Life In Pictures

A photo journal of the past week. ONE WEEK.

I'm exhausted :)

Family Reunion

Bella Scarfs Homemade Ice Cream

Ava Passes Out After Hoovering Homemade Ice Cream

Grandma's House

My Lil' Ladykins

Three Going on 13

Mayfest

Tea for Three....Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

Ava LOVED the rides at Mayfest. See the wheel she's gripping? She wouldn't let go when the ride was over. Lucky me got to pry her fat little fingers off, legs kicking, tears streaming while she wailed, "Weddy! Go! Weddy! Mah-meeeeeeee! Wide 'gin!"

She did the same thing on the Carousel (the pics from that were too scary to post) and the miniature train (no evidence of me crammed into a midget choo-choo, sorry).

My advice on festivals: Just don't look the Carny in the eyes.

Where Am I?

Oh my gosh! It has been so long since I've posted. That's weird because almost nightly I lay in bed thinking about that day's worth of blogging material.

Hubby and I had our first real date since Ava was born. It was AWESOME. We celebrated 5 wonderful years of marriage with a fancy schmancy dinner complete with me in a dress and heels. I even drank a glass of wine which left my nose numb and my chatter giggly.

The highlight of the evening, other than uber romance, was the preteen boy who maybe didn't think I saw him in the window as he passed by and made goofy faces. His mom was horrified and apologized profusely which was cute.

Then we had a family reunion at a beautiful lake. The kids played until they couldn't play anymore and we took the Pinto of barges on a mini-tour of the water. I swear it was a trailer attached to two floating devices and a dinky motor. We had to sit close to the back so as not to appear we'd gone down Splash Mountain even after the snail's pace poke about the lake.

This past Monday, my girls and I drove to help take care of my mom. Let me take a moment to laugh about that...

First of all, my mom is a rock. She is the most determined human being I know. She had major surgery two weeks ago and she is kicking butt (slowly) in recovering. So how helpful was I? I got DOG SICK on Tues. I couldn't function. It was ridiculous! My mom proved once again who's boss and took care of her granddaughters as well as her kid.

I have to admit, selfish as it may seem, I enjoyed having my mommy take care of me! The next day was much better and I got to help her out which is good because I felt lame-O.

That brings us to today. We're back home, doing mountains of laundry and preparing to begin our journey into selling our home. Egads. That makes me excited as well as want to throw up.

----

Kid Bits


At my grandmother's house for a visit yesterday, Bella pulled off the brown armchair cover and placed it on her head. Her face beaming, she exclaimed, "Mommy! Look! I'm Jesus!"

Fortunely, my grandmother found this to be cute and not blasphemous.


Parent Tip


If you simply must pull over onto the side of the road so your toddler can pee, I do not recommend choosing a patch of beautiful wildflowers to do so. Your toddler will squirm and squeal with glee trying to pick a flower while relieving herself all over your shoe (or toes in sandals, as it were).

Also, this all leads a 19 month old to believe she's getting jerked around because she's strapped into her carseat like a straight jacket while her sister gets to pick pretty flowers in the sunshine. Screaming will undoubtedly continue well past the time you leave the scene of your crime.

Big, But Not SOOO Big

Bella: Mom! What's that smeyul? (she has a Southern drawl at times)

Me: What smell? I don't smell anything.

Bella (waving unopened chocolate chip granola bar at me): Oh! I guess it must be THIS. We should open it and see!

-----

Bella got an invite from Austin in class. She doesn't particularly like him but I thought I'd check.

Me: Do you play with Austin? Is he your friend?

Bella: No. I don't play with him. Well, sometimes I play with him but I don't like him.

She laughed.

Bella: That doesn't make sense! I said I don't like him but I play with him! (rolls her eyes and chuckles, walking away)


-----


Bella had some fandangled exercise program at school. That involved loads of parents with video cameras there to capture their angel's 2 seconds of fame. After an entertaining rendition of Hokey Pokey, Bella and her class had to sit on the sidelines with their teachers for another 35 minutes. Do you realize how long 35 minutes is to a kid, especially when she can see her parents on the other side of the room?

You are bound to get some blubbering tears. I could only watch it unfold from where I was. All cheerful and proud of her performance, waving gleefully at us, then 20 minutes ticked by and boredom set in as other kids did their exercise show. Then the realization that her mama was over there holding baby sister and her beloved daddy was there too.

