A split-second conversation:

Anna: What's that kind of nut . . . 'alnut'?
Me (thinking, Um, obviously...): Walnut?
Anna: No....
Me: No? Almond?
Anna: YEAH!

I just loved how I never before realized how interrelated those words are. I have Anna to thank for so much insight and can't blame her a bit for her confusion.

2. After finishing her bedtime story the other night, I closed the book and said, "Well, that was fun." Anna said, "No, it was courageously unusual."

3. I chuckled about this (#2), and then we finished the bedtime routine. As I was on my way out the door, I said, "What did you call the book? 'Courageously' what?" She said, "'Courageously unusual.' Now go write it down and then tell everybody else." She knows me all too well.

This and the next photos are courtesy of a trip to the zoo.

4. In a recent prayer, Anna said, "And please bless me that the next time I eat avocados and asparagus they will taste good to me." She tries so hard.

5. A few weeks ago, Anna started talking about her name and how she didn't really think that it fit her. (She loves "Summertime," but didn't think "Anna" was a good fit.) I love her name, so I tried to hide my shock when I asked her what she thought would be a better fit and even suggested a few. She rejected nearly all of my suggestions but eventually settled on Erica. A short time later, I was relating this story to her aunt and, when I got to the part about how Anna didn't feel like her name fit her, Anna chimed in and said, "Yeah, it doesn't fit my beautifulness." I guess she thinks it's kind of plain.

She was super excited that she got to ride the dolphin. Super mega excited.

6. Anna was telling me about a ride she took on her dad's shoulders. She was excited that she actually enjoyed it. (She's fairly cautious when it comes to heights and risky behavior like that.) She said, "Mom, I rode on his shoulders and I liked it!" She paused for a moment and then said, "Well, I liked it more than falling."

7. I've written about Anna's silky blanket before. She's still attached, although she no longer sucks on her fingers while cuddling with it. (She, like the mature child that she is, rid herself of that habit all on her own.) Anyway, she has given the blanket an official name (Silky Silky Blanket) and an official gender (female). She will correct you if you refer to the blanket as "it," but the nickname "Silk" is acceptable. I love her (my child, not her personified blanket).

8. Lately, Anna has been saying "Are you kidding me?" a lot. And with a little bit of attitude. One day, I asked her what was up with her saying that all the time. She said, "I don't know what's up with that. You should know what's up with that. You're the up girl." I just can't argue with logic like that.

9. A recent knock-knock joke, courtesy of Anna. (Although I think it may be more of a knock-knock creep out.)

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Blood.
Blood who?
I'm not blood! I'm a person made out of chocolate.
[then cryptically] Who are you?

10. This should probably go in the "Anna is a Little Adult" version of Annacdotes™, but I love this one. While some kids will, say, eat the middle of their sandwiches but not the crusts, going straight for the part that they like, Anna, however, will eat the crusts first so that she can finish with what she likes the best. She will methodically eat her vegetables first or whatever it is that she likes least so she can get to the good stuff. Where did she come from? I think she could teach us all a lesson about delayed gratification.

11. We were talking the other day about what makes a bad show. I told her bad shows were ones that were really violent or used bad words. She said, "Oh, right. Bad words like, 'I can't ever go poo' or 'What's in the toilet?'" I love that the only bad words she knows are potty words.

12. A week or so into school, Anna came home and told me about a boy who came up to her and asked if they could be friends. I asked Anna what she said in response, and she said, "I told him that I think we should learn some things about each other before we say we're friends."