Friday, May 31, 2013

Tattletale

C has some index cards and a pencil. She's making lots of random scribbles on the card.

Me: What are you doing?
C: I'm writing a letter!
Me: What does it say?
C: It says, "Dear Momma, I love you very much! But if you take my toys away I will tell Daddy. But I love you anyway."

I didn't touch the toys - honest!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Oh, my!

C: Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear.

Me: STOP!!

J: C, saying things over and over and over again gets on Mommy's nerves.

C: Oh, dear!!

A New Clean Up Song

J made up a new song for C:

When we spill
We wipe it up
We don't lick it off the table

At least she likes the oatmeal!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Waterbed

Me: C, you need to lie down:
C: But Mommy, I'm imaginationing that my bed is filled with penguins and ducks!

Twinkle Toes - Ouch!

Pass me the Bad Mom Award, please!

I take J to classes every Wednesday. On the way there, C asked to take her shoes off. I told her to wait until we returned home after J's classes were finished.

When we arrived at classes, she again asked if she could take her shoes off. I reminded her that we don't take off our shoes anywhere but at home or outside.

Finally, after about an hour, she said, "Momma, if a girl's feet have sparklies going around and around and around them, don't you think she should be allowed to take off her shoes?"

Then it all hit me in a flash - all the typical "C has suddenly outgrown her shoes" symptoms - severe in-toe-ing, dragging the tops of her shoes along as she walks, walking on her toes. I've been seeing all these symptoms for about a week now (along with frequent requests to remove the shoes) and have ignored them!

I told her to go ahead and take them off, and she was quite upset that the "sparklies" didn't go away, so I had her flex and stretch her toes until she felt better.

Oops!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Fighting Fire With...Something

She plays on my bed while I exercise. Today she had an empty red popcorn bowl upside down on top of her head. Inside the base, she placed a handful of marbles. She stood on the bed so she could see herself in my mirror and rotated her head around to feel the marbles roll.

Me: C, please sit down.
C: But I'm a firefighter!
Me: But firefighters don't stand on the bed!
C: But, Momma, I'm a firefighter!
Me: But firefighters don't fight fires without their pants on!

(I hope I'm right about that!)

*****

Note:  These facts were later verified by an Actual Firefighter.  LOL!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Of Tattoos And Responsibility

On Sunday, C was coloring with markers while one of H's teen friends was at the table with her. It never occurred to me that the friend wasn't watching C until C turned up with colorful tattoos covering both hands and arms and the bottom of one foot.

We had a long instructional session about appropriate use of markers over soap and water.

Today she wanted to use the markers again, so she brought out the box while I sat with her at the table. She's trying very hard to be very good with them, and as proof of such, she's chatting casually with me.

"Momma, it's a beautiful day! It's a lovely day for using markers properly, isn't it?"

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Determined To Be Bad

C (having a tantrum): I will never be good again!!
Family: Ha ha ha ha ha!
C: Stop laughing! I AM NOT A STUNT!!!

Friday, May 24, 2013

A Chilly Result

Sorry, everyone, for the chilly weather today. I finally put C's winter clothes away yesterday.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Pass the Gravy

Things you never expect to say at a meal:

"We don't usually hand people a handful of noodles."

At least she's sharing!

First Come, First Served

Jealous of the cat, C climbs into J's lap before Hazel can. Somehow I think it's easier to do your schoolwork with a cat on your lap, rather than a sister.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Searching for Something New

C wants a new game on my iPod touch.  I told her that my iPod is too old for most of the new games, but she is insistent.

She took the iPod and played with it for a bit, then brought it back to me.  "Momma, please help me find a new game!"

I looked at the screen.  She had opened the search function, typed in "Anewg" and wanted me to help her finish spelling it.  LOL!

I explained that the search function only finds old stuff.  And, because of the Grammar Police Officer I am, I also explained that we put spaces between words.  :)

A Defining Moment

C (experimenting quietly with some words):  You're a stupid mommy...
Me:  Did you just call me stupid?
C:  I'm sorry I called you stupid!
Me:  That's okay.
C:  But it's a good name for you.

Monday, May 20, 2013

That's All, Folks!

Me: C, come here.
C (walks to me): Yeah?
Me: I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You've learned to speak nicely, and you also learned how to clean up after yourself. Good job!
C: And now I will go away.
Me: Huh? Where?
C (pointing over her shoulder): There. In that closet. And I'll never come back.
Me: But I will miss you!
C (turning): Goodbye! 

And yes, she went into the closet and closed the door.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Takes After Her Momma

C comes down to help me with the laundry.

