Vacationin' (Or some other word that's actually a word.)

I hate to go a whole week without publishing something on here.  It's like some sort of assignment I've given myself.  Maybe I'm the only person who does that kind of thing...  That would not surprise me at all.

Either way, this will be brief because, well, I'm on vacation. 

At the Happiest Place on Earth.

Where Dreams Come True.

And where, apparently, at some point my kids modeled without my knowledge for the safety signs posted on half of the rides around here.  No, no, not the one where they're sitting calmly side-by-side on the seat...the other one.  What not to do.  The flailing limbs half out of the vehicle.  Yes.  That one.  Those are Ben and Abby.  True to size and character.

Our little Tasmanian devil (aka Sarah) is spending the long week with her Grammie & other loving folks from my better half's precious hometown.

More on this later...

In the meantime, I'll sum up with this -

We're having an awesome time.  

See?

Hahahaha - no really, we are (not sure what happened in that particular picture). 

I don't want this to end.  It's been amazing.  And I promise (because I know you're dying to hear the recap) to come back and give you lots of unimportant details about our time at Walt Disney World. 

Another day. 

Until then...

[Slightly sweaty] Disney Greetings from my family to yours.

I'll be off counting fanny packs.  I'm up to 1,294.  Nope, wait!  The blue shirted lady on the right has one...1,295.  Sweet - might hit 1500 by the week's end!

Simple Pleasures - Homework, Really?

A couple of weeks ago, Ben came home with a baggie of soil, a styrofoam cup, and a couple of seeds. The instructions were to simply plant the seed, watch the seed sprout, document its growth, and bring it in to class  to present the plant at a "coffee house" for parents.

Well...let's just say that Ben has inherited his mother's brown thumb.

Houston, we have no germination.

Instead we have an empty, sad, styrofoam cup.

I realized this a few days ago, too late to do anything about it.  After thinking on it for a few days, that old adage came to me - the one that says something like the only time failure is a failure is if you don't learn something from it.  (This was after I considered digging up a plant sprout from our weed bed back yard and transplanting it into the cup, but that just didn't feel right.) So, I suggested to Ben that since he didn't have a plant to show off at the coffee house, maybe he could research and present some reasons why his seed may not have grown.

He was all over it.

I would even go so far as to say he was delighted to do it.  He set up a station at the kitchen table and while I went to scrounge up some flower stickers, he had already gotten as far as #4 before I could tell him how to correctly spell "enough".  (Side note:  I remember not knowing how to spell this exact word in 3rd grade.  I raised my hand and asked my teacher.  She said, "Just sound it out."  I was furious.  I knew that didn't work with "enough".  I spelled it "enuf", and I was mad as fire until I found out the correct spelling.  Type A much?)  It was almost exciting for me to watch him make his little presentation.

After he made his poster about why seeds don't grow, he moved on to researching various types of seeds, including acorns and pine cones, which we were able to find in our yard and at church.  (Thanks to procrastinating, these were our only seed collections.)  We wiki'd and googled and found out some fun facts about these two types of seeds.  Then, he wanted to research bees, but it was already late and I didn't want him monopolizing show-n-tell time.

Maybe we'll research bees later today.

Because hanging out with my boy, doing schoolwork, and seeing the twinkle in his eye as he soaked it all up is my simple pleasure this week.

Although, for the life of me, I have no idea why he referred to me as "mother".  This is a first - and I hope not a common thing.  I much prefer Mommy at this stage of life...

And while we're on the subject of homework, I'm throwing in a bonus simple pleasure - because my four year old, Abby, who emulates her big brother so much, takes it upon herself to do her own "homework" and adorn our fridge with it.  Seeing them have a passion for learning (and coloring in the lines) is just priceless.

 

Join us at Dayle's Simple Pleasures Party on A Collection of This and That.

What's Wednesday without more ways to know you're a mom?

In an effort to entertain two girls with no nap at a work-function held at the local Aviation Museum, you pose the question, "You think you can fit under that airplane?"  You had no idea it would turn into a near hour of crawling underneath every real, live airplane on the grounds.  It worked.  Score one for Mom.

After pulling the most serious, dangerous stunt of her life in the Kroger parking lot, you interrogate your four year old as to why she decided to stop in the middle of the main road while crossing the parking lot and start wiggling maniacally.  Her response?  "I just wanted to dance."  I guess when the mood hits you...

