Today we had lunch at McDonalds. We don't usually get the boxed kid meals anymore because my girls rarely eat the sides, and I don't need any more little toys to pick up around the house.
Ahead of us in line were some girls we know from church. After we had both picked up our orders, I asked the little girls with exaggerated excitement if they had gotten happy meals. They nodded cheerily in agreement and then we walked off.
C looked at our tray of wrapped burgers and drinks and quietly asked, "Mom, did we get the sad meals?"
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
One, two, free
The other day M was mauling poor little Jinx, again. He never ceases to amaze me - how a feral cat that initially wouldn't let P even touch him, can adapt to become a very well loved and much handled family cat.
Anyway, back to my little story. As I do numerous times a day, I pleaded with my daughter. "M, please put Jinx down. He just wants to be free!"
"No, mommy! He wants to be four!"
Can you tell who's got her fourth birthday on her mind?
Anyway, back to my little story. As I do numerous times a day, I pleaded with my daughter. "M, please put Jinx down. He just wants to be free!"
"No, mommy! He wants to be four!"
Can you tell who's got her fourth birthday on her mind?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Gettin' current
I should have made a New Year’s resolution to do better at updating my blog. But I didn’t, so you’re just going to have to suffer through my sporadic updates and accompanying apologies. I actually still intend to write an entry with photos of our holidays, and maybe even post an end of year newsletter since I didn’t get around to Christmas cards this year. (Sorry!) However, for now I’m just going to fill you in on more current events.
Between vacation, snow days and Christmas break, C only went to school 2 ½ days in December. Since she had such a long break from the school routine, I was a little worried that we’d have behavior issues at school again. I am quite pleased to report that we haven’t had any problems brought to our attention this month – everything seems to fall within the realm of “normal” kindergarten antics. C does stay the whole day (we only had her on reduced days for a couple of weeks at the beginning of the school year) so by the end of the school day she is worn out! We found that letting her nap after school wasn’t a good option, she’d still wake up cranky, but then it would take her a few hours to fall asleep after going to bed. While I’m extremely thankful that C is on her best behavior at school, the last four hours of her day at home can be rather challenging as she is too worn out to regulate her behavior and emotions.
Schoolwork is also becoming more challenging. They are working on addition and telling time, both of which she seems to be doing quite well. They are also starting reading and spelling. She had her first spelling test last week. This is much harder for her to grasp. She is very easily frustrated when she has a hard time doing something, so it has been really difficult to even work with her on this at home. I need to come up with a way to make spelling and writing her words more fun so it will be an easier pill for her to swallow. If any of you have any great ideas, please let me know!
A couple weeks ago the girls were playing on the school playground after class, and C and a little boy collided on the slide. One of her top teeth started bleeding and became looser than normal. (Her top teeth are normally a little loose since she still sucks two fingers when she sleeps or is extremely tired and not otherwise engaged.) I told her to be very careful because I didn’t want her to lose any teeth before her birthday pictures next month. A few days later I noticed a permanent bottom tooth broke through her gum behind her baby tooth, so I guess it is inevitable that she’ll be a little gap toothed come picture time. Since there is already a tooth in place to replace it, now I’m a little excited for her baby tooth to come out. We’ve been working on wiggling it and it is now just barely hanging on. However, C is quite scared about it hurting when it comes out, so who knows how long it will take before it either falls out on it’s own or she can pull it out herself with minimal effort and trauma. For good measure, I am packing an apple in her lunch box every couple of days.
Last Saturday morning we woke up bright and early (too early for a weekend), but I stayed in bed for as long as I could. M was in bed with me so we played and talked and tickled. P had to work, so he headed downstairs with C close on his heels. After awhile, C called us down for breakfast – which I had assumed had been made by P. I was surprised to find that P had already left, and C stood beaming at the kitchen counter, eager to show off the breakfast she had made for the three of us. I was so proud of her creativity and thoughtfulness. What a great girl!
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This morning I called home from work. At first I thought I’d misdialed when a child answered the phone “ Hello? Hola?” It wasn’t until I’d started talking to her and she asked “Is this M?” (yes, she called me by my first name) that I knew for sure it was my little M. She isn’t supposed to answer the phone yet, but daddy was in the shower and thus unable to supervise who answers.