Wait a minute! (uh-oh...here it comes)

Her family is over THERE and she was over HERE.

Tears turned to sobs which turned to wails. I know Isabella very well and that she wasn't about to let us leave that building without her. She could care less at that moment about eating lunch with her friends and laying on a napmat pretending not to sleep.

She cried through the group picture. She cried as she put on her backpack. She cried until I got down and hugged her tight. She even cried as she waved goodbye to the friends who were staying for the rest of school. Ava grabbed the rolled up napmat and began dragging it behind her, she of course was ready for her big sis to come home. I held Bella's hand and I could see the total happiness on her tear-stained face that she was leaving with her family.

I have a highly sensitive child. She's been that way her whole life. So she's the crying kid in class. One day she'll grow out of it. Right now she doesn't care because she loves and needs her family more than she loves and needs her friends. And I'm okay with that. One day the friends may be seemingly more important. I'll just soak up all the Bella love I can for now.

Anything She Can Do, I Can Do Better...

Ava is competitive. It is the darnedest thing to watch an 18 month old try to out eat, out drink, out run, out play and even out bathe her sister.

I don't know where it comes from!

A while ago, as I was feeding Ava, Bella came over for a bite and Ava started yelling, "Mo! Mo!" while zooming at me with mouth wide open, trying to shoulder sister out of the way.

If Bella dresses up. Ava dresses up. If Bella's carrying her 10lb baby, Ava stops dragging hers by the foot and hauls it over her shoulder to carry it.

It gets really ridiculous with Daddy. As soon as he walks in the door from a day at the office, both girls run screeching with joy towards him. Then Ava nearly panics trying to leap into his arms before sister, all the while eyeballing her. Then they cling to his legs as he lugs them around like leg weights to go change his clothes.

Don't get me wrong. The monkey-see, monkey-do of my little one also brings some of the sweetest and surprising moments.

Ava has been saying "I la yew" without prompting for nearly a month. She even gives a bonus smooch afterwards. Melts my heart every time!

Because Bella is loving with Ava, for the most part (hey, they are siblings!), Ava will hug her big sister with cute little grunts of affection at random.

Ava also talks. ALOT. The child knows more words than I thought possible for her age. I attribute that to her mimicking Bella. Perhaps she decided to learn early so she can out talk Bella too.

But these two, with their contrasting competitiveness and sister love, are also going to be a force to reckon with in the coming years. There are already secret giggles and sideways glances at their parents as they run gleefully from playroom to bedroom, clutching something under their shirt or in a blanket. A number of times I've sneaked (yes, I sneak) into the playroom just to startle them as they sit in a sea of shredded paper, quietly concentrating on ripping out the coloring book pages or breaking/peeling every crayon they own.

I hope my daughters will continue to grow as friends and confidants. I'm just not sure how to make them both see that there's no need to compete for anything. And that having different color sippy cups can be a good thing.

Enjoying a poncho tea party

Simply Enchanting

Princess Preschool

Today, we are learning to color without eating the crayons

as well as

how to slap magnetic letters up on a white board.

A princess always holds her basket just so when retrieving letters.

Princess see, princess do.

Princess Preschool Graduation

(okay, its really Easter Sunday)

Which word came first? Alienate or Alien?

I realized today that I am NOT perfect.

I KNOW!

Okay, I realized it about a week ago. See? Imperfect.

I think I'm pretty much all that with the self-esteem, happy-go-lucky, life is what you make it, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Oh, wait...

Today it dawned on me that I don't like sharing people I care about.

We went to yet another birthday party for Isabella's friends. Only this time, it was for her BFF, Mitchell. His mom and I are good friends. We talk nearly every other day and see each other on school days. She's funny, relaxed, smart and we could blab endlessly.

However, when we are around her other friends, I clam up. I have nothing brilliant or even half-coherent to say. I feel awkward and ridiculous. I just converse with all the humans under 4 feet tall and hope adult whats-her-name-in-blue won't make eye contact.

It has been this way with any friend I've ever had. Yay fun when just us. Boo-hiss when someone else shows up. Very mature, I know.

I also don't like sharing my sister. She is my BFF. But when I am around her friends, the same tardness comes over me. Words don't even form in my mind to say to those friends. All of whom are very nice and funny! I just stare at inanimate objects and laugh way too loud at what everyone else says.