You find yourself feebly trying to catch up on your Bible study "homework" amid a seven year old reading Shel Silverstein poems out loud, a four year old interjecting random questions like, "Will you turn Barney on for Sarah?" and "Can I have some Smores Goldfish?", and a toddler who thinks that you laying on your stomach on the floor with your Bible and workbook is an invitation to bounce on your back like a rodeo cowgirl.  Somehow, you suspect that is not what Beth Moore had in mind for your quiet meditation..

Speaking of Goldfish, they're a snack not taken lightly in your house.  Its fine dining, requiring a "table" and chairs.  Luckily, the table is on wheels so they can move it to the location of their choosing.  In this photo, their room of choice is right in the middle of the kitchen.

You beam with pride at your four year old when during her first soccer practice ever, she and her big blond ponytail bounced up and down with excitement every time she completed her assigned task.

Speaking of her hair, you feel it would best be described by the adjective phrase "Out of this world" - see photo and decide for yourself.

Your girls' baby doll (you say it this way because you have no idea which one it actually belongs to, and they both claim it on a daily basis) is a constant companion on the playground - often getting to go first down the slide and test out the swings with what can only be described as a look of sheer terror on her little painted-on face.

 

Your toddler's vocabulary is growing every day, but usually you have to interpret on her behalf for everyone who doesn't spend all day with her.  One word she does say perfectly clear, however, is "sausage".  That's Mommy's little carnivore.

You remember when it would have terrified you if your son was swinging without holding on.  Now, you just snap a picture.  And time marches on.

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a toddler standing inches from your face shouting, "Milk!!!  CUP!!!  PLEASE!!!" wayyyyyy before you were planning to get up?

*******************

You may have guessed by now that the job offer did not come through.  I found the news out on Monday.  I'm bummed, but this is not the end of the world, and I know that.  Obviously, this was not what God wanted for me at this point.  Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers.  Maybe this is my "sign"...that I need to stay home for the summer and spend way too much time in the kiddie pool and sucking down popsicles.  It's sounding better and better every time I say it.

What's next, you might ask?  Well...  We're going to Disneyworld! 

No.  Really.  We're going to Disneyworld for spring break.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes when we return!  Until then...hope you all are well!  And thanks, as always, for reading.

And just a share because I really love this picture -

 

Okay, signing off, for real this time...

Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh Dora

I know I've proclaimed my love for the public library before.  I believe I've also mentioned Abby's method for choosing books, which is to select only ones with pink and/or purple spines.  (For as tomboy-ish as I am, she balances me out in girly-ness.)  I don't think I've talked about my general disdain for all things "character".  Winnie the Pooh, Power Rangers, Nickelodeon characters, Disney Princesses.  Not a fan.  I mean, I like the shows (excepting Power Rangers), but I'm just not a fan of plastering the stuff all over our house, kids' clothes & toys, and the food in our pantry.

Obviously, there are exceptions.  It happens.  My kids have been eating Dora fruit snacks because they were practically free at Kroger a couple of weeks ago.  We have a Barbie scooter for Abby because it was the cheapest deal we could find on Black Friday this year.  Ben & Abby each have a character umbrella that they were out singing in the rain with last week. 

And then there are the books...

That come from the library (and grandparents)...

Most recently it was Dora Saves Mermaid Kingdom.

We got 5 books per kid.  Abby decided to read this one exclusively at every opportunity.  The other four books are equally pink, but probably much better books.

Who am I to judge?  I've never had a children's book published.  I am not the multi-million dollar creative genius behind Dora the Explorer, who is clearly doing something right to be so successful.  I just have three kids to whom I have read nine bajillion books. And then there's the fact that I was a kid once who devoured books not unlike The Incredible Book-Eating Boy. 

So maybe I'm qualified to judge a little.

It's just that this particular book was terrible.  I mean.  Just awful.  To the point that it left me scratching my head after the first time I read it.  And of course, Abby wanted to read it every waking minute until we returned it to the library today.  We read it so many times the first couple of days that she memorized it and read it back to me time after time after time.

It was the longest two weeks of my life.

Now, I will share with you the basic plot of the story - with pictures.  So that you can all become a little bit dumber, just as I have.

It starts out with a giant clam telling a story about the mermaid kingdom to Dora & Boots on "Clean Up the Beach Day".  One day, a mermaid named Mariana found a magic crown that would grant her one wish.  It was perfect timing considering an evil octopus had recently taken to dumping boatloads full of garbage onto the mermaid kingdom.  Unfortunately, just as she was about to put the crown on, a wave swept it away.  Drat.