Lately M has developed a new defense that is both entertaining and sometimes effective. To her credit, she doesn’t pull it out all the time, but it does get used once or twice a week. Say for instance, I’m getting on her case because she’s trashed her room again … for the third time … today. OK, of course that NEVER happens because the perfect angel that she is, she folds up all sixteen articles of clothing that she has tried on in an hour and puts them all neatly back in the drawers or on the hangers. But just for the sake of argument, pretend that this is an issue I might deal with on a regular basis. As I demand of her why she has to make a mess of her room all the time, she might reply “But mom, that just what kids do. I’m a little kid. It’s what we do.” And if it’s just a minor issue, that’s the end of the argument right there. But turnaround is fair play. You can bet that when she’s a teenager and complaining about me, it’ll be my line of defense too.
Between vacation, snow days and Christmas break, C only went to school 2 ½ days in December. Since she had such a long break from the school routine, I was a little worried that we’d have behavior issues at school again. I am quite pleased to report that we haven’t had any problems brought to our attention this month – everything seems to fall within the realm of “normal” kindergarten antics. C does stay the whole day (we only had her on reduced days for a couple of weeks at the beginning of the school year) so by the end of the school day she is worn out! We found that letting her nap after school wasn’t a good option, she’d still wake up cranky, but then it would take her a few hours to fall asleep after going to bed. While I’m extremely thankful that C is on her best behavior at school, the last four hours of her day at home can be rather challenging as she is too worn out to regulate her behavior and emotions.
Schoolwork is also becoming more challenging. They are working on addition and telling time, both of which she seems to be doing quite well. They are also starting reading and spelling. She had her first spelling test last week. This is much harder for her to grasp. She is very easily frustrated when she has a hard time doing something, so it has been really difficult to even work with her on this at home. I need to come up with a way to make spelling and writing her words more fun so it will be an easier pill for her to swallow. If any of you have any great ideas, please let me know!
A couple weeks ago the girls were playing on the school playground after class, and C and a little boy collided on the slide. One of her top teeth started bleeding and became looser than normal. (Her top teeth are normally a little loose since she still sucks two fingers when she sleeps or is extremely tired and not otherwise engaged.) I told her to be very careful because I didn’t want her to lose any teeth before her birthday pictures next month. A few days later I noticed a permanent bottom tooth broke through her gum behind her baby tooth, so I guess it is inevitable that she’ll be a little gap toothed come picture time. Since there is already a tooth in place to replace it, now I’m a little excited for her baby tooth to come out. We’ve been working on wiggling it and it is now just barely hanging on. However, C is quite scared about it hurting when it comes out, so who knows how long it will take before it either falls out on it’s own or she can pull it out herself with minimal effort and trauma. For good measure, I am packing an apple in her lunch box every couple of days.
Last Saturday morning we woke up bright and early (too early for a weekend), but I stayed in bed for as long as I could. M was in bed with me so we played and talked and tickled. P had to work, so he headed downstairs with C close on his heels. After awhile, C called us down for breakfast – which I had assumed had been made by P. I was surprised to find that P had already left, and C stood beaming at the kitchen counter, eager to show off the breakfast she had made for the three of us. I was so proud of her creativity and thoughtfulness. What a great girl!
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This morning I called home from work. At first I thought I’d misdialed when a child answered the phone “ Hello? Hola?” It wasn’t until I’d started talking to her and she asked “Is this M?” (yes, she called me by my first name) that I knew for sure it was my little M. She isn’t supposed to answer the phone yet, but daddy was in the shower and thus unable to supervise who answers.
Lately M has developed a new defense that is both entertaining and sometimes effective. To her credit, she doesn’t pull it out all the time, but it does get used once or twice a week. Say for instance, I’m getting on her case because she’s trashed her room again … for the third time … today. OK, of course that NEVER happens because the perfect angel that she is, she folds up all sixteen articles of clothing that she has tried on in an hour and puts them all neatly back in the drawers or on the hangers. But just for the sake of argument, pretend that this is an issue I might deal with on a regular basis. As I demand of her why she has to make a mess of her room all the time, she might reply “But mom, that just what kids do. I’m a little kid. It’s what we do.” And if it’s just a minor issue, that’s the end of the argument right there. But turnaround is fair play. You can bet that when she’s a teenager and complaining about me, it’ll be my line of defense too.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
I know what to do
Last night C came downstairs after her shower singing a song. This in and of itself is nothing new - she has a beautiful voice and sings original songs all the time. However, she was singing so sweetly and earnestly that I was quite surprised when I started paying attention to her lyrics.