My husband says I don't like to share him either. But that's not it. I like hanging out with him and his friends. It is relaxed and we always have fun. However, throw in a new (and always temporary) girlfriend of theirs, then I am obligated to be Provider of Small Talk with her and it throws me off completely. Bartender!

I guess I'm still insecure around women I don't know well. I am trying so hard to overcome this because it is very frustrating! I've struggled with group bashfulness all of my life. I'm 35 friggin years old though! Why can't I hang out with a clan of mothers or non-breeders and be as cool n' witty as I know that I am (and MODEST, mind you).

*sigh*

Being a grownup is hard.

Its Great To Be A Kid

Unhappy with the idea that I can't birth a big brother for her, Isabella has decided to take care of it on her own.

She told me yesterday, in the car (where the most interesting conversations take place), that she'll just get married, have a baby boy named Iloveyou and when HE gets bigger, he'll be her big brother. That's a good idea, right, Mom?

Umm...

+++++++++

You know all those cool names for the colors in the crayon box? My favorites were always Periwinkle, Aquamarine and Bittersweet.

Now I actually own a crayon color. Rather, my children do. It is this fabulous fuzzy Goldenrod reading chair that was my grandmother's. It rocks, swivels and is totally FUZZY!

Can I Just Throw A Tantrum Too?

Have you experienced the judgemental stare of others, particularly parents, as you try to wrangle your writhing, screaming, sobbing toddler from whatever plaything they've attached themselves to when playdate is over?

Have you had the joy of playing dodge kid at, oh, lets say Chuck E. Cheese, when the party is long over and your child manages to outsmart AND embarrass you as she avoids being nabbed to leave?

Do you handle these moments with grace? Or do you, like me, grit your teeth, call your child by her full name while shooting the most intense you-better-get-over-here-or-else looks her way only to be ignored because she's too busy in her moment of meltdown?

*sigh*

Bella's never handled leaving playdates, parties or the park very well. Or the pool. Hmmm, all those begin with "p"...isn't that interesting?

AnyWAY, I always give the recommended 15 minute warning. Then 10, then 5. She accepts the invisible timer with an enthusiastic "Okay, Mom!" like she's so grown-up and cooperative.

Then that silent dinger goes off and she senses it. That's when all hell breaks loose, or at least she does. Sometimes she reacts verbally with an intense wail as she convinces herself that her heart is breaking over such tragic news that it is time to leave.

Other times she reacts physically by running around whatever establishment I'm about to be humiliated at. She'll sob and screech like a curly-headed banshee.

I will grab her arm generally, trying VERY hard not to leave permanent finger marks, and I do the whole get down on her level to talk thing. But she's gone to visit that toddler Other Side where they hear and see nothing other than their own anguish.

I need new magic tricks as mine are obviously no longer working. As you know, you can talk to a kid till you're blue in the face but in that horrible moment there's not much to do (that I've seen) than to hook them under your arm while lugging your other kid and march silently out of the playground/party/playdate/pool.

No wonder my right arm looks as if I benchpress 150.

Tiny Toddler Tidbits

We all know how entertaining Bella can be. Now her little sister is proving to be just as much of a performer.

Ava's learning words at lightning speed but she's also learning to DO things that just blow my mind because she's not even 17 months old yet!

• The other day Ava was naked, her favorite thing to be, when she climbed onto her stool by the changing table, grabbed a wipe, cleaned herself (surprisingly well!), placed the wipe on the table and got back down. Impressive, I must say.

• Today, she was eating lunch with her sister in our library as I cleaned the living room. She came into the kitchen yelling, "Mo! Mo!" and doing the sign furiously for "more" indicating she wasn't satisified with just one measley scoop of mac n' cheese so I'd better hop to it.

• I'm working on weaning her so she's completely testing me. Ava will pat (pound) my chest, her eyes never leaving mine as if to challenge me to deny her. If I tell her that she can't have Mama Milk yet, she'll gripe at me, then go off to play. A few minutes later, she'll return, pulling my shirt up, again with the stare of a determined cat, unwilling to back down. This game goes on all day. At least she's not pivoting on one foot in a circle of rage anymore. That's progress.

• Then this morning as we waited for Princess Isabella to wake up, Ava flopped over onto me for a hug, grinned and said, "Eyelouuuu." If you need toddler translation, it means "I love you." My heart melted immediately. Then I realized that her grin was a prideful one and probably due to the fact that she FINALLY said it, on her own terms, after a dear aunt tried for 2+ hours at dinner last night to make her say it. I just had to laugh at my little stinker and return the love with some tickles.

