Saturday, April 26, 2008

Parked at the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

There's something to be said for the classics when it comes to toys - crayons, blocks, dolls, trucks, and balls. They let kids be creative and imaginative, and you can play with one just as easily as with 15. You don't have to have the entire set for it to be fun. You don't have to replace the batteries all the time or find the missing remote. However ... there's also something to be said for the few quiet moments you can steal while your kids sit motionless in front of the TV on Saturday morning. We have a busy afternoon, I have a lot to do this weekend, and my husband is out doing a service project with our church. While the kids are parked, I'm checking in with friends online, emailing my dad, and posting for your enjoyment - all of this while I take advantage of cable tv, the already-paid-for babysitter.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Just call me Lady Martha

Just take a look at that creativity, that talent, that awesome coat of arms! My son has been invited to a "Princesses and Knights" birthday party tomorrow, and while he's not all that into costumes, I think I can get him to wear this smock-type costume with the dragon shield. He's also got a dragon puppet that's pretty fancy - the body is as long as an adult's forearm. A knight (Sir J the Dragon Tamer!) with a coat of arms and a dragon in tow ... I think we're all set!

It's amazing what I can do with some felt, scissors, and spray glue - just wait until there's glitter involved when Miss M's time for dress-up rolls around!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Get the chicken off of your head....

Nope, I couldn't say it with a straight face. My daughter, who was refusing to eat dinner last night, perched a bite of chicken on top of her head as she played with her carrots and dumped rice on the table (only to later try to lap it up like a puppy). So, how long did the chicken stay up there? Well, since it was honey-and-herb-glazed, it stuck pretty well. Needless to say, my girl got a bath and a good shampoo before bedtime.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Two little monkeys

My kids are getting a little too big to bathe together. I know that some folks don't agree with the idea of a brother and sister in the tub together, but that's a conversation for another day. So, back to my kids ... They are just physically too large to share that same space comfortably anymore. They wiggle too much, they splash too much, and generally just annoy each other because they are getting tired and a maybe just a little cranky when bath time rolls around. But tonight was different.
I was sitting by the tub letting my daughter splash around a bit before it was time to get down to the business of scrubbing and sudsing and rinsing. My son was in his room, but came in (I assume) because little sis sounded like she was having a lot of fun. I can confirm - she was having fun. And it must be impossible to be four years old, to hear someone else having fun in another room, and resist the urge to go check things out. So, he came in and sat down alongside the tub to play, too. Then he decided he wanted to get in the tub. I was a little surprised, since he now prefers a shower, but agreed without hesitation. I have never seen a child get into the tub so fast! My daughter was thrilled with the company, and I was delighted to watch them splash and play together. After all, they are siblings - they often disagree and don't want to share or take turns. As I watched them tonight, however, I noticed how much more at ease they can be with each other than they are with me. I watched them pour cupfuls of water over each others' heads - both of them laughing all the while. Watch them when I wet their hair, and you will see them stiffen, close their eyes as if they will never let light between the lids again, screw up their mouths, and stop breathing for fear of inhaling the water - all while they are supposed to be looking up at the ceiling to direct the water away from their faces. They were taking turns this time ... with cups full of water ... and they were having fun. As a few droplets of water hung on to the tips of her brother's hair, my daughter gently (attempted) to pick them up - and he sat there, still, letting her focus on the few tiny beads. It reminded me - bear with me here - of the monkeys you see at the zoo, grooming each other. The monkeys sit so still. My monkeys were, in that moment, sitting so still and taking care of each other. They were trusting each other - yes, apparently more than they trust me. That realization had a little sting to it, but I was more pleased to realize that even though they disagree, they do love each other. And it's a lot more than I knew before bath time tonight.

Monday, April 7, 2008

The Princess Wears the Pants

My little princess is officially potty training now. We have the see-n-learn, cool effects, and nighttime pulls-ups now. We are stocked to the gills, and not buying diapers anymore. If my sweet little dear has any say, she'll never wear a diaper again (after all, the pictures on those aren't nearly as cool). I'm so excited by her progress that I can hardly stand it - but I hate to get too excited thinking maybe, just maybe, she will be in big girl panties when she goes to preschool in the fall. I don't want to jinx it, you know. But, she has woken up dry the past 2 mornings, and has even made it through her afternoon nap without wetting the pull-up! However, I need to pose a question to anyone out there reading. When my son was potty training, we called pulls-ups "Bob the Builder pants" or "Elmo pants" or "whatever-
character-was-on-them-this-time pants." For some reason, with my daughter, "Dora panties" and "Princess panties" just doesn't sound right in my brain. I want to call them "Dora/Princess pants" since they are not real panties. In our previous potty-training experience, the reason we called them Bob/Elmo/etc pants was to not say "underwear" - so the next step up could be really cool. Since, to me, the logical next step is "panties", what do I call them this time? Is "pants" okay? My friends, what suggestions do you have?