Just call her Mozart

23 Nov Just call her Mozart

Camilla has taken up some new pastimes. One of her favorites is piano.

It’s amazing to watch our girl learn and grow. Sometimes I look at her and wonder where this huge little kid came from. We have our moments of frustration–and seconds later sheer joy breaks through. I’m still in awe that this week she surprised us by counting all the way to ten–first for Mommy and Daddy, then Great-Grandma, and now for anyone who will listen. Sometimes she skips four or eight (or both), but I still think she’s brilliant for getting it mostly right!

Last weekend it was 60 degrees. This weekend we’re braving January-like weather with temperatures in the twenties! Camilla has been running around saying, “Brrrrr! Cold outside!”

Bedtime has been especially interesting. We’re trying to teach her to cooperate with Mommy and Daddy throughout the routine: sit on the potty, wash hands, brush teeth, put on jammies . . . Instead, she jumps up from the potty ten times to climb into the tub for some toy or another or she orders us to sit and read Once Upon a Potty. “Mommy read it! Potty Book!” (We love to read to her, but it’s almost 8 and Camilla is tired.) And then she runs all over the room as we try to maneuver her into her jammies. Once she’s finally ready, you’d think she might calm down. But lately, she’d rather sit in her own little rocker while I sing. Usually I force her to sit on my lap and it doesn’t take long for her to snuggle up to me.

“Mommy sing,” she’ll say.

“What should I sing?”

“Father.”

“Good Night My Father?”

Nodding, she repeats, “Night Father!”

So I sing the favorite lullaby my mom used to sing to me.

“Sing Father ‘gain,” she says.

But it’s time to pray, so we say our prayers and then Camilla says, “Sing ‘gain, Mommy!”

Who can resist that? So what if it’s 8:30 already. If I’ve learned anything in the past two years, it’s that the next 16 will fly by. So, of course, I sing it again.