Gabism Question of the Day

Gabi: Mommy would you rather be with someone who is mean to you, or someone who picks his nose?

Mommy: Well, I'd say somebody who picks his nose because nobody deserves to be treated poorly.

Gabi: Yah, but he picks it all night long.

LOL! Where in the world??? Idk. She is a hoot.

Hablas Espanol and so much more.....

I've been so negligent in blogging this summer! It only stands to reason that the "Gabisms" are piling up! Here's a few of the "good" ones. LOL

All in a days shopping:

Gabi and I spent Tuesday at the Niagara Falls Outlet Mall school clothes shopping. There were a large number of LOTE (Language Other Than English) speaking individuals there. Gabi, not missing a beat, picked up on this. Here's our lunch conversation:

Gabi: From now on we are only going to speak to each other in Spanish. (of which she knows none)

Mommy: Spanish, really?

Gabi: (Starts pointing to objects and talking in broken, unrecognizable words.)

Mommy: Muy Bien tu hablas Espanol

Gabi: Ok, how about you speak English and I speak Spanish?

LOL! She kept up her version of Spanish for hours.

While at the mall she conned me into buying her yet another stuffed animal, a dog. She made me cut ALL the tags off of it so that people would "know it's a real dog". She proceeded to carry it around with her and randomly bark at people. When they would look at her, she would grin and pet her dog proudly.

The product of educators, indeed:

Last week, as I was getting ready for the day Gabi RUSHES into the bathroom and the following conversation ensues.

Gabi: (Frantically waving her arms and speaking in a desperate tone of voice) I NEED FOUR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AND I NEED THEM NOW! All my teachers are out, who is going to teach these kids? What will we do?

Mommy: (stifling laughter) Well, you are the Principal it's your job to take care of it.

Gabi: (without even a moment's hesitation) Actually, since YOU are the Vice Principal it's YOUR job to take care of it. It's MY job to MAKE SURE you do it!

(Did I mention Howie is a Principal and I'm a High School Counselor, lol!)

It's hard to believe that she will be turning SIX on Wednesday. My baby! Sigh.

Gabisms of the Day

Holy cow I love looking at life through Gabi's eyes.

Speaking of eyes- she has had a weird thing happening with her right eye- it's been randomly moving outward and is freaking me out. So I made her an appt with the eye doctor. Gabi needs to be prepared for ANY possibility in life (lest she freak out) so I was explaining to her that sometimes when people have this problem it's called "lazy eye" and they have to wear a patch to help strengthen it.

Mommy: So there is a possibility that you will have to wear a patch over one eye, sort of like a pirate.

Gabi: (in an "aha" state) Ooooh, so pirates have lazy eyes.




We had a campfire the other night. It was my turn to tell a "ghost" story.

Mommy: So, there was this little girl sitting near a campfire....

Gabi: (Interrupts with a scream from out of the blue) DAMN, I know it's me!!!




Here's a little how tonight's random conversation went:

Gabi- Mommy we have a new rule in Kindergarten. You aren't allowed to touch your "pen-ex" anymore.

Mommy- What??

Gabi- You know, your pen-ex (while grabbing her crotch) you can only scratch it really quick, but you can't touch it.

Mommy- Wow (while mentally appreciating the job her teacher daily encounters and wondering if this was something college prepared her to handle) so, was this happening a lot that a rule needed to be made?

Gabi- Yup. Some kids were grabbing their pen-ex's all the time even (as she visually demonstrates) putting their hands in their pants. Not me though. Nope, I don't ever grab my pen-ex. I just scratch a little above it.

Of Gabisms, Genetics, and Goodness!

Gabisms:

Some of the latest:

Yesterday, I had the girls in the tub. Just as Howie (who happens to be THE MOST NEUROTIC father) walks by Ellie does some "Superfly" wrestling move where she stands up and throws herself down. Yes, all this in the tub. So, eagle eyes walks by and YELLS "OOOHH, IS SHE OKAY!?!?!" as he prepares himself for CPR, AED, or other lifesaving gestures. Meanwhile, Gab and I have barely moved. We're calm. We see these miniature Hulk Hogan moves all the time. So Gabi looks at Howie then looks at me, and says "Why is he so draaamatic?"

