10 things everyone just MUST know about NonaJane

       

1.  NonaJane can not ride in the car without singing, and no one is allowed to sing with her.  She is a single act :) Her current favorites include "jingle bells, batman smells, robin laid an egg..." as well as "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine" BUT she has converted the phrase "you'll never know dear how much I LOVE YOU" to--- "you'll never know dear, how much YOU LOVE ME". Which is probably the cutest self-centered thing that anyone has EVER DONE. EVER!

2. NonaJane likes to prompt you thru conversations such as:  "We have to go to the park now Mom, you know why???"  (to which you MUST reply, "Why???") so that she can answer "because we HAVE to".

3. NonaJane will reply to your requests with "I'm too BUSY"  such as: "Nona go get the ball from the yard" her response: "I'm BUSY mom".

4. If NonaJane is in trouble, she will avoid eye contact, and occasionally plug her ears so that she can't 'hear' you.

5. NonaJane LOVES her daddy.  She likes to wake up early so that she can come cuddle with him in bed, and she never lets him leave the house without huge hugs and kisses.

6. NonaJane is always "really, really, hungry". But when you feed her she will usually only eat about 2 bites. She is also addicted to orange juice. Which is super handy at $6 a jug.

Playing with her cousin Luella

7. NonaJane finds joy in picking on/irritating her big brother. She makes him cry on almost a daily basis.  She accomplishes this by either repeatedly saying something such as "I win, I win" despite knowing that she did not win.  Or by hogging the iPad and positioning her body in a way that prevents Jack from being able to see it.

8. Nona has super BIG feet :) Probably what makes her run so fast, and jump so high. She is quite coordinated and agile. She continually surprises us with what she can physically do.
























9. NonaJane is beautiful, and seems to be getting even more beautiful by the day.  She is a natural and wild little thing. She will only wear a pretty hair clip or bow for about 30 minutes a day.  She does enjoy having her hair brushed and combed, but will then promptly go rub her head on the couch or floor to ensure a wild and crazy look.

10. NonaJane loves having a BIG brother and a LITTLE brother.  She follows Jack everywhere, and will play ninja turtles with him for hours. She dresses up as pirates and ninjas and says things like "kow-a-bunga dude" and "turtle power!"
 She loves to read to baby Matthew, cover him with blankets, and kiss on him. She is gentle with him, and will lay by his side on the floor keeping him company while telling him silly stories.

NonaJane brings spunk and pizazz into our lives. She is passionate, loud, vibrant, entertaining, and demanding ;) NonaJane can infuriate me, and then instantly make me burst out laughing.


We are so lucky to have our one, wild, crazy, beautiful, and perfect little girl.

We LOVE you NonaJane Susanne Schwatken

The 'no fun day'

It's 3 a.m.  and I'm writing a blog. Why? Because Dairy Queen was giving away free ice cream cones today, and I ate one.  Apparently this was a serious offense for little Matthew's tummy.  I've spent the last three hours feeding, rocking, consoling, soothing, and swaying... but his tummy won't let him sleep.  So for now, I will type. Besides... my brain is still busy processing what Jack told me tonight as I tucked him into bed. He informed me that today was "no fun". As I stared at him, half dumb-founded and half-livid... I resisted the urge to  inform him that he has no idea what a "no-fun" day looks like.  I reminded him of all the fun things he got to do today, kissed his head and tucked him in.  (He of course got back up 2 minutes later and ended up going to bed with me)

So here I sit, in the middle of the night, thinking thru our day: jumping on the trampoline, meeting friends at the park, a trip to the library, and a dairy queen ice cream cone...  what am I missing?? And then I remember, I remember the melt downs over blueberries being in his waffles.  That his sweatshirt was too soft (seriously, this was his actual complaint), and that his ice cream was vanilla and not chocolate... oh the sweet travesties of being a 5 year old.  Although the whining and meltdowns may drive me crazy... at the same time I am so thankful that the worst things in my child's day are the flavor of his ice-cream or the softness of his sweatshirt.
Someday, Jack, when you are all grown and reading this blog.  May you only have memories of the adventures and excitement of your childhood.  May you cherish the years when no troubles fell on your shoulders, and the only worries you had were trivial.  You are so loved- forever and ever.