The Night the Lights Went Out in Vancleave

We had a pretty intense thunderstorm last night and the power went out. This was the first storm that I can recall the power going out since Maison has become keenly aware of "unner" (thunder). Usually if we hear thunder, I can just pump up the volume on the TV or turn on the radio and she forgets about it. Without electricity though, there was no distracting her from the thunder and with no lights, she really noticed the lightening.

We lit candles and sat in the living room hoping the power would come on soon. Trey was most fearful that we would sweat to death in our sleep with no air conditioning. I was not finished packing for our trip to Birmingham this afternoon, so I was hoping it would come on soon so I could finish up.

In an attempt to distract Maison and keep her from getting scared, we called just about everyone we know. She talked to Grant and Miss Tommie, G-Daddy Dave and Passy. She tried to call Bella but did not get an answer.

The first thing she said to me this morning was "The lights out and unner coming and I bow out da cannel!" Miss Cindy got the same earful as soon as I got the door open to the daycare.

On another subject, school started back this week and Maison has been extremely excited to see the school buses on the road in the mornings. The last two days, Miss Cindy has been letting her go with when she walks the "big kids gowin to big scoo" to the bus stop. The look on Maison's face when she goes out there with Cindy makes me think the thoughts in her little head are something like this: "I da mos portant ittle kid in dis daycare cause I getta to walk da big kids to the scoo bus. I gonna be a big kid on the scoo bus before my mommy can blink her eye."

I have also been amazed lately at how much her language is developing and we are actually able to carry on conversations with her. Last night we were watching TV and there was a make-up commercial or something and she looked at the woman on the TV and said "Her gots blue eyes like me mommy." Trey and I just looked at each other and then I asked her when she got so smart. Then she crawled up in Trey's lap and said, "Your eyes hazel, Daddy!" Trey's jaw about hit the floor. We have told her his eyes are hazel in the past, but it has been weeks if not months since that conversation.

We have also been working on her "listening" and "minding". This is one child that cannot stand to be told no. And shame on us for not telling her more often. But she is finally starting to get it. I have put my foot down about her sitting in my lap while I eat dinner. She sits in the chair right next to me and stares the entire time I eat. As soon as I push my plate away, she smiles that smile and says "You food awl gone, Mommy. I sit in your whap now?" When the crying fits do happen, we have found that most of the time we can send her to her room and when she calms down, she'll come out saying, "I done cryin' now" and then it is over. Sometimes she will test the waters and yell back "You not tell me no, Mommy/Daddy!" Recently I responded "Oh yes I will because I am the boss!" Screaming, she responds "No you not! I DA BOSS!" As much as it pains me to say it and I sure would never tell her this, but she sure is right...