Okay, so is this as random to anyone else at this point as it was to me?  Why was the clam telling this story?  Why is an octopus driving a garbage boat and using a crane to dump said garbage into the water?  Don't octopi live in the ocean as well?  A little self-defeating, don't you think?  And is the octopus wearing a tin can for a hat?  What's up with that?

After a wave washes the crown (corona) right into the hands of Dora and Boots, they decide to deliver it to Mariana.  They consult with Map (of course).  He guides them on their way with stops on Pirate Island where Dora and Boots have to do the Coconut Conga to get past the coconutty trees (that little iteration is courtesy of Abby).  The pirate pigs teach them how to do the wiggle.  There's a joke about sweating like a pig here, probably.  It's lost on me today.

 

So, pirate pigs?  That's weird too, right?  I can't lie.  This was my favorite part of the book.  I like the idea of having to "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" past crazy trees.

Made it past Pirate Island and they now have to get across the Silly Sea, which is comprised of a bunch of fish-tailed animals that are not ordinarily found in the water.   The interactive Dora asks the reader what they could ride on to get past the silly sea animals.  The correct answer is...the dolphins, which Diego helps summon by saying "squeak, squeak!"

  

The first time we read this, my four year old answered with the obvious answer - "The jetski!"  Sorry, hun, that makes too much sense for a Dora book.  The "right" answer is that you have to ride on a dolphin while Diego laughs at you from his waverunner.

After all the hard work, they made it to the mermaid kingdom where they were almost able to deliver the crown to Mariana, but they were too late!  The evil (another iteration from Abby - the actual adjective used was "mean") octopus threw a net on her.  She slipped the crown to Dora who put it on and turned into a mermaid - a mermaid who had one wish!  Of course, she wished to clean up the mermaid kingdom.

 

The story could have ended here and it would have been great.  The end.  But nooooo...

After using her solitary wish to clean up the mermaid kingdom, there's still trash all over, so she enlists the help of the other mermaids to clean up.  Everyone say, "Clean up time!"

 

Worst wish-granting EVER.  If I used my wish to clean something up and then still had to come behind and finish the job I would be ticked.  It'd be like pulling into a full-service gas station, but still having to get out and pump your own gas.  Uhhhh....  Total waste of a wish, if you ask me.  She should have definitely tried for something better and let Mariana use her wish on cleaning up the mermaid kingdom.

They rescue Mariana from the net and turn it on the evil octopus who vows to take his trash to the dump instead of pouring it atop Mermaid Kingdom.  Dora turns back into a person when Mariana "needs" her crown back.  Then, Mariana gives Dora a magic mermaid necklace so that she can come visit anytime. 

The End

I don't think it was really Mariana's crown to begin with, seeing as how she had just found it when the wave washed it out of her grip, but she was sure quick to demand it back.  Selfish.  I find it strange too that the mermaid has in her possession things that can magically transform normal people into mermaids on a whim, but has no power to stop a water-creature from operating a trash crane.  


Or maybe I just think about things too much.  (No, that couldn't possibly be it.)

In all seriousness, I like silly.  I like taking imaginative liberties.  But, I also like things to have some semblance of making logical sense.  Is that really too much to ask?

How to Know You're a Mom - #74

You've hidden from your children.  Not in a fun, hide-and-seek kind of way, but in a genuine I-hope-they-don't-find-me kind of way.  Maybe you heard one of them snatch a toy from another one.  Then you overheard the resulting "I'm telling Mommy", at which point you tuck yourself behind the nearest recliner and hope it blows over.  Of course, this backfires because kids don't give up.  Now you have to listen to them cry "Mommy!  Mommy!  Mommy!"  at increasingly louder intervals for as long as you remain hidden.

Your two older kids disappear during a rain storm and instead of panicking, you note that the umbrellas are missing and you look out the front door to see them happily lallygagging around the cul de sac as if putting on some sort of suburban street performance of Singin' in the Rain.  (Then your toddler jumps out in the rain to play with a water gun...how apt.)

You realize there is hope for your free-spirited four year old when, every day at "school time", she sits down and happily colors and engages you in relevant number and letter discussions.  The bonus is that she's setting such a great example for her wild baby sister.

After passing out an after-school snack and watching the kids devour it in 3 seconds flat, you casually say, "Man, I have some hungry kids."  This prompts your four year old to ask, "Mommy, why do you have kids?"  You tell her its because you love kids.  She further presses, "But why do you have a lot of kids?"  I guess Abby has decided that three kids is plenty.

