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My dear friend James sent me a package for Christmas. (Thank you, very much!!) Inside were very nice long-sleeve t-shirts for Lilia from Speak Nicely dot com. They have simple, positive statements on the front. I think they are the antidote for the “clever” onesies and t-shirts that say things like “High Maintenance” or “Princess” on them. Lilia had a hand-me-down “High Maintenance” onesie, and I hated putting her in it, but it was the right size, long-sleeve, and easy to get on, so I usually layered it with something on top.

The messages on Lilia’s shirts are: A Smile Is Good, I Am The Future and Say Nice Things. I really like the sentiment, and Lilia likes the shirts– she put one on immediately.

But I have a couple reservations about her wearing them. Immediately upon seeing the “Say Nice Things” shirt, I thought… “But what if she doesn’t say nice things while she is wearing it? Will that make us hypocrites?” I mean, she is only three (almost four) years old… she doesn’t always say nice things! In fact, she tends to growl at toddlers smaller than her!

And then there is the issue of forcing MY message on her. Like putting a baby in a Barack Obama t-shirt. Does that baby really have an opinion? (Lilia actually really liked Barack Obama, but it turned out she liked John McCain too… she was too little to not like someone! Although I never really introduced her to Sarah Palin… I think she would have seen through her in a second!) Lilia had a super cool David Bowie t-shirt when she was a baby… but when I would put her in it, I felt guilty… she didn’t know David Bowie yet, and given her tastes (Pete Seeger or Christmas music, 24-7), she probably wouldn’t like him (yet… I will give her time!).

Anyway, she is now almost four, and she understands the meaning of “Say Nice Things” and “A Smile is Good”… she doesn’t quite get what “I am the Future” means (I asked her… “are you the future?” and she said “No!”). And she is old enough to pick out her own clothes from the drawer, so she can pick out whatever she wants to wear (not that she does that everyday).

I did take some pictures of her in her “Say Nice Things” shirt yesterday.

I asked her to pout in this one:

Finally, a smile with her hair back so you can see the shirt:

And what I feared actually did happen– we were having spaghetti for dinner last night, and I worried that she would get sauce all over her new light pink shirt. I rolled up her sleeves and gave her a napkin; Joe suggested she just take the shirt off. That suggestion didn’t fly– she growled, “I WANT TO SAY NICE THINGS!”  I think the irony was lost on her.

Here is the picture we used for our 2009 Christmas Card– the first time I’ve done cards since 2006! Eek! I promise not to let that go another two years.

We pulled out the camping mats while cleaning the other day… and Lilia first created an animal slide with one, and then turned it into a jumper’s paradise. She’d fling herself off the couch and jump… Thump onto the mat. I kept thinking… if something bad happens, will this make us bad parents? Even if something bad doesn’t happen… does this make us bad parents? Just last week, she stood on top of the toilet seat to brush her teeth… I thought, that’s not really safe, but I didn’t stop her… and boom, down she went, hitting the tub. And before that, while I was rushing around getting ready to go to an appointment, Lilia sat down with her craft scissors (at least they were kids’ craft scissors), and snipped her stuffed animals’ fur. Wait, is this okay to admit on my blog? I promise, she won’t do it again.

Eek, I’m at the end of the pictures. Will have to come up with a post with substance tomorrow night!

Another month of Photos! Here’s October:

Tomorrow we drive back all day to Pennsylvania. Hope to make it home in time to post!