Snails

The girls have become fascinated with snails. Though I'm not crazy about the critters, I have no "flowerbed" so to speak of (thank you Crazy Cat Lady next door) that they could devour, so for the most part I just leave them be. They've become a source of endless amusement for my girls though. The same poor 3 snails get mauled repeatedly - slid off whatever they happened to be climbing at the time and plopped unceremoniously into a bug catcher.

You may think I'm unhinged for allowing, nay, even encouraging, my girls to play with snails. As long as they wash their hands when they come inside or before they have a snack, I really don't see the harm. Have you ever placed one in a clear plastic container & just watched it? The undulating muscles of its pseudopod (read - big, slimy foot) is amazing to watch & their faces, with the long eye stalks & shorter I-don't-know-what stalks can almost look expressive. But I digress...

This evening they were observing a pair of snails they had collected while I was getting dinner ready. Caleigh, in her endless wonderings asked me why some people don't like snails. I explained that a lot of people, like Grandma & Grandpa, work very hard to make their gardens look beautiful and that they don't like holes in their flowers - besides that, some people are kinda grossed out by the slimy part, I added.

Caleigh mulled over this for a few minutes while she observed the snail travel across the Glad container. Then she turned to me.

"I like snails. They look like they could be cute & cuddley... but mostly slimy."

My Hero!

Caleigh spilled yogurt on one of Alessa's stuffed animals & Alessa, completely distraught, came running into the office.

"Don't worry about it, Lessa. I'll clean it up tomorrow," I told her.

She walked back to her room and told Caleigh, "Mommy will fix it. OxyClean is my hero!"

:::sigh:::

The Bunny Show

From 6:45 - 7:15 tonight I got another "rollercoaster" that comes with parenthood - the kindergarten play. Alessa was Betty Bunny and gleefully got to call her sister naughty and stubborn on numerous occasions while Caleigh managed to land the lead as the "naughty & haughty & wild" Bunny Sue - a part that was not all acting to be honest.

I was told by her teacher weeks ago as they were casting for the different parts (yes, the 5 year olds had to audition for the parts they desired), that they really wanted Caleigh to be Bunny Sue - that "she'd make the perfect Bunny Sue - but they weren't sure about casting her. You see, Caleigh likes to do things HER way. I know, very surprising - I don't know where she has inherited the strong will from. Her teacher went on to say that they wanted it to remain the BUNNY show and not become the CALEIGH show - if they ask for one twirl, it means ONE twirl; if they ask for 3 hops they mean THREE hops & if directions were not followed - both during class & rehearsals - that a giant hook could very well show up from the wings & drag the little ham offstage.

I agreed with her teacher & told her, "Hey, it's a learning experience. I hope she behaves herself - we'll emphasize the importance of it - but if she doesn't, maybe it's what she needs to drop the stubborn streak."

With that being said, my child became an angel for over a month. All I had to do at the slightest hint of misbehavior was say, "What, Bunny Sue?" and it would cease immediately. It was glorious.

On the other hand, when your child is chosen for the lead of a play, they don't just have a line or 2 or the same line repeated over & over again. Caleigh had quite a few lines to memorize along with 5 or 6 songs, choreography & cues. About a week into the practicing, her teach approached me, concerned that she was having great difficulty with her cues. Alessa, on the other hand, knew her lines, most of the lines of the students around her & could feed Caleigh her lines. Their teacher suggested that we make a copy of the video from the year before & let her watch that a few times. A few times soon translated to "a few times a day". We worked constantly, every day for 5 weeks, until I thought my very soul would turn black if I had to watch "Get Hoppin'" even one more time.

But I did get to see it "one more time" - the time that counted. They could not have looked any cuter up there in their bunny ears & cotton tails. Alessa had a smile that would melt even the hardest of hearts & kept flashing "I Love You" signs to us. Caleigh felt oh-so-important with her headset mic - I'm pretty sure she was envisioning herself as Pink or Katy Perry for a few moments.