You remember playing with paper dolls and Barbies.  Your four year old likes both of them okay, but she prefers to play dress up with her very own, live baby sister.

Just like when you could distinguish between your newborns' hungry, tired, and wet/poopy cries, you have a similar scream-diagnosis process for your toddler.  Only, the categories are a little different now -

• Someone larger than her snatched a toy out of her hand and her only defense is to scream.
• She attempted and failed at executing a dangerous stunt and now lies injured in an unknown location somewhere in the house.
• She is actually squealing with happiness, but it sounds like she's crying.  Girls...

It's not unusual at all for one of your children to walk into the room carrying a bag of half-eaten marshmallows that looks like it's been opened by a rat or a goat.  They must think that eating three bites of rice at dinner time means they have earned half a bag of marshmallows for dessert.

When you thought the kids were nestled snugly in their beds, you turned on some good, guilty-pleasure network television.  Lo and behold, your four year old walked through the room the one and only time a naked person walked across the screen, censored with a black block.  Of course, it captured her attention, but instead of asking the obvious (i.e. - Why is he naked?) she said, "Hahaha!  That man has a rectangle hiney!"  Phew.  Thanks for defusing that situation, kiddo.

You walk into a room to find your four year old dancing obnoxiously in her underwear.  You giggle, of course, and shake your hips along with her, at which point, she stops smiling and chastises you for daring to dance with your clothes on.  Maybe the censored butt made an impression on her after all...

You inquire of your four year old as to your toddler's whereabouts and she replies, "She's not being bad."  And in the end, isn't that what you wanted to know anyway?

A Little Face Lift

Every once in a while Saturday morning rolls around with nary a plan in sight, and Sam and I look at each other and say, "What are we going to do this weekend?" 

Usually the answer is some sort of overzealous home improvement project.

This past weekend was no exception.

We tiled the last remaining room in our home with vinyl floors. 

The Laundry Room.

I'll be brief with words and heavy on pictures.  Because it's late and I really, really need not be up until 1am (again) tonight.

Honestly, the black and white checkered look isn't bad.  I would like it if it matched anything else in our house, and our "theme" weren't neutral browns - plain and simple (read: boring) like me and Sam.

 

I got really into demolition - something about tearing things apart is so fulfilling to me.

 

Tiles mortared.  That's the hard part.  No really.  Sam and I are still sore from squatting all day for two days.

 

Then the fun part - grouting and cleaning.  Hahaha - poor Sam with a sponge.

 

And....finished.  Woot, woot.  

 

I also took a picture of the empty dryer top and the lack of clothes hanging on the rack because it is likely that this will be the only time other than the day we moved in that my laundry room will look like this.

I should add here (because I'm proud of being cheap) that this project was funded solely with credit card rewards (you can scold me for using credit cards, if you want).  We also got a tremendous deal because we reused the tile left over from our major bathroom renovation and were able to supplement it with the same tile that just so happened to be 15% off at Lowe's last weekend.  (And they let us use our 10% off Lowe's coupon on top of it.  Woo hoo!)

When we finished, Abby said, "It is soooo beautiful in the laundry room."

Thanks, sweetie.  (Take a picture - it's not going to last.)

Since I was on a roll, I went ahead and gave the blog a face lift too.  I promise to fix the white lettering over on the sidebar, but let me know what else about it you just don't like.  I'll work on it! 

And I will be back very shortly with some Mom Things...  What in the world would you do without those?

Quotable Quotes

If I were the repetitive, boring type, I would automatically post a Flashback Friday.

I actually am the repetitive, boring type.  But today, I'm sharing a few of the ridiculous quotes my kids entertained me with last Friday.  Kind of a flashback, but an unofficial one at best.

I make the rules up as I go.  In life and on this blog.  That's no secret.

Last Friday, as the hours were winding down toward the end of Sam's work day, and the end of a very-long-week in the life of a woman thrust into the trenches of stay-at-home-mom-dom, I was completely and utterly exhausted.  If you recall, last week, I cried.  It was the culmination of a non-sleeping toddler, a sassy seven year old, and an unusually good four year old (Thanks, Abby), who had apparently gotten together and decided to play "Tag!" when it came to deciding whose turn it was to be bad.  Momentary brag alert - My kids are awesome.  They really aren't bad.  Frustrating, strong-willed, and busy busy busy, maybe.  But they aren't bad.  Last week was just one of those off weeks.  For them and me.

