Who ARE You People?

(hahaha...I accidentally typed the title and pressed Enter so it posted with just that sentence. Woulda been funny had I left it there, no?)

Let me just say that it appears I grossly underestimated my children's affection for poor, dead Willie. They've not searched for him or asked why there's a smaller feed bowl for the cats OR questioned the fact there are no more trails of cat puke (signature Willie) for them to step in.

Good thing? Or bad? In fact, a random Pomeranian showed up in our garage and Bella was all over adopting the fuzz ball in a heartbeat. Fortunately, the neighbor came to claim her runaway and now even that cute little yapper is off Bella's radar.

Egocentric, anyone?

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Last night Ava was wearing Bella's perfectly pink bathing suit (with hearts, as she would insist I add) whilst without a diaper. Mmmhmmm.

Soon I heard screams of horror and disgust. Bella looked as if she'd never seen a human turd before and Ava couldn't believe that came out of her butt and rolled out of the perfectly pink bathing suit onto the carpet.

For a nano second, I was going to react with anger. But poor Bella was so traumatized over her sister's dirty deed and Ava was so beside herself (er, at least her doodoo) that I had to laugh and then reassure everyone involved that I could fix the situation. After dousing the perfectly pink bathing suit in Shout and washing it in scorching hot water, I scrubbed the floor armed with Resolve.

Ava, looking wild-eyed, kept repeating, "Aba poopoo in baving suit Bella! Ewww! Aba poopoo on da for!"

I figured today isn't the time to introduce true potty training. However, if they can forget about a cat they had all their lives, surely they can forget about this even quicker.

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Ava's so sweet with all her spontaneous kisses and hugs. She says "Thank you" and "Peas" and "Sowwy, Bella" (alot, actually) without prompting. She initiates the family dinner prayer by smooshing her chubby hands together, bowing her head and mumbling "Ah-men!"

Then there's my Ava who is STILL nursing. Yes, I am fully aware that she's nearly 2 years old. But dangit, she isn't giving up her mommy milk without a fight!

I am only a human pacifier at this point. And a rarely used one at that but every single day we have the same drama:

Ava: Wan mommy meyuk. K? Le bit?

Me: Ava, it is all gone, remember?

Ava, face scrunching: Le bit? Peeeeeas? (big doe eyes)

Me: Ava, no, honey, here's some water.

Ava, furious: NOOOOO! Le bit! Mommy meyuk! PEEEEEEEEEAS!!

Then she will two fist my shirt and I swear she's thinking about decking me. I set her away from me and she bursts into heartbroken tears.

I give in.

Wouldn't you?! I mean really, who's it hurting to give her a lil' mommy milk for comfort? Yeah, I'm tired of being a milking cow for 4 years but there's no law (other than the silent social one?) that you can't keep nursing.

She's sleeping through the night now, which was my biggest gripe about breastfeeding. There's no pattern to when she nurses other than she just thinks about it. In fact, she'll even tell her Gran there's no more mommy milk, which I find interesting. But like any comfort addiction, she can't quite let go. Yet. And that's okay. Today. When Ava hits the 2 year mark, it may just get ugly. Cuz I'm tough like that. HAHAHAHA

Toddler Tidbits

Bella and Ava come into the bathroom where I've just showered and they are happily munching cheese pizza.

Me: Girls, you need to eat in the kitchen like normal people.

Bella, in a rather high-pitched tone: Mom, we aren't normal.

Touche.

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Way too obsessive.

Bella: Mom, do I have babies in my tummy?

We've had this conversation numerous times yet she never seems to get tired of it.

Me: No, sweetie, you may have babies one day but after you fall in love and get married.

Bella: Well, I want to marry Mitchell because you married Daddy. But me and Mitchell will live with you. And we'll have six babies.

She pauses for a moment, then chuckles and says: That's going to be ALOT of diapers for six babies.

Oh, Love, you don't even know.

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The next day she brings it up...again.

