My Smarty

So Curly came home with an in-class assignment she had done. They are working on a unit about frogs and she had to illustrate 3 words that rhyme with frog.

The first picture was obvious. A grayish looking cloud that no one could deny was "fog."

The second, a brown, long, rounded off rectangle, so clearly a "log."

But the last one stumped me. It was a square, with another square in front of it that was divided up like a checkerboard.

"Curly?" I said "Can you tell me about this picture and how it rhymes with frog?"

And she looked at me, with her face saying "How could you not know that?" and her voice saying "It's your computer."

Still dense I said "How does computer rhyme with frog?"

She laughed "Not computer! BLOG!"

That's my girl!

Oops

What happens when your mom is blogging, you left an orange marker out and you are too busy playing the Wii to stop and figure why your 2 year old sister is touching your back:

Oy

How do I, as a mom, keep my childhood social anxieties out of my kids' social lives?

This is something that I struggle with and an excellent example is currently underfoot.

Curly has a friend who is currently not feeling very friendly. Yesterday Curly came home and said that Friend wouldn't say "bye", wouldn't wave and crossed her arms and turned away when Curly spoke to her. She was hurt and confused, but said to me that she hadn't done anything to cause her friend to be upset. I am well aware girls can be this way and was sure it would blow over overnight.

Forward to this morning and Friend doesn't want to get together for their usual play date after school. She's "too tired", a story I don't buy. I think she doesn't want to play and the adult in her life is trying to be socially appropriate with the tired excuse.

I do not think it is in my child's nature to be purposely mean. I guess all moms might think that, but I just don't believe it. I can't imagine Curly having done something to warrant this on purpose. I think this is either all a misunderstanding OR Friend feels like being mean. I don't know. But I have had a stomach ache all morning and I feel ready to cry. They were such good friends. How could this be?

See, I was always taught to be nice. And I am. But I took it too far as a kid. I never made waves. Never spoke up. If someone asked me for money for a soda I would give it to them, even though I knew, despite what they said, they would never pay me back. I wanted them to like me. I wanted to be friends and I thought being nice was how to get friends. If someone was mean to me, I internalized it and found fault within myself.

So when Curly has these issues I have a 3 part problem:

1) I flash back to how I was and I don't want that for her. I want her to be able to look at her friends and say 'What the heck is the matter with YOU?" I don't want her to be like me, trying to curry favor all the time.

2) My normal Mommy desire to get to the bottom of it and fix it.

3) The fact that I know I must allow her to navigate through these things somewhat on her own.

Sometimes, being a mommy sucks. This is one of those times.

Who needs Mother's Day?

StinkyMan: Mommy! Guess what?!

Mommy: What?

StinkyMan: I love you!

I'm telling you, that's the stuff that makes it all worthwhile.

Good Mommy Dinner

You will notice that I capitalize Good Mommy. That's because she is a different mommy than me. Good Mommy is fun. She is not the one who makes the kids pick up their toys, or brush their teeth or the one who says "No" to dessert. Good Mommy is more likely to bake a cake for no reason. Good Mommy plays 17 rounds of Disney DVD Bingo without complaining. Good Mommy chases kids around the house for fun instead of corralling them for bed. I am Practical, Everyday, I Have 4 Kids and I Have Lots of Things To Do Mommy. Good Mommy is far more relaxed.

Good Mommy visited at dinner time last night. She shooed the kids out of the kitchen and made a fun dinner. It was a big hit with the kids and so easy. Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Claudine (http://www.simplyclaudine.blogspot.com/) for the idea.

Start by cutting hot dogs into pieces. Break some long noodles into about thirds. Thread the noodles through the hot dog pieces like so:

Then throw the hot dog and noodles into boiling water for around 8 minutes or so:

When they are done you can serve your kids hot dog spiders for dinner!

You can cook up extra noodles and add either pasta sauce or cheese to complete your spider meal.

My kids thought these were great fun, although there was some debate about whether they were spiders or octopi. They ate them happily and have already asked to have them again.

Good Mommy will be back soon with more hot dog spiders. Because that is what Good Mommies do.

LadyBugs

StinkyMan and Curly spent their late Saturday evening and early Sunday morning catching and releasing ladybugs. It was such a sweet, simple thing, so indicative of the long upcoming summer days, that I just stood and watched them for a long time. They would search carefully and when one of them would find one the other would come over and admire the catch. They were always very careful not to hurt the ladybugs, going to far as to place the bugs back on leaves in the bushes and not on the grass so "no one will step on them".