"I know what to do, I know what to do. I kick him in the privates and then run away."
"I know what to do, I know what to do. I kick him in the privates and then run away."
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Aloha
So we arrived in Maui yesterday after a very long flight. I had really thought that the girls would travel relatively well. C did do extremely well, but for M it was a rough flight. The highlight of the trip for her was after the landing. She and P were waiting at the front of the plane, thinking that we were behind them, when the pilot offered to let M in the cockpit. She wore his cap and got to push all the buttons. Unfortunately, we were ahead of them on the way to baggage claim, so C missed out on that experience.
Last night when C said her prayer, she gave thanks for the neat, awesome, fun, (about five more adjectives that I can't remember), best day of her life. Way cute!
Today we went to Napili Bay where we swam for three hours. It was great fun! After her first mouthful of water, M asked Daddy "who put the yucky water in here?"
Surprisingly, both girls were excited about getting in the water. I was so impressed with how well C did - she wasn't scared at all! When M was trying to get out of the water, she'd let a wave wash her ashore and then say "thank you, water."
Much to my chagrin, the girls both decided to roll their wet little bodies around in the dry sand before returning to the water. When we finally pulled their suits off, M seriously had about 1 1/2 inches thick of sand in her crotch. I fear her suit may be ruined as I can't get all of the sand out of it!
Immediately after our sun exposure, M had turned black, which has now faded again to a darker shade of brown. Meanwhile the rest of us have turned varying shades of red, which are becoming darker and darker as the night wears on.
We wrapped the night up with dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate. It's traditional Hawaiian fare with rice, macaroni salad and your choice of various meats. We enjoyed the music from the luau next door.
After picking up some Aloe Vera Gel and some other odds and ends at the store we returned home and called it a night.
Last night when C said her prayer, she gave thanks for the neat, awesome, fun, (about five more adjectives that I can't remember), best day of her life. Way cute!
Today we went to Napili Bay where we swam for three hours. It was great fun! After her first mouthful of water, M asked Daddy "who put the yucky water in here?"
Surprisingly, both girls were excited about getting in the water. I was so impressed with how well C did - she wasn't scared at all! When M was trying to get out of the water, she'd let a wave wash her ashore and then say "thank you, water."
Much to my chagrin, the girls both decided to roll their wet little bodies around in the dry sand before returning to the water. When we finally pulled their suits off, M seriously had about 1 1/2 inches thick of sand in her crotch. I fear her suit may be ruined as I can't get all of the sand out of it!
Immediately after our sun exposure, M had turned black, which has now faded again to a darker shade of brown. Meanwhile the rest of us have turned varying shades of red, which are becoming darker and darker as the night wears on.
We wrapped the night up with dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate. It's traditional Hawaiian fare with rice, macaroni salad and your choice of various meats. We enjoyed the music from the luau next door.
After picking up some Aloe Vera Gel and some other odds and ends at the store we returned home and called it a night.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Was my face red
Yesterday afternoon M was interrogating Grandpa (from the beach). Here's her side of the conversation.
"Did you marry Grandma?"
"Do you kiss Grandma?"
"That's gross! Do you stick your tongue in her mouth?"
Seriously, where do they learn these things!? And why did she have to choose my dad, of all people, to pose that inquiry?
"Did you marry Grandma?"
"Do you kiss Grandma?"
"That's gross! Do you stick your tongue in her mouth?"
Seriously, where do they learn these things!? And why did she have to choose my dad, of all people, to pose that inquiry?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Kids say the darndest things
At dinner tonight I pulled out a new bottle of juice from the pantry. As soon as M saw it she started cheering. "Yeah, stain juice! I love stain juice!"
We don't often drink grape juice in our house, but in the past I have admonished the girls to be careful not to spill it on their clothes because it will stain. M frequently asks now whether the food she is eating will stain her clothes or not.
Tonight we also went over to a family member's house to celebrate a cousins 14th birthday. P's sister had several boxes of Halloween decorations and costumes sitting in the hall, so the kids and adults alike had some fun with masks and wigs, etc.
