why doesn't it work when mom says it..?

4 yr olds apparently wield a lot of power over 2 yr olds. Case in point: we were at the playground the other day, and I listened in to their conversation.


A.: "BR, you can't climb up that ladder! It's too dangerous for little buddy boys!"
BR: "Ok, Ah-mah-ree. How about this one?"
A.: "No, not that one either. No boys allowed!"
BR: "Allright, I'll just go over here, then."

a favorite (and gruesome) game: dog hanging

overheard

[Queen] A.: "BR, you may kiss the royal hand."

A.: "Traitors to the crown must be put to death!"

rockin' it: some favorite quotes from today

(in "Guitar Hero," when you do a good job, the screen lights up and it says "YOU ROCK!" The kids love that part.)

A: "Mommy, when are you going to rock?"
Me: "Um, probably never. I'm not very good at that game."
A.: "Well Daddy is really good at Guitar Hero!"

_____

L.: "Mommy, what happens to your stomach if you accidentally eat two rocks?"

maybe the best book ever written by a 5 1/2 yr old

Clearly, I am totally biased on this issue. So I guess you'll just have to read and then judge for yourselves.

(Oh, in case you can't tell what this is: this is a blank book intended for just this very purpose--to inspire kids to author their own story. This particular book has an empty oval center on each page. L. started with that, and built up the rest of the plot.)

(front cover: I omitted the author's name)

(back cover)

a momentous occasion

L. took a fall first this morning and needed a couple of stitches. We quickly transformed our dining room into a surgical space and Daddy went to work.

It was a little scary, but she was so brave! We were so impressed.

In the end, Daddy made it to work and we made it to church only a few minutes late. Guess he's gotten pretty quick at this sort of thing!

____

I guess L. was sobered by this whole ordeal, and she spent some time reflecting on her failure to heed my warnings not to climb on furniture. She must have decided that some recognition was in order because later on this morning she presented me with this:

note: a "CIA" is what the kids at school get when they are Caught in the Act while doing a good deed. On the notecard, you check off which good deed is being rewarded. If you look closely, you will see that I got mine (and some gobstoppers) for "telling kids to be careful."

look who's new

Check out our newest and youngest cousin! Welcome to the (crazy) family, Baby Margot!
We can't wait to meet you and pinch those cheeks black and blue. (ok, ok, not the black and blue part...)

small successes

why is BR eating ice cream in the middle of the day?

because we celebrate poo around here, that's why.

a little too much Calvin & Hobbes, perhaps?

A: "BR, you insensitive clod!"

it was too quiet...mama should have known better...

In case you can't tell, that's a picture of our livingroom floor covered with the bedding from the girls room, toys, coats, shoes and the contents of a couple of bookshelves piled into boxes.

Am and BR were SO proud of all their "hard work."

guess not

"hey, BR, do you think you could put your pjs on all by yourself tonight because I am cooking dinner."

a week ago today...

...a little girl turned 4!!

we had a triple layer homemade chocolate cake with a marshmallowy frosting (mmm...), animal charades, punch with sherbet, a blindfold game, lots of prizes, a 'mummy' game, and some good friends and family to celebrate with. As a special bonus this year, Grammy and Papa joined us, too!

before the party got started, we even had some time to do some sledding with Granny and Papa! What a great day. Congratulations, A.m.!

can you guess what she meant?

L. is preparing for her first school performance tonight. She told me that last night they practiced in the "Odd Victorian."

Tee hee.

she's on to me

I was trying to be sneaky, but I failed.

L.: "Mommy, why do you get two cookies and we just get one?"
Mommy: "Because I'm a pig."
A.(in a hopeful tone): "I'm a pig, too!"

"Hey Mommy, sometimes YOU look like that!"

excessive caution

Me: "Craft time, kids! BR, do you want to cut some paper with some little scissors?"

BR: "No, I can't! Josefine (babysitter) says that's dangerous!"

_____

Me: "BR, please go back to the table right now and finish eating your breakfast."

BR: "No, I don't want to! It's too poisonous!"

it's like the princess and the pea, in reverse

return of the (exasperated) Poobas

You, the faithful and loyal readers of RandB, might remember from this post that we're very fond of "Poobas" around here. Daddy especially likes to talk about them a lot.
This afternoon, L. decided to illustrate her father's fondness for Poobas. (That's a heart above Daddy's head as he walks, zombie-like, toward the gigantic Poobah.)

Apparently, Poobas tire of so much adulation. (I'm not sure if you can read what those two Poobahs are thinking about. They both have thought bubbles that say: "Enough is enough.")

language

In some ways, I was apprehensive about L. starting school. Kids can be mean, and also there was no telling what new concepts other children might introduce her to.

She came home one day to tell me that one of her friends (who seems like a good kid, and whose parents I have met) says the "S" word all the time. I was horrified! Five year olds, saying that word?

"Oh no! That's not good! Do other kids say it, too?"

"Lots of them do," she told me. "And you know what? They even think it's not a bad word!"

"Well it is!" I insisted. I just couldn't believe it.

Then I thought about it for a minute. "Wait a minute. What's the 's' word?"

She wouldn't speak it so she just whispered: "Stupid."

a simple Valentine treat

all you need is some strawberry yogurt and a heart-shaped cookie cutter.

put it all in the freezer for a couple hours and voila!