Meet the Family!
By jenny | January 20, 2012
Meet Lexie Grace, my first ever niece!
Meet Abigail Hope, my second ever niece!
Meet Bella
my daughters best friend who is a puppet that lives on my hand that I might have to knock off soon because OH MY GOSH every-ever-lovin’-waking moment Annie wants me to “talk Bella and Tad.” Tad’s her brother. They are from Chicago but they live with us because- Lord only knows- but I think I told her their mom couldn’t take care of them anymore. Great, not only do we have sock puppets, but they are foster-sock puppets with heaps of therapy in front of them.
Y’all, what started out as a fun craft project has turned into a seriously unhealthy relationship. They have their own personalities and voices and Annie, I am quite sure, loves them more than Ryan and I combined. And I don’t know how to kill them off. But it’s become a real problem. The very first words out of her mouth each day are, “Talk Bella! Talk Tad,” and she falls asleep with them every night. She wants Bella to go potty with her and help her wipe. She wants them to eat at the table with us, drive the car with me, and she wants them in the bathtub. She cries as if a puppy is being ripped from her arms,”Don’t take my friends away,” if I take them off for a time out.
She doesn’t understand why I don’t bring them in public and though the grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends have been so nice to Bella and Tad- I swear they think I am insane. (You know who you are. Thanks for treating them like people in front of Annie, but you should know, I promise I don’t get some weird joy out of being a puppetmaster for my strange 2-year-old. I promise.)
This week, I am sad to announce, I gave in to Annie-
who begged and pleaded with her most logical arguments and sincerest desires that we please bring Bella and Tad with us to the park where we took a 40 minute train ride on Martin Luther King day, with every other child in Ft. Worth, Texas who wasn’t in school.
And so I brought them.
On the train.
On a public train…
I talked to socks.
I talked to socks on my hands in front of hundreds of people- any my daughter gleefully relished every second of it. Every kid on the train was staring at us. Then, they started asking the puppets questions and laughing and having fun with Bella and Tad!?! Having fun with my hands and the creepy ladies puppet voices.
OH MY GOSH. Every adult looked at me like I might try to steal their child for use in my own, twisted, personal circus. Like I actually enjoyed it. Like this brought me great pleasure to talk in voices to socks to lots of strane children while my daughter kisses the socks and tells the other kids they are her best friends.
Wow. That’s really all I can say. I have stooped to a new low as a parent. Today, I raise a toast to all the people in this world doing insane things for the children they love…
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17 Comments
@paynechris on January 20, 2012 at 11:33 pm.
that's just all kinds of wonderful!!! we would probably be doing the same thing…except that since ours are so close together, they have developed their own language! we have absolutely no idea what they are saying or what in the world they think they are doing, but there they are…laughing and giggling at each other as they crawl between the couch and the end table or in and out of the papasan chair. I fear one day we will pay dearly for this…
ChipG on January 20, 2012 at 11:45 pm.
That train ride actually sounds pretty awesome. Annie is a blessed little girl. The other parents were probably jealous that their kid was having more fun with you than with them. I would have been when my girls were that little. "Dang, why didn't I bring a sock puppet?! Note to self, tink of awesome fun thing to do on train." Have fun with it, she won't enjoy that forever.
Hang onto the puppets after she gets tired of them. Break them out at her wedding many years from now. Furtively have Bella wave to her as she stands in front of the church. You'll be in the front row, after all. (Note, you might need to harp over the years on how when she was 3 or 4 she would not let you stop playing with these sock puppets. Show her pictures from the train ride or put a pic on the fridge and let it stay there for years. Otherwise she may not remember them, and she will think you have just become another insane mother of the bride.)
PajamaMama on January 21, 2012 at 12:48 am.
I am laughing. Really really laughing out loud about this. Please keep us all posted on the outcome…perhaps some unraveling to come?
karenb on January 21, 2012 at 12:58 am.