The cast was on their marks on stage, the audience began to quiet, and who is the child who causes everyone to wait because she desperately had to use the bathroom? That would be my little Bunny Sue. I turned 18 shades of red & I'm sure her teacher wanted to strangle me.

I think Caleigh wanted a big entrance.

They remembered every line (Alessa mouthed EVERYONE'S lines), they sang every song with gusto (or maybe that was just because of her headset mic), and they hit every cue like seasoned pros.

I couldn't have been prouder of my monkeys.

Mommy, The Wino?

At dinner, I carried cups out to the girls with a pitiful amount of milk in them. They looked at the cups & then to me with an expectant look.
"Sorry girls, that's the last milk in the house."
Alessa, concerned, asked, "Are you going to have water then?"
"Nope."
"Soda?"
"Nope."
"Wine?"
:::blink blink::: Pardon?

I've NEVER had wine, and I make an effort not to have them see us drink (an occasional social drink after the girls go down for the night if we have friends over). Where on earth do they get this stuff?!?!?!

Children

They tear your heart out on a daily basis & then hand it back to you with sweet smiles on their faces. It's the best thing in the world & I wouldn't trade it for anything.

2 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed...

While "napping" Alessa decided to stand on the bed (definitely verboten in the Taylor house). She inevitably fell & took the edge of the table to the cheekbone. After lots of tears, an ice pack & some snuggles, she turned to me & said "I HATE having a broken face."

Clear Out the Clutter - 500 Item Challenge

You save a lot of time and money by being organized. From clothes with tags still on them to Sharpie markers, unopened boxes of ziplocks to easy up tents – it’s amazing what you forget you have when they are “out of sight, out of mind”. You waste time searching your house for your items that don’t have a “home” & often waste money when you end up buying duplicates of “lost” items.

We’ve been working through our house room-by-room in an effort to ruthlessly rid our home & lives of unnecessary things. My challenge to you? Rid yourself of the trappings of 500 items. And be honest with yourself – each book from a bookshelf counted as one item for us, but clearing out our pen basket counted as only one item as well (not the bjillion I tossed or took into work for others). You’ll be surprised how quickly they add up. Even without cheating.

Get your children involved! They are often happy to join in as well. We have celebrated Boxing Day since the girls were born. At first, Rik & I would surreptitiously abscond toys in the dead of night, but now we enlist the girls’ help. The trick is in how you frame the task. When I ask them to choose what to donate, they suddenly choose to keep everything but when they’re asked to choose their favorites to keep, the outcome is revealing. This technique has made a difference for all 4 of us - choosing to keep only what we love and donating what's left over.

So, roll up your sleeves, grab a box & a big garbage bag and let’s roll.

Clear Out the Clutter Assignment #1

Go through your living room, coat closet & hall closet (or any other closets or cupboards which reside in your living room area) and then ruthlessly clear out any and all clutter and unnecessary items you find. The 8 jackets each family member has? Sacramento winters get very cold for our needy citizens. That puzzle that no one has played with in a year and you keep because you’re hoping to find the missing 3 pieces? Toss it. Those twin sheets you have “just in case someone else needs them” even though you got rid of the twin bed? You’re right, someone does need them - go place them in your donation box. That French maid costume you wore in high school decades ago which your husband then wore to work last year to win a Halloween contest? Well, I’d suggest lighter fluid & a Bic. It worked for us...

They Watch & Learn

Today Kevin & I went to go see one of our past professors over at ARC. Dr. Joan has always been one of my favorite teachers - the kind where once you have your full course load determined, you check which of their classes you haven't taken and throw that one in "just for fun"... granted, my "just for fun" has always been science, but that's neither here nor there.

We were supposed to meet up with her at 2; however, my husband gets ready for work at 3 which meant I had to take the girls with me. I talked to them about how important it was to me that they behave while we were there - that Dr. Joan was Mommy's favorite teacher - she had taught Mommy lots & lots about nature - and I wanted her to see what good, smart, WELL-BEHAVED girls I had. They nodded solemnly and off we went.

