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!

Easy Dinner

Today was a lazy Saturday. I slept in, did the bare minimum in housework, played with the kids and before I knew it, it was dinner time.

Husband had locked himself upstairs in our room to watch baseball (Go Rangers!) so dinner was just for the kids and myself. And I wasn't hungry.

Fact #1- I'm not cooking a full on meal for four short people who probably won't like or appreciate most if it anyway.

Fact #2- It was late and I'd totally lapsed in the dinner prep department.

Fact #3- I'll do anything to avoid cooking.

So I went with a standby that my kids adore. I heated up some soup, then threw this in the middle of the table:

Then I just let them pick at it like a buffet of finger foods. They think it's super cool and it adds up to almost no cooking (except the soup) and very few dishes. Super easy, super healthy, super fun. Everybody wins!

It's a boy!

My friend Heather is going to have a baby boy after having 3 girls. I needed a good way to tell her she is in for an entirely different ride than with her daughters. I stood at my computer, chatting with her online, trying to think of what to say.

Just then, like a messenger of boyhood, StinkyMan arrived at my side and said "Hey Mommy! Look at this! I can lick my armpit!" He then proceeded to do exactly that.

Congratulations, Heather. This is what you have to look forward to.