Bella, whispering with hand to her mouth: Gabyn (Gavyn) wants to marry me but I want to marry Mitchell.

Me: *sigh*

Bella: So Gabyn can marry Ava. And they will have two babies. I'm going to have six babies. Sarah, Alan, Ann, Eemy (I don't know), Lala (is she bored now?) and Ivan (the painter's name).

Me: Those are great names. But how about you just be a little girl for now and enjoy having friends to play with?

Bella: Okay. But then I'll marry Mitchell and we'll live with you and Daddy. And Mitchell's mommy can live in her house but she will help take care of the babies.

SERIOUSLY, child. Let's move on or you're going straight to an all girl's school.

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Name that tune!

This is Ava's favorite song of the week: Mehwee Hada Leul Lamp

We Do, But We Don't...But We Do!

That is what it is like if you know about us and our home.

Once again, we have decided to hold off placing the house on the market. Other than the fact that real estate has tanked more dramatically than the Titanic, we are nearing the end of summer and still too many projects (ie. crap) to deal with.

It isn't like we have to move. We just want to. However, if we are going to move it will be to another city at least an hour east of here. That means leaving friends, school, little gym, our favorite restaurants, etc. (oh come on, you have favorite restaurants too!)

Friends and loved ones have been hearing this song and watching this dance for years. I'm sure they are all rolling their eyes, throwing up their hands and ordering an extra margarita. Okay, maybe just Amanda is. (cheers, sis!)

We are in an extremely blessed situation and we have to make the best decisions because of it. Want and need are very different, ya know?

I'm disappointed, I won't lie. I've had dreams of living elsewhere for awhile. However, everything in life happens for a reason and in due time. For now, I'll practice patience, continue with the projects (ie. crap) and let Bella enjoy another year of preschool with her friends.

Who knows, maybe I'll even relax and enjoy this blessed situation! Hubby would be speechless.

I Scream, You Scream, She Screams Loudest!

This is my usual Ava.

Delightful, sweet, funny and very loving.

This is an artist's rendering of Ava as of late.

(Okay, so Edvard Munch saw her future since he's been dead 54 years)

Needless to say, she has been exercising her

vocal cords when dissatisfied, which seems to be often.

Two's with Bella were a breeze.

My littlest ladybug may make up for it.

Perfect Chaos As Usual

Sorry to be Debbie Downer as of late. Things are looking up. At least for our other cat, Mia. I swear, she's elated that whatever happened to Willie, he's out of her life. She has been ticked off at us for 6 years since we brought him home as an unruly kitten. She spent the last 6 years getting lazier and so fat that she really needs a cat Lapband. When she lays on the arm of Hubby's chair, the arm disappears, as does the remote if you were looking for it.

The girls haven't mentioned Willie at all, probably because he's a cat and if he graced you with his presence on any given day, it was like a Sasquatch sighting. And yet he was their favorite.

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Bella's practicing for the Olympic swim team. We got our huge hot tub fixed and keep it about 80 degrees. Perfect temp and perfect depth for a 4 year old. She dives, swims, floats, holds her breath, treasure hunts and has been doing so much of it all that she has her first swimmer's ear infection.

She went to see her favorite Dr. CurlyQ yesterday and after a mini chatfest, we've battled putting ear drops in her ears. When your child is 4 and you want things to happen, you begin to barter. Put these drops in your ears and then you can go to that fabulous swim party next Sat. Put these drops in your ears IF YOU EVER WANT TO SWIM AGAIN! Okay, so my patience is running a little low.

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Remember those little ears listening? Same goes for the littlest ears in our family.

Last night Ava pretended to call Daddy, phone flipped open and propped between her ear and shoulder: "Hi honey! Mmhmm. *fake giggling* Bye baby!"

A good reason to keep all conversations within earshot rated G, dontcha think?