The girls were worn out when they made it into bed, and P didn't get home until after they were down. When he went into C's room to kiss her goodnight she stirred from her rest and sleepily told him "Daddy, I wish you had long hair."
And here's a Monday morning addition. P was telling M that he wanted her to stay a little girl forever. Initially she agreed that she wouldn't grow up, she'd always be his little girl. Then she stopped short. "Wait, I want to grow up so I can color my hair!"
We don't often drink grape juice in our house, but in the past I have admonished the girls to be careful not to spill it on their clothes because it will stain. M frequently asks now whether the food she is eating will stain her clothes or not.
Tonight we also went over to a family member's house to celebrate a cousins 14th birthday. P's sister had several boxes of Halloween decorations and costumes sitting in the hall, so the kids and adults alike had some fun with masks and wigs, etc.
The girls were worn out when they made it into bed, and P didn't get home until after they were down. When he went into C's room to kiss her goodnight she stirred from her rest and sleepily told him "Daddy, I wish you had long hair."
And here's a Monday morning addition. P was telling M that he wanted her to stay a little girl forever. Initially she agreed that she wouldn't grow up, she'd always be his little girl. Then she stopped short. "Wait, I want to grow up so I can color my hair!"
Saturday, August 23, 2008
C said
The girls each get to spend a full week by themselves with Grandma and Grandpa at the beach during the summer. C left for her week yesterday. I talked to her for a bit last night before she went to bed, and she said a few things that really cracked me up.
While talking about how much she loved and missed us she said "Apparently, I really love you a lot, Mom."
Later she told me that they had taken her to McDonald's and gotten her a cheeseburger AND an ice cream cone. I jokingly complained that they were spoiling her, and what was I going to do when they sent her back? She replied, "I don't know. You'll just have to figure that out for yourself."
While talking about how much she loved and missed us she said "Apparently, I really love you a lot, Mom."
Later she told me that they had taken her to McDonald's and gotten her a cheeseburger AND an ice cream cone. I jokingly complained that they were spoiling her, and what was I going to do when they sent her back? She replied, "I don't know. You'll just have to figure that out for yourself."
Monday, July 28, 2008
Funny girls
Yep, we're still here. Nothing earth shaking to blog about though. C did not pass her swimming class, but she is happy as a clam to sit with me and watch M in her new swim class.
The last day of swimming lessons (for the first session), we went to a concert in the park in the evening. The girls and I were sitting in our camping chairs when M jumps up and runs toward a little girl who is also running towards her. They embrace in a bear hug like long lost friends. I, of course, did not recognize the little girl whose family then set up right behind us. M informs me that it is her friend from swimming class, whose name is unbeknownst to her. At any rate, the girls were pleased as punch to have a friend to dance with during the concert.
Last week we made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up flowers for a friends birthday. As we were passing thru the bakery section, C spied the display of donuts and asked very nicely if they could please have some. Since they were being good, I agreed to let them pick out a pastry to have after lunch. M picked a chocolate bar, C picked a chocolate bar with sprinkles, and I got my favorite - maple bar. As promised, I produced the pastries after lunch and the girls munched happily. I poured a glass of milk for M, and after drinking her milk and putting the cup down she looked around, perplexed. "Where did it go?" she asked, and glanced back down at her plate.
"Where did what go?"
She looked around some more, and said something that I couldn't understand.
"Are you looking for your donut?" I asked.
She nodded her head.
I burst out laughing, "M, it's still in your hand!"
She was holding her hand close to her body and hadn't seen it. The girls both thought she was HILARIOUS. M put her (empty) hand over her mouth and giggled, and then tried a re-enactment. Well, it was funny the first time.
On Saturday M was in her bathroom combing her hair. I have to be careful because she often twists the comb or brush around and then we have a real mess. But this day she seemed to be doing just fine, so I continued with what I was doing. However, when I walked past the bathroom the next time, the door was closed so I figured I'd better have a look. As soon as I started opening the door, M called out sweetly, "Mom, I didn't do anything." And there she stood, head and counter glopped with hair creme. In all truthfulness, it wasn't too bad to deal with. After cleaning the counter, I wet my hands and worked the product thru the rest of her hair. It actually turned out to be an excellent hair day for M. Hmm, maybe I'm not using enough creme in her hair when she wears it down.