Cute pics. Good idea with the sock puppets. I bet all those kids had fun. Enjoy it now because they grow up so fast
Karissa on January 21, 2012 at 1:04 am.
Ahh! Your niece is wearing a tutu….yes, sorry that is the first thought that came to my mind
But i do secretly enjoy it, because i get to be a kid again 
Second is, oh my gosh you are an AMAZING mother! Working at a daycare this is what my lfie is like EVERY DAY
AmyRyb on January 21, 2012 at 1:14 am.
Maybe you'd feel less funny about it if they were awesomely cool looking sock puppets…you know, cool button eyes, ribbon mouth, yarn hair, etc. Then they'd seem more like a lovey or something. And if I saw someone talking to sock puppets with a kid next to them, I'd think they were the best parent ever
Jessie Hagan on January 21, 2012 at 2:33 am.
Someday you will let her dye her hair pink and play in a rock band. The things we do for our kids.
sheshe on January 21, 2012 at 3:46 am.
Love love love – the sock puppets are hilarious and your niece is so lucky
Lisa on January 21, 2012 at 5:26 pm.
Congrats, Auntie Jenny! I too am an Aunt for the first time
My brother and sister-in-law had a baby girl 7 months ago. I've only gotten to see her twice. Boo! Long distances make it hard. But, she is a doll and I enjoyed every second I had with her.
I texted you the other day, do you have a new number?
I think you are pretty awesome for playing with puppets on a train! What those looks from the other parents actually meant were, "Man, I wish I was THAT good of a parent!!" For real. Even though I teach the preschool set, I failed puppets in school. I'm a bit jealous. I can't do funny voices very well, and I'm just not fun enough to pull it off. Which when one is talking about preschoolers is kind of sad since MOST everything can be funny to them in one way or another.
As a side note: how is Annie? Bekah asked me about her the other day, and I'm sad to admit that my prayers on her behalf had lapsed. Keep us posted, ok
Cyndie on January 21, 2012 at 6:11 pm.
I agree with ChipG, and some of kids probably went home and asked to make puppets out of socks. In this world today with so much to "buy", sock puppets are unique to kids. Jenny, you are a good, funny, imaginative, not shy and afraid to do fun things with her child, mother, even though you think you are crazy. We love you and admire you.
Sharon O on January 21, 2012 at 6:21 pm.
Isn't it amazing what those little people get us to do? how can one say no to such a sweet little one? she will out grow it I promise. If not… therapy always helps
)
Kara on January 22, 2012 at 1:46 am.
You have not reached a new low until you have sucked snot out of your child's nose. As far as I'm concerned that tops the list of crazy insane things people do for their children.
Jenny on January 22, 2012 at 7:41 pm.
Oh my goodness. I just love this. I think it’s wonderful that you would do that! Bless you — you creepy puppetmaster lady
Thanks for sharing!
Sallie Baker on January 23, 2012 at 1:53 am.
Hysterical.
John B. on January 23, 2012 at 1:14 pm.
We had one of our babysitters do that for us when we were kids. If history repeats its self, soon you will be pushing around one of those two-wheeled shopping carts, wearing a beat up straw hat and dragging home old toys and furniture that the neighbors threw away. My suggestion would be to stuff the sock puppets and let her carry them around with her. Slowly transition them form puppets into non-speaking characters. It worked for us.
Krysie on January 23, 2012 at 3:52 pm.
Keep doing what you're doing as the great mama you are!
What I look back and think "People probably thought my mother was insane!" turned into so much creativity that developed in us three daughters that we are all 3 in very creative careers (and very happy at that). And it all started with sock puppets, imaginary best friends, and our mother letting us wander around town in dress up clothes with our "babies".
Keep on keeping on.
And please tell Bella and Tad that my imaginary best friend says "hi".
Claire St. Amant on January 23, 2012 at 11:49 pm.
My favorite part of this is grand post is Annie's expression in the Bella photo. Pure joy! Forget books and toys, I'm getting my first-ever niece socks for her birthday.