It surprises me how amazed and delighted I am by my second child's achievements as if the experience is new. But it is new, really. My daughters are their own unique person, something I am blessed to witness every day!

Travel Tip - Be Prepared!

GOOD IDEA:

Leave Daddy with the babies for the weekend to visit Oma, the sweetest most beautiful grandmother in the world.


BAD IDEA:

Not breastfeeding for 30+ hours only to wake up looking like a porn star. In tremendous PAIN.

Fortunately, my littlest angel was more than ready to oblige when I walked in the door. We'll work on weaning another day. Or week. Or month.

No Words

I have nothing to say in this post.

I'm just proud that after a ridiculous number of

attempts to get these two in a picture together that

doesn't require Photoshop intervention, I have this:

Absorb the cuteness...

And The Winner IS????

I don't talk politics on my blog but this year's Presidential election is fascinating to me. It is such a huge milestone for America to have not only a woman running but also a black man. AND one of those people will win their party's nomination!

No matter what your party affiliation, I hope you too are excited about this historical election. Now our children may truly get to believe it when we say they can be anything they choose to be when they grow up.

Good Lord though, I hope my girls don't want to be President!


In honor of our nation, Bella is here to sing (yes, sing) our Pledge of Allegiance:


"I pledge allegiance to the Unida States of Amewica, and to the Repubicks, for which is sands, un nation, under God, inavisable, in libuhty and justice for ALL, Mama!"

Boys, Boys, Boys

Picking up Bella from school today, I got to listen in on her conversation with this century's Brat Pack. That includes Bella, her BFF Mitchell, Madison, Elena and Gavin.

Gavin's status always teeters, however.

Example:

As they are all coloring, waiting on the parents, Bella tells Gavin that she'll play with him in FIVE DAYS and waves her five fingers at him with a scowl.

No more. No less.

He says something inaudible and she barks at him, "But I love MITCHELL and I said I'd play with you in FIVE DAYS, GABIN!"

Thus is their relationship. A total love-hate toddler friendship.

It all started last year when Bella was 2 1/2. She began preschool and immediately Gavin began pestering her. We called him the Over-Hugger. He could NOT keep his hands off of her and it distressed her a great deal. Even when she dropped out of school, she talked about him for a year. Then he ended up in this year's class.

She tries to make the best of it but he's as third wheel as it gets. Poor Gavin is that boy who pokes, teases, laughs at and irritates the girl he loves. Gavin's mom says that he blushes when talking about Bella. He "writes" her name instead of his own. He's a love-sick puppy destined for constant rejection from my daughter, it seems.

I've tried to explain the boy-likes-girl game but she doesn't understand. Her sweet Mitchell isn't that way! He is kind, loving and attentive. Gavin doesn't stand a chance.

So, I'm trying to think of ways to help Bella handle Gavin's type of adoration and friendship. She talks about him all the time. I think she wants to like him but his aggressiveness makes her angry.

And this is only age THREE!

Stepping out with the paparazzi.

January 24

Our world has once again been blessed by an angel.

I'm proud to introduce my beautiful niece,

Korenna Kate.

More Toddler Tidbits

"Okay, Mama, you be Dorafee and I'll be the Wicked Witch."

In a high voice (you can NOT play pretend using your real Mama voice), I say something like "Hi, I'm Dorothy, who are you? Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"

Bella wrinkles her nose and her eyebrows furrow into what we affectionately call a frinkle as she wags her finger at me yelling all scraggily, "I'll get you, my pretty! An your little dog TOO!"

And...

Scene.

She falls to the floor giggling with great satisfaction at her performance.

-----

Today during a bath, Isabella drew a line all the way across her belly with an orange tub marker. Then she said it was her scar from having a baby.


Me: "So where's your baby?"

Bella: *splish splash* "She's at AndAmanda's house."

Me: "Oh. And are we going to get your baby?"

Bella: *complete exasperation at my ignorance* "YES, Mom."

(she's serious now) "We will get it in FIFTEEN DAYS."


Everything is fifteen minutes or fifteen days as of late.

So, Aunt Amanda, she may be looking to bring Baby Johnson home in a couple of weeks. Perfectly okay by me, but you might take issue with it.

Let me just say that having a c-section has thus far provided THE easiest explanation to how Ava got out of me. She's going to be mighty freaked out when she learns the other way babies are born.