"Are we smart because we can read?"

"Yes."

"Are we smart because we can write?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Are we smart because we know about nature?"

"Definitely."

We arrived at the college, found Dr. Joan's office & I set them at a small desk with their "errand bags" (crayons, pen, paper, 1st reader books, etc). They kept talking to Dr. Joan & trying to show off a bit... can't say I did much to stop them - I'm very proud of how well they're doing in school. While Dr. Joan, Kevin & I chatted, Alessa decided to show off her writing a bit. She wrote the names of things she saw in the room - bons (bones) fethrs (feathers) spidrs (spiders) & so on. Then came the random one.

I was talking to Dr. Joan when Alessa says, "Excuse me Mommy?"

"What Baby?"

"See what I wrote?"

There on the page in big bold letters was the following...

OXE

CLEN

Kevin & Dr. Joan just about died laughing.

:::sigh:::

I guess that confirms it - my days of birding & hiking & field study classes have been put on hold for laundry for a while :)

Holy SMoM Party Batman!

Last weekend was our annual Mothers of Multiples Halloween party. Alessa decided that she wanted to be Wonder Woman again. Though the costume was a little short (she wore it 2 years ago), we supplemented it with some patriotic shorts. Caleigh wanted to wear her Batgirl costume.

The story with the Batgirl is as follows: 2 years ago, on the girls' "3 year old Halloween", we decided we'd bite the bullet and buy each of the girls whatever costume they wanted for the first Halloween they they actually seemed to "get it". Much to their father's delight, they both firmly insisted on being superheroes (each $40 costumes). When Halloween actually rolled around, Alessa was still thrilled to be Wonder Woman - albeit, the costume was a bit big for her (super cute though).

Caleigh, however, absolutely REFUSED to wear her Batgirl costume - she INSISTED on wearing the Ren Faire garb I threw together for them earlier in the month for Folsom Faire. The garb was my first real sewing attempt. I suppose I should feel flattered by the fact that she loved it, but all I could think about was the $40 we had wasted on the Batgirl costume. Eventually I relented and she wore her Ren Faire dress with a few little accents to spruce it up - though I still grumbled occasionally about the wasted money.

This year, however, was quite different. Mid-August she started grilling me about where her Batgirl costume was & was quite persistent about finding it. We located both costumes & hung them in the closet for safekeeping.

Flash-forward to last Saturday night. Caleigh has donned both the costume & the persona of Batgirl and spends the first part of the evening whoooshing from person to person. Suddenly she screeches & clutches her face. As a mother, this is quite concerning to me. However, she peers through her fingers, glances swiftly about the yard and dramatically exclaims, "DON'T LOOK AT ME!!! I'VE LOST MY SECRET IDENTITY!!!"

:::sigh::: The strap on her mask had broken. Rik has made sure they take their superheroes VERY seriously.

Mad Ducats

Today the girls received their Halloween cards in the mail from Grandma & Papa Watsie. They were absolutely vibrating with the shear excitement of unexpected mail, but when money fell out... they were tipped over the edge of the cliff.

"Money!?!?" Alessa all but shouted. "Why is there money!?!?"

"Well, let's sit down & read the card," I offered. I read the cards, letting them pick out the sight words they'd been working on & sounding a few words out.

"Wow," breathed Caleigh reverently, "a whole dollar."

"A dollar? Check the number on it again," I challenged.

"Five dollars!?!?" Alessa exclaimed.

"Five dollars!" Caleigh echoed, "we can buy ANYTHING!!!"

Happy Birthday!

Today was my grandfather's 91st birthday so we all went to my parents' house for dinner & to celebrate. The evening was winding down & I asked my girls to go give everyone hugs & kisses goodbye. Alessa & Caleigh skipped around the room giving everyone hugs before Caleigh gave a final twirl and wave before darting off to put her shoes on. However, my little Alessa, heaven help the poor girl who received her mother's coordination, did not have such a graceful ending.

