Wanted

Maternity jeans that are
a) not skin tight
b)do not fall down and/or
c)sag to make me look like a penguin

I am willing to pay hundreds of dollars!! (Sorry babe.)

I used to think that 100% cotton maternity clothes were not my friends. I like a teeny bit of spandex to keep things from getting tentlike. Jeans are a different story- the maternity stretch jean is evil!

Do unto others....

One thing the kids learned in Montessori school was how to think of others. Conqueror's teacher reports he's a super friend to all in the classroom, always willing to lend a hand, help others etc. I see the same thing in all of the kids in their sibling interactions. The conqueror was home sick today, very ill in bed, and the Bean kept worrying about him, talking about the fact he's sick, and going up to "look at him". She'd prop her head on her hands at the edge of the bed just sort of looking at him. And she'd try to get him to smile when he would pass in and out of consciousness. Then when we were picking up Biki the Conqueror wanted to know how her classroom interactions went. Turns out there's a "mean girl" who says that she'll only play with kids who bring in PB sandwiches. So, he was concerned that Biki would be ostracized on the playground for bringing in her salami sandwich. It was cute to her them talk about it. The Bik was also trying very hard to make her brother feel better- cracking jokes, smiling, chatting with him while he lied around. Next time they all start pummeling and screaming at each other I will try to remember that they often get along well and play together for hours!

Every day in December a different child got to put on a new piece on the advent calendar. Beanie got St. Joseph, the baby Jesus, the levitating cow, and the prominently placed sheep. I guess theologically its not that off.....the lamb is an important theological theme!

I find this funny.

Probably because I am now part of a huntin' family.

Overheard while watching Bambi

As Bambi goes looking for his mom after she's been shot by the hunter....

Biki- "Where's Bambi's mom?"

The Conqueror- "Getting roasted."

The ebb and flow of toddler independence

We're having a lazy morning and I command the older ones to get dressed and tell the Bean in passing that she too needs to get dressed soon, thinking we'd do it together. Well, about 10 minutes later she comes down in a fully coordinated outfit asking for help buttoning her sweater. I ask Biki if she got her dressed and she tells me Bean did it all by herself.

I praise Bean profusely and congratulate myself that I have a two year old who can dress herself perfectly. Man, these Montessorians must be onto something! A few minutes later I am cleaning out the sink in the bathroom upstairs and hear "Mommy, poopy!" I run downstairs thinking she needs a change, as I round the corner I see, in her room, her sack and her diaper and realize what I am about to encounter. Yes, a #1 and #2 done in her pants, sans diaper, in the sun room. Oh joy.

GastroIntestinal Delights and Horrors

I loved visiting NOVA and eating at all of my old favorite haunts....Tex/Mex, Chinese, Thai, Pizza, and Trader Joes. It was delicious!!

Then we traveled south and I discovered there's a reason you only see Cracker Barrels south of Richmond. After seeing the 100th one on our drive down advertising breakfast all day the kids got it in their head that they really needed to try it out. So, after hour 8 I gave in and we stopped at one for dinner. BIG MISTAKE. I knew I had visions of hating Cracker Barrell as a 15 year old traveling to HHI with my grandparents but it was all sort of blurry. I should have never given in. The menu is disgusting. There is nothing fresh- it is all fried this, fried that- all the vegetables look like they came out of a can. UGH. The only fresh looking thing on our whole table was the lettuce and tomato for my BLT. Everything else was a nasty shade of brown- not just our table but on everyone else's too! Plus, it was loud, dirty and slow. ARGH. But hey, the kids loved it. I hate to sound mean, but there's a reason people in the south are heavier- I mean if you eat like that it is bound to happen.

Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest.