Red

This morning when I was dressing you for school, you requested to wear your skirt on top of your leggings! I found it odd that you requested this since the last several weeks/months you have only opted for pants or leggings---no layers on top. I haven't pushed you to conform to a specific attire! We don't always leave the house matching or in style but you are dressed and full of energy. Additionally, it gives you a little "personal choice" in selecting what to wear from your limited closet! (Yes! Mommy has opted to buy less in hopes of saving money but the season is changing and we must, must prepare for spring/summer! Once we are on the go more enjoying the sunshine, we won't have time to stop and shop!). So......you pulled on your stripped skirt on top of your hot pink leggings. When I inquired as to why you wanted to wear your skirt to school, you told me so that "I can stand up when the song says red!" I loved your response! You are always thinking! If I had to guess, you are listening to and acting out Hap Palmer's Color Song:

This a song about colors,
Colors you see them all around.
It's about the happiest song in town.
All you have to do is stand up and sit down.
All you have to do is stand up and sit down.

RED stand up,
BLUE stand up,
YELLOW and
GREEN stand up.

RED sit down,
BLUE sit down,
YELLOW and GREEN sit down.

RED stand up,
GREEN stand up...

As I was just reflecting on our day together, the lyrics popped in my head...I haven't heard them since my early teaching years but I'll be sure to ask you about them tomorrow!

As the day unfolded, I came and picked you up from preschool and you requested to take your skirt off and wear it again tomorrow at school-------I told you that I'd wash it first but you perferred that I didn't. Of course, I did. I'll have to run downstairs to place it in the dryer for you----just in case you request it again tomorrow!

Upon arriving home, Colin was here to work on our computers. Thus, you ate lunch in the playroom as we visited with him and walked him through all of our computer issues. At one point, I remember sending you to the bathroom to wash your hands. You took extra looooooong to return. Thus, I knew something was up. I remembered placing a mini packet of Mary Kay red lipstick on the countertop that Aunt Holly gave me to sample. I knew when I placed it there that if you saw it first......Yes! Indeed, I was right. You came back into the playroom with Christmas red lips. When I asked you if you bothered my lipstick, you said, "Yes! I wanted red lips like you Mommy!" Of course, when I relayed this story to Daddy later, he said, "Now you can't get on to her for that, can you?" And of course, I didn't since the lipstick made it on your lips rather than all over the house! And it was just a sample (P.S. Holly, I may have to pass up purchasing it since I'll never be able to keep it to myself!).

These two pairs of "Red" stories today had me thinking of Dr. Seuss's book..."Red, red they call me Red. Red bed I am in bed." And so I thought we'd pull this book to read it tonight but when we crawled into bed we READ, Pete the Cat books instead. Lately, they have been the books we've coveted! We've read and reread Pete the Cat and sang his song, "I'm rocking in my school shoes! I'm reading in my school shoes! I'm writing in my school shoes!" or "I love my white shoes! I love my red shoes! Etc.!" We've also translated them in Greek and read them but tonight we chose to download the free book/song on Mommy's smartphone so that we could hear the books too----and the songs! After these two favorites, we listened to one more......for the first time together! You loved it and rolled with laughter as you restated the lyrics/words, "I love my belly, belly button----from Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons."

.......and the moral of the story as Pete would say is, "It's all good!"

And for good measure, I let you sleep in red leggings-------and a long sleeve tee that says, "Homemade Snowballs Five Cents"-----for although today is the first day of spring, we are scheduled for a wintry mix Thursday evening into Friday morning but because you are the warmth to my days, "It's all good!"

As our poem book that we read together denotes, "Whatever the weather, we'll weather it together!"

I'm declaring these magical, colorful moments over your life from this day forward! May each of your days be filled with magical colors-----RED for the zest you have for life...may you carry that passion for life with you always! And remember all that we've READ together.....When I'm unable to read for myself, curl up next to me and read me something that will make me remember these simple but savored days together!