Alessa proceeded to give her last hug to my sister, trip over her feet & fall. Her hands darted out and grabbed the closest object to try & prevent the inevitable impact. The closest object was my skirt... my elastic-waited skirt.

Happy birthday Poppy! I'm sure you wanted to see your grand-daughter with her skirt around her ankles on your 91st birthday :(

Bits of Wisdom

We were driving home from school and I was only half-listening to my girls chatting with each other in the back seat. Apparently, Alessa really knows how to impress her sister, as I suddenly hear Caleigh gasp & exclaim:

"Alessa! You're AMAZING! You're like CRAZY magic."

Bits of Wisdom

We were stopped patiently at the traffic light on Expo. I told the girls that the fair was going to be earlier this year and that it would be pretty soon. I told the girls to look out the window so they could see the golden bears at the entrance.

Alessa exclaimed, "That bear is made out of shine-ness."

Bits of Wisdom

Caleigh's revelation during dinner tonight:

"Chocolate milk is healthiness & sugarness."

Turtle

Tonight, we were getting the girls ready for bed when I looked over at Alessa's side of the bed. She had covered herself with "Super Soft Green Blanket" & was claiming she was a turtle.

I played along, "Oh no! But I miss my Lessy! Where did she go?"

"Close your eyes!" she giggled.

I covered my eyes and waited for further instructions from the "turtle".

"Now open them!" she screeched with her arms held wide, "I'm back! It was all Disney magic!"

:::sigh:::

Just Between Friends Sale

I was so excited on Wednesday. I had the forethought to register online as a teacher with the Just Between Friends sale (JBF), a little wiggle room with the monthly budget & a willing bribed babysitter. So off I went to the presale. Unfortunately, I got caught in monsterous traffic (the normally 20 minute drive took closer to 50) and didn't get there until a half an hour after the presale started.

As I walked into the convention center, I saw women talking excitedly on their cellphones in the hallways & surrounded by mountains of newly acquired baby equipment and clothes. The looks they gave me were those of wolves standing over their freshly downed prey. I kept my eyes downcast and hurried past them.

The equipment section had been devoured in the first 15 minutes by the swarm of locusts that were the expectant parents & rightly so - if I were headed there with something in particular in mind, my plan of attack would have been much different. I quickly looked around at the toy section, made the decision that none of the toys there were worthy of me cluttering my newly culled living room (looking forward to the Sacramento Mothers of Multiples Clothing & Equipment Sale in a few weeks) & headed toward the clothing racks.

Quite a few pieces were really cute & I ended up with an armful of clothes - mostly fancy dresses/skirts & sundresses for $7 - $10 each. Here's where I had my main complaints...

If you're going to sell at a sale, be sure your clothing is stain/tear/FADE free. I will not spend hard earned money for clothes that look like they're on their fourth hand-down.

&

If I paid $5 at Target for a Circo t-shirt or Walmart for a pair of Garanimals shorts, I'm most certainly NOT going to pay $3 or even $4 for your USED ones. Come now people, we all know where those brands come from.

I headed toward the front of the hall to the games & movies section for a quick browse. I picked up the "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" dvd selling for $4 and Little Einstiens "Firebird Rescue" going for $5, a cute book by Ronald Dahl called "The Birdwatchers" and a Tinkerbell fashion plate set (oh yeah - you know you remember how much fun you had with those things) before heading toward the line.

I didn't really have to move more than 5 feet.

The line stretched up the middle of the auditorium, along the back wall & back up to the very front. In the 20 minutes that I browsed, the line had grown from about 30 people to at least 150 people... all with huge piles. I sighed & stepped into line. As time passed, I did what every mom does: weighs the objects in hand against the price.

10 minutes. "Firebird Rescue"? Eh, the girls don't watch that show much anymore - even though Firebird Suite is one of their favorites. Down it went. 20 minutes. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"? I can get it with 3 other movies new during the holidays for $10. Down one more. 40 minutes. "The Birdwatchers"? I have enough books to rival many small children's libraries. One more item out of my bag. An hour. The $10 fancy dresses? Eh, I can look at the SMoM Clothing & Equipment sale. Down they go. An hour. The sundresses & $7 fancy dresses? One by one I started nixing them all.

