Mommy Wohdee

That's what I hear all day long. Mommy Wohdee. It means, Mommy is mine. Holly likes to claim me, which just warms my heart, especially when you consider the way she treated me just a few short months ago. I was persona non grata as far as she was concerned, and I have to admit to being afraid that we would never find our way to a real mommy/child relationship.

So much has changed since we came home from China. Holly is speaking nearly all English, just a few Chinese words and phrases here and there. Her favorite thing to say these days is that one or another of the kids is "skinky". She heard me tell Matthew that his room is stinky, and from that moment on she just loves to say it.

Every night, at bedtime, Holly has settled into a routine. We send the girls up to get pj's on, and then they come down for family prayer. We barely get Amen out, and she is up off her knees and leaping into one of our arms for hugs goodnight, and I do mean leaping. You have to be ready for it, or she may clock you with her head. Then she runs for the stairs announcing that "Holly go potty" in a frantic tone. She used to say Holly oleo, but, now she just says potty. Then, its story time, usually by Mindy or Katie, and then hugs goodnight. She loves to just wrap her whole self around you. She always whispers, I love you Mommy, and then gives me a kiss on my cheek. We used to turn on a big fan for both the girls, but, Holly still gets cold quite easily, so, I decided to go with personal size fans. I picked up two clip on little ones, because I knew if I got one for Myleigh, who is a little chili pepper and always too warm at night to go without one, I knew Holly would feel left out if I didnt get one for her as well. To my surprise, she not only was happy I got her one, but, she actually has it on at night. Perhaps its just the right amount of air movement.

She has decided that her name is officially Holly, using Jun Jun only every now and then. She seems to refer to Jun Jun more in the third person, and usually when she talks about China. Its like she sees herself as a new person with a new life, and Jun Jun is in her old life. She loves to remind us that Holly and Myleigh are Chinese, and Katie, being the tease that she is, just loves to get a rise out of her by saying that Katie is chinese too. Works every time.

I am always surprised at what Holly will do and what she won't. Yesterday I took her to Myleighs 2nd grade class Mother's day program. After the program we wandered around the classroom, and I discovered that they had four little just hatched chicks in a box on the floor. I tried to show them to Holly, but, she wouldnt go near them. She was so afraid, I didn't dare push it, but, I really thought she would think they were cute. Nope.

Then, today, we went to Mindy's ballroom concert, and as part of the show several of the boys, including Mindy's partner David, dressed up in costumes. There was spiderman, batman, zorro, darth vader , and David as the Mask. At the end of the show the kids in the audience were invited to come up to have their picture taken with the characters, and Mindy took the girls up. To my surprise, she wasn't afraid of them at all. In fact, David, even though he was in full costume and didn't look much like David, came straight over to Holly and Myleigh, picked them both up and turned them both sideways to pose for the camera. Holly smiled and laughed. So, I figured she just knew it was David and since she adores him she was ok with him being in a costume. Then, she went up and had pictures taken with some of the others. She wasn't a bit afraid. So, if you're a masked superhero or villian she will pose with you for pictures. If you're a soft, fluffy tiny baby chick, ...back off.