Gram was telling me about a conversation she had with Gabi:
Gram: (looking at a pink VS bag)- "Victoria's Secret... why does that sound so familiar?"
Gabi: "Perhaps you buy your underwear there like my Mommy does?"


Onto Genetics:

Went to Strong Genetics a few weeks back. My sister was feeling too ill from the chemo she had just had a few days earlier to attend. So, I went by myself. It was scary but highly informative. The genetic counselor spent a ton of time with me educating and answering questions. At the end of the appointment I was given a little kit to take upstairs to the blood draw lab. My blood was drawn without much incident (other than me falling, but that's a whole other story lol). I have an appointment on May 8 for the results. I am so nervous and pretty consumed with "what if's". I keep reminding myself to SHUT UP and just wait. Either way, I can do nothing about it until then. It's in God's hands.

and Finally, Goodness:

Life is GOOD! Elliana is walking!!! She took her first steps at the annual Adoptive Families Easter Egg Hunt and really took off on Monday, April 13. There has been nothing stopping her since then! She is on a MISSION! Her mission you ask? To get into ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that she shouldn't be into!

Gabi is doing great as well. Enjoying her spring break and continually maturing as the 40-year-old-in-a-five-year-old body that she is!

Nicki is finishing up her first year at ACP. She is doing well and although I CAN'T wait to have her home, I am so happy for her. I know she is enjoying life.

We have a major wedding coming up in May. Our niece Michele, (Howie's sister's daughter) is getting married at the Hotel Pierre (formerly the Four Seasons) in Manhattan. It's so exciting and should be an amazing time. Lots of pressure though!!! Ahhhh!

My Beautiful Uterus

That's right, I said it. My uterus is beautiful. Oh, and my ovaries are perfect. This is all according to the results of the not-so-pleasant-catheter-in-the-va-jay-jay-sonar-histogram I had this afternoon. Yayyyy! More good results. They did send out a sample of the uterine lining for a biopsy, but Dr. expects it to be just fine. One more sigh of relief. If only we had known to do these tests for my sister. :(

Some new Gabisms for ya:

Gabi: My allergies are really acting up today.

Mom: Oh yah, what allergies?

Gabi: Well you know I'm allergic to stop lights, cd players, and driver side door handles.

Here's another.......

Gabi was in her bedroom "teaching her kids" (which consists of about 25 stuffed animals). Howie and I opened her door to talk to her about dinner or something.

Gabi: "Oh my gosh my class is right here, this is SO EMBARRASSING."

I know there's a connection here, but WHERE??

First: My sister is doing well. She has her first chemotherapy on Tuesday. I have posted a link at the top of this blog page to her "caringbridge" site where I frequently post updates.


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This morning on the way to Gram and Pap's I was explaining to Gabi about the importance of today:

Mommy: Did you know that today is a monumental day in American history?

Gabi: Why?

Mommy: Because a "brown man" (as she calls him) is becoming President for the very first time.

Gabi: (dismissively) Cool.

pause

pause

Gabi: Do you think sharks eat brown people too, or just white people?


HUH??? WHAT???

Unsolicited Advice A La Gabi

Walking out the door this morning at 6:30am....

Gabi: [Looks me up and down a time or two] "Your nose is a little bit too crooked for those boots. But don't worry Mommy, you'll grow into it."

"I Hat My Mom"

Should I be proud, or should I be in tears??? Gabi constructed one of her very first written sentences today. She showed it to me and said "What does this say?" I looked at it and gasped! Could my sweet baby girl really have written what I think she was trying to write ("I hat my Mom)!?!? I actually started to cry- (dramatic, I know- but I was really hurt AND I wanted her to KNOW how upset I was).

