Who needs a supervisor?

On TV, someone said something about "sexual politics."  Big Girl walks by as they said this.  She stops, turns to me and says,


Big Girl:  Mom, what is 'sexual politics'
Me: It is a mommy and daddy word.  It is not a very nice word.
Big Girl: They should not say that! They should spell it.

Today for lunch, I made vegetarian black bean burgers.  I suspected the kids would not be pleased, so I did not make much for myself, knowing that I would be finishing off some leftovers.  Still, I wanted them to try it and even came up with a creative name.


As I watched the kids eat around the burgers, I started to pick at their burgers while eating.


Big Girl: Don't eat my mud casserole.
Me: Well, you aren't eating it.  If you don't eat it, I will eat it.
Big Girl: I will eat it!
Me: Okay.


Brother:  If you eat it, I will eat it.


I am not sure if he was missing the point or if he did a really good job of trying manipulating me....

Oh the Things....

So, as we were cleaning up some messes before some guests arrive,


Big Girl:  Mom, why do want to clean before friends come to play?


And before I could answer,


Big Girl:  Is it more restable?

Birds

We love to frequent the local pool.  Today, as we were leaving the pool, we spent a lot more time than I would have liked right outside the entrance to the pool.  The entrance has a canopy and for the first time ever, the kids looked up.  They noticed the bird spikes:

on the cross beams of the canopy:

Big Girl:  What is that?
Me: Those are sticks to keep the birds from landing on those and going potty all over everyone.
Big Girl:  But, where do the birds go potty, then?
Me: I don't know, but we do not want them to go potty there.

All of a sudden,

Brother: They go potty in the potty chair, Mom!  They go potty in the potty chair!


Well, how can you argue with that?

Always when I am distracted.

I'm going a little stir crazy.  We are pretty sure we have chicken pox in our house and hurricane Alex has brought rain outside.  So, tonight, I decided it was time to take a break and went shopping - online.  Big Girl came in and was talking to me, but I was not really listening.  I was shopping. 


Big Girl: Mommy, are you listening?
Me: I am sorry.  Yes, I am listening.  What are you trying to tell me?
Big Girl: I am telling you a joke.
Me: You are?  What are you saying?
Big Girl: I am telling you a joke.  Aren't you going to tell people about it?
Me: Yes, I will tell people about it. (Now!)

While I was getting to the blog to post this, she walked over to Brother Bear and started telling him in her nicest Mommy voice about how "Mommy is busy working on the computer."

Human Nature

Tonight, in preparation for dinner, we could not decide if we should be indulgent or be good about dinner.  Daddy decided to get some more input from the others that would be impacted by our decision.

Daddy:  Should we eat healthy food or junk food for dinner?

Big Girl:  Mommy, I don't want to get sick, so we should eat healthy.

I was regretting previous words at this point.  We had discussed how sometime eating too much junk food can make you really sick and it can make your body stop working the right way.
However, after a pause, I was reassured that I did not scare her too much.

Big Girl: Um, maybe we should have junk food tonight and we can eat healthy food tomorrow.

After much laughing, Daddy and I discussed the options some more.

Daddy: How about this?  What if we eat healthy food for dinner and then after dinner we can go get some ice cream?  What do you think of that plan?

Big Girl:  I like the junk food plan.

2 + 2 = 22 or something like that

Today while eating lunch, this was the conversation.


Big Girl:  Momma, What is a picky eater?
Me: It is someone who doesn't like to eat many different kinds of food.  Picky eaters don't like healthy food and they like to eat mostly junk food.
Big Girl: Am I a picky eater?
Me: No, you and Brother like healthy food.  You are eating strawberries and peaches right now.
This was enough for a little while.  But, oh, there was more to come.
A little later....
Big Girl:  Momma, are donkey's picky eaters?
Me: No, not really.  (However, after saying this, I think I would have changed that answer.)
Big Girl: Oh, okay.
More eating.
Big Girl:  So, are we Donkey Eaters!?


Well, I guess so.
I can't argue with that.

