Really Seeing Eleanor

On Monday Eleanor wowed me again with her artistic ability.  An icy day off from school provided the perfect backdrop for drawing.  While her sisters were, no doubt, face to screen, Eleanor found a spot on the ottoman in the sun room to draw the Notre Dame Fighting Irishman and a Borgia Knight.

The Irishman she drew while looking at a picture.  The Knight she drew without reference.  Both were remarkable, in my humble motherly opinion.

Today when walking home from school I stopped to chat with Mrs. King, our art teacher.  I told her about the pictures and how proud I was of her critical eye, artistic hand and patient demeanor.  She really takes her time and has a lot of pride in her work.  You can even see it in her penmanship.  Mrs. King was grateful and asked me to send her pictures of the drawings.  She told me how much she liked watching her work and then she told me "she always hums when she draws."  Really?  I didn't know.  How is it I haven't noticed this?  What else have I missed?  It makes me sad that while living in our day to day chaos I am missing parts of my children.  I am not seeing the whole of them.  I want to listen and see better.  I must tune in to make sure I know who they really are not just who I  think they are.

Mrs. King replied to the email I sent writing, "I see her patience with changing colors for finesse, her neatness and effort at staying within the lines, her understanding of the depth on the knight (no second leg showing!).  This artwork is more typical of what I see in 6th graders.  She will be so much fun to watch!  Plus, knowing that this pleases you is SO important to her development as an artist!
It is one of her many gifts!"

All of our girls have many gifts.  We are remarkably blessed.  I am so grateful to have people in our lives that further nurture these gifts.  Gifts that I lack and don't fully understand.  In absence of Mrs. King I wouldn't know that "changing colors for finesse," or an "understanding of depth" are skills to be appreciated in art.  Skills to be appreciated when I really see Eleanor.

With love, Santa

 

Those that know us well, know how much we enjoy creating traditions for our girls.  One that has become a Christmas favorite is Santa's Christmas eve visit.  We haven't caught him yet, because he always comes when we are at Mass, but he always delivers new jammies, usually leaves a letter and lately, has been picking up Buddy our elf.  He doesn't leave any toys or other gifts.  It's like he just stops by to let us know he is in town and let's us know what we should be working on to make next year's Nice List.  

Here is this year's letter:

What a year!  I can’t believe how big the Pettet girls are getting. 

Meredith, I am so impressed by how hard you worked for your piano recital.  I know it is a lot work and, surely, you would rather play than practice, but I know how proud your family is of you and you did such a great job.  You are also working hard at school.  Way to go.

What a fabulous job is Eleanor doing at school! Your reading and artwork are terrific and you are such a nice girl at school.  You take your time and do good work.

Lillian, what a kind hearted child you are.  You do a remarkable job with your manners and are funny, always making people laugh. I know you are working hard on getting rid of your pull ups. Keep up the good work and I know you will get rid of those pull ups soon. I am proud of you. 

Don’t forget your sisters are a special gift from God.  Be nice to one another.

Your parents love you with their whole hearts.  Their number one job is to keep you safe help you grow up to be kind and loving people.  Love them back.  Always.

Tell the truth.  Lying is worse than anything you could ever do wrong.  Mommy, daddy and Jesus will always forgive you.

Don’t hit.

Words can hurt more than a punch in the nose, so use your words nicely.

Work hard at school, play, home and loving your family.

Dance silly. 

Read.  A lot.  The movie in your head is much better than the movie on TV.

Keep your room clean.

Be thankful.

Love God.

Help others.  Your lemonade stand is a very nice thing.  Jesus helped the needy, too.

Be a good friend.  Be a good girl.  Be a good sister.

Stay in your bed.

Love, Santa

PS - It is probably worth noting that several of these items were called out in last year's letter, too.  Must be why Eleanor and Lillian were quite concerned at bedtime.  Eleanor said "I'm still worried."  Lillian, thought she might get coal.  Both were relieved Christmas morn.

Just to be certain

Tonight the girls wrote letters to Santa. They are already gone. I think Buddy the Elf might have taken them to the North Pole. Meredith cut straight to the chase on her letter, listed all the things she wants. I wrote most of Lillian's list based on the photo wish list she made a few weeks back at Target. Eleanor, well, she's just Eleanor. She Started her letter by telling Santa she has been good, wrote her list, sealed the envelope and, apparently, for good measure, added another reminder to the big guy that she had, in fact, been good. I guess you can never be too sure.