She started crying too and said "Mommy, I didn't mean to write that, I didn't"

I finally got out of her that she had written it when she was mad at me because I made her go to bed and wouldn't let her sit with me. We promised each other that we would NEVER say that to or about each other again (even when she is an angry teenager-does writing about it here make it legally binding in 10 years??). She made us PINKY SWEAR on it!

I did congratulate her on writing the words so well. She said "Does that really spell hate?"
I told her it was very close, that she had just left off the "e". To which she responds "See- it doesn't say hate!! I didn't write that- I forgot the "e". Lol!!

In other recent "Gabisms".......

On the radio the other morning they were talking about The Nobel Peace Prize. Gabi asked what it was....

Mommy: It's a very, very special award that not many people get. You have to do something really, really good and nice for other people.

Gabi: Are we going to get that award?

Mommy: No, honey- it's a REALLY BIG award that very few people get world-wide.

Gabi: I think I'm going to get it. Remember, I held the door open for you the other day?

Another car conversation......

She kept asking for her backpack, and then giving it back to me to keep in the front seat.

Gabi: Mommy, I need my backpack I have a snack in there and I'm REALLY hungry.

Mommy: Gabi this is the LAST time I'm going to pass this bag back to you. It's too dangerous while I'm driving.

Gabi: I'll tell you what's dangerous. What's dangerous is me not getting something to eat.

Gabism of the Week

As many of you know, Gabi has some, er, sensory issues. She refuses to wear certain things that I would just LOVE to put her in (tights, jeans, adorable shoes...) I'm sloooowly letting go of my need to control things.

This year, I got her knee highs to go with her Christmas outfit. Brilliant! She can still look adorable, and stay warm.

This is what we heard coming from the backseat yesterday on the way to our annual xmas party.

"I NEED to take these socks off! Mommy, I NEED to take them off! These socks are SO NOT ME!"

Here's a pic of her still in pout mode. What you can't see is how she has folded her sweet little knee highs down to her ankles like bobby socks:

"You just wait...."

Oh how I remember hearing those words which were usually followed by something like "God is going to give you a child JUST LIKE YOU."

Fast forward several years.

(Clearly, I lived with a fortune teller.)

It seems that Miss Gabi is having an extremely hard time learning when it's appropriate to talk and when she needs to zip it. Did I mention that EVERY year my report card comments would read something like this...."Teri is a bright student however, she talks too much." Each semester, each year throughout Elementary school, my report cards would have some type of variation of that comment.

Enter September 2008. My sweet daughter is having a very hard time controlling her "Gab"bing at school. Her teacher uses a visual warning system. The children start on green everyday and then are asked to move their cards to yellow, orange, and red (in that order) throughout the day if the behavior continues. They can also work their way back up to green.

We take it very seriously when she comes home on any color other than green. Lately, she has had too many yellow days- and even an orange here and there. She always reports that it's because she has been talking.

I called my Mom for some advice. Asked her what she did to help me. You know what she did? She LAUGHED. Yup. That's right. Laughed a satisfying hearty bellow.

Gabi is also way too smart for me. Here is how tonight's conversation went.

Mommy: Gabi, I'm really disappointed that you are on yellow for the second day in a row.

Gabi: Mommy, I just don't know what I would ever do without you. You are so beautiful and I just love you so much.

Mommy: Thank you Gabi, I love you too that's why I want you to be responsible and make good choices.

Gabi: Mommy, I really can't imagine what I would ever do without you. I would never even kiss anybody ever again.

Mommy: (Quietly smiled to myself as I thought....You just wait....)

Process a WHAT?

OMG! Last night Gabi was telling me that she needed to do "re-surch". She said that meant you had to look things up to learn more about them. She then said "Mom it's all a Prostitution." At which point I nearly ran over a mailbox and said "It's a WHAT?" She says once again a "Prostitution, you know a Process-a-tution" (which she says reallllly sllooowly and enunciates each letter as if I'm the dumbest person on the planet for not knowing what she was saying to me. OY!!!!!!!!

She asked THE Question

THE question that I had been dreading..... while we were driving......



