Missing Daddy. . .

I promise not to only blog about the deployment, but I have finally confirmed Gracie's sleep problem is directly related to missing Daddy. Last weekend, Gracie started requiring more attention during the bedtime routine. Each night has been more difficult than the last and I did not know what was driving this behavior. So this morning Gracie finally got to talk to Daddy on the phone. She was thrilled. I will usually give her a few ideas to talk about, but not today. . .it was a full-fledged, two sided conversation with her own ideas and questions. After breakfast we went for a walk and she talked about Daddy for at least a mile. "I miss Daddy, I want Daddy to come home, I love Daddy so much!" It was so sweet and surely helped me understand her perspective, but unfortunately it was during the "uphill, both-ways, with no shoes on" part of the walk. I think she may of gotten a few "me toos" and "soon", but I did not get to capitalize on the moment (due to inadequate oxygen levels). I wish I would have explained why he is away and reassured her that he is coming home and loves her very much. We will discuss it during the "ritual" tonight and hopefully put her sweet mind at ease. . .

On a totally different note. . .
Yesterday we were shopping at Target. I was trying to decide which diapers to buy when Gracie found the Dora Pull-Ups. I am not a fan of Pull-Ups because they usually leak, plus they are ridiculously expensive. However, Grammy, being a typical Grandmother, is not inhibited by these things and lets her use them at her house ~ and Gracie LOVES it! We have been using the potty a bit more; I wish I could say she is coming to tell me, but in instead, I have finally learned her body language. So when she demanded the Dora's I said "When you start telling me you need to use the potty." She instantly replied "I have to go now!" So we did, and she did and now the Dora's are neatly tucked in the drawer where the diapers belong.
I am such a sucker. . .

Oh, that reminds me of another story from our shopping trip. This actually starts a few weeks ago when we were supposed to go to the Rockies game (and more importantly see Bob and Larry from the Veggie Tales). We decided not to go at the last minute because of a storm, but she still asks (almost daily) when we get to go. So yesterday we were supposed to go to the zoo with Poppy and her cousins. The schedule got shifted to the afternoon so I decided we would not push her since she has not been sleeping. While shopping at WalMart she kept asking when we were going to the zoo, not to mention begging for anything that had a princess or Dora on it. So out of guilt Gracie got her first (and PROBABLY only) pair of light up shoes. They are definitely not my thing but she absolutely loves them. She has only taken them off to bathe and sleep. After she realized she would get to keep them she asked "why?" I told her Momma is a "sucker":) She then announced to every person we passed in the store that "Momma's a sucker!" Most people laughed and so did I:)

Sorry for the blurry photo, the lights were messing up the flash!