Sophie made a startling announcement tonight as she got ready to camp out in my bed (the hubby is traveling and I’ve made it a tradition to let the girls hang out in our bed when he’s not around).
I asked her to get her stuffed animals and towels (old burp cloths that are to her what the blanket was to Linus) and she came back with her animal favorites, but no towels.
“Don’t you want your towels?” I asked. “No. They’re getting old.” “Don’t you think they’ll be lonely without you?” “Yes, but that’s ok. They’re old.” Wow. Those burp cloths have been a part of her life since I spawned her in the hospital.
When she made her pronouncement, I felt a pang of sadness. I’m getting older (ugh – almost 41) and that means my girls are getting older. I’m actually a bit traumatized that she might be ready to give those smelly old towels up. I’m going to have to take a photo of them for posterity.
As our annual weekend feasting with family draws to a close, I just want to say – yet again – how much I LOVE my girls. Everything about them. Even the annoying stuff (of which there’s quite a bit, if I’m being honest).
Another successful Thanksgiving – the girls have passed out after a day of gluttony and game-playing with aunts, uncles and cousins.
Today’s festivities didn’t disappoint. There was time to catch up with relatives we haven’t seen in a few months, time to help mom set up the new MacBook we (including my brother and his wife) got for her 65th birthday, time to cuddle with my little Sophie while watching “Chicken Little,” time to play dominoes with my big Chloe, and of course, time to eat and eat and eat until the buttons everyone’s pants started to burst.
I feel a little nauseous right now and I didn’t even eat as much as I have at past Thanksgiving meals. That was because I was busy chasing my girls around my mom’s apartment. In some cases it was just for fun. In other cases, it was because one or the other was upset about something (hey – when you’re at someone’s house for 8 hours, the kids are bound to go a little stir crazy). And when they are upset about something, I know that at least one positive thing will come of their consternation. In such cases, I almost always have the opportunity to tell them how much I love them and give them lots of hugs to prove it. And that, I must say, is priceless.
This year’s gingerbread house is a great success. The girls and Grammy worked on their masterpiece for a couple of hours this afternoon and managed to accomplish this miraculous feat without any outbursts.
I guess this means that holiday season is now in full swing. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving at mom’s, Friday is mom’s birthday (and bowling) and Saturday is the annual family party at our cousins’ house. Let the festivities begin!
My favorite thing to do in fall is eat as much candy
As I please.
Chloe was reluctant to let me use the poem for tonight’s blog entry, because she didn’t think the verse was any good. But I begged to differ with her – I think it’s one of her best attempts at rhyming poetry yet!
On a separate note, one more day to go at work before an extra-long holiday weekend. It would be an understatement to say that I am looking forward to a few days off. “Looking forward” just doesn’t cut it. I haven’t had a vacation since July. I CAN’T WAIT!
Yesterday, we hit the jackpot. Our pediatrician gave the girls their annual flu shots (tears and more tears) and their first dose of H1N1 nasal mist (that feels funny, mom!).
Chloe spent the entire day and part of this morning complaining about the soreness in her shoulder. Sophie, on the other hand, was simply knocked out today from what I think were the effects of the shot.
So – good news is that we took care of our parenting duties – for now. But the H1N1 vaccine requires another dose one month after the first one. Not sure how likely we’re to see that happen, but fingers crossed.
This is the thanks I get for flattering my daughter by asking her to pose for a photo. Lovely, isn’t it? A preview of what’s to come?
We returned to her new favorite supermarket today, where she diligently scanned all of our groceries. Had I known that all it would take to get her excited about something that is such a chore (at least to me), I would have invented my own scanner for home use.
Said scanner would be able to count chore points. So that every time Chloe accomplished a chore, she would scan the appropriate symbol for that chore (e.g., a vacuum for vacuuming, a sponge for cleaning the table, a fork for setting the table, etc.) and bling-bling, points counted. Once enough points are accumulated, a big dollar sign would appear on the screen, notifying her that it was time for her parents to give her the big bucks. And should said chores not be completed, she’d receive a mild electric shock that would piss her off just enough to encourage her to do the chore she initially refused to do.
I wonder if this is a patentable idea? I’ll have to ask my colleagues on Monday.
Chloe spent the last few days sculpting this lovely little figurine as a Hanukkah gift to her little sister. The first image shows a little girl, dressed in pink, of course, on a swing. The second photo shows the back of the tree, which is inhabited by a butterfly and a beehive. How amazing is this little piece of art? Chloe spent a lot of time on it, and I know Sophie will love it just as much as I do.
I tell you, my girls never cease to surprise me.
A Mom's Ramblings About the Marvels & Mishaps of Parenting, the Joys of Family Travel & the Writing Life
Sophie made a startling announcement tonight as she got ready to camp out in my bed (the hubby is traveling and I’ve made it a tradition to let the girls hang out in our bed when he’s not around).