Too Busy

Today, Big Girl was quite defiant and I had quite a few "talks" with her.  Well, at one point, I was explaining something to her (in no way punitive).  She cut me off and said:

"Momma, are you done talking?  I am tired of talking to you.  I want to go play now."


I guess I know where I stand.

Up for Interpretation

We finished reading The Berenstain Bears and the Truth before naptime.

Before falling asleep Big Girl likes to look at the book we just finished reading.

While looking at the pictures, she turns to me and says,

"Momma, why are Brother and Sister Bear making 'R's behind their back?"

I looked at the picture to see them crossing their fingers behind their backs.
(You can see the picture if you click here and look inside.)

Sure, enough, that is also the ASL sign for "R"
I think we will wait to learn about crossing your fingers until she is a little older. 

Murphy's Law

Today is not really something that was said, but it seems appropriate anyway.


I went to the store with the kids because I needed to get out of the house.  I wanted to get a couple things and thought I could handle them both.  So, I grabbed some clothes to try on first, thinking they would be most cooperative early on in our outing.  They were very cooperative and I moved on to shopping for things for the kids.


As we went to look for shorts for Brother, we passed the little girl clothing area.  Big Girl said she wanted to try on a dress.  

Now, mind you, I HATE trying on clothes.  I hate clothes shopping in general.  So, I was super thrilled when Big Girl asked me:
"Can I take a dress to the bathroom to try on?"

She had already picked out a toy and I knew she would not be willing to part with the toy.  So, I said, you already picked a toy and we can only get one thing at the store.  


Not ready to part with her fun in the store, she said, 
"I will take it to the bathroom and try it on, but we can take the toy home."


And try it on she did.  FOUR dresses.  Every button was buttoned.  Every clasp was buckled.  Every minute of each outfit was admired. And mom, who HATES the process of trying on clothes, was thrown the finished outfit so we could begin the next outfit.


So, I walked out wondering why it is that Murphy thought it would be okay to give me a daughter who loves to dress up, change clothes a million times, and try on EVERYTHING, when I would rather just eyeball the fit?  Meanwhile, other parents complain about how difficult it is to get their child to the store to try on the clothes.  Murphy and I are not friends tonight.  Big Girl, however, had a blast clothes shopping.  I might have to take her with me on all my clothes shopping trips.  She will check every detail for me.

The painful truth

Today, Daddy went with us to the farm market.  We were going to stop by a nearby store when we were done, and I was going to walk to the store while Daddy drove the car.  We asked Big Girl if she wanted to walk with me or ride with Daddy.


Big Girl:  Daddy, I want to ride with you, because I like you better.


After quite a laugh from Daddy and me, Daddy had a talk with Big Girl in the car.  I only learned about this talk, when later at home getting ready for lunch


Daddy:  Big Girl, who is your favorite?
Big Girl:  You!
Daddy: No, we talked about this.  We love everyone....(waiting expectantly for Big Girl to finish)
Big Girl:  ...But Mommy.

Well, I guess I know where I stand.

Do not stand between a Daddy and his daughter!

Brother's Corrections

It has happened.  It was only a matter of time, especially considering how much their father and I like to argue.  (I would like to claim that I do not argue, but I suspect a few people out there might disagree with that statement.)


Well, Brother's words have finally warranted his first speaking blog post.


He fell.  When he falls, he tends to be a little more dramatic about it than his sister was at this age.  So, in an attempt to decrease the drama, I have started saying "Boom!" or "Bonk!" depending on the type of fall.  Instead of coming up crying, it has successfully encouraged a much louder parrot-like response - unless he is truly hurt.


When this fall occurred, I was a little distracted.


Me: Bonk!


Brother: NO!  BOOM!


Well, he was right - it was a boom and not a bonk.  He certainly told me.


It is not the first time I have been corrected, either.  He will point to something and say "Mommy, Mommy" when he does not know what it is.  So, I tell him and I usually get an "OOOHH" in response.  Occassionally, I will get a correction.


Today, he points to a picture of a pink animal as I am walking into the other room.  Without really looking, I assume the pink animal is a pig, so of course I say, "That's a pig."


Brother: "No, titty tat!" (kitty cat)
Upon further investigation, he was right.  Apparently, he just wanted to test my knowledge.

