Angelina-isms

Susannah & Angelina

New friend: What is your name?

Angelina (age 4): Angelina Ballerina and DeLuca too. (Really her middle name is Marina…)

Angelina's Mommy: Angelina! Did you make this mess?

Angelina (age 2 & ½): No, Nastasha did it.

Nastasha (big sister): I DID NOT!

Angelina's Mommy: Well, who did?Angelina: hmmm… Daddy did it.

Angelina (age 6) [to her godfather, Izzy, after meeting his newborn son]:  He is sooo cute!  I want to babysit him.  I'll feed him and play with him and hold him!

Me: You can change his diapers too!  

Angelina: Oh no!  That's disgusting!

Me: I used to change your diapers.

Angelina: That's different because you're my honey and I'm your baby. 

[When I would tickle her feet she gave her feet names! Here is what she called them]

Angelina (age 2 & ½): Punch & Bananas

Angelina (age 3): Thunder & Lightning

[When she would attempt to tackle me to tickle me]

Angelina (age 3 & ½): You BIG Rascal

[When she doesn't want to do something or sometimes just as an announcement because she is proud of this fact]

Angelina: I'm little

Angelina's Mommy: Mrs. Teri (Angelina's Kindergarten Teacher) loves you and is so proud of you

Angelina (age 4): I don't really love her

Angelina's Mommy: Why?

Angelina: Because she gives me homework

Me: Angelina, you have to stop growing, soon I won't be able to pick you up and hold you any more....

Angelina: Daddy says I need to grow or I'll just be a little chicken.

Nastasha (big sister): Let's play hide and seek

Me: I don't know if we should be running around in the house…

Angelina (age 3): one… two… three…

Me (to Nastasha): Let's hide under the table in the dining room so it isn't too hard for the baby to find us…

[Nastasha and I hide]

Angelina: …ten …eleven …twelve …thirteen …Ready or not here I come…

[We hear Angelina stomping around the hallway and the girls bedroom and then we hear Angelina crying]

Me, calling out: Angelina, keep looking sweetheart. You will find us!

[More crying – Nastasha and I come out of hiding to see what is wrong and walk towards Angelina. Angelina stops crying]

Angelina (laughing): TAG! You're it!

After Billy (cousin, my brother) was his usual obnoxious self and teasing her:

Angelina (age 4): JESUS WOULDN'T DO THAT!

Izzy (Angelina's Godfather): Hello. [Kisses Angelina]

Angelina: The police are going to come and take you away from the party.

Izzy: Why?

Angelina: Because I called them to take you to jail for being very naughty

Aunt Yoly-mama (my mom, this is what Angelina calls her): Angelina, that isn't a nice thing to say!

Angelina: I didn't really call them, I only used my hand, see: [Angelina puts her hand with her thumb towards her ear and her little finger towards her mouth to form a phone] Will you take Yoly-mama too [giggles]

Angelina (age 4): Do you have great big boobs or little tiny boobs?

Me: Angelina! What are you talking about?

Angelina: oh, you have little tiny boobs…

Me: Angelina, we don't talk like this, why are you talking this way, you don't even have boobs.

Angelina: oh, yes I do. I have little tiny boobs. Do you know why girls have great big boobs?

Me: why?

Angelina: So they can pop! Hahahahahahahahahaha

Me: Where did you get this? How did you come up with this?

Angelina: From myself. I'm magic.

At Mass

Me: Angelina, do you see what they are doing up at the alter with the bread and wine?

Angelina: Yes, there is the Holy Spirit.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls... Especially The Ones With Blue Eyes!

I love children - and there are three little girls in my life - all with blue eyes, who light up my life. I have come to realize that I don't think any person can be an atheist with a child around.

Nastasha, just turned 7, is a dark haired beauty with thicker eye lashes then I thought a person could have. At three years old Nastasha was asking me about our grandmother who died before she was born. I explained to her that Abue (our grandmother) with us in spirit and watching over us. Really, Nastasha had the lesson for me and said: "she is in my heart, just like Jesus" Where did she get that from?!?

Angelina's Birthday

Nastasha doesn't go to church regularly, parents are Catholic but do not go every week - so the day after her sister was born on a Sunday, everyone was busy and I thought I would be going to church alone. Then Nastasha, at age 5, asked to come with me. Nastasha is not a meek, calmly child. This kid is rambunctious as the next, or more so (already she has developed strong little biceps and calve muscles, and has definition!). She is very also very popular at school: my aunt mentioned more little boys came to her birthday party then she remembers seeing at any other children's parties... At any rate, I wouldn't have thought that she would choose to sit in church for an hour. I was so happy to have a little friend to hug and sit on my lap during Mass. God is very real and present in her life.

Angelina, Nastasha's sister, who is 2 and is learning to talk (I'm teaching her to say "I'm Cute") melts me with her smile... What a miracle that there can be such a tiny person running around who is so sweet... she seems to be much more calm then Nastasha ever was. Angelina has blue eyes too, but unlike her sister her dark brown hair is turning into honey blond with curls.

This week I have been trying to get together with my friend Johnna and her daughter, Zoe, who is my blue-eyed, 4-year-old God-daughter. With my crazy schedule it has not been easy to see one another. Today Johnna called me and asked if I would take Zoe to church - turns out Zoe has a million questions about God and is very excited to go to church. Johnna is a somewhat of a vegetarian so one day Zoe asked her mother why she didn't eat beef. Johnna said something about not liking the taste of meat. Zoe responded "that's not nice, God made cows..." Zoe already has a thankful heart and a desire to know God.

These three girls are at the top of my prayer list. The little ones I adore most are showing me God's love! The best part is I get to hug and kiss and eat them all up - and they squeeze back. God is so good.

God tells us we need to be like children to enter heaven (Mark 10:13-16). I am taking theology lessons from teachers 7 and under...