Stick your tongue out and hop on one foot!

Lately my Vivian has been amusing herself by hopping on one leg and sticking her tongue out.  Sometimes while she does this Viv half-grunts and half-laughs, like some kind of playful epileptic seizure. 

A few days ago she hopped and hopped proudly across the bathroom floor until she fell against the mirror and onto the scale in the corner where she fell over and landed on her butt.  Then it was my turn to laugh.  I know, I know but I couldn't help myself.  It was funny. 

After her fall, my "mom mode" took over in its nanny-nanny-boo-boo sort of way like "I told you so."  "I told you that jumping around like a fool would lead to harm."  Being the dramatic diva that Vivian is, she sobbed into me for several minutes perhaps buying into my words and harmful thoughts for two minutes.  Then she finally pulled herself together and moved to the living room.  There she presumed to hop on her one leg again and stick her tongue even further out, as if to say, "I'll show you mom!"

She sure did too.  It is truly impossible to be in a bad mood or feel sad while hopping on one foot and sticking your tongue out.  Seriously!  Try it.  You'll feel a bit stupid perhaps but I bet you find a smile creeping into your lips.


How I love that about her deep down - how silly she can be in a world of seriousness.  How she makes me laugh with these goofy things she does.  My precious four year old laughs so much and smiles so much in one day, in one hour that I think the whole world just needs a good dose of "Vivian Rose" and perhaps the visits to counselors and the prescriptions to depression medication might just go down.

As I worry a little over a job interview that I have coming up, I think wouldn't it be crazy to walk into the room or leave the room hopping on one foot and sticking my tongue out?  Wouldn't it be funny to do that down an entire grocery aisle the next time we do food shopping?  Should I do that to the next person who utters a negative or idiotic comment to me in passing? 

I wish I had a photo of Vivian doing this art form, an image that captured her silly yet insightful attitude toward life.  But I suppose even a video of her would only showcase a few moments or minutes of silliness.  No, what she has is a state of mind - an assurance that she can laugh in life and laugh at herself. She can pick up herself after a fall and keep jumping and sticking out her tongue once again! I admire that in her.

It's amazing how much Viv teaches me when I'm supposed to be the one teaching her!?  Now with her baby sister Lana Jane on the way in just two months (my due date is April 27, I'm in the home stretch!), I can only imagine all the laughing we three girls will be doing.  Maybe Kirk will have to video all three of us hopping on one foot and sticking out our tongues as we showcase our ridiculous manners around town.   Oh I hope we don't drive dad into the bar or the insane asylum with all our future girly tricks and slumber parties  :-)

Here's to you Vivian.....  Even though this is a more refined photo of you (below) showing off your winter style clothing,  I can still see that gleam in your eye - that moment of crazy about to unfold and fill my world with joy....

I Love You!
Mom