A Conversation with Annabelle

Two weeks from her second birthday, Annabelle is suddenly becoming a little girl.

She pulls up her pants, cleans up after herself, and flies down the "big kid" slide with ease and confidence. She runs, jumps (sort of), and picks herself up whenever she falls down. She smiles, laughs, cries, and asks us to change her diaper.  

And more than anything, Annabelle talks.

She talks at breakfast and she talks when she's falling asleep. She talks in the car and and she talks when she should be brushing her teeth. She talks to her grandparents and she talks to all her friends at school.

For a while now, going back to my journalism roots, I wanted to have a sit-down interview with Annabelle. You know, get something on record. But her schedule and her publicist made things difficult. Just after lunch today, though, before we read a book and took a nap, I snagged three minutes to fire some questions her way. Here's what transpired:

Me: Annabelle, can I interview you? Is that okay?
Annabelle: (Silence)

See, I told you she could be difficult.

Me: Can I please interview you?
Annabelle: Yeah

Me: What did you have for lunch?
Annabelle: Umm, peach.
Me: You had a peach?
Annabelle: Peach.

She actually had yogurt, fruit, and a smoothie. We're off to a bad start.

Me: What color shirt are you wearing today?
Annabelle: Ummm, green.

She adds "umm" at varying lengths before almost everything she says. It's adorable.

Me: Who is your best friend at school?
Annabelle: Ummm, Norvic. And Bonnie. And Amy. JP! Zach. Chloe. Erin. Shiloh.
Me: That's a bunch of people. Can you narrow it down to one?
Annabelle: JP.

A boy. Obviously.

Me: What is your middle name?
Annabelle: Umm, four, five six.
Me: Four, five, six? Are you sure?
Annabelle: Umm, A, B, C, B.
Me: That's your middle name?
Annabelle: Yeah.

For the record, it's Grace.

Me: What's Daddy's favorite food?
Annabelle: Um, apple.
Me: And Mommy's?
Annabelle: Steak.

Neither answer is correct.

Me: Okay, last one. I know you need to get down for a nap. Where do you live?
Annabelle: Mommy!

Maybe not the best interview I've ever done. But certainly entertaining. Plus, I got a big kiss when it ended, so that's always a plus.