But Sunday morning, for whatever reason, a particular ladybug caught my son's special attention. He put a leaf and some grass in a cup and gently placed the ladybug in there. He named her Josie and he took that cup EVERYWHERE for a large part of the day. Josie sat on the table next to him during lunch. Josie watched "Wow Wow Wubbzy" with him. Josie even went potty with him.

I tried very hard to convince him that Josie was a bug and would actually be MUCH happier outside than inside, but he didn't believe me. Josie was his new companion. I said ladybugs prefer the yard to the living room. No deal. I said ladybugs like the sky, not the inside air. No deal. I said that I thought Josie might miss her ladybug family. And he said "Mommy, she loves me."

Yeah.. Argue with that. I couldn't. So Josie lived inside for the day. By bedtime we found her abandoned in the pantry. I guess StinkyMan left her in there when he went to get a snack. We waited for him to ask for her for bedtime, but he didn't. So once he was asleep, we set his beloved Josie free, in the bushes of course. I didn't want her to get stepped on in case we needed to try to find her back today. So far he hasn't mentioned her. But I'm ready to go hunting when he does.

Little Orphan Peanut

Let me preface this by saying 2 things:

1) My clothing organization for Peanut is a mess. She doesn't have a real dresser, only a changing table with some space underneath that is not really conducive to clothes storage. It is hard to find her clothes if you don't know my current method of organization.

2) Husband is really, really good with the kids. Really good. This is in no way a bash. Just a funny story.

So today I had to go to Curly's class to teach art. I was gone an hour and a half. To Husband's credit, both StinkyMan and Peanut were dressed when I came back. They had been in their pajamas when I left. And I was far too busy looking at the bump next to Peanut's eye from yet another coffee table meets face incident to notice specifically what she was wearing.

It wasn't until much later that I realized I had no clue what the heck she was wearing. I had her come over so I could take a closer look.

Somehow, some way, Husband had found the donation pile...clothes for Freecycle or Goodwill or something. Peanut was wearing little baby boy overalls, size 6 to 12 months as shortalls and a faded old t shirt underneath that she wore last spring.

The sad thing? They fit her! She looked really cute in those overalls, er, shortalls and old shirt. I cannot get over how tiny she is. She did look vaguely like an orphan, in her boy clothes, messy hair, black eye and dirty face, but those overalls will make it back into rotation as little shortalls for the warm weather. The shirt and the black eye, however, need to go.

Good Mommy Monkey Munch

Curly's kindergarten class is on a rotating snack system. Once every 26 school days she is responsible for bringing snack for the entire class. Tomorrow is her designated day and she loves to help me in the kitchen so we made Monkey Munch. I feel like a Good Mommy and she loves to take what she made to school. Everybody is happy.

Monkey Munch

Ingredients:

9 cups (1 14oz box) Chex cereal (any variety, the chocolate kind makes the yummiest, of course)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar



Directions:

1. Put Chex in a large bowl and put aside.

2. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a quart-sized microwavable bowl.

3. Stir the ingredients together.

4. Microwave the mixture uncovered for a minute on high. Stir the mix again and continue to zap in thirty second intervals until it's smooth.

5. Add the vanilla and stir.

6. Pour over the cereal while stirring. Stir chocolate mixture into cereal.

7. Put combination into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag

8. Add powdered sugar, seal the bag and shake until distributed.

9. Spread Monkey Munch out on wax paper to cool and dry.

10. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for storage, or make cute little bags for the class like this:

It's so yummy, if you are giving it away you might want to make extra so you can pick at it while it cools and still have enough left. Super easy, super yummy and super fun.

New stuff and a note

I've been contemplating starting a Recipe of the Week Feature. I was going to start a whole blog for recipes, but I don't think I could keep it up. See, the secret is, I'm not the greatest cook. I've come a LONG way since I got married, but these recipes will be tried and true, simple enough for the very average cook (like me!) but delicious and sometimes even fun. I'm going to try to change them out every Tuesday and they will include everything from appetizers to salads to main dishes to desserts. If you happen to try one, tell me what you think!

So last night, I put in a Recipe of the Week section and have now decided I don't love my blog layout. I love the colors and background, but it's really heavy on the right hand side and I think that needs to change. So look for that soon too.