Today P had Grandpa at home watch the girls since he had to work too. When they came home from swimming lessons Grandpa offered to make them lunch, which for some odd reason they declined. He had to run out too, so he had Grandma come over for a little bit while he went to the bank. When he came back, C ran up excitedly and told him they'd had lunch. He said good, but he obviously didn't understand so she explained that she had made lunch for her and her sister all by herself. She was so pleased because while grandma was "watching" them (I use the term loosely), C made them peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches on hot dog buns (the only white bread she could find), and they washed it down with chocolate milk she mixed up herself. Grandpa said she did a good job and she didn't make a mess. I did have a laugh when I got home and saw the cups in the sink with the remnants of the chocolate milk. They must have used the whole can of Ovaltine.
The last day of swimming lessons (for the first session), we went to a concert in the park in the evening. The girls and I were sitting in our camping chairs when M jumps up and runs toward a little girl who is also running towards her. They embrace in a bear hug like long lost friends. I, of course, did not recognize the little girl whose family then set up right behind us. M informs me that it is her friend from swimming class, whose name is unbeknownst to her. At any rate, the girls were pleased as punch to have a friend to dance with during the concert.
Last week we made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up flowers for a friends birthday. As we were passing thru the bakery section, C spied the display of donuts and asked very nicely if they could please have some. Since they were being good, I agreed to let them pick out a pastry to have after lunch. M picked a chocolate bar, C picked a chocolate bar with sprinkles, and I got my favorite - maple bar. As promised, I produced the pastries after lunch and the girls munched happily. I poured a glass of milk for M, and after drinking her milk and putting the cup down she looked around, perplexed. "Where did it go?" she asked, and glanced back down at her plate.
"Where did what go?"
She looked around some more, and said something that I couldn't understand.
"Are you looking for your donut?" I asked.
She nodded her head.
I burst out laughing, "M, it's still in your hand!"
She was holding her hand close to her body and hadn't seen it. The girls both thought she was HILARIOUS. M put her (empty) hand over her mouth and giggled, and then tried a re-enactment. Well, it was funny the first time.
On Saturday M was in her bathroom combing her hair. I have to be careful because she often twists the comb or brush around and then we have a real mess. But this day she seemed to be doing just fine, so I continued with what I was doing. However, when I walked past the bathroom the next time, the door was closed so I figured I'd better have a look. As soon as I started opening the door, M called out sweetly, "Mom, I didn't do anything." And there she stood, head and counter glopped with hair creme. In all truthfulness, it wasn't too bad to deal with. After cleaning the counter, I wet my hands and worked the product thru the rest of her hair. It actually turned out to be an excellent hair day for M. Hmm, maybe I'm not using enough creme in her hair when she wears it down.
Today P had Grandpa at home watch the girls since he had to work too. When they came home from swimming lessons Grandpa offered to make them lunch, which for some odd reason they declined. He had to run out too, so he had Grandma come over for a little bit while he went to the bank. When he came back, C ran up excitedly and told him they'd had lunch. He said good, but he obviously didn't understand so she explained that she had made lunch for her and her sister all by herself. She was so pleased because while grandma was "watching" them (I use the term loosely), C made them peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches on hot dog buns (the only white bread she could find), and they washed it down with chocolate milk she mixed up herself. Grandpa said she did a good job and she didn't make a mess. I did have a laugh when I got home and saw the cups in the sink with the remnants of the chocolate milk. They must have used the whole can of Ovaltine.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Darwin award?
For the gazillionth time I picked up the magazines and books off of the floor and rearranged them neatly on the coffee table. (I know, why do I even bother?) Then I noticed someone had written on the front of a book. As I started asking the girls who had been writing where they weren't supposed to, I turned the page - only to have the mystery solved. The inside cover showed that C had been practicing writing her name. Instead of remorse, C beamed with pride as she said "I wrote my name for you, Mommy!" Now who can be mad at that?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Potty talk
OK, I need to know just how long this fascination with potty talk is going last! I am so tired of "poopy" this and "poop head" that. They use other terms too, but I can't think of any right now. Maybe I've just tried to block it out. However, unless they are calling someone a name I try to just ignore it or I'm simply fanning the flames.
