Shea, The Baby of the Family

This is our second Christmas as a ‘family’. This is our second trip searching for the perfect tree, our second attempt at decorating the house & our second year following traditions we have made the following year.

On Saturday morning we were all gathered on my bed talking when Shea slipped into a British accent.
She can’t pronounce her ‘r’s very well so she always sounds like she’s from Boston, but a British child who can’t pronounce her ‘r’s sounds completely normal.

Shaun said, “Shea, I will give you $5.00 if you can keep that accent ALL DAY.”
I was already laughing because I knew she would be able to do it, “Shea, you have to call Shaun Pop-pop and you have to call me ‘Mummy’, can you remember that?”
She tilted her head and said in a flawless British accent, “Of course, Mummy. Can I go outside for a spell and play?”
I.LOST.IT. Tears were streaming down my face as I told her she would have to ask Shaun.
“Pop-Pop?”
I think I might have peed the bed at this point.

All day she kept the accent. She even kept it while she was getting pissed that we wouldn’t give her the money.
“Pop-Pop? You do have me money right?” British accent intact the whole time.

After dinner we gave her the five dollars and she dropped the accent. It was amazing to hear the difference in her voice and I started to miss the well behaved British girl that had graced our house all day.

We took our Christmas pictures, got our tree and headed home.

I realized we have one of the weirdest Christmas time traditions; on the way home, tree on top of the van…we sing. We all sing together as a family.
Not “Let it Snow” or “Jingle Bells”.
We sing Bohemian Rhapsody…with harmony & flare!

Piling out of the car I heard Marina say, “I love this family.”

Yeah. me too.