Anya's Art

Anya just drew this for me. In this picture we see:
Hot lava (the chain looking thing at the bottom) which is for the centipedes (segmented bodies in the middle top) and jelly fish (upper right) to eat.

It seems that going to Hawaii has deeply embedded itself into Anya's artistic sub-conscious. Hopefully this won't lead her to become the next Christian Lassen (see below).

 

 Note: As Anya is looking at this blog post she says, "Oh I like that picture!" I've created my own worst artistic nightmare.

Anya's Doppleganger

This is probably my favorite picture taken by Judith, Anya's photographer.

Last night Anya and I were at the video store (So anachronistic I know!) and we saw this movie sitting on the shelf. It made me smile. I would have gotten it and watched it, but Anya insisted on Beauty and the Beast. Next time.

Anya the Musical

This was Anya's first "play".
Since Uncle Bob and Aunt Amy were here she decided it was time to have her theater debut. 
Luckily for us all, it was a musical.

The Libretto
..but he got colored on by some children
face paint and he was so mad at the children
then he was okay, and his life was hard
His mommy and daddy told him not to go in the outside world
because it was dangerous and a T-Rex would come and eat him.
But he didn't care, he wanted to get eaten,
But he doesn't get eaten in this play! ...But in other plays.
(spoken) There's five more plays coming up.
He was just turned into a tiger and he never died.
He told his mommy and daddy, "that's my children" but he looks like a tiger.

But he didn't look like a tiger, but then he did!

And he really was made to be a tiger.
But then he really turned into a bird (Awk awk!)
(spoken) but it was still the time of the dinosaurs.

Anya the Puddle Stomper

Stomping in puddles is just one of those universal kid things to do. I caught Anya doing it, and just wanted to remember her like this.

Proud Mama Moment

I just wanted to take a little proud mama moment and note that my kid is a-learnin' stuff. We were writing thank you notes to Anya's friends and family for her birthday presents and took a little break. A short while later she came up to me, held up a card, and asked, "Is this how you spell Eloise?" On the card she had written "E-L-L-U-W-S". Obviously not correct (so I spanked her first of course), but she sat down, thought about it, sounded it out and wrote it down completely all on her own in the other room. It's pretty close phonetically even. 

It's so neat as a parent to witness these lightbulb moments and milestones. And I'm a proud mama because she took the time to try without getting frustrated and giving up - and look - success! 

Photos from Ohahu

Anya chasing birds around the cabins at Bellows.  

Gradpa and Anya looking over the ray garden at Sealife Park

This place was really neat. It's called Shark's Cove. It was really shallow no waves and full of fish and urchins.  Anya dipped her head under water and finally saw some tropical fish.  

Dad shows Anya something or other.  They had seen Portuguese Man-o-War on the beach so dad was a bit freaked out. Now all Anya can say is that there are jelly fish out there. 

Dad picks up Anya.  Certainly to avoid a killer jelly fish.

Grandma and Grandpa keeping Anya for the stinging jellys.

Scenes from Ohahu 2011

Frolicking in the waves at Bellows Air Force Base.  This beach was a minute walk from our back door. 


Checking out the sea turtles and fish at Sealife Park


Watching the dolphins at Sealife Park.  We saw a cooler dolphin show later, that I managed not to record.  Sorry about that kid.

Halloween

 Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and frying pan

PEPS kids all dressed up

 Sweet Pea Cottage Halloween parade

 Neighborhood Halloween parade with Alexa and Jada-dog (Noah and Anya were running around somewhere)

 Laika wasn't so keen on her costume. 

Trick or Treating (was with Flynn and other kids for most of it, maybe she's running ahead in this picture)

The Lodwigs had a decent Halloween this year. It felt a bit rushed, since we had just come back from Hawaii (blog entry to follow) and I was still in the mindset of lazing around on the beach in warm weather. I still am, in fact. 

Anya, like roughly half of all four-year old girls this year, wanted to be Rapunzel. I sewed her costume back at the beginning of the month, when I knew I'd have more time to focus on it. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and fortunately Anya is thrilled with it. Anya informed Chris that he was to be Flynn Rider (the love interest from Tangled) and I was to be Mother Gothel (the wicked old woman who kidnapped her). Chris managed to borrow clothes from Todd. I didn't have time or inclination to dress up as Mother Gothel, so I dressed up as a Dairy Godmother (or Dairy Fairy).....basically, a cow costume with a tutu, wings, and wand. It was actually pretty ghetto and I reserve the right to not post any pictures. 

Since we were pretty jet lagged, we missed some Halloween parties, but made it to the PEPS group Halloween party Sunday. And Monday was a full day of festivities and trick or treating. Anya knew trick or treating was all about this year and had a great time. The next night, the Halloween Fairy came to visit. Anya got to keep 3 pieces of candy, while the fairy took the rest (so there's candy for next Halloween of course) and left a present at her bedroom door when she woke up. I wonder how long that trick is going to work. 

Anyway, all in all, a good Halloween. 

Explainations

One of my favorite short stories in collage was Herman Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener.  Where a mild yet wildly insubordinate Scrivener answers the ever-escalating frustrated requests of his boss with the maddeningly simple and consistent "I'd prefer not to."
This story now comes to mind every time my daughter answers my questions of "Why did you do that?!" with:  "I just want to do what I want to do."