Everybody loves Addie

Picking up my youngest from preschool is the BEST JOB EVER! The minute she sees me (which is usually after four preschoolers scream at the top of their lungs, "AD-DI-SOOOON---YOUR MOOO-OOMMY'S HERE!), she runs at me with every bit of her 39 pounds, beaming from ear-to-ear and tackle-hugs me. Given that my children have never been snugglers, I LOVE it! She squeezes for a full minute or two then repels off of me to begin the "goodbye tour."

Before we leave the school, Addison needs to go around and hug everyone--it's like an Italian funeral. Or Sunday dinner. Or anything Italian, really. Which stands to reason, since I come from a huggy-kissy Italian family. Though I thought these things were learned, not inherent and we've been away from family for a while now. At any rate, Addison spends a good five minutes saying goodbye. The same thing happens when I drop her off...she does the "hello tour." All of the three through five-year-olds gather around to yell "HELLL-LLLLOOO ADDISON" and push each other out of the way to give her hugs first. It's like watching eight-year-olds with Justin Bieber. Only she seems to exclusively sing Selena. "WHOOOO SAYS...WHO SAYS YOUWAR NOT PEWERRRFECT..WHOOOO SAYS YOUWAR NOT WORWF IT..? WHOOOO SAYYYYYYS?!" (That would be Addie singing Selena. It's MUCH cuter in person, so if I ever figure out how to post the video...stay tuned!)

Yesterday, after my hug and the beginning of "the tour," Addison ran back to finish a picture she made for me. It was one of five blue birds she had drawn and colored. PRET-TY talented, I'd say. Last week she was drawing pumpkins. It's funny--she gets a stencil, draws the first picture and then pushes out twenty more free-hand like she's Ms. Xerox or something. As she was finishing the beak, the little boy next to her informed me that HE was drawing HIS picture for ME. It was a bright, blue star he drew from the stencil and he added some purple to make it "sparkle." When Addison saw, she gave him a questioning look, finished her bird and demanded we leave. "Now."

I thanked the little boy and as we left Addie asked, "Why wouwood he wantta give his stawar to you when youwar MY Mommy? Did you make HIM sit in time out, too?"