And finally, a small personal note for C. I don't know if you even read my blog, but I wanted to put it out there that we have you in our thoughts and we love you very much.

Update

I want you all to know that I took StinkyMan to the store so we could use the HoneyNut Cheerios coupon he printed for me. He was beside himself with excitement to see that happy little bee on the box on the shelf. He held it the whole time we shopped for the rest of the groceries. At checkout he handed the cashier the coupon and proudly said "I pwinted a coupon for the bee ceweal" (I have to type it like that because that's how he said it and it's so stinkin' cute!). He has eaten 2 bowls and calls it his bee cereal. I love that he was so excited to use his coupon.

Did you know that I hooked husband with a coupon for dinner? I did. He saw a thrifty girl and fell madly in love. But that's a story for another day. I think it's clear the love of coupons is in our blood.

The logic of a 4 year old...

...isn't very logical.

The big kids have a few responsibilities in the house. Tidy their rooms, put away their clothes, set the table, clear the table. But for them the big one is emptying the dishwasher. I take out all the sharp knives and the rest is up to them. What they can't reach to put away must be placed on the counter in front of the cabinet in which it belongs.

You would think this would be a fairly easy task. After all, the dishwasher has a top rack and a bottom rack, I have two children to do the job. Easy Peasy.

WRONG! They argue all the time about who is going to do the top and who is going to to the bottom. Today Curly swooped in to do her share before I even asked and of course did the coveted top rack. StinkyMan was outraged. How dare she! HE wanted to do the top. He yelled. He pouted. He refused to do his share. He could not have stuck that lower lip out any further if he tried.

Then he hit upon his version of the ideal solution.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched him as he took all the bowls and cups his sister had left out and put them all back in the dishwasher one at a time. When he was finished he announced defiantly "I'M doing the TOP!" and proceeded to re-unload all the things out of the top rack and back onto the counter in front of their appropriate cabinets.

He was very happy with his solution, so I let him win this one. Next time, it won't fly.

Life lesson

Curly (upon seeing someone smoking): Mommy, you shouldn't smoke, huh?

Mommy: No, it smells bad and it's bad for you.

Curly: And it makes you die.

Mommy: That's true too.

Curly: You can smoke if you are 99 though, because that is almost 100 and you die when you are 100. It's OK if you smoke when you are 99 because you are pretty much going to get dead soon anyway so you might as well go ahead.

The apple doesn't fall far....

My son has officially been brainwashed. He has come over to the dark side. He may never go back. I realized today that I have left a psychological mark on him that may never be removed.

You are wondering what I have done to the poor boy, right? Let me explain:

Today I was on my laptop in the kitchen while StinkyMan played on the desktop. He wandered into the kitchen and said "Mommy, can I have some paper?"

Now one thing that drives me crazy about playhousedisney.com and nickjr.com and noggin.com is that they encourage the kids to print EVERYTHING! It's nuts, a waste of paper and ink and I feel guilty about the trees.

So I said "For what?" thinking that as soon as he told me he wanted to print the latest online picture I'd say no, which he knows and generally accepts, and that would be that.

"For a coupon?" he said, with a funny look on his face.

Inwardly I laugh, because how cute is that? He knows Mommy never says no to a coupon, so telling me he's going to print one is a surefire way to get that paper he wants.

"A coupon?" I said, "Weeeeellllll, OK, then" and I gave him the paper. He runs back to the desktop, I go back to the laptop and thinking about how clever my son is, to work his mama that way.

Not two minutes later he's standing next to me saying "Here's your coupon Mommy!"

And I'll be damned if the kid didn't hand me a coupon for $1 off Honey Nut Cheerios that he'd printed off the internet.

Welcome to the dark side of bargain hunting Little Boy. We have (discounted) cookies. I think you'll like it here.

Peanut

had her 2 year check today...never mind that she turned 2 nearly 2 months ago. I do the best I can sometimes, ya know?

Anyway, she is still teeny, weighing in at a measly 24 lbs. But she is healthy and growing well, which is all that matters. She was a delight in the doctor's office, doing as asked without complaint. She cried for just a moment when getting her shot and then was quite happy with her lollipop.

I write this more for me than for anyone else. I'm a bad mommy because I don't keep up with baby books and whatnot. So I've written it down here so I remember that Peanut was, at the age of 2, exactly what her Blog name implies; a peanut.

obsession

I have a little obsession.