----

When I picked up Bella from school, all the kids had a police badge pinned on them. I asked if she'd told everyone that her Uncle Daniel is a policemen and she promptly turned to shout out the info to her classroom.

On the way home, we talked about policemen and she said her daddy is a police officer. Well, no, only Uncle Daniel is a policeman.

Bella: "Uncal Danyul works in a police office. Daddy works in a office. "

Me: "Yes... "

Bella: "Sooooooooo, Uncal Danyul is a police office man and Daddy is a office man. "


You got me there, little one.


-----

I am very excited that Ava's learning words at warp speed. Toddler Tidbits will be all about eavesdropping on the two of them before long!

2007 Down, 2008 Go!

Well, 2007 went out as eventful as it started.

After a whirlwind weekend of Christmas family celebrations, we got home Christmas night and watched with breathless excitement as the girls ran to the living room to see if Santa visited.

Bella squealed with delight at their new dollhouse (I constantly have to say "yours AND Ava's dollhouse, honey") while jumping up and down over her Sleeping Beauty VHS.

Yes, I said VHS. We figured out long ago that little kids and VHS tapes are AWESOME. She can turn on the TV, push the video in and all I have to do is make sure she doesn't have a Disney movie marathon.

That night, about 2am, I had a rude awakening. Not just that I had to go to the bathroom. Oh, no. The rudeness happened when I (thank heavens) decided that night to peek into the toilet before sitting.

I saw something dark and slammed the lid down.

That's crazy, I thought to myself. Maybe Bella just didn't flush...five days ago.

I opened it again. Looked awfully big.

Turned on the light.

Saw...

Okay, I'm not going to post the picture because it might make you lose your breakfast, lunch, dinner or all thee above.

It was a squirrel.

YES IT WAS. A very real, very dead squirrel. Eyes open, mind you. I threw up a little in my mouth, slammed the lid again and, heart pounding, climbed into bed. Because I am a nice wife and didn't wake my husband to fish out the toilet critter.

I spent the rest of the night half sleeping and half wondering if that was just a freaky dream. Hubby wondered the same till HE lifted the lid at 6am the next morning. By then, our furry friend was a wee bit fluffier. By the time my husband could get in the mindset to retrieve him, Squirrel was...um...easily deflated.

That is all.

----- In Cuter News -----

We cleaned out Bella's old nursery and made it into a playroom. YAY for all involved. We packed up loads of stuff into boxes for the attic and used a Sharpie to mark everything. Several hours into working we couldn't find the marker.

Went looking for the marker and instead found this:

Ava's Doll

At first I thought we'd had our first acting out by Bella on little sister's things. Then we saw that if she's acting out, it was also on her own toy dog as well as our library bookshelves.

I tried not to seethe. Really, I did. Through gritted teeth, I asked Bella why on Earth she colored on everything.

She picked up the doll and said, "But MOM, lissen to me. The baby is an INDIAN and needs her headband."

And the library shelves?

"That's my ARTWORK! Don't you love it? Isn't it buuuuuuuuuteeeful?"

Oh.

So it wasn't malicious graffiti at all. It was a 3 1/2 yr old filled to the brim with imagination. How do you get mad at that? If anything, I'm irritated at myself for all those Crayola washable markers Bella's been using for 2+ years!

Long live the Magic Eraser. That thing probably causes cancer but it wipes away Sharpie in a jiffy.

---- Still Cute News ----

Ava throws temper tantrums now and tattles on her sister by babbling in a tattling tone and a frown. Her tantrums consist of pivoting on her left foot in circle really fast while shaking her head and screeching. Humorous when performed just once a day.

New Year's Day dinner at my MIL's we had spinach. Bella used to love spinach but not that day. An aunt who was there commented how she is allergic to spinach. Intriguing adult conversation about allergies went on as Bella picked at her plate.

When hubby asked Bella to eat, she said "You know, Dad, I think I'm allergic to spinach."

They hear all, see all and apply all.

Here's to a happy, healthy, story-filled 2008!!

Merry Christmas!

We are all packed and ready to go. I even devised a plan where Husband will take the girls with him to fill up the vehicle in the morning while I cram the Loving Dollhouse accessories in and shove Princess videos down stockings.

I'll slurp the chocolate milk (Bella insisted on it for Santa), nibble the carrot and toss the cookies back into the jar.

