I’ll Be Brave in the Tunnel

  
We went to Hermann Park this morning, where we bumped into Lillian’s ECLP classmate Beau while waiting for the train. Beau and Lillian sat together. 

“I know you’ll be scared in the tunnel, said Beau, “I’ll protect you.”

“I’m not scared of the train, silly goose,” Lilz replied, “and I’ll be brave in the tunnel.”

Summer Fun

On the Slide

Lillian and Hank

The blog writer has been remiss in updating the exploits of Lillian this summer. She’s been having a great time, hanging out with her mom and dad (her mom took her to see Inside Out last weekend) and with her Yia Yia and ePa. She’s taking swimming lessons twice a week and going and swimming in uncle David and Aunt Michelle’s pool whenever she can. She visited with her aunt Nina and uncle Paul and cousin Samuli, who were in town from Finland in June. (While out to eat one day, Lillian was sitting in her aunt Nina’s lap–she’s pretty fond of her aunt Nina. A woman walking by stopped and said to Nina, “your daughter is lovely.” Nina looked surprised. “What’s your daughter’s name?” “My name is…Hannah,” said Lillian. “Oh, Hannah, you are so sweet!”)

Right now, Lillian is attending VBS at St. Thomas’ and seems to be having a pretty good time. Her aunt Michelle (who took the pictures) and her cousin Nathan are two of her teachers. You can see her above talking to her buddy Hank.

On Friday, Lillian and her mom and dad are off to the beach for the weekend with Na Na and Paw Paw Denby and assorted aunts, uncles and cousins.

Baking a Birthday Cake for Yia-Yia

Mixing the cake

Frosting the Cake

Licking the spatula

Licking the spatula

Chocolate Mouth

Eating birthday cake with Yia-Yia

Yesterday, Lillian asked her grandfather why she did not get to go to her Yia-Yia’s birthday party on Wednesday. She did not believe ePa when he told her that we hadn’t had a party—a birthday without a party being inconceivable to her. “ePa,” she said after thinking this over for some time, “Let’s make Yia-Yia a cake. A vanilla cake. Not vanilla—chocolate! That’s my favorite and it will be hers, too!”

ePa, not widely known for his baking skills, eventually agreed to help—”but let’s make it a surprise.”

“OK!” said Lillian.

So, this morning, Lillian and ePa started making a cake. “What’s wrong, ePa?” Lillian asked after several minutes.

“Nothing, I am just trying to understand the recipe and what it means.”

“Yia-Yia!” Lillian shouted, “Come show us how to make your surprise!”

Yia-Yia kindly came in and assisted with the difficult parts (“This is a hand mixer,” she said, helpfully, “And this is a spatula.” Yia-Yia knows many things).

Lillian helped mix the cake batter and then licked the mixer to make sure that none went to waste. We baked the cake, went to lunch, then came home and iced the cake. Lillian licked the excess icing off of the spatula (her favorite part), and got chocolate frosting all over her face.

Then she sat down with her Yia-Yia and they ate chocolate cake with milk, and Lillian was happy that she had helped her Yia-Yia have a small party for her birthday.

Strolling with a Baby

Some of Lillian’s friends gave her a stroller for her baby doll. She enjoys taking her baby for strolls around the neighborhood. While walking, she provides her doll with extensive commentary on the varied wonders they encounter.

A Girl Who Has Three Grandmothers

A week ago, while Lillian’s mom and dad, Josh and Amy, were off honeymooning in San Francisco, Lillian got to spend some time with her third grandmother, Amy’s mom, known to Lillian as Grandma Linda. (Lillian and her mom and dad visited with grandma Linda in Michigan at Christmastime, where Lillian played with her first snowman. She was sorry to hear that her snowman has since melted.)

Lillian and her grandmother Nancy, otherwise known as Yia-Yia, went to the park with Grandma Linda, then had a delightful lunch. And Lillian got to spend some time on Saturday with her grandmother Peggy, her Na-Na, at her parents’ wedding—last weekend was a grandma trifecta.

Lillian thinks she has three of the best grandmothers in the world.

Happy Easter 2015 from Lillian!

  

Lillian at Josh and Amy’s Wedding

Lillian, Josh and Amy

Lillian, elegant in a long black dress, served as flower girl and ring bearer at the wedding of her dad, Josh, to her new mom, Amy. As her parents recited their vows, Lillian — who might be something of a ham — struck a number of interesting and fashionable poses for the photographers recording the event.

Tomorrow, she’ll have brunch with her mom and dad and various grandparents, then send Josh and Amy off on their honeymoon to San Francisco, while she’ll stay in Houston and try to keep at least one set of grandparents out of trouble.

Paw-Paw Keith, Aunt Cari and Lillian

Rodeo Girl

Lillian at the Rodeo with her Yia-Yia and Aunt Lauren. Yee ha!

Smashing Fiestas

Friday was “Go Texan” Day, when people dress up in crazy western garb and do crazy western stuff, celebrating the start of the Rodeo here in Houston.

In Lillian’s class, they hung pinatas (which Lillian calls fiestas) and took turns smashing them. Lillian, we are told, was not timid in her swings.

Since then, Lillian has been drawing pictures of smashing fiestas.

Smashing Fiestas by Lillian Grace Denby, March 2, 2015

Poo-Poo Heads: Experiencing the Four-Year Old’s Sense of Humor

At some point in the last month or two, Lillian has begun to apply the words “poo-poo” for comic effect. This turns ordinary words into uproariously funny ones. So, if you say: “Lillian, it’s time to put on your shoes,” she might respond “I’ll put on my poo-poo shoes,” followed by several minutes of uncontrolled laughter.

I suspect the influence of some of her peers; I imagine there is an unending line of slightly older four-year olds transmitting to slightly younger ones the joys of potty humor—a line that stretches back many thousands of years—a line of transmission in which my own four-year old self undoubtedly played a part long ago.

In the picture above, Lillian has used her magic wand to turn her grandfather from a poo-poo head into a poo-poo frog. She is most pleased with herself.