Dear Missionaries

Thanks for coming to dinner tonight. It meant that my kitchen floors were swept and mopped (yes, mopped!). The living room floor was vacuumed. The laundry was more or less put away. The dishes were done for the first time since??? Dinner consisted of more than something that starts with a "p" and ends with an "asta" and it wasn't from a local drive-through window, either. Thank you also for having no reason to visit any area of the house that my children touch. You might have been permanently damaged by the sight of their bathroom or playroom. Thank goodness for doors that close. Thanks for coming on a night when it was pouring rain so that my kids also had no way to show off the jungle we are currently developing in the backyard. Thanks for not batting an eye when my middle-est entered the living room post spiritual thought in only her top with her bottoms no where to be found (seriously. only you-G.) Thanks also for not noticing when my son followed her lead. Sorry for my son's lack of tact as he questioned you about the spots on your face (someday he will know all too well about "face spots" at which point I will remind him of tonight and he will be appropriately humbled.) And lastly, thanks for needing to have a meeting with my hubs so that I could sneak away for an early night...lights out in 3...2...1...zzzzzzzzzzz 

Hurts to laugh

Not feeling much better. It is, however, hilarious watching my youngest play the Toy Story video game. It is a full body experience taking up a good portion of the living room. He walks around in whichever direction he is trying to make Buzz go. And he laughs hysterically every time he punches the pig. Wish is didn't hurt so much to laugh with him.

A girl after my own heart

Presents were wrapped early and often this year. My Princess in Training takes after her momma. She could be found searching the tree for new treasures each morning and delighting in any new present that had been wrapped for her. It made me giggle each time I saw her body engulfed by the tree, bottom in the air sorting through the loot. Silly girl!

Kids are too funny

LOL! During snack time two of my kiddos "toasted" their apple juice boxes to "the best teacher in the world!" I am such a lucky girl this year!

And from Monday: "Boys and girls, I want you to draw me a picture of something that you did this weekend. (followed by a whole bunch of ideas)" 10 minutes later, J brings me his journal. "I went to outerspace this weekend. I got in my ship and went, but I was only gone for a minute and that is why you can't ask my mom because she didn't see me." Kids are funny!

In other news...so far so good, no tears from My Princess in Training today! And she wrote her name with a lower case r and a. Progress!

Dear Boomerang

I love your programming. I love that my kids can watch the same shows that I loved- like the Jetson's and the Flintstones. However, I think that we are going to have to breakup with you. The problem is my middle-est is highly susceptible to infomercials and unfortunately you appear to rely heavily on these, filling up every commercial break with some doodad that we really don't need. I don't think I can tell her one more time that I am not going to buy moon sand or a pillow pet. Do not even get me started on the squiggly thingamabob that "follows" you around. So, until she gets over her need to have everything you are advertising we are going to have to go our separate ways. You will be missed, but you infomercials will not.

Hilarious!

I have a Scentsy warmer in my classroom. Currently I am melting a lovely smell called Candy Apple Red. I have a little boy in my class whose mom also sells Scentsy. So yesterday he was telling me that he loves Scentsy and he was trying to describe the smell that is his favorite. Today he came into class and yelled "Teacher, I love Skinny Dipping" (which happens to be the name of one of the Scentsy smells...which I had to quickly explain to the three parents that were still milling about the room. I could hardly stop laughing. After two days, I have to say I am so glad that I am laughing this year and not crying.

From the Mouths of Babes

Princess: "Look! I found a whole dollar in my bank!"

Sugar and Spice: "We can go to Paris and see that tall thing over there."

Princess: "It's called a tower. And I think we will need two dollars. One for you and one for me."

That mom...

So it turns out that I am that mom. You know the one. The one that gets "talked to" after Primary on Sunday because My Princess in Training was uncooperative and not listening. The teacher went so far as to say that they were learning about obedience and she used My Princess in Training as her non-example throughout the lesson. I am also the mom that gets a private meeting with the preschool director because my children were apparently kissing each other on the mouth in an inappropriate way and the director wanted to make sure that I knew about it in case they were being exposed to something they shouldn't-presumably in our home of course. And last but not least, for some reason lately My Princess in Training has decided to replace the /s/ with /sh/. I suppose she heard it from one of the students receiving speech services at her school. And while it was annoying and I keep reminding her not to, it didn't bother me until she asked, "Can I [sit] on your lap mommy?" I am sure you can make the necessary adjustment to that sentence and understand why my eyes bulged out of my head. Thank goodness summer is around the corner so I can tame the wild animals that my kiddos have become. Yikes!

Desert Dwellers

After the following exchange from this morning there can be no doubt that my kids are desert dwellers through and through.

Princess in Training: Mommy, it is so cold! You need to buy us mittens, and coats, and hats. Oh. I have a hat you need to go home and get it right now or I will freeze and my hair will fall off.

Nevermind that it is mid-September and this "so cold" weather was a beautiful 70 degrees!

I giggled every time I thought about it today!

The boyfriend

From the back of the van on the way home today...

Princess in Training: "Mommy, did you know I have a boyfriend?"
Me: "Hmmm, I think you are a little young for a boyfriend."
Princess in Training: "But mommy, I love him!" ( can't you just hear the pleading in her voice?)
Me: "What is his name."
Princess in Training: "Oh, I don't know, but it doesn't matter because I love him."
Me: "Why do you love him?"
Princess in Training: "Because he is older."

Fast forward to her teenage years... I think she is going to be a handful!

Lessons from a chocolate milkshake

Lesson #1: My three children when properly reminded (read threatened) can share anything even a delicious chocolate milkshake. They can even do so without fighting.

Lesson #2 My Princess in Training cannot possibly be related to me, or my husband, or my mother-in-law as discovered when after three drinks from the shared cup she stated, "I am full. I don't need any more chocolate." No more chocolate? Pure craziness.


Lesson #3 Giving a two-year-old a chocolate milkshake while still in Green Valley is not a smart move when you have a 40 minute drive home. This gives him at least thirty minutes of full sugar rush while trapped in a carseat. Not a good plan.


Lesson #4 The same two-year-old is very knowledgeable about what does and does not constitute as a "surprise" and schooled his mom in the fact that a chocolate milkshake cannot be a surprise. In fact, only toys and trips to Disneyland can be a surprise. Who knew?


Lesson #5 Next time I think I will enjoy my chocolate milkshake in the quiet of my car before I pick the kids up from the sitter!