Guh

Last night was the preschool Christmas show for the two littlest girls. BabyGirl sang her heart out and rang her bells with gusto. Peanut recited her lines for "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" pretty well for a kid who refused to practice.

Then we got to the car and it was dead. So there was a scramble to stay warm and call Triple A while Husband tried to fix it and Grampy came to ferry kids home.

And I guess, in all that shuffle and scramble, perhaps their performances got lost a little, because this morning Peanut asked me this:

"Mommy, you know my show? My show with my friends? Was it....was it...was it...proud making?"

I told her it was the best show I'd ever seen. Very proud making.

Sometimes, even when they don't mean to, your kids can break your heart.

Blame

So today I found two acts of vandalism in my home.

There was drawing on a step stool and the interior of a book shelf had a tic tac toe game and some scribbling on it.

Underneath both were the words "Peanuts falt."

I'm not sure exactly how dense StinkyMan thinks we are.

But I still laughed.

Flowders

I just have to write it down, so that I never, ever, ever forget, that BabyGirl cannot say "flower" but calls them "flowders" instead.

It's just the cutest thing in the world and I want to hang on to it forever as her babydom washes away and is being replaced by little girl.

Not enough bling

Peanut was a little bit disappointed in her visit to the dentist today.

She has no cavities, got some yummy mouthwash and toothpaste, a cool tooth holder for lost teeth, a new tooth brush and some floss.

That was all well and good. Except for one thing:

"Mommy! How come I didn't get any bracelets on my teeth?!"

I guess she's been listening to her big sister worry about getting braces and simply can't understand why anyone wouldn't want some shiny bracelets.

Four is such a fun age.

Gold

This morning I caught Peanut with a sheen on her lips that can only come from one place.

"Peanut," I said sternly, "have you been in my lipstick?"

"No," she said, but she looked guilty. Plus there was a gold over gloss on her lips.

"I think you have." I responded.

"No, I haven't."

"You have very shiny lips. It looks like lipstick."

"NO! That's just from licking my lips!"

"I don't think so. It's lipstick. I can tell."

"NO! IT'S NOT! IT'S FROM LICKING MY LIPS!" Hysteria is winning, because she knows she is sunk.

"Well, unless your spit is gold, you are lying to me and that is lipstick."

"NO!" She crosses her arms defiantly and scowls. "My spit IS gold, Mama. You're wrong."

After I stopped laughing I put her in the corner.

Compound Words

StinkyMan is learning about compound words at school. He finds them fascinating and for days as been randomly asking me if certain words are compound words or just two separate words.

So at the dinner table he wanted to go around the table and everyone had to say a compound word. "Except BabyGirl" he said "because she is too little."

So he started: Gumball

Mommy: Cupcake

Curly: lunchbox

Peanut: peanut butter (she doesn't quite get it)

Husband: driveway

And then the order got lost and it was just a flurry of shouted out compound (and not so compound) words:

Schoolhouse!

Butterball!

iPhone!

butterfly!

ladybug!

chocolate milk!

rattlesnake!

earthquake!

grasshopper!

seashell!

babysit!

hamburger!

candy corn!

forklift!

Then there was a lull as we all stopped to think a bit.

And the tiniest little voice, from the tiniest little family member at the table, all of three years old, said oh-so-softly "Basketball."

Yeah. She might be smart.

It could have been a coincidence.

But we're going to go with genius instead.

Mr. P to the Rescue

Not so long ago I mentioned that my kids are gung ho to try chopsticks, but end up admitting defeat every time.

Well, a long time friend of my dad's , Mr. Palmer (and yes, I know I can call you Jim now and no, that is never going to happen) happens to know the secret to rigging up some kid friendly chopsticks and was kind enough to send us some.

The kids LOVE them and have used them twice now very successfully and with great glee.

Thanks Mr. P!