I'm an easy audience

A funny little Katie phrase...she calls tootsie rolls...tushy rolls. I just love it and ask her to say it 1000 times a day. And every single time I smile.

that whole spoonful of sugar thing

All moms have cute little catch phrases we use when talking with our kids. Because we all know if we say something in a cutesy way, it will take the sting out of what's really being said. Let me translate for you; "sit like a pretzel" should actually be read as "SIT DOWN!" or "you get what you get and you don't get upset" is actually "too freaking bad, baby!" and "quick like a bunny" means "HURRY, the EFF UP!" I have used the quick like a bunny phrase since way back when I taught preschool. I use it now with all three of my kids. What's funny is none of my preschoolers ever interpreted it the way each of my kids have when they were each about three. I was hurrying Kate to the bathroom tonight saying, "quick, quick like a bunny!" and just like Sam and Teresa before her, she stopped running along and began hopping across the kitchen.

obligatory first day of school photos

Sam and Teresa started back to school last week. They are still at an age where this is exciting and looked forward to. They couldn't wait to meet their teachers and find out who is in their classes. Teresa decided she was going to pick out her clothing (and you all know how I feel about that) but she didn't do too badly. They are now going to school an hour earlier than they have in the past but handled the transition easily. And so did I. No one went to school naked, unfed or without a lunch. Katie was a bit lost without her friends. Actually the second day of school as I got the kids ready Katie asked me where they were going and when I replied school she asked incredulously "AGAIN!" But don't worry, a couple of our daycare friends are back from summer vacation so Kate isn't lonely. So here they are, all freshly scrubbed and ready for a brand new school year.

I have no idea what Teresa is doing here. She looks like she's ready to fall off the steps.
Sam, hands on hips, looking like a man about town.
Sam, smiling his snaggle tooth smile (I'll be so glad when that tooth finally falls out).
Ignore Katie's bedhead, it was all I could do to get the older two dressed and whatnot before bus time.

Bittersweet...endings and beginnings

This summer my baby, Katie, has undergone a subtle metamorphosis. She went from being a toddler to a kid. She started the summer still wearing diapers and never wanting to be too far from her Mumma. And now she's riding a bike and using the toilet all on her own and using words like "apparently". We took down the crib, not that she ever really slept in it, and she sleeps in a bedroom with her sister Teresa. Well, that's the idea, most nights she still ends up downstairs with us (but shhhhhh! I'm not really too upset about that). All of these changes, while celebrated and cheered, are still so bittersweet. I watch her strut around telling me she's a big girl and want to hold on tight to the baby she once was. I know that in a couple short years she'll be off in the big wide world and I'll have to look back at photos to see what her baby face looked like.

I signed her up for swimming lessons over the summer at a local pond. She was very excited about the idea of swimming lessons. I wondered how she would do. Well, when they called her class she grabbed my hand and hid behind me. She stayed behind me throughout introductions and beyond. When the rest of the group headed to the water Katie still kept her death grip on my hand. I walked her to the water and then pried her fingers from mine and put her hand in the teacher's. This simple action was so incredibly heartwrenching. She cried at first but soon plugged her mouth with her free thumb and clung to her teacher's hand the entire lesson. She did not look in my direction once nor did she speak to or acknowledge her teachers and their attempts to get her involved. You may think the lesson was a total failure but at least she stayed with them. It took most of the summer before she went to them of her own free will and actually participated but she did it. She did it. And while my heart was full to bursting in pride, it was also breaking a little bit, knowing this was just the first step to independence. It's such a complicated feeling, pride and excitement mingled with sadness. A bit scizophrenic, but there it is.

So last night I signed her up for dance class. She's just turning three but eager to take dance like her big sister. I know she has only a vague idea that dance class entails leaving her Mumma's side and mixing with a group of strangers led by adults who are strangers as well. And I am only too well aware that after the first class Mommies and Daddies are welcome to wait in the waiting room but are not allowed in the studio itself. Another big step towards independence for both of us. She's looking forward to wearing her leotard and tutu and ballet slippers and I am excited for her to begin and seeing her tiny little self outfitted like a miniture ballerina. And if she sees a tear in my eye I hope she buys that it's because I'm so proud, because it won't be a total lie, really.

Cousins

powerful in pink

Yesterday we had a combined birthday party for Teresa and Katie. Teresa's birthday was a week ago and Kate's is in another few weeks. So, in order to make things easier for everyone, but mostly us, we just combine their big party. One of Katie's gifts was a pink power ranger costume. Now she's aware of the power ranger's existance, because her cousin R is a huge fan, but has never really watched it herself. This costume, however, was the first thing she wanted to put on this morning. And you know what, she knew exactly what to do. I had barely finished velcroing the back when she started karate chopping and hiya-ing all over the place. She even put the mask on for a bit but prefered dueling imaginary badguys sans headdress. Here she is in action




She put it back on a few minutes ago and was busting some more killer moves before coming to me in tears. Apparently the buckle came off but this was how she phrased things, "Mumma, this fell off my titty belt" Tee! Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee! I feel like such a teenage boy giggling over it but can't help myself. And not to worry, I was able to repair her utility belt and she has returned to her superhero heroics.

Oh dear God she's found a loophole

My children do not get to eat much candy. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like candy. I LLLOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE it oh so much myself. And so do they. But I'd rather they snack on fruit and vegies and cheese and crackers and other more healthy yummies. If there is no candy to be found than they do. So I rarely buy it. And the only time we ever have it hanging around is after birthday parties in the form of the goody bags. I don't throw them away. I'm not that extreme. I am not oppossed to them eating candy. Just their eating it all the time. After dinner the kids are allowed to choose one piece of candy from their goody bags for a dessert. The older two know the drill and have never snuck an extra piece or begged for just one more. I'm not sure why. It must be my stellar parenting. And oddly enough, the goody bags empty very quickly, considering they eat only one piece a day. I have NO idea how THAT happens. So imagine my surprise when I strolled into the kitchen this evening to continue preparing dinner and found Katie sitting on the floor with her goody bag in her lap, and candy wrappers and bits and pieces of candy strewn all around her. In response to my shocked "What are you doing????" Katie looked up and without missing a beat replied, "I'm trying to decide what candy to have for my tezzert."