Then we're off on a four hour journey to my parents'. I'm very excited to see my family yet dreading the drive. This time I was super smart and put Bella's potty in the back because there's no "just in case" when we travel. It is more like "inevitable pee panic" and I don't feel like holding her naked behind out over the grassy knoll just to be splashed anyway.

No trip begins without a Starbucks fix. Tall, non-fat Peppermint mocha. Thank you, weird Bleached Bangs Girl in the window as you complain to your BFF, Gay Guy, about the previous night's boring party. No, I do not want a 350 calorie piece of lemon pound cake. Today.

On we go to visit, laugh, play and rip into gifts with our family. First mine, then Husband's. He gets irritated that I separate the families out like that but how else do you explain it without sounding confused? We're going to visit my family and then my family.

I hope you all enjoy your families, however many or whoever's they are.

Merry Christmas and I hope to read all about YOURS soon!

Tiny Teachers

I have a very strong conviction to teach my children to accept diversity in this shrinking world. While I may not know the details of how or what I'll teach them, I feel it is important for my kids to be socially educated, compassionate and empathetic. Of course there are moral limitations and I'm still trying to define what those should be as my children grow.

Sometimes kids turn the tables and teach us instead.

I took Bella to an indoor playground last week after school. We arrived about the same time as two other little girls about her age.

One girl was named Kylie and she was African American. The other little girl looked as if her face had been beat up by concrete with cuts all over, swollen eye, nose and lip. Her name was Sarah.

Bella doesn't have many African American girls in her school, I'm not sure why. She hardly ever sees children with injuries or disabilities (I had to double-take with Sarah because I first thought she had a facial deformity).

But after formally introducing themselves and giving each other the once over, the girls gleefully ran off towards the slide, chatting non-stop.

The discussion?

How they got out of their mommy's tummy. A universal topic.

None of the girls pointed out each other's differences or even Sarah's poor beat-up little face. There was no staring or grimacing. There was immediate acceptance and willingness to be best friends for the 15 minutes we were there. They hugged, held hands, cooed over Ava and told silly secrets.

It was wonderful to see and I was proud of all three girls. I know social exchanges won't always be so pleasant or without judgement, but I hope I can teach my girls to always be kind, think before they speak and not stare at those who may be different from them. Then again, they will probably learn more by example and that is the most important lesson of all. For all of us parents.

What Kind of Friendship IS THIS?

Thanksgiving weekend, my sister Amanda and her family drove two hours to spend the day with my little family and my inlaws. Not only is THAT sweet, she also brought four starter kits for Amish Friendship bread.

I know. She's amazing.

I rarely bake. It requires precision and patience, both of which I'm lacking. But because she brought me the generous gift, I decided to go for it. I read the directions which called for mushing the bag every day for 10 days, but on the 6th day in, I'm supposed to add a crapload of ingredients before the daily bag mushing.

I opened the bag and...

Oh! *gag*

Gaw! *eyes tearing up*

I had to ask Amanda if this was actually moonshine bread because I'm pretty sure at this point it would explain her 2 year old's love of the stuff.

After that nice whiff, I spent the next four days grimmacing at the fermenting goop in a bag on my counter.

I came thisclose to tossing the bag out on day 10. But I knew that I couldn't lie to Amanda about a bread I never baked. So I followed the rest of the directions which basically told me to separate into 4 more starter kits. Out of love for others, I chunked that.

I did, however, make one batch of the BEST BREAD EVER! Wow. My kids loved it and we polished off the two loaves in less than a week!

All of that painstaking mushing and grossing out taught me a valuable lesson. Well, besides having a little more faith in my sister's love for me.

It made me remember that not everything in life is as it first appears to be. Often a bit more time must go by and with a few changes, what seemed awful can turn into something wonderful and unexpected.

Yeah. Check out the deep thought. I have no voice (oh, the kids LOVE it) but I've still got random thinking going for me.

Help. Me.

So Bella was supposed to be taking a nap, or "resting" as she calls it, and as I'm just about to sip on some nice hot tea, she comes into the room, tears streaming down her face.

Me: Honey, what on Earth is wrong?!

Bella *sobbing*: I can't sleep because my hair isn't curly!

And she hands me the hair gel.

Oh, yes. Vanity has arrived. For the past two weeks, she's obsessed about her curly hair. It is no wonder though because everyone and their Grandma comments on how pretty she and her curls are every time we leave our home!

I think the whole pretend beauty shop ploy to get her to wash her hair has backfired on me.