Neglected

I love updating my blog, and lately, as the school year has been winding down, there is zero time. I have totally neglected what I love doing for what I get paid to do. Well, not totally. We just had a pretty great long weekend. Except that when I stop working for a minute, whatever cold virus has been lurking, launches a full fledged attack and I spent Sunday sneezing in bed, watching Nick Jr. with two very happy couch potatoes. For Sunday's dinner we had a can of chicken broth (which my kids loved), a can of olives, a can of peaches, a few Saltines and a handful of M&Ms. Go ahead. Judge. They loved it. Tonight, I'm so stinkin' tired that it just took me about ten attempts to spell the word neglected correctly.....and the rambling voicemail I left for the parent of one of my students today.....yikes. I'll apologize for that tomorrow.

I'll wrap it up with some of Libby's artwork from her school's art show (a month ago). She loved the idea of pricing her art to sell, and made some serious attempts to get Nelson to spring a few bucks for one of her pieces. Nelson didn't buy, but a few more beers and he might've. We'll get him next year. We're raising quite the little entrepenure entrapeneur entrepeneur business woman. And her business venture was a success in the end. Grandpa Dad and Grandma Margie paid the full twenty bucks for her piece "Lucy's Lake". Sorry Amy. We'll try to get her to recreate it.

I have so many postings I'm behind on. two more weeks and I'll have all kinds of time on my hands to do it! I'll leave you with this....

Tonight we went to Costco and I bought the first collection of BOB books for Libby. On the way home she said, "But mom, I don't know how to read."

"I'll teach you, Babe. After all, it's what I do. Remember? I'm a......."

(I really was trying to get her to say "teacher" here.)

Instead, she replied, "genius!"

My heart swelled. My kid thinks I'm a genius. I don't even know how she knows that word, but I'm not going to push it. Then, she followed up with this little gem....

"Mom, you're a genius, and that rhymes with penis!"

See. She's totally ready to read.

Snailicide

Last summer Libby wouldn't touch anything that crawled. She wouldn't go to sleep if there was a fly buzzing in the room, and if a bee came into our driveway she'd bolt into the house. Don't even get me started on her fear of dragonflies. I think it must've be the name. Dragon flies. Needless to say, she wasn't a fan.

It seems she's had a change of heart. She and Peyton like to pick up snails, touch their eyes and get cups for them to crawl in. Cups that, I might add, go through two cycles in the dishwasher.

So you can imagine my surprise as we got out of the car the other day, when Libby picked up a snail in the driveway, pulled its shell apart, dropped the poor, slimy creature at her feet and said, "There. That snail should be dead in no time."

"Um, yeah. But was that really necessary?"

A Day of Royalty

The Sunday after the royal wedding I watched it on fast forward, slowing at the important parts (like the first glimpse of Kate's dress), and speeding through others (like the actual I dos). For me, it was entertainment. I had two sets of little eyes watching with me and taking it all in. Later that afternoon I found Libby having a royal moment of her own......

.....still in her pajamas. Our little princess nonetheless.

And later playing with snails with her sister. Ah, the life of a royal.

Professional Opportunity

Long ago Libby made the decision to be a "doctor for kids". We love our pediatrician who's a woman, and probably a week ago while we drove, Libby asked, "Mom, can boys be doctors?" I smiled at the notion that in her four year old mind it's never occurred to her that girls wouldn't have the opportunity to become doctors. Lately, she's vacillating between wanting to be a doctor and a gymnastics teacher. I'm pushing the pediatrician angle, but keeping in mind that she'll change her mind at least a thousand times before settling on a career. Even then, maybe she'll have two, even three careers. Who knows? It's a good time to be a girl.

On our way home from dinner tonight we spotted a very bright rainbow to the east and we kept tabs on it as we drove. Peyton said, "Mom! I going to slide down rainbows! I going to be a fishing guide, a doctor and a rainbow slider!" Yep, it's a good time to be a girl.

A Victory for Mothers Everywhere

This is a shout out to mothers everywhere. Especially those who have eyes in the back of their head....

Peyton walked by me with these in her hand the other day. I acknowledged her absentmindedly at first, but then somewhere deep within me a siren sounded, red lights flashed and I was suddenly hyper-alert of my immediate surroundings.

"Hey Peytie. Whatcha doin?"

"I going to play huh tut (hair cut) with Libby."

"Um, but you're not, k? Please go put the scissors away."

While she stood there letting my words sink in, I snapped a quick picture to remember this as The Moment I Saved Her Sister. Libby, you're welcome. I can probably hang this over your head until you're at least eighteen. Maybe longer.

Easter a Little Late

Here's a look back at a very quick Easter weekend....

Trampoline Battle. Saturday was warm and beautiful, so we took in the warm weather at the Dover house.

Weeeeeeee......

Peytie helped with cleanup after making the bunny cake.

Heading for the hunt on Easter morning.

I've said it before.... The boys are so good to our girls.

It's on!

The few minutes that the hunt went on were the only minutes that the girls let down their guard and forgot about the Hare of Holy Terror. Aside from that, they spent every moment making sure they had him squarely on their radar so as not to let him get within a two mile radius. They really want to like the Easter Bunny. They see how the other kids love him and hug him. But alas, they really hate him.

If you look closely, he really does look a little menacing. Not to mention, he put jawbreakers in the eggs for the 1-3 year olds. I mean jawbreakers? He did it last year, too. Perhaps he's a little more dangerous than all you Easter optimists want to admit?

Jayden got an egg marked with red tape, so he got to pick from bigger prizes. He chose a lacrosse set and opened it on the spot.

Later that day we had dinner and another egg hunt at my mom's. Shane looked high and low.

We got home on Sunday a little after 10:00. This little bunny was pooped.

Anginas?

Mom, why don't girls have penises?

Well, because. Our bodies are made differently. Boys have penises, but girls have vaginas.

At this point Libby gets busy on something else and appears to have ignored me.

Hey. Did you hear my answer to your question?

Yes.

Well, what did I say?

You said no.

I said what?

You said no.

I said no to what?

You said no, girls don't have penises.

Right, but that wasn't your question. You asked me why they don't have penises, right?

Right.

And what was my answer?

Girls don't have penises, because they have bazinas.

Uh, no.

They have albinas?

close enough.