So by Friday, I cried.

Then I decided to turn my frown upside down.  Because, honestly, the little humans who share this house with me are awesome.  And part of their awesomeness is their accidental hilarity.

The phrase - You have to laugh to keep from crying - comes to mind.  That was last Friday for me.  (I don't "do" exhaustion well, folks.  I confess.)  Though, I often strive to do that daily.  It's a good way to live.  After all, laughter is the best medicine, right?  (Sleep is a close second.)

Anyway, around 3:30pm last Friday, I decided to write down the ridiculously funny things my kids had said and done to make me smile that day.  And here they are for you - though, looking at them now - they were probably just funny because I was tired.  You be the judge.

As usual, I will take whatever liberties I need to in order to properly explain the joke.

[Pssst, Jennie, be quiet and get to the quotes.]

From Ever-Random Abby

[As I sat hunched over the laptop on the floor] What are you doing?  Texting?

Hilarious.  We don't text.  We live in the stone age.  The fact that she somehow still knows that texting exists cracked me up.  Though, it's obvious she doesn't know what it actually is, seeing as how it takes a phone and not a computer.

 

Hey Mommy, your rules are disgusting.  And besides, I don’t like your voice.

I know I should have been upset about this, but she said it with a smile.  I think the delivery was the  best part.  She had no idea what she was talking about.  

How long until we get to Grammies?  Twenty minutes?  Because that would be awful.

How about we're staying home this weekend with no plans to go to Grammie's house?  It's going to be A LOT longer than 20 minutes.

I never got dessert after we ate at Logan’s.

Well that was four days ago, Abby, and as much as I hate to break it to you, we can't save up the times we were deprived dessert and cash them in later.  (That's totally what she was trying to do.)

Abby, who do you want to see at Disney World?
The sea witch who steals Ariel’s throat.

Of all the characters in all the Disney and Pixar movies combined, she picks Ursula to seek out at Disneyworld.  And yikes, she stole Ariel's throat?  That sounds a little graphic.  (Told you she didn't know what a voice was.)

Abby (on the way to soccer evaluations:  What team am I going to be on?
Me:  We’ll find out when they tell us.
Abby:  I want to be on the Pom-Poms.
Me:  Is that a team?  Who told you about it?
Abby:  I know about soccer.  I play it ALL DAY.

True story, the evaluation is the first time she'd even touched a soccer ball.  She sank every shot on goal.  Maybe she plays it all day in her dreams?

What do you want to do today, Abby?
Play and eat ice cream.

Now THAT sounds like a plan.

Abby (from the back seat on the way to Dunkin' Donuts for a much needed coffee for Mom):  Can I have a donut?
Me:  No, because you already had candy.
Abby:  Oh.  Well I didn’t want the candy.

If only it worked that way....

Why am I talking like this?

 

From Sometimes Silly, Sometimes Serious Sarah

Don’t crying, Mommy. 

It was a sweet attempt at consoling me from inside her crib as she refused to go to sleep.  The incorrectness of it made me smile...through the tears.

Me (showing her a banana):  What’s this, Sarah?
Sarah:  NANNY!

This was the first time she ever called it that.  It used to be "nana".  And she cried out "Nanny!" as if she was being reunited with a long-lost friend.  

From the Usually Intelligent Ben

Background - Our entire family was resting on pillows, covered in blankets, on the living room floor.  Ben announced that he was really going to sleep so everyone needed to be quiet.  We didn't heed his instructions.

At which point he asked...

I thought I was a heavy sleeper.  So why do I still hear everything?

Oh Ben.  Probably because you are still AWAKE.

I'm delighted to report that this week went much better.  My sweet Samuel let me take a ridiculously long nap on Sunday, at which point I woke up to a spotless house.  And while that was awesome, he had managed to do in 3 hours what I had failed to do in a whole week.  I'm wondering if this stay-at-home mom thing is for me, after all. 

Thanks to everyone who interceded and wished me luck on the interview.  It went well.  It felt like more of a chit-chat than an interview.  The men who work there are as good as gold, but I know that I have stiff competition.  It is highly probable that I have the least experience in the group of interviewees.  Whatever will be will be.  I'll hopefully find out sometime next week.

Happy Friday, everyone!  Have a very blessed weekend!

Simple Pleasure - Looking Up

I already knew what my simple pleasure was going to be this week.  What I didn't know was that this morning at Bible study, I would find the words to accompany the photos that I've been storing up for a while now.