So it stands to reason that any word that is associated with the bathroom is sure to be a big hit with the girls. Knowing this, I showed a temporary lapse in judgement when I saw M prancing around holding herself in front of the athletic center Saturday night. I asked her if she had to go to the bathroom and she said no. Then I said "well, if you don't have to go potty, then why are you doing the pee pee dance?" So, what you may ask did the girls talk about all the way home? You've got it! It was all about the pee pee dance - followed by hysterical laughter (particularly from M - if you haven't viewed her Stinka video, you need to go back and watch it now to see what I'm talking about). This lasted pretty much the entire one hour drive. But I do have to admit, it was pretty funny. At least for the first 15 minutes.
Then on Sunday, when the girls were all ready for church, I told them that they looked pretty stinkin' cute (and they did)! When P picked up M from nursery, her teacher informed him (with a smile) that M had told everyone how stinkin' cute they were all throughout class time.
So it stands to reason that any word that is associated with the bathroom is sure to be a big hit with the girls. Knowing this, I showed a temporary lapse in judgement when I saw M prancing around holding herself in front of the athletic center Saturday night. I asked her if she had to go to the bathroom and she said no. Then I said "well, if you don't have to go potty, then why are you doing the pee pee dance?" So, what you may ask did the girls talk about all the way home? You've got it! It was all about the pee pee dance - followed by hysterical laughter (particularly from M - if you haven't viewed her Stinka video, you need to go back and watch it now to see what I'm talking about). This lasted pretty much the entire one hour drive. But I do have to admit, it was pretty funny. At least for the first 15 minutes.
Then on Sunday, when the girls were all ready for church, I told them that they looked pretty stinkin' cute (and they did)! When P picked up M from nursery, her teacher informed him (with a smile) that M had told everyone how stinkin' cute they were all throughout class time.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hold the salad
Last night P was running errands with the girls while I was still at work, and he decided to stop at McD's to pick up something for them to eat. While P and I aren't fans of that establishment, the girls love it!
While I was getting C ready for bed, I asked her how she liked her dinner.
She said "Daddy got me a salad burger, and I don't like salad burgers! He forgot that I only like cheeseburgers."
Salad burgers on McD's menu? That was a new one for me, so I asked P a little later what a salad burger was. The kids cheeseburgers just come with ketchup and pickles. (No onions for us!) Lately C can eat one of those and want more, so P decided to get her an adult hamburger, which comes with lettuce, tomato and pickles. Apparently lettuce and tomato = salad.
While I was getting C ready for bed, I asked her how she liked her dinner.
She said "Daddy got me a salad burger, and I don't like salad burgers! He forgot that I only like cheeseburgers."
Salad burgers on McD's menu? That was a new one for me, so I asked P a little later what a salad burger was. The kids cheeseburgers just come with ketchup and pickles. (No onions for us!) Lately C can eat one of those and want more, so P decided to get her an adult hamburger, which comes with lettuce, tomato and pickles. Apparently lettuce and tomato = salad.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Doppelgänger cake?
Tonight we went to a church dinner and auction fundraiser. C went to check out the baked goods and came running back to the table. "Mommy! Somebody made a cake of me! Come see!!" How could we not buy it?
At home, as she was heading off to the shower she said, "Don't worry, when I get up in the morning, I won't sneak any of my cake." It came totally out of the blue and, quite frankly, I didn't find her promise very reassuring. In the last few months, after every holiday that involved receiving candy, she and her sister sneak down before we get up and have chocolate for breakfast. I need to remember to lock the pantry tonight.
P went a little crazy tonight, buying far more than we could possibly eat - so he decided to give a pie to one of our neighbors. At first he was going to give it to someone a few doors up, but then he saw that Mr and Mrs Neighbor had company and thought it might go to better use there. Mr Neighbor answered the door, and when P told him he brought them a pie, he asked incredulously "Are you kidding me?" I laugh out loud everytime I think of what his face must have looked like.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Excuses, excuses
Last Friday we had oven roasted chicken for dinner. P was the first to take a piece out of the pan and start cutting it up for M. As I observed him at the far end of the table, I inquired if the chicken appeared a little dry, to which he responded in the affirmative. I then took a piece and started cutting it up for C.
C took a couple bites of her chicken and then stated that she could eat no more as it was just too dry.