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Bella's been cursing. Sort of. She unfortunately heard me say "dammit" the other day when I nearly ripped my toenail off my big toe by jamming it into a stool. Now when she's frustrated or mad I hear her whisper, "Dommit!"

Kinda cute and funny. Mostly ignored. Though I did tell her it isn't even a word. She just scowled at me and I heard her curse over a broken crayon 2 seconds later.

I'm not sure what to do about Bella's newest form of insult, sticking her tongue out at me. Why does it bother me? Because it is so quietly defiant? I can not look on purpose, for the most part, but I certainly don't want her going around sticking out her tongue at teachers, other kids or other family!

Any creative suggestions? Nothing about tongues rotting off or something coming in the night to take it, k? Thought of those, decided against 'em.

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There's a gecko in my kitchen pantry. Guess we'll just never eat again.

Happy Thursday!

Goodbye Willie

It is a very sad day in our house and the girls don't even know it.

Willie, our orange and crazy but lovable tabby, died this morning. My husband is beyond upset because he accidentally ran over him. Willie is an indoor cat but somehow snuck out last night and I imagine got pretty disoriented and hot.

It is heart-wrenching to lose any pet but especially with Willie. That cat drove me nuts but my husband and children adored him. I'm not sure what I'll tell Bella. She's going to be very sad and confused.

Goodbye, Willie. You were loved and will be missed.

Even Scarecrow Had A Brain

Let me just say, this Presidential election is a whip already. Yeah, it has been for awhile but as party candidates rev up for the big day, the ignorance, stupidity (there's a difference!), hatefulness, racism, sexism and blatant lies are overwhelming, not to mention frustrating. It isn't so much the candidates as it is the election machine.

What I really REALLY do not like is the drivel that gets passed off as truth in emails, be it from the far right or the extreme left. We should all know that what we see and hear is rarely, if ever, the truth. I can't believe how many people blindly follow their party's rhetoric. We are, for the most part, an educated nation, are we not? I would imagine that most voters are but, heavens, the misinformation zipping about the air waves and Internet is astounding!

Any election year is important, not just this one. I beg of everyone, do your own research. Look at all sides, even the one you may be so adamantly against. Vote while armed with facts and not emotions or preconceived ideas about a party or person. Otherwise, we are just harming ourselves and allowing democracy to disintegrate into nothing but political fanfare.

Grrrrrrrr!

hehe

Have a nice day! :)

Go Bella, Go!

Isabella is my chirpy cheerleader. Anywhere we go, for however length of time we are there, she wants to make a new friend. I am not this way. I don't seek out a chatfest with random people, unlike my daughter.



What amazes me is Bella's technique. She will first try to make eye contact with the kid(s). If they ignore her, which often happens since she targets the older ones, then she siddles up to the parent to gab. Pretty brilliant, if you ask me. She figures if she can get "in" with the Mom or Dad, then the kid(s) will see that she's A-OK to be a temporary BFF.



Once in a blue moon, like yesterday, the parent will promptly ignore her. Even when Bella got alarmingly too close to invading personal space, the mother acted as if she wasn't even there. Bella would look at me and flash her best cheerleader smile, then try once again to use her super friend powers on the lady. She tried with all her MIGHT to get the mother to look at her, without ever saying a word to the woman.



This whole time, the target child for future friendship was obviously torn. Should the little girl act as her mother did and ignore the bouncy blonde grinning at her? The girl would eye her mother, stare at Bella, then go back to her Gameboy, never really playing so much as looking perplexed.



I'd finally had enough. The mother was to the point of being rude but then I had to remind myself that I don't know her and perhaps she just wasn't in the mood to be chirpy. I beckoned Bella over to me and quietly suggested she find someone else to chat with. Fortunately, Bella was all over that like white on rice and bounced over to a just as bouncy boy waiting for his little brother to be done with gym class.



Whew.



Sometimes we have to step back and try to view situations from other angles. Good thing too. I didn't want to have to whip out my can of whoop ass on Rude Mama.