Well, I have more than one, really. Target is another obsession. So is bargain hunting (or bargain stalking as is often the case.) Chocolate could be an obsession, I suppose. Oh! and celebrity gossip. I love me some celebrity gossip. Blogging probably counts too, now that I think about it.

OK, so let's back up and say this instead: I have a few obsessions, but I have one in particular that is weighing on my brain today. It is the one thing I know I must have. It will make my life complete. It will make me look good. It will make me thinner. It will make my children perfect. It will end world hunger and begin world peace. And I can get it by picking up the phone.

I simply must, MUST, have a Bumpit.

OK, OK, it really won't solve wars or famine. It won't make my kids perfect (it might, though. They are very, very close already.) It won't even make me thinner. But it might make me look thinner, and that's worth something. And it will make my hair look good. That's worth a lot.

I'm not one who usually buys into these things. I am the queen of telling my kids that everything looks better than it is in commercials. But for some reason that logic does not apply to the Bumpit.

Maybe it's because I have never loved my hair. Maybe it's because it seems fast, a prerequisite for anything I do for myself these days. Maybe it's because I came into hair adulthood in the late 80's and early 90's, the days of big hair. Maybe it's because the girls in the commercial sport some really cute ponytails with Bumpits. I dunno why I think I need to have one. I just do.

What's stopping me? Well, two things. One, I secretly know it probably won't look as good as it does in the commercial. I've never had good hair because I am not good at doing my hair. A Bumpit is NOT going to change that. And I am terrified of walking down the aisles of Target and having people pointing and snickering and saying "OMG! That chick is totally wearing a Bumpit!" behind my back.

And two, it's not cheap. And I am a bargain shopper. I'm not forking out $20 for something that probably won't work the way I want.

But I'll keep dreaming and obsessing until they lower the price of the Bumpit. Because as soon as I have it I'll be fully capable of climbing Mt. Everest without breaking a nail while sporting the best hairdo EVER. I just know it.

Things I know for sure

There are a lot of things in life I am unsure of. Poor Curly, as the oldest, is often the guinea pig of of uncharted Mommy waters. I am never 100% certain of my decorating choices. I doubt my cooking skills all the time. There are days I'm unsure about what to blog or if I should blog a particular subject. Although we've used it plenty, I'm not fully sure about how our health insurance works. I'm not sure about how to drive a stick shift, although I have a general idea and I'm not at all sure that all my bargain shopping has actually SAVED me money over all.

But there are lots of things I know for sure and sometimes, when I am overwhelmed, I like to think about them. Here are some, in no particular order:

I know I have wonderful, smart, funny, gorgeous kids.

I know they got those attributes from their dad.

I know marrying their dad was the smartest thing I ever did.

I know I have a wonderful best friend.

I know I'm a pretty good friend too.

I know I'm pretty good at baking.

I know I'm above average smart.

I know my parents are always there to help if I need it.

I know that, no matter what some people might think about sororities, joining one was crucial to my college survival and made me who I am now...and I know I'm a better person for the experience.

I know I wish I were thinner and that I'm the only one who can do anything about that. And I know I'm ready to do it.

I know I have a good life.

I know that I'm thankful for those of you who read my blog. It's nice to know people care about my life and the people in it.

I know that I am blessed and lucky.

Knock knock

I saw on the news today that the police in the big city nearest to us are advising that if someone knocks on your door in the middle of the day you should answer it. Or at the very least you should let the people knocking know that someone is home. Apparently burglars are knocking on doors and if no one answers they are breaking in and helping themselves to people's stuff.

My reaction? I looked around at my house, at all the stuff they might take. If they could look inside for a quick visual, what would they think was of value?

And that's when I realized that if a burglar looked through my front windows into my house they would likely move on. Not because I don't have anything of value, but because it's such a mess most days that it looks like someone has already tossed the place, the valuables long gone.

It's funny because each of my kids has their own room and they have a pretty good sized playroom too. But they play all over the house. And since I am all for imaginative play as opposed to being parked in front of the TV, I rarely stop them from making things like couch cushion forts or machines out of Diet Coke cans or playing grocery store in the pantry.

And so my house is trashed. We (mostly I) pick it all up at the end of the day (most days, anyway) so the next day is a fresh start.