Gabi: Mommy, is Vicky getting a baby?



Mommy: She is having a baby, not getting one. Most tummy Mommy's raise the babies that they deliver.



Gabi: So some tummy Mommies keep their babies and some don't?



Mommy: Yuppers. You and Ellie were very special because your Tummy Mommies asked us to take care of you and be your forever Mommy and Daddy.



Gabi: They don't want the babies so they give them away? Cole didn't want me?

Mommy: (Choking) No honey, it's just the opposite. She LOVED you SO much and she knew she couldn't take care of you, so she asked us to love you forever and always. She LOVES you!

Gabi: I think there is a bird on your shoulder. (Apparently, it wasn't as monumental a question for me, as it was for her. lol)

Here are some pics of Gabi and I being silly. She kept coming up with ideas for new pics---clearly she was STALLING before bed! LOL

Talking Politics with a Five Year Old

Summer 2008:

Gabi: (After seeing a political commercial) Mommy, I want John McCain to be our next President.

Mommy: Why is that?

Gabi: Cause he's prettier.

October 2008:

Mommy: So do you still want John McCain for President?

Gabi: No, I changed up my mind. I want I'Rock Obama.

Mommy: What made you change your mind, did you see something on tv that made you like his views better. Was it during a debate or something? (I enjoy talking to her like she's 40, lol)

Gabi: No, I just like brown people.

Mommy: Well honey, we don't determine our next president based on skin color. etc, etc...

Gabi: No Mommy, I just like brown people best so that's why I want him to win.

Mommy: Honey we need to choose based on what they believe in, not based on what color they are. We must not judge people by the color of their skin.

Gabi: (in her 40 year old voice) Mommy, everybody does it.

-What?? Is this really coming from the mouth of a child that can't tie her own shoes???

November 2008:

Mommy: So, who do you want for President this week?

Gabi: I told you, I want I'Rock Obamba.

Mommy: Well I was wondering if maybe you had changed your mind again.

Gabi: Nope. You know why I want I'Rock Obama?

Mommy: No honey I don't really even have a clue.

Gabi: Cause he Rocks, he's I'Rock Obama and he's a Rock Star!!!

"Hair" We Go Again....

At the request of a few.... here is a better view of Gabi's new 'do.

We got Gabi's hair cut again today. She didn't think it was SHORT enough!? She requested it to be ABOVE her ears. Lemme think, umm NO!

The woman who cut her hair had the patience of a saint- let me tell you! Gabi was in one of her terrible wiggle-worm-can't-sit-still-for-a-moment-and-I'll-complain-if-you-dare-try-to-make-me moods. Of course it promptly commenced the second she sat down! Ugh.

Anyway- funny conversation:

Hair Stylist: Honey hold still, I don't want to cut you're ear.

Gabi: Well you should have chosen a different job if you didn't want to cut me.

Mom: (shrinks slowly into herself)

Hair Stylist: Really, nobody has ever told me that. What job should I have chosen?

Gabi: Probably McDonalds.

Rut Row

Gabi has had a few rough spots adjusting to the many changes in her life. She is reluctant to go to school on several mornings. Of course, in her own Gabi way she is still cracking us up with her 5 year old reasoning.

• Gram was driving her to school the other day as Gabi was complaining about having to go. So Gram started to explain to her that some kids couldn't even go to school. That she was very lucky she didn't have to work on her family farm all day. Gabi replied without missing a beat- How about you let me stay home if I pick your tomatoes for you?


• Gabi had been riding the bus two days a week from my friend Mary's house. She recently decided that she doesn't want to ride it anymore. Her reason: "because the bus driver has dirty hair". Ugh!


• According to her teacher, she does very well in the classroom. Once Gram leaves the tears dry up. She described Gabi as the "social butterfly, flitting happily about all day". She also said that they are working on when it is appropriate to talk. (Aren't we all? Lol- needless to say, this was the MAIN complaint on ALL of my Elementary School report cards)

Like Mother, Like Daughter. :)

"Mommy, I need my crotches"

Gabi: "Mommy, can you get my crotches for me?"

