Category Archives: Frazzled Working Mom’s Fleeting Moments (2007-2013)

How to Make Chloe Laugh

Surefire ways to make Chloe giggle:

(1) Use foul language

(2) Talk about how we used to get her to eat her vegetables when she was little by asking her to eat “3 more” and then when she finished the 3 veggies, asking her to eat “3 more” and on and on.   Kids are suckers when they can’t yet count.  
(3) Burp out loud.  She laughs even harder when she’s the one doing the burping.
(4) Tickle her feet.
(5) Make up funny songs and poems.
(6) Dance a funny dance that involves shaking one’s booty.
How Chloe makes herself laugh:
(1) Tormenting her little sister.  And she still laughs, even if we threaten to punish her…which I suppose doesn’t say much about our parenting skills.
(2) Bugging her mom with the help of her Papa.
(3) Giving wet willies to her parents.
(4) Calling farts ‘atomic stink bombs.’
(5) Spinning herself into a dizzy frenzy.
Sophie’s list to follow tomorrow.

I Like this Junk!

Sophie was at a birthday party this afternoon and there was a pinata.  Filled with candy.  What followed was a stampede of 3- and 4-year old kids.  Sophie almost missed out as she got tossed around by her camarades.  But she’s nothing if not resilient.  She managed to grab a couple of treats, including a multi-colored Twizzler candy, dyed in Easter pastel tones.

Boy, was she happy when she saw that candy.  I told her it was junk.  She asked permission to eat it.  I told her I wasn’t sure she’d like it, but that she could try.  With a sh*t-eating grin on her face, she ecstatically put the forbidden food in her mouth.  
And on the way home, this was her happy refrain:  “I like this junk, Mom!”  

It’s Feeling More Like Spring

It was relatively warm today, for the second day in a row.  Two

consecutive warm days is a sure sign that spring is finally settling in.  
Chloe and a friend went to the playground, where she rode her bike and he rode his scooter.  They also frolicked in the backyard, with Sophie close on their heels – she loves it when  Chloe has friends over to play.
I went to get a manicure and the place was packed.  Another sure sign that the warmer weather is just about here to stay.  The change in the weather puts me in a much better mood.  That, and the fact that we’re only three weeks away from Disney…
We’ve started to talk about camp for Chloe – we need to decide what she’s going to do this summer.  It will be a mish-mosh of activities for her – along with time spent at the swim club.  It’s hard to think so far ahead, but we don’t want to miss the boat on getting her enrolled.  Having her home for the summer would be disastrous.  For everyone.
Chloe received her report card yesterday.  Stellar, as usual.  And Chloe is also teaching Sophie some of her letters.  Which is great, because until recently, Sophie didn’t want to practice writing them.  But thanks to Chloe, now she doesn’t mind.  She was doing her “homework” coloring page today, and eagerly started drawing the letter “b” all by herself.  I used to have to help her to write, and the fact that she now wants to do it on her own is likely due to Chloe’s encouragement.  
  

chloe still does not have a poem


When I’m feeling lazy and don’t have a good subject to write about, I turn to ever-reliable Chloe who, as all of you know, often provides poetic content for this blog.  But as you can see from the title of this entry, Chloe does not have a poem this evening.

She did, however, come up with the title, which she typed herself (and which is why it’s not properly capitalized). (which is my mom’s fault). While we’re on the subject of Chloe, I noticed that she’s been learning quite a lot of math this year.  Not only is she adding and subtracting large numbers, but she’s learned about fractions and today she’s taking the next step in geometry – calculating a perimeter.  I don’t remember how old I was when I learned these things, but it certainly seems as though this year was a banner year for math progress.
Chloe just intercepted my computer (which by the way is something very rude to say) again to add a couple of strategically placed parentheticals – laying the blame on me for her errors.  Chloe is very good at laying blame and I think she inherited the “it’s not my fault” genes from my father.   
Chloe’s habit of grabbing my computer to add her two cents to this blog entry is quickly getting tiresome!  But she’s laughing and thinks it’s very funny.  I do, too.  Thanks for tonight’s contributions, Chloe!

Another Monday

“They’re dancing!  They’re married!”  I’m waiting for “24” to start and have “Dancing with the Stars” on TV.  Sophie is delaying her bedtime, and upon seeing one of the couples with their fake tans, she was very excited.  
For Sophie, if a man and a woman are holding hands, that must mean they’re married.  Life is really simple when you’re 3.  Sophie came home from school today with her writing samples.  The letters E, P and Z.  She was very proud of her penmanship.
In the midst of the crappy economy, we finalized plans for our special hubby and wife vacation in July.  Scaled back the grand dreams of a five-star luxury escape since we’re taking the trip to Disney in April, and decided to go on another cruise.  Got a great deal and unlike the cruise we took with the girls two years ago, this time we won’t have to split forces to take care of our little ones.  We can both lose money playing blackjack together.

Follow the Leader

It was another beautiful pre-spring day and when I came home from work, Chloe asked to go for a walk.  Never one to refuse a request by my sedentary children to move their legs, we took a lovely stroll around the block, inviting one of Sophie’s little friends and her mom to join us.

Join us they did.  And Chloe, ever preparing for her future as the neighborhood babysitter, proceeded to teach the two 3-year olds how to play “Follow the Leader.”  And for a while, it worked like gangbusters.  They were jumping like frogs, skipping like stones and running like the wind.  Until Sophie decided that she didn’t feel like listening to her big sister anymore.
I love the spring.  I love my girls.  I love when they play together in harmony, even when it lasts for mere minutes.