You know what? I might have a laptop, a big TV, and various other stuff someone might want to burgle, but the best thing of all, playing with my kids,watching them use their imaginations, playing together, enjoying each other is the most valuable thing in this house. And I'm happy to live with the mess.

ahem

That's me, hesitating before I even write this post.

You know what....

Hey Dad? I know you read this...could you just stop now? Because I know I've given you 4 grand kids, and I'm sure you know how they got here, but I'd rather go right on pretending that you and I both think the stork brought them, OK?

Is he gone? Good. I'm still mildly uncomfortable writing this, but it's better if I can say my own dad won't be reading it!

So, last night Husband and I were doing the thing that married people do when they still like each other and the kids are asleep. We are always good about closing the door....apparently we need to extend closing the door to locking the door.

We heard the door open. There is only 1 kid that could be. There is a small entry way into the room which left us a split second to regroup (or maybe that should be ungroup.) Anyway, not at all sure how much Curly saw or what she thought I quickly went into Mommy Mode.

All she wanted was some Motrin and a hug....I obliged. While I tucked her back in I said "So....do you have any questions about anything?"

She shook her head sleepily and said "Uh-uh"

I felt like I should forge ahead. I don't know why. "OK, because I don't know if there was anything you saw in my room that you wondered about."

"I just saw Daddy being silly and bouncing on the bed"

"Ah" I said "Yes. That's a silly game we play sometimes. Grown-ups play games too, just like kids."

She gave me a small smile and snuggled up with her bear and was quickly snoring again.

Holy moly. I know she wasn't in there for more than a millisecond and I'm fairly sure the bouncing she saw was Husband LEAPING for his side of the bed while making a mad grab for covers, pillows, anything to make it seem like we were doing anything other than what we were doing. But that bullet has been dodged with a lesson learned for sure.

So learn it from me without learning it yourself. If you have a lock, use it. If you don't have one, get one. Because that could have gone so much worse!

Imagination

You know how people often say that kids are just as happy playing with the boxes stuff comes in as they are with the actual stuff? That kids don't need so much stuff and are better off using their imaginations?

Well I think there might be some truth to that. StinkyMan has all the toys, cars and trains in the world and a matching table and this is what he spend HOURS playing with:

He explained to me that the cans were some kind of machine and the pillow was a boat. I'm not sure what the function of the toy boat on top was supposed to be, but I've never seen a kid play the way he did with 10 cans of Diet Coke and a pillow. It's truly amazing how happy a child can be with a few simple things and a big imagination.

dance

Got young kids? Got a computer? (clearly you do. You're reading this, right?) Then go to youtube and type in "Cat, I'm a Kitty Cat" and let your kids watch. It will stick in your head for days, but my kiddos cannot get enough of this stupid (and mercifully short) video and song.

You're not gonna do it. I already know. So here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt4zvJNXbdI

You might not thank me later, but your kids will.

so cute

So Peanut has this weird penchant for sitting on BabyGirl. We don't know why or what the attraction is, but she sits on her lower back like she is riding a horse. Husband has commented that maybe we should get a riding mower for her and let her out in the yard.

Because she only weighs 5 pounds more than BabyGirl (That's right. My 2 year old weighs only 5 pounds more than my 7 month old...that's why she's called Peanut) it doesn't hurt the baby, but she sure doesn't like it much. And we don't either. And apparently neither does StinkyMan because today I heard this:

"No Peanut! Don't sit on BabyGirl. You will squash her and I will be sad because she is special to us."

Admit it. That's the cutest darn thing you've heard all week.

baby clothes

I've been going through all of BabyGirl's outgrown stuff. I know several people who have just had or are about to have little girls and I have pink clothes coming out of my ears. At one point I counted 20 sleepers in the 0-3 month range. Who needs that many?


So I have started to purge. She has long since outgrown that size, there will be no more babies, so why not pass them on?


Except for a few pieces. I just cannot give away 3 specific outfits. Teensy, tiny little lightweight footies that I already can't believe ever fit her. They are so small, so delicate, so cute. And I want to keep them.


It sounds weird, but I simply cannot bear the idea of another baby wearing those particular outfits. One was her coming home outfit. It was a kind of aqua color with tiny pink flamingos and a matching hat. She was supposed to wear it home. But then she went to the NICU and didn't get to come home right away. When we went to visit one day we were told we could take her home in an hour. We didn't have her outfit with us, so we ran to the mall and picked up another outfit. That's the second one I can't give away. And the third is also super tiny and cute which Peanut wore as well.