Mommy: (WHAT? ) Calmly responds "Your what?"

Gabi: "My crotches, I really, really need them."

I must have looked completely stumped because she grabs my hand and says "I'll show you my crotches".

She takes me into the living room and points to these two baton-like sticks. I handed them to her. She tells me her leg is broke. She uses them as her CRUTCHES!!!

Oh dear!

This is a child who has been scotch taping her foot, wearing a pink slipper on only one foot, putting stickers on her foot, and telling random strangers that she needs surgery because she broke her foot-- all summer long!

Happy 5th Birthday to my Big Girl!!!

Birth

One
Two






Three

Four

Five

Wow, how is it possible that my baby is FIVE? Time sure does FLY when

your babies are growing!! I thought I'd take this time to update some of my new favorite "Gabisms"

• A few weeks ago Gabi told Sue "I think I'm having an allergic reaction to your dog". What?? Where did she hear that?!?



• My friend Jody and her daughter, Janay were watching the girls last week when Gabi proudly announces "I have two husbands, one to cook and one to clean". Now, I KNOW this is a joke that's out there somewhere, I just CANNOT figure out where she heard it!!



• Saturday, after her birthday party she says to me "Mommy, I feel very grown up". When I asked her why she responded matter-of-factly "I am 5 you know". Lol



• Yesterday morning, Gabi wanted to open one of her new toys. I was still sleeping. Howie said to her, "Let's wait til Mommy gets up and ask her" to which she replies "Daddy, you are a very smart man, you can decide this".



• This morning in the car Gabi says "Mommy, I believe my personality is changing". So I ask her "why"? to which she responds "I don't know, but people won't be liking my new personality".
  
  
• Later today, again in the car, she says to me "I'm sad, because I want to marry Nicki, but I can't because she's bigger, and she's a girl. Why can't girls marry girls, and boys marry boys?" I try to explain in the simplest of ways about babies and God. I'm not really sure where I went with that answer. I should have just told her "They can".... but no, I just have to stutter and stumble over my words. Yikes.

Words could never do justice the love I have in my heart for my beautiful, witty, charming blond haired, blue eyed beauty. She changed my world. She changed our world. She is a miracle. Today, I send out extra prayers and love to her birthmom, for choosing us to parent this amazing little girl.

"Excuse me please, God"

Oh my dear Gabi is at it again. This time her Gabism brought me to tears. Tonight, during our prayers, Gabi says "Excuse me please, God, I'm very sorry but I need to cut in here". After she apologizes to me, she says "Dear God, I'm very sorry I cut in, but this is very important, can you please watch over my friend Tyler until he comes home". I just lost it. I didn't even tell her he was back in the hospital, she must have just heard me talking about it.

Also, one other quick thing- tonight after she called me into her room for the 50th time, I told her she was just stalling. She asked what that meant, so I told her it was when she tried to keep me in her room as long as possible. I kissed her and walked out. She must have been processing that, because she yells out to me down the hall; "Yah, well that's just cause I love you"! Little stinker~ how could I argue that? :)

The Product of Educators

Every now and then, Gabi throws out statements that clearly remind us she is keenly aware of where we work.

~ One night last week she yelled to me from her bedroom- "Mom, can I get out of bed really quick, I need to get my Faculty Handbook". LOL

~ Tonight in the car Howie and I were disagreeing about something. From the backseat my dear daughter logically explains to me "Mom, Dad is the Principal so he is the boss. Counselors are not the bosses."

She is too much!!!

"Make Me a Man"

Yesterday, Gabi and I were lounging in bed, enjoying the beauty of a second "snow day" in 3 days when she said "Let's sing Patty Cake".

Here is the version that my daughters memory has left her with:

Patty Cake, Patty Cake,
MAKE ME a MAN
as fast as you can.
Pat HIM
Roll HIM
and mark HIM with a G
toss HIM in the oven for Gabi and Me!

LOL!!!!!