Grace's DWTS Commentary

When I had the idea of doing this blog, not only did I want to share my party ideas, but I also wanted to be able to blog about my children.  I use Facebook to share some of the comical things they say and do, but there is only so much you can write in the 425 characters they give you. 

Like many of the kids that I know, Grace and Ethan LOVE Dancing with the Stars.  In addition to their other favorite shows, Wipeout and The Middle, it is the highlight of their television watching week.  They anxiously anticipate when the new season will start as much as they anticipate the coming of Santa.  So Monday night was a big night at our house.

For those of you that don't know my Grace, it is hard to put into words the girl that is Grace.  She really is wise beyond her years, but still a 6 year old girl, articulate but sassy, funny yet sarcastic, sympathetic but blunt.  There are days when I want to put her on the curb with a "Free" sign and in the same day I want to bottle her up and keep her a 6 year old girl forever.  So the dichotomy that is Grace results in lots of insightful, interesting and often hilarious comments.

For example, one day while I was getting ready for work in my bathroom Grace happened to stumble across my feminine products.  Like any other 6 year old girl would, she wanted to know what those funny things were.  So, in the best way I could explain puberty to a 6 year old, I told her about how when she gets older, her body will go through changes, etc.  At the end of my very sincere, thoughtful explanation she asked, "So when I go through puberty then I'll get a car and a cell phone?"  I could have just died!

Grace is also quite the girly girl.  She loves anything sparkly, shiny, "blingy," (if that's a word) and pretty.  And for Grace, the more the better.  There are days when she would make Zsa Zsa Gabor look like a plain Jane.  Her birthstone is diamond and she embraces that as her moniker.  She loves high heels (watch out Suri Cruise), make up and accessories.  I struggle with letting her have her own style and keeping her from looking like a trailer park princess.  And on some mornings I let her walk out of the house wearing an outfit that I never would have thought I'd ever let her put together much less appear in public at school.  On those days, I'd like to write a note to her teacher with the simple FYI telling her "It wasn't worth the battle today."  But her teacher is pretty wise and I'm sure she already knows that.

She is quite her own fashionista.  She loves to watch What Not To Wear with me as well as Say Yes to the Dress.  She certainly has her own opinions on others' style or lack thereof.  One day she came home from school to tell me that her girlfriends' mom should really be on What Not To Wear.  And honestly, she was right.  But at the same time she told me that, she also said "But that's not something we tell her, right momma?"  And oh by the way, she's 6 and still calls me "momma" and that melts my heart.

So the little fashionista loves watching DWTS not just for the dance and music but also for the fashion.  Some nights we'll be watching and she'll tell me (particularly with reference to Lacey Schwimmer), "I would not wear that momma."  And for some of the navel bearing, cleavage showing outfits, I'm glad she makes that assessment.

She also loves watching DWTS for her long lost love, Derek.  I'd like to put in a request to the producers to have him dance BEFORE 8:00 Central/Standard Time.  Holding him out until last does not work with our bedtimes! 

This week while watching, Grace had an inquiry about Margaret Cho.  She asked Chris whether "She was from Indian."  (not India, Indian.)  This from the girl who at 3 as we were getting off the elevator in a hospital and seeing an African American woman for the first time in her young life in person (that she could remember) exclaimed, "She's black momma."  Now mind you, we had never talked about race at our house, never use the word "black" to describe African American people and consider ourselves pretty liberal.  I was SO embarrassed.  Fortunately for me the nurse was so nice about it and said that if everyone was as sweet and innocent as Grace the world would be a better place.

So after Grace asked her question Monday night about Margaret, I was curious to hear Chris' response.  I'm not sure what was funnier, her comment or Chris' response.  He told her that no, she wasn't from Indian, but she was Asian.  Grace asked what that meant - because now I'm sure she was really confused.  Chris made it even more simpler for her - telling her that meant that was her heritage :)  Here I had to explain puberty and now he was trying to explain heritage??? 

Her assessment of Kurt Warner was also too funny.  My kids have seen their share of Disney shows, including all the shows I swore my kids would never watch - Hannah Montana, Suite Life, Wizard of Waverly Place, etc.  When Kurt Warner came on she was very proud of herself that she recognized him.  She informed Chris and I that he was a "Star" because he was on Suite Life on Deck.  I'm sure that he'd be happy to know that's what he's famous for - not the Super Bowl rings or the records he set as an NFL quarterback.

Last night she saw "The Hoff''s" dance for the first time as he danced way past her bedtime on Monday.  As he was dancing, she asked me if he was a Grandpa.  Apparently the plastic surgery didn't hide his age too well for her.  This morning she asked me who got "kicked off."  I told her the Grandpa and she knew immediately who I was talking about.  Ethan then asked me if he cried.  He too is full of funnies.  But this post is getting really long so I'll end it at that.  I'm glad I finally got to share my Grace with you.  I'm still waiting on those pictures...  Hopefully tomorrow.