At an hour & 10 minutes, I took final stock of my situation. There I stood in line, not even halfway through, with exactly ONE item that I hadn't decided against purchasing. 2 hours of my time was not worth a Tinkerbell fashion plate set (shhhh - don't tell the girls). I looked toward the checkout & the FIVE cashiers they had to handle hundreds of people at a time, sighed one last sigh & put all the items back as I walked out.

What did I end up with from the Just Between Friends sale? A $6 parking fee.

Broken Hearted

Last night at dinner I allowed the girls to have fruit punch with dinner. I showed them how to tightly screw on the caps of their juice bottles & gave a lengthy lecture on how important it is to always put the lid on when the juice is sitting on the table. I scooped up an armful of towels I had just folded & went to the hall closet to put them away.

I only had time to open the closet door before I hear a highpitched shreak from Caleigh & Alessa shouting, "CALEIGH DID IT! CALEIGH DID IT!" Way to throw your sister under the bus.

Dropping my newly folded towels, I swooped into the family room to survey the scene. Caleigh had indeed managed to 1) leave the cap off her bottle 2) start fiddling around with a toy that was clipped to her belt loop & 3) hit her bottle with her elbow with enough force that it didn't just fall to the ground, it missed the "drop cloth" completely & splashed fruit punchy goodness across the carpet.

"Caleigh!!! I just told you to keep the lid on!"

:::sobsobsob:::

"Take your bib off, go into your room & don't come out until I tell you to."

:::sobsobsob::: "But I'm still hungry!"

"I'll talk to you when I'm finished cleaning this up." I growled while searching for the oxyclean.

"You're hurting my heart Mommy!" :::sob:::

"You hurt my heart when you don't listen to what I ask you to do."

:::sobsob::: "My little-" :::sobsob::: "heart is-" :::sobsob::: "BREAKING!!!"

And with all the drama of a Hollywood actress, my 4 year old turned around ran from the room, flung herself across her bed & buried her face in her pillow.

And the Academy Award goes to...

Naturalists

"Mommy, do you know which bird is the biggest & lays ENORMOUS eggs?"

"Mommy, do you know which bird is grey when it hatches, but turns all pink as it grows up?

"Mommy, do you know which bird has a heart-shaped face & is nocturnal?"

"Mommy, do you know which bird is all red with a black head & a crest?" (yes, she said crest)

"Mommy, do you know which bird makes their nest out of spit & spiderwebs?"

Yes, that's right, my children are learning all kinds of facts about birds at preschool for the next week or so. For those of you who know me personally, you know that couldn't POSSIBLY be more thrilled :) Those binoculars from Christmas will be coming in very handy.

I can't wait to go birding again.

Knock, Knock...

Last night we stayed late at our friends’ house watching a movie ("Gentleman Broncos" - terrible movie BTW) & chatting. Our girls are very good about going to sleep in their sleeping bags while they’re there. Rik & I carried our tired little bundles out & snuggled them into their car seats. As we were driving home, I heard a sleepy little voice from the backseat.

“Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?” I inquired.

“Peach,” replied Caleigh.

“Peach who?”

“Peach aren’t you glad I didn’t say peach again?”

:::blink blink:::

We need to work on knock knock jokes a little more.

Star Light, Star Bright

It was a surprisingly crisp & clear night and the stars were shining happily above us as we tumbled out of the car. I pointed them out to the girls and told them if they wished on the first star they saw, they might get their wish. We went over the rhyme & in no time they had it memorized & were ready to catch their first wishing star.

What do 4 year old girls wish for?

Alessa said dreamily, “I wish the sun would shine super bright – so all the sunflowers can grow tall.”

Whereas, Caleigh stated with a giggle, “I wish lots and lots of ladybugs would come and crawl all over me.”