Saturday evening P and I were going out to eat with friends, so I made mac and cheese for the girls' dinner. After all, it's quick and easy, and requires no coercion to get them to eat it. Once again, C took a few bites of my succulent creation, and then spit it out. When I asked what was wrong, she told me that it was too dry!
C took a couple bites of her chicken and then stated that she could eat no more as it was just too dry.
Saturday evening P and I were going out to eat with friends, so I made mac and cheese for the girls' dinner. After all, it's quick and easy, and requires no coercion to get them to eat it. Once again, C took a few bites of my succulent creation, and then spit it out. When I asked what was wrong, she told me that it was too dry!
Friday, February 15, 2008
C said
"M, if you let daddy brush your teeth, I'll give you something I don't like anymore from my room."
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Stinka
Last night I had a fun time hanging out with M while C and P went to a planned father/daughter preschool event. She says the funniest things that I never manage to write down, so I quickly forget. Now that I'm blogging, I'm trying to keep a better record.
When we went out to the garage to feed Jinx (the cat) she exclaimed "Oh my heck, I don't believe this!" I still don't know to what she was referring.
In the last week she has started saying her bedtime and mealtime prayers by herself. Last night was probably the third time for her to say the blessing on the food (in Swedish, no less) by herself. In the same breath as the "amen", she flew out of her seat bursting with pride and said "I'm a booger now!" I know she meant big girl, but it still tickled my funny bone.
I took a little video of her after dinner in all of her silliness. She is talking about how she and her sister suckered Grandpa at Home into thinking it was okay for them to take a nap together in the same bed, and then hid in the closet to play.
We had to watch that video seven times after taking it. Each time M laughed hysterically at herself.
Finally last night as I was putting her to bed, she put both of her hands on my face to lecture me on why I shouldn't go to work today. Her biggest arguments are "I'll misted you. I cried for you. It's not fair." and my personal favorite "Daddy is NOT the Mommy!"
When we went out to the garage to feed Jinx (the cat) she exclaimed "Oh my heck, I don't believe this!" I still don't know to what she was referring.
In the last week she has started saying her bedtime and mealtime prayers by herself. Last night was probably the third time for her to say the blessing on the food (in Swedish, no less) by herself. In the same breath as the "amen", she flew out of her seat bursting with pride and said "I'm a booger now!" I know she meant big girl, but it still tickled my funny bone.
I took a little video of her after dinner in all of her silliness. She is talking about how she and her sister suckered Grandpa at Home into thinking it was okay for them to take a nap together in the same bed, and then hid in the closet to play.
We had to watch that video seven times after taking it. Each time M laughed hysterically at herself.
Finally last night as I was putting her to bed, she put both of her hands on my face to lecture me on why I shouldn't go to work today. Her biggest arguments are "I'll misted you. I cried for you. It's not fair." and my personal favorite "Daddy is NOT the Mommy!"
Monday, February 11, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I have TWO beautiful daughters
My husband and I have a pet peeve I'd like to share with you, one that particularly frustrates P. Whenever one of us is out with the girls, strangers make a lot of comments about our youngest daughter. Seriously, if I could charge a $1 for every compliment on M's hair, we'd easily be able to fund her college. People stop us very frequently to say how beautiful M is, and mostly just ignore C. C is old enough now that she does notice, and while she doesn't say anything, you can see the hurt on her face. I think it bothers P so much because he doesn't know how to respond. I usually try to reach out to physically touch C, and say something like "thank you, we have been blessed with two beautiful daughters". Some will then say something nice about C, but you can tell that it doesn't have much meaning for her at that point.
C garnered her fair share of attention when she was a baby, but once she became a big sister that all changed. I do know that being the youngest has a lot to do with it, because last year, when we had a foster daughter 11 months younger than M, M didn't attract the same volume of attention as she did before and does now. I also understand that much of it is simply because M stands out from us. We live in a very open minded area, and I never get any stares and rarely any comments about us being a transracial family - but let's face it, people notice a brown skinned child accompanied by a caucasian parent. I'm thankful that the attention received is positive, I just wish people would be a little more sensitive.
Last night P relayed an incident to me that just broke my heart. I guess C was looking at M and said, "M, you are soooo beautiful. I wish I was beautiful like you. I wish I had curly hair like you. I wish I had brown skin like you. I wish I had brown eyes like you. I wish I had dark hair like you." Of course, P did all he could to assure her that she was indeed beautiful too.