I don't know what I'm going to do with them. I just can't give them away. Husband looked at me like I had three heads when I said I'd be hanging on to them. He doesn't get it. I don't totally get it myself. I just know that no one else's baby is going to wear them. I suppose maybe they are a reminder of days that will never come back. The days when you have a new person in your home...one who is largely a blank slate and mostly a mystery. The days when they need you completely. The days when they are new and vulnerable and magical and awe inspiring. The days that will never come again.

I have a friend with 4 kids including a set of twins. She is not a baby lover. Of course she loved them when they were small, but she likes them more when they are a little more independent and can do things for themselves and figure stuff out on their own. So I felt great relief and a sense of normalcy when even she confessed to saving a box of random baby things.

So every now and then I'll probably pull those outfits out and remind myself how small my babies once were. It's already so hard to believe BabyGirl wore those tiny little sleepers and it's only been 7 months since she joined us. Time does not fly, it goes at warp speed. And that's too fast for me.

Little gem

So Husband is messing around with his music and House of Pain's "Jump Around" comes blaring out of the computer speakers. So we are all dancing like fools and I tell Curly "You have to jump. Listen, he says so in the song" and we listen and hear the singer say "Jump, jump, jump...." so we jump. And jump. And jump. Through two playings of the song.

So all jumped out after 2 rotations, I resume unloading the groceries while they dance on. Quickly Curly is standing next to me asking "Mommy, for this song do we have to freeze?"

It took me a second to figure it out. We were listening to "Ice, Ice Baby".

Carnival Easter

There is, on a message board I visit, a phenomenon known as "Carnival Christmas." It is used for households where Christmas is worthy of, obviously, carnival like status. Wall to wall gifts, several big ticket items, a sense of the "give me's" as opposed to the season of giving. Carnival Christmas are roundly poo-pooed as over the top, unnecessary, and the opposite of the true meaning of the holiday.

It is on this same message board that I have seen shades of something I am calling Carnival Easter.

When I was a kid we had an Easter egg hunt in the morning. There were baskets sitting out with a chocolate bunny each, then we went 'round the house finding chocolate eggs and dyed eggs. The big treat was the allowance of the bunnies' ears before breakfast.

Now I hear tales of enormous baskets filled with gifts galore. Movies and Crocs and dolls and Legos and art supplies and cars and games and more are making their way into baskets across the country. The egg hunt has become secondary to what "stuff" awaits Easter morn. I even read about a kid who was getting a tricycle from the Easter Bunny. A tricycle!

I refuse. Easter is NOT the second coming of Christmas and the Easter Bunny is NOT Santa revisited. I may be guilty of bordering on Carnival Christmas each December, but my house will not participate in Carnival Easter.

I have 4 kids....My max is $7 per basket and that is generous and yes that does include the candy and the dye and the eggs. They will each get a container of bubbles, a chocolate bunny, a sticker book from the Dollar Tree and a new pool floaty, also from the Dollar Tree. Well, BabyGirl won't get that stuff. She'll get a sunhat and some biter biscuits or something.

They will have an egg hunt. I have plastic eggs left from last year. We fill some with candy, but a bulk of them have blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and grapes. My kids LOVE it and the berry eggs are often eaten first.

Then we will go and hang out with aunts and uncles and cousins and maybe have another small egg hunt and get a few more pieces of candy and have Easter dinner. Then we will come home, eat some chocolate bunny ears and go to bed.

It'll be a good day. And there won't be a carnival anywhere in sight.

I made it

Not one joke was played, not one trick was pulled. Yesterday Curly was plotting her April Fool's debauchery. I know because she was asking me about spiders and snakes, two things I don't like very much. Plus there was whispering and StinkyMan is at that fabulous age when a whisper is more like a quiet shout. I heard the plans and so I waited.

But it never came to pass. Neither one of them did a thing. I waited and it never happened.

Nothing they could have done would have been malicious, or probably even all that tricky. So instead I waited and watched so I could be appropriately shocked at their trickery.

Maybe the biggest trick of all was that. Let's keep Mommy on her toes all day and then do nothing. That's the best trick ever!

They're not sophisticated enough for that, right? RIGHT? But apparently I am stupid enough to fall for it, intentional or not.

StinkyMan did say something cute today, though. It's the first day of April and so he told his Grammy that "Today is April's birthday."

Cute, right? I KNOW!