Privacy please...

Privacy is in short supply at our house. We slept four in the bed last night, which is rare these days with an 8 and a 6 year old. But certainly, 'privacy, please' is a frequent request and has been since the girls were tiny.
But the girls think "privacy" is "private seat" and I adore it. They were just building a lego house for their turtle and built him a private seat so he could have private seat while hibernates. So glad for these few remaining slips.

Rest assured, they are still called "thingers" and "thingernails" too. I will truly mourn when we learn to say Fs. 

Sweetest words ever

Anna called to me this morning as she was getting dressed:

"Hey, Mom! I need your opinion!"

Honestly, better than the first time she said Mama. 

Overheard

While playing Legos...

"Yeah, in 3rd grade - it gets REAL."

I am not sure what gets real. Or how we stop it. But I agree.
This year is fo' real.

Eyes to See

The Anna of the Bible is one of the first people to recognize God. A tiny baby is carried into the Temple. Two poor young confused parents (who will later lose Him as a sign to us all that we shouldn't feel so bad) are trying to follow the rules as they know them - despite a rather hectic week. An old woman, Anna, looks at these poor dirty donkey riders and sees - God - in their arms. 
She recognizes Him instantly and speaks of Him to whomever will listen. (Luke 2:36-38) 

My Anna has the same gift. She sees the truth. Right away. And then she speaks it to whomever is around. Goodness, sadness, heartache or folly are quickly understood by her five year old eyes. 

When a friend passed away unexpectedly, I spoke to the girls of our sadness for her family, for her little boy and girl. But Anna spoke to the heart of my fear - 
"And Mama, now you are afraid you're going to die and leave us?" 

Well, yes. 

Today was simpler, and less heart-wrenching. Katie asked if I had ever held a snake. I said I had and Anna was surprised. She asked, 
"Was Sue Sue alive for this? Did she freak out that PopPop let you do that?" 

Anna was only three when Mom died, but she has a shockingly accurate take on the family dynamic of my childhood. 

Later this afternoon, Anna expressed herself beautifully to her older sister - who was repeatedly hitting her in the face with a balloon. (Thus proving she too has an accurate sense of the family dynamic of my childhood.)

"Katie, you have been mocking me con-tin-ly with that balloon since we got in the car and it makes me feel bad."

I told Anna I was proud of her for the way she expressed herself, clearly and calmly. She didn't lose her temper in a frustrating situation. Then she laid this one on me:

"I did lose my temper. But I didn't use my temper voice."

Oh. 

Is THAT what you are supposed to do? 

Thank you, God. And Anna. 

Now, I see. 

Friendship

Katie is making a friendship bracelet! Amazing. It feels like 1985, at Ardmore Court and I am sitting on the brown couch surrounded by embroidery floss with Mom's special brass "extra sharp" scissors. What a treat. I love this crafty girl. Next up, gimp keychains!

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Tonight, Anna was chopping herbs for the southwestern coleslaw.

"Good job on the cilantro, babe."

"Cilantro? Oh, I thought it was rosemary."

I love that. She can't tell her herbs apart. It was yesterday, I swear, when she was confusing her hands with her feet while she was gnawing on them. Who taught her rosemary? Unbelievable how much she is growing up.

Now, this story also seems more sophisticated than it is. Anna is a great help in the kitchen. Fascinated by the process and always willing to help. She shredded carrots tonight, stirred the coleslaw, chopped the rosemary/cilantro/green stuff. And for dinner?

She ate a fish stick and two white flour tortillas.

With ketchup.

I have to believe that someday the kitchen know-how will translate into a more adventurous palate.

For dessert we decorated sugar cookies - those got eaten!

Sticky Fingers

The girls LOVE art projects. Of all kinds.
They are working very hard this morning on creating a gala for their My Little Ponies. Streamers, confetti, and piñatas have been constructed.

Costume design is critical and capes will cover each pony.

 

I've been put in charge of watching glue dry.

"Call us the MINUTE it is dry!"

It is the perfect job for me.

Watching Glue Dry

Curly Q

Santa brought sponge rollers for Christmas!

a long winter's nap

Nothing is cozier to Anna than GrandDaddy's chair...

She snuck in and stole this spot when he got up and he never got his chair back!
We've had a restful winter holiday. Hope you have too!

Take a walk

Looking for more adventure in 2013!

The Days of Christmas

12 Trees at LuLu's

11 Tinsels Twinkling

10 Kindergartners

9 Second Graders

8 Legos Stacking

7 Presents Wrapping

6 Cookies Gone

5 BOOOOY Cousins!

4 Gingerbread Men

3 Treats for Breakfast

2 Dunkin' Doughnuts

and

An Elf Named ELLLLLLLLLLFEEEEEEE!

 

Composed by Katie and Anna Brown on the ride to school this morning.

 

Minivan

The minivan is a controversial topic. One must value efficiency over style to embrace the epic uncoolness. And I do. Man, I love this thing.
It is like spending the day in an NYC apartment. Right now the girls are in the way back, obscured by a wall of blankets they tied to the grab bars. They are whispering so that Ronnie and I can't hear them in their "secret fort".
I am sipping coffee, reading and writing while my sweet man drives us safely through the Shenandoah Valley.
O Minivan!

A House Divided

We had a civics lesson last night.
Katie was firmly in the Romney camp, but Anna was for Brock Bama. Wasn't that the name of a seventies sitcom cop?
Anna couldn't stay up to watch the returns, but Katie made it until the 9pm states were called. She colored in her own electoral map very carefully as each state was announced on the news.
Today was Anna's day for share, so she took her stuffed Portuguese Water Dog, Bo in to Kindergarten. Our friend Zulima sent us two Bo dogs straight from her job in The White House. (She also included White House M&Ms. Huge hit. HUGE.)
God Bless America!

Questions?

"When God made everybody, did he have to buy all the parts at a big store?"
"Nope. He made that stuff too."
"WOW. That's a lot of stuff. He must have a big house."
~Anna Brown, Age 5

Fall Bounty

Pumpkin seeds, jack-o-lanterns, popcorn and lemons....
Alabama Autumn



 

I am AWESOME.

I am extraordinarily talented at many things. Hyperbole primarily.

But last night I realized what might be my greatest skill.

 

Blanket Finder.

 

Call me - I'm best from 2am - 4am. I can go from a dead sleep, navigate through the dark house with no contacts in, locate the blanket, even it is IN THE BED WITH THE CHILD LOOKING FOR IT, apply kisses, and return to bed without ever truly waking up. I'd brag more, but it did take seven years of intense training to reach this skill level.

Ah, the power of literature

Today, Katie Brown got her own library card.

SO EXCITING.

"Can I get my very own library card??" 

 

When you get that request in carpool line - you go with it. 

She was thrilled with the power and possibility of a lifetime of free learning, of all the world's literature opening up before her. Or perhaps the awesome plastic card to put in her wallet.

Whatever the motivation, it was exciting for this former librarian to witness.

Not her first...

From the backseat this morning:
"Mama, I can't wait to go to the Rodeo again." - Anna, Age 5
And to think I was 32 before I saw my first rodeo. I am truly broadening my daughters' experiences.

Dine with Royalty

I had lunch with a princess today. It was divine.

Learn Something New...

Every Day.
The girls are in day camp this week. Two DIFFERENT day camps. Which means that for the first time in a month we are going our separate ways during the day.
We have learned a LOT in our days apart.

Katie: "Mama, did you know the big girl golf club is called a wood? They said to hit the wood and I thought we were going to hit, you know, wood."

Anna: "I love science. We did a lot of science today. I have science all over my shirt."