Turning the Tables

While we were playing, Big Girl stopped, pointed to a box and:
Big Girl:  What is that?
Me: (looking at the box to see a picture of a boy standing on a scooter) I don't know.  What do you think that is?
Big Girl: Come on, you can tell.
Me: (now understanding this is a game and not really a true question) Is it an elephant?
Big Girl: (dramatically) Noooooooo.  You are a mommy, you know what it is.
Me: Is it a dog?
Big Girl: (imitating a teacher - okay, maybe me.) No, look again.  See, right here.
Me: OH, is it a scooter?
Big Girl: GOOD JOB!


I cannot imagine where she got that! ;)

Fashion Advice

You should all be jealous of me.  I have a live-in fashion consultant. Everyday, I am told what I should or should not wear.  Most days, I am told that I should wear a skirt when going to work.  Even when I go running, my fashion consultant provides critiques of my attire.  The advice she gives is usually pretty darn accurate.  Even if my consultant is only four years old.


Today, as I was dressing, I could not decide between two pairs of shoes.  I was torn, and forgot, momentarily, about my consultant.  So, I went in to ask her advice between the two pairs.  


Big Girl:  (almost without even looking up from her work assembling the train tracks for Brother Bear) I do not like those shoes.
Me:  You don't like either one? (thinking maybe she misunderstood and I needed to ask a little differently)
Big Girl:  Mommy, will you please get different ones?


Well, no misunderstanding there.  My fashion consultant did not approve of the shoes.  At least she did not tell me that I looked fat.

Guessing Games

Big Girl came in the room wearing her tap shoes, cheerleader dress and carrying her aunt's Kate Spade purse. 


{picture coming soon}

Me:  Hi, Princess!
Big Girl: I'm not a princess!
Me: Oh, who are you?
Without saying a word, she points to herself with her thumb.
Me: Big Girl?
Big Girl: No.  Can you think about it?


I guess I deserve that question, since I am always asking her to think and giving her clues.  She did come back in with a clue, too.  Her clue?  A picture of Cinderella.

Directions

Big Girl has recently begun trying to help direct us while we are driving.  She often likes to tell us to drive "Northwest then Southeast" or other random directions.  Today, while driving with Daddy, she asked:


Do you know what the map says?
It says go Northeast then Southwest.  Then ask Big Girl if she knows where she is going then do what she says.

She may not know how to read a map yet, but she definitely understands how to give directions.

A vacation must be due...

Tonight, we were reading a Busytown book.  One story in the book is about building roads and it had a gas station.  It showed how the diesel trucks bring the gas to the gas station and put the gas into the tanks underground. 

Big Girl was intrigued by the gas station and continued to ask many questions about how the gas gets under the ground and then back up to the pumps.  I told her that maybe we could go look at a gas station to see what it looks like in real life.

Big Girl:  I know, we can go to Hawaii to see them building one.  They have some gas to build in Hawaii.

How can you argue with that logic?  Especially when today, we are iced in the house and are expecting quite a few inches of snow during the night.

The Nap Battle

Today has been a little chaotic.  We are about to leave and have been saying "goodbye" all day.
This is definitely getting in the way of naps.


On our first attempt at a nap, Big Girl sat up in her bed and said:


Big Girl:  Momma, can we say 'bye-bye' to Brother and get a Sister?


Me: You want to say 'bye-bye" to Brother?


Big Girl: Yes, and get a Sister.

Me: How about if we keep Brother and just get another Sister?


Big Girl: Um, No.


Then, on our third attempt at nap, after Grandma and Grandpa had arrived, I had finally gotten Big Girl into bed, when she sat up, jumped out of bed and...


Big Girl: Mom, I have to scratch my bottom, it itches.  (As she starts walking away.)  I'll be right back, I need to go tell Grandma and Grandpa my bottom itches.


Me: No, get back in bed.


Big Girl:  But, I need to scratch my bottom.


Me: Alright, scratch your bottom and then get back in bed.  You do not need to tell anyone that you are scratching your bottom.


That sentence definitely made the list of sentences I did not expect to EVER make.