these are ramona’s best friends. there is something so amazing about watching her form relationships and memories with other little ones and people beyond me. i watch how she plays and communicates and asserts herself and accommodates others. she has fun, she gets confused, she loves hard, she tackles, she giggles and chases and watches and learns. the thought of her “leaving the nest” to go to preschool, even if just for half days, is becoming less and less foreign and scary to me. she will thrive fantastically.
my aunt texted me this photo over the weekend with the question “who does this remind you of?” i had a hunch and was so excited when that hunch was correct: it’s a photo of my grandma driver (my father’s mother) when she was a little girl growing up in fort wayne, indiana. when i showed ramona the photo in the morning and asked her who it is, she said “mona.” i can see why:
the likeness is uncanny. and to see it make it through four generations blows my mind. i asked my grandma about the photo and she told me:
I suppose I was around three or a little younger since it doesn’t look like a November kind of weather. I can’t say I remember much about it except we lived across from the high school stadium and I am told when I was a little younger I ate a little box of garlic that was sitting on the back porch; I must have reeked. It is a wonder they didn’t give me away. The baby buggy I have in the garage, put together last summer by your Papa. Grandma Stowell had carefully shipped it out here many years ago, but it had been in [my aunt and uncle’s] garage all those years.
it’s an honor to have ramona look so much like my grandmother, gloria. she is one amazing lady: spunky and witty and full of love. it’s great to see ramona inherit –not only her adorable cheeks and chin– but also these personality traits that will certainly serve her well in her life. i love you, grandma!
i gave ramona her first home haircut a while ago. i trimmed up the bangs and made sure all the weird, long old-man wisps were cut to the length of the majority of her hair. since then, it’s grown into a mullet, even with random trims i give her here and there. so it was time for the salon. i talked up the event to ramona for some weeks leading up to, ever since we ran into my stylist, kristy, at crema. since then, ramona would often ask about going to get her haircut.
she was a pro! she sat so still and serious: lifted her head, tilted her chin, looked straight ahead. i was giggling over how stoic and sober she was throughout the whole thing. and the final product? omg. it’s amazing. short bangs and a little bob. it suits her and her personality and her style so perfectly.
we celebrated with a trip to the zoo!
have you taken your child to get their hair cut? do you do cuts at home? how do they go? how do you get your little one to sit still?
dear ramona,
sweet girl, you are growing before our eyes. you are so tall and strong and able. overnight, it seems, you are suddenly able to tell me many of your needs: i’m thirsty, i’m hungry, i have to go potty, i’m tired, i’m happy. in addition to this making life a little easier for mama and papa, it also makes you more independent. since you are so good at communicating you have more time to go do the stuff you want!
you are figuring out more and more how to do things yourself, get what you want/need quicker, and explore on your own. we’ve always let you do your own investigating but now your boundaries are bigger. you go down to the basement to play by yourself at your kitchen or with your dollies. you climb through the doggy door and dance around in the grass w otto while i cook lunch. we always know where you are but now we get to give you much more space so you can continue to grow in your confidence and independence in your own abilities.
i love you, big girl. love, mama.
dear ramona,
your nona, my mama, came to visit this weekend under the guise of helping me decorate your new room. but really, it was time for us girls to hang. we shopped, we dined, we caught up on fall tv, we talked about books, we read books to you, and we got out for some fresh air. we did hang up some artwork in your new bedroom and nona hemmed your closet curtains for me, but mostly it was a girls’ weekend.
the three of us read a lot of books (most of them thoughtfully picked out just for you by nona!) while lounging on your new big-girl bed and nona helped me wrangle you in your two-year-old craziness. she’s taught me a lot about parenting children based on their personality and spirit. you sure are giving me a run for my money with your wildness!
multiple times this weekend i found myself whispering to you that i cannot wait to do this with you when you are older: long lunches, shopping sprees, tv marathons, long walks or hikes with thoughtful conversation. it’s an olson thing — something i got to do with my mother and hers, your namesake. and we’ll carry on the tradition.
i love you, miss ramona marilyn. you are my main lady and you always will be.
love, mama.
readers, if you’re looking for a nice, easy morning hike that’s also great for little ones, i suggest the trading post trail at red rocks. it’s not really a hike but offers beautiful views and a nice loop around the park. it’s a for-sure stop if you’re showing visitors around.
welcome