I'm not exactly sure why I started noticing the sunsets and the clouds in the sky to the extent that I do, but I do remember when.  Back in the fall, on my drive home I spent the majority of my commute on a long, straight 55 mph road with soybean and cotton fields on both sides and pine trees off on the distance.  At 5 o'clock, the sun was reaching the tops of the pine trees on its descent into nighttime and it yielded the most spectacular colors and displays.  It became something I looked forward to every afternoon.

Now, even though I don't have the commute, I still have the sunset...and the morning sun and the afternoon sun.  And those beautiful clouds and hues.

This morning, Beth Moore was discussing one of David's psalms (Psalm 19) as it hailed God's revelation through nature.

 ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.

She discussed "the paradox of inaudible noise."  Through which, though no words are spoken, the sun comes up in the morning and screams out the praises of the Creator.  It shines a light on this world that illuminates the interconnectedness of every single thing on this planet that is so far beyond our comprehension.

Romans 1:20 says this:

²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  (New Living Translation)

Today, the majesty of God's most brilliant artwork - that changes every single morning, noon, and night in a new and delightful way - is my simple pleasure.

 

This is a midday sun, trying to peek out from a blanket of clouds...

...which made way for this...a beautiful blue clearing.  I love that.

One of these days, I wholeheartedly intend to capture a sunrise.  We'll see...

In the meantime, I will continue to marvel at these sights and plead with my kids to look out the window/up at the sky/on the horizon.  You don't have to look far for beauty.  It is most certainly all around us.

My assignment for you is to take the time to notice it...right now, tonight, tomorrow morning.  Just sometime.  Extra credit if you lie on your back in the grass and look for cloud shapes.  There are no two ways around it...God's artwork is amazing (and - bonus - completely free). 

Linking up today with Dayle for her Simple Pleasures Party.  I triple dog dare you to go read some more.

'Cuz Moms You're Amazing...Just the Way You Are.

Even your toddler has gotten in on the Mom-Can't-Sing joke when, after hearing you sing your heart out to LeeAnne Rimes' "Blue", she asks from the back seat, "Where's the cow?"  (It might help to explain that for some reason your toddler thinks cows say "Boooo!" not "Moo."  But really, you are just that bad at singing.)

While it's sweet that your four year old dressed her baby sister in a matching outfit to go play, you don't exactly appreciate the white bottoms on a slightly muddy playground.  If ever there were a time for white bottoms on young girls, that would not be it.

You love that your seven year old eats, sleeps, and breathes being outside.  And you especially love the joy on his face when he's doing all those little-boy-things-he's-supposed-to-be-doing like jumping off the swing at max height.

You also love that your carefree four year old would spend all day every day on those same swings.  Your favorite part is how her hair blows all crazy-like in the breeze.  Whoa.

Your four year old has taken to responding to every inquiry with a lackadaisical, "Sure.  That's fine."  No matter how important the answer might be.  For instance, "Abby, do you want to go to Disney World?"  You guessed it..."Sure.  That's fine."  (I hate to know what it might take to actually impress her.)

It occurred to you the other day that your oldest hasn't missed a single day of school this year and you filled with pride at his oh-so-strong immune system.  As soon as those thoughts crossed your brain you expelled them, knowing full well your moment of pride likely just jinxed him with a bout of mono or a freak fever of unknown origin.

You ask your four year old, who is going through an unprecedented helpful phase, to put her baby sister's old milk cup in the sink for you, to which she responds, "Okay.  I know I'm your favorite."  While you're sure you have never said that to any of your kids, at least she's agreeable...and knows she's loved?

When you find your toddler dancing in the kitchen to the timer on the oven, you immediately come up with her new anthem, "The Rhythm is Going to Get You."

Despite all of your attempts to pass on your disdain for cats to your children, it turns out they love them.  Passionately.  Which just goes to show that free will is real, friends.

Your flip video camera provides constant entertainment whenever the kids get their hands on it.  It also provides incriminating video of your kids doing things you  had no idea ever happened.  Like the time your four year old apparently gave Pop Rocks to your toddler and then video taped it.  (Seriously, when did this happen?  Obviously, before Sam cleaned up the living room...)

When your four year old girl sank every. single. shot. on goal at her soccer evaluation and your seven year old boy didn't, you thought it might cause familial strife.  You were wrong.  Phew.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  

(P.S. - I have a big interview this afternoon for a job that I truly think could be the next big thing.  If you would, please pray that they like me more than the other interviewees.  Just kidding...  Kind of.)