I always figured that when the girls got older, we'd be perming C's hair and straightening M's hair, and they'd wish they looked more like the other - but I never thought it would start so soon. Meanwhile, we'll keep doing all we can to help them develop healthy self esteems that are NOT centered on their appearances.
While I'm dwelling on the physical differences between the girls, I thought I'd share a little anecdote from when C was younger. She was barely two when M was born. She must have thought that all new babies were brown, because she used to tell us that she had brown skin when she was little too. (She also used to say that her hair was going to get curly when she got older.) If I showed her a picture of her as a baby, and held it up to a picture of M, she was unable to tell me which one was her! Can you tell the difference? (These are their six month photos.)
C garnered her fair share of attention when she was a baby, but once she became a big sister that all changed. I do know that being the youngest has a lot to do with it, because last year, when we had a foster daughter 11 months younger than M, M didn't attract the same volume of attention as she did before and does now. I also understand that much of it is simply because M stands out from us. We live in a very open minded area, and I never get any stares and rarely any comments about us being a transracial family - but let's face it, people notice a brown skinned child accompanied by a caucasian parent. I'm thankful that the attention received is positive, I just wish people would be a little more sensitive.
Last night P relayed an incident to me that just broke my heart. I guess C was looking at M and said, "M, you are soooo beautiful. I wish I was beautiful like you. I wish I had curly hair like you. I wish I had brown skin like you. I wish I had brown eyes like you. I wish I had dark hair like you." Of course, P did all he could to assure her that she was indeed beautiful too.
I always figured that when the girls got older, we'd be perming C's hair and straightening M's hair, and they'd wish they looked more like the other - but I never thought it would start so soon. Meanwhile, we'll keep doing all we can to help them develop healthy self esteems that are NOT centered on their appearances.
While I'm dwelling on the physical differences between the girls, I thought I'd share a little anecdote from when C was younger. She was barely two when M was born. She must have thought that all new babies were brown, because she used to tell us that she had brown skin when she was little too. (She also used to say that her hair was going to get curly when she got older.) If I showed her a picture of her as a baby, and held it up to a picture of M, she was unable to tell me which one was her! Can you tell the difference? (These are their six month photos.)
Working Mom
I work part time in the claims end of the insurance industry. I feel very blessed to have this job. Besides the fact that we really need my income and benefits, I enjoy the break. With young children, my world feels so small now. I love still keeping a foot in the adult world, if only for two days a week - which is really all I need to keep my sanity. Personally, I believe I am a better mom because of it. The best thing about working part time is that it allows me to be a hands on mom most of the time! That's the best job of all because I KNOW that I am far more appreciated by my kids than by my employer.
I work two days a week (10 hour days), and at least one of those days it is a real challenge to get out of the house. On a good day, I'm gone before the girls wake up. However, if one or both is up before my departure, then we have waterworks. Not just waterworks, but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. (C has a real flair for the dramatic.) C is most likely to be up, and makes it the hardest to go - and if M isn't up by then, she certainly will be soon with all the ruckus. "Moooommmmmm, please don't go. I don't want you to work today. Oh, mommmmmmmmm!" Repeat, repeat, repeat....you get the idea. Then we have the endless hugs and kisses and reassurances, and then with a little help from dad, I eventually make it out the door while blowing kisses and waving goodbye as they watch from the window. It's bittersweet, really. It makes me happy that they would rather have me at home, but I feel so bad (for about seven minutes - my commute time) for leaving them.
I work two days a week (10 hour days), and at least one of those days it is a real challenge to get out of the house. On a good day, I'm gone before the girls wake up. However, if one or both is up before my departure, then we have waterworks. Not just waterworks, but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. (C has a real flair for the dramatic.) C is most likely to be up, and makes it the hardest to go - and if M isn't up by then, she certainly will be soon with all the ruckus. "Moooommmmmm, please don't go. I don't want you to work today. Oh, mommmmmmmmm!" Repeat, repeat, repeat....you get the idea. Then we have the endless hugs and kisses and reassurances, and then with a little help from dad, I eventually make it out the door while blowing kisses and waving goodbye as they watch from the window. It's bittersweet, really. It makes me happy that they would rather have me at home, but I feel so bad (for about seven minutes - my commute time) for leaving them.
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