Me: Here. You put the clothes from the dryer into this basket.
C: Okay! ...Momma, why are there so many clothes in the washer?
Me: Oh, no! I forgot to start the washer!
C: Ha ha! Silly uh...uh...uh...whichever child you are!

Friday, May 17, 2013

A LIttle Help Here!

H, J and I were looking at photos on my computer. C went upstairs to get ready for bed, though, and saw a spider on her wall. H & J checked, but couldn't find it, so they came back down.

H: Wow! That's a great picture!
Me: Kind of cheesy, huh?
C: Momma!
Me: (To C:) I'll be up! (To J:) How do you like this one?
J: Ha! That's funny!
C: H! J!!
Me: (To C:) I'll be right up, Honey. (To H:) You look cute in this one.
H: You think so?
Me: Yeah. I like your hair.
C: CHILD CARE! CHILD CARE!!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Tough Kids!

Some kids make snow angels. My daughter and her little friend, while playing at the playground, made gravel angels. Tough kids!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Small Steps

We've had a really tough few days with C - the kind of days when you dread the fact that she is awake, and you drop into bed at night silent and exhausted.

Yesterday we played a game called "say it nicely," which involved chocolate ice cream and lots of made-up situations, some reasonable and some completely silly. It helped a bit.

Today I took J to the optometrist (he'll be getting glasses). Three minutes into our wait I had to apologize to everyone in the waiting room. But we practiced some of the things we learned in "say it nicely," and after that she seemed more or less a normal, high-strung child.

Small, small steps.

Web Surfing...

J is playing a Super Mario Game. C is watching intently. Suddenly she runs to me.

C: Momma! Peach is going to be taken away by Jer Browser!
Me: You mean Bowser?
C: No! Jer Browser!
Jimmy: She means Bowser Jr.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Accidental Compliance

Bwahahahahaha!!!!! 

Last night C picked out some clothes to wear: a red gingham blouse with Winnie the Pooh on it, and a lavender polka-dot pair of leggings. They looked about as good as they sound.

This morning, she became angry with me (I asked her not to spray detangler in the living room), so she marched up to her room. In a colossal shift of cosmic justice, she changed her pants and JUST HAPPENED to put on the denim skirt that matches the shirt.

Now she's very angry and color-coordinated, too! 

Friday, May 10, 2013

Sweet

Some days, she really seems to grasp that being nice and speaking gently improves relationships!!

Today is not one of those days.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Not Sleepy!

Me: C, do you want to go back and lie down? You look so sleepy!!
C: NO!! I am not SLEEPY!
Me: Well, okay.
C: (Sigh) I am awfully tired, though.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

A Most Wonderful Time

J is in the kitchen singing Carol of the Bells, while C is with me in the dining room singing the "ding, dong, ding, dong" counterpoint.

How strange. Cute, Christmas-y, and strange.

Unconditional!

C, sitting on my lap: I love you! And I don't love you. (Turns to look up at me). You love me, and you love me. Right?
Me: Yes.
C: Oh, good! (Extra super snuggle.)

Monday, May 6, 2013

An Expert Sharing Her Experience

C is angry because I let her look at her Zinkies (she gets them as mini-rewards) and she wants one, but I won't let her have it.

I got her to stop yelling. And shrieking. And stomping. And hitting. Now she's making angry faces at me (which, TBH, is fine right now - she stopped all the other things).

Me: Are you making angry faces at me?
C: No! I'm showing you how to make them! You go like this: (makes yet another angry face).

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Context

I taught Children's Church today. Most of the students were little girls around age 4. At one point, a number of them had to use the bathroom (because when one has to go, they all seem to!), so I asked H to leave church and take them while I stayed with the rest of the class and the other aide.

When H came back, she looked a little puzzled, but I didn't have time to stop and ask what the trouble was. I always teach the memory verse very enthusiastically, so I called the kids to attention, and we all said (with CHEERFUL voices and wild gestures), "We have never seen anything like this!!!"

H began to laugh. "They kept saying that in the bathroom," she said, "and I couldn't figure out what on earth they were talking about!"

Friday, May 3, 2013

An Old Football Injury

What will people think when I tell them I cut my nose on my daughter's toenail?

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Setting Boundaries

I had to take my iPod Touch away from C. She took it to the bathroom with her (a big no-no), then got ugly with me when I took it out of the bathroom and explained that she could have it back when she washed her hands.

Just now she climbed up in my lap, gave me a hug, and said, "I don't like you any more. I'll talk to you on holidays."

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

The Spirit Of Adventure

Today she is an explorer. She found an old crank flashlight of J's. She's turned off all the lights and closed all the doors, and is looking for monsters. Whirrrr, whirrrrr, whirrrr...whisper, whisper...sneak, sneak.