Little bits of stuff about my kids

My sister-in-law Marnie recently mentioned (on her blog) how it seems that all she talks and writes about is her kids. But really, can moms help it? Our kids are our greatest creations and pretty much our hugest source of work, joy, entertainment, worry, etc. I think moms are entitled to think that their kids are “the bees knees” (I don’t know where on earth that originated, my friend Jessica is the first I ever heard use it, and it seemed like it meant “super coolest of all”). I think we are also entitled to feel that everything they do is of great interest to all our loved ones (at least). With that said, you must all press on through this:

1. Crafty has been at it again. Not bad for a Kindergartener. It’s a boat and two passengers (one of whom actually has a happy face on front and an angry face on back – when I asked Daisy what he was so angry about she said, “or maybe it’s a scared face” . . . which makes sense as that boat might not be totally seaworthy). Anyway, I don’t know why for certain, but I think it is the coolest thing ever when she is just off minding her own business and then comes and shows me something like this. Maybe it’s because when they are really little they pretty much need your active guidance for any type of creative crafty thing, and it is strangely and happily startling to see their little minds becoming independent enough to come up with things like this without needing me at all -- especially because often the creations are something that never would have occurred to me to make. It makes me realize that they are going to truly be their own little people with their own gifts and talents beyond simply what I teach them. Plus, look at her hair. She made me take these pics because she’d tied that ribbon all by herself. I do think she has the most beautiful hair color though and I hope it won’t fade as she gets older.

2. Penny has added one new word to her constant crazy babbling. It is “uh-oh” (is that really a word?). She says it anytime anyone drops anything (and even as she crawls about -- causing me to wonder just what’s so “uh-oh”). Her only real word prior to this has been “dad.” We often have conversations that go something like this:
Me: Penny, how about “mom?” Say, “mom mom mom.”
Penny: Dad daddaddad.
Me: Say Mom.
Penny: (Pause) Dad? Daddad?
Anyway, the other night she was babbling away in her crib before falling asleep (as she often does). All of the sudden the random babbles stopped and I heard a very distinct, “uh-oh.” Soon, she fell asleep, and I forgot all about the “uh-oh” until I went to tuck her in a little better before heading to bed myself. Here is what I saw: one tiny lone sock on the floor next to her crib. Yes, apparently she had managed to pull one of her socks off and had then dropped it out of the crib. It just seemed so cute to picture her in there all alone thinking, “uh-oh, I’ve done it now, there is no way I’m getting that sock back.” They just start to seem so much more like a real little person when you can see their actual thoughts expressed by a word of some sort. Sigh. They just grow up and grow up and it makes me so happy and also makes me cry cry cry.

3. Goldie often tells me she did something all by "herselth." I love “selth” because it just seems so much trickier to say than “self,” and I wonder why she does. My kids always haul a few books to bed with them. Today she grabbed a book with a collection of about ten stories. She said, “Mom, I’m choosing this book, but I won’t read all of it. . . . If I do read all of it, I’ll be mad at myselth.” That was reassuring.

That’s all for now. Abe will get plenty of glory in future posts.