Learning is Cool Stuff

I am amazed at how well Eleanor is reading already.  I actually asked her teacher, Mrs. Unnerstall, to try to discern if she was really reading or had memorized a few favorite books.  Turns out that, yep, she is reading.  In addition she is learning to spell.  She reminds me a little bit of Jo in Little Women...likes to read and write. In fact, she and I are reading the Louisa May Alcott book right now.  Recently, she and her sisters were sent to their rooms.  When she came down she brought some of her writings.  Not only am I very impressed, I was very intrigued with how her little brain works.  You can see, in her writing, how she must hear things and sounds them out in her head.  It's different than how a mature brain works (as indicated when I try to read what she has just read to me!)  I don't have many parenting regrets (yet) but one thing that makes me sad is that I probably missed moments like this with Meredith.  Regardless, it's fun to experience now.

Growing up Catholic

Brad and I are proud to be raising the girls Catholic and moments like we experienced at dinner tonight add to it.  We were nearly finished eating and Eleanor started humming and asked us to guess what she was humming.  I had no idea and was thinking of the Disney shows we watched earlier in the day.  Brad didn't know either.  She finished humming and then sung out loud "Lasagna in the Highest."  Huh? we asked.  "Lasagna in the Highest, from Church," she said.  Right on tune, she sang about the Italian casserole we all know and love.  The video below has the real version from a Mass in Ohio.



Brad thinks we should tell her.  I figure she'll figure it out in due time. I am just so darn proud she is paying attention.


 

Ride, Sally, Ride

Yesterday Eleanor and her Daddy took the training wheels off her bike.  Today she took off.  I am not sure which of us was more proud.  Of course, as her mother, I was proud of her for riding her bike, but I was more proud of how confident she was and how proud she was of herself.  Definitely a defining mommy moment.  Sure it was the same for Bradly who actually did the bike riding instruction...glad he's getting practice, I suppose the car will be next.

Christmas Card Sneak Peak

Admittedly, this is a little premature, but as I learn more and more about blogging I like to try out the new things I have discovered.  Consequently, dear blog readers, you get a sneak peak of what I hope our Christmas card will look like this year.  With any luck there should appear a slide show of photos from our weekend trip to Destin.  What a blessing to get to watch your children see the ocean for the very first time.  Happy to share.

A fire and hot cocoa

 

I am officially tired of the snow and cold, but I must say there is nothing cuter than kids in snow suits.  Not to mention it makes you want to shout "I can't put my arms down."  This was from Brad's first attempt to sled with the girls this winter.  They were very excited but they kept telling people that mommy didn't want to sled, she wanted to sit by the fire and drink hot cocoa.  There was no fire and no hot cocoa. Of course see below for what happened after the photo shoot and one or two trips down the hill.

Yep, that's us, driving away.  Suddenly a fire and hot cocoa didn't seem like such a bad option when compared to subzero weather and walking up that hill.  Of course Meredith and Daddy had a blast.  But we were warm!

The etiology of a nickname

People ask me frequently how a child named Lillian came to be called Poppy, instead of the more obvious flower nickname, Lily. Like most childhood nicknames a sibling was involved, but rather than being anointed Poppy, her name sort of evolved. Lillian was born when Eleanor was just 16 months old. Unfortunately Eleanor's toddler language skills were not quite developed enough for her to say the three syllables of Lillian or the double L sound. So she called her Lala (like the Teletubby.) And we did too. Eventually, as her language skills developed, Eleanor began to call her Lala. And we did too. In goofy "mother-of-a-newborn-ese" (that's the official language of sleep deprived, hormonal, postpartum women)Lolly became Lollipop. As Lillian grew so, too, did her personality. Eventually her nickname was being modified depending on her mood. If she was crabby, she was Pop Tart. If she was showing off she was Pop Star. If she was crying she was Poppy Top. From there we evolved (or perhaps regressed) to Poppy. Funny how a long name was shortened to a nickname which was then lengthened to another nickname was inevitably too long. Thus we arrived at a nickname of a nickname. Don't ask me how Eleanor came to be called Noodle, just be glad she reclaimed her name. I suppose Lillian will too, if not before, she will definitely do so when she is asked about the etiology of her nickname.