Comments

I have been thinking that no one has wanted to comment on my blog, and that is apparently untrue. For whatever reason the comment box was not working. I am not computer savvy, but my friend AnnaMae's husband is and he has fixed it for me. So if you've got something to say, now you can say it. Thanks Jordan!

Time

I am sitting here, in the quiet, on a Saturday. A rare occasion. Curly is out with her Auntie M, StinkyMan and Daddy went out for some boy time, Peanut is napping and BabyGirl is right here in my lap, snoring (she did, alas, catch the stupid cold the other kids have had.) And so I am typing with one hand.

I could be doing a lot of things. I could be folding the mountain of clean clothes in the laundry room. I could be unloading the dishwasher. I could be cleaning the kitchen or the bathrooms. I could be sorting through the closets, ditching the things that have been outgrown or worn out.

I am a bit of a bad homemaker. I fully admit it. I was decently good at it before kids. Probably because the mess and dirt were minimal then. But 6 years ago, with the birth of Curly, my shot at Domestic Engineer of the Year went out the window.

But I am looking at my sleeping baby and I know these times won't last. There will be a Saturday when they are all out, off with friends or various sports practices and I will be sitting here, in the quiet, wondering where the baby years went. I am reminded of the old poem:

I hope that my child, looking back on today

will remember a mother who had time to play.

Because children grow up while you're not looking.

There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.

So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.

I'm nursing my baby and babies don't keep.

And so I sit, holding my youngest. I know these days will be gone too soon.

I'm so not ready for this

I have been informed by another Kindergarten mom that there is a girl in Curly's class who has started a club. For anonymity's sake (and because I don't out my kids, so I can't out someone else's) we will call her Suzy. Apparently Suzy has started The Suzy Club. There are 4 members, including Suzy, but it is clear that Suzy is the club boss. She decides if the other girls are allowed to go get drinks during recess. She decides if they can go potty. If she needs a napkin she tells one of the other girls to run and get one for her. You get the idea.

Now, before you judge Other Mother for gossiping about a child, she was talking to me about this because her daughter is in The Suzy Club. Other Mother had some concerns. Her daughter was coming home thirsty, her daughter nearly wet her pants one day because she hadn't gone to the restroom at school. Other Mother spoke to her daughter about maybe finding some new friends to play with, but daughter was concerned that Suzy would be angry with her. Other Mother wanted to know if Curly was aware of said club or if Curly had mentioned anything about it.

Truth be told, no she had not. I knew nothing of The Suzy Club. And when I first heard the word "club", my first thoughts, which are undoubtedly left over from my own childhood social anxieties, were "But why isn't Curly in the club? Why don't those girls want to be friends with my baby?" But upon listening further and discovering that the members of The Suzy Club are all the quietest and most passive girls in Curly's class, and that's it's more of a "be my friend so I can boss you around" situation, I was quite glad and maybe a little proud even that my daughter was not one of the victims, er members. The club, complete with a cheer (think sports team huddle with "GOOOOOOOOOOO Suzy's Club!) seems less of a club and more of Suzy having figured out whom she could be nasty to and who would do her bidding. A junior mean girl. A queen bee in training.

Other Mother has alerted the teacher (apparently Other Mother personally witnessed some of the behavior when she volunteered in the classroom.) Mrs. Teacher has assured Other Mother that she will watch and take care of it.

I did ask Curly about it. She said "Me and Other Mother's daughter are going to start our own club. The Suzy Club isn't very fun so we're going to start 'The Nice Fun Club' and everyone can be in it."

That's my girl! Sadly I know it won't always be that easy. And I am so not ready.

Somebody in Texas loves me

Or at least, she likes my blog. My friend Gretchen plays Bunko (Bunco?) with her and she told Gretchen she reads my blog. So thanks for reading, friend of friend. It's nice to know you are here. I feel giddy that I have a fan!

Love amongst the mess

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching the subject of love is on my mind. I was watching Peanut eat her breakfast this morning, making a giant mountain of scone crumbles on her tray and thinking that at no other age from here out is this type of behavior even remotely amusing. But love makes it tolerable during toddlerdom. So I said "I love you, Peanut" and she looked right at me, clapped her hands and said "YAY!"

I'm going to pretend she was cheering because I love her and not because her Mt. Scone project was finally finished.

BLISS

They have gone back to school. It's just me and the little girls and they are still asleep. The TV is off. The only sound in the house is the tappity tap of my keyboard. Curly practically dove into her carpool this morning and Stinkyman was so keyed up that he refused to eat breakfast in an effort to get to school faster. I'm so glad they were excited to go back.

But I'm even more glad that they went!

2 birds with one stone....kind of

2 things we are not currently short of in this house are pink eye and coloring markers. See, 3 of the 4 have pink eye. Only BabyGirl remains white eyed (well and blue too, but that's normal). We also have every kind of marker imaginable and I think Curly's birthday sent the Crayola people into overdrive. We have Color Surge markers, Fancy Nancy markers, Princess markers, markers with dual tip, markers with fine tips, marker with fat tips, markers with paint tips and markers with stampers on the other end.

I have been cooped up in this house with pink eyed kid for days. And days. And days. I have been administering drops and breast milk to the eyes like you cannot imagine. And in an effort to avoid an abundance of TV, we have been coloring A LOT.

So today, Peanut found a marker and colored Babygirl's eyes while she slept in the bouncy chair. She was quite pleased with herself. I was less pleased. But she said "All better" when she finished, so I guess in almost 2 year old world markers to the eyes = pink eye remedy.

So now, Baby Girl should be immune to pink eye and I got to throw one marker away. Everyone wins!