Rapunzel

M's been calling Monkey a hippie for the past few weeks. And even I'm willing to admit it - the girl's hair has gotten really really long.

Jellybean's gotten a little scraggly, too.

So we scheduled haircuts. For this morning. The morning after the biggest snowstorm I've seen since moving here. (there was even thunder during the snowstorm! cool!!!)

Needless to say, we were disappointed. We schlepped through the snow, with the girls, to this salon in the west village.....and the owner was there only to call and cancel all the appointments. Her stylists couldn't make it in.

We went inside to use the bathroom before repeating our trip back home.

And while we were inside, Monkey gazed forlornly about, muttering how we weren't going to get to watch the movie, as promised.

The salon owner asked 'what?'

And Monkey repeated: "it's just SO unfair. I don't get to get my haircut. And it's gotten SO long....I'm like Rapunzel!" as she finished it off with a (melodramatic) sigh.

Under the entry for gullible

For the past 24 hours, Jellybean's been walking around, shrugging her shoulders, and saying "it walked away...."

What, you may ask, is she referring to?

Why the christmas tree, of course.

If you ask here where it went (since we took it down to the curb during her naptime), she'll shrug, put her hands up in the air, palms up, and chirp "it walked away!"

Because perhaps -  just maybe - her dad's been messing with her.

A name by any other

I've always loved that quote about how a rose by any other name would still (or wouldn't? hmm) smell as sweet.

Ok, so my literary allusions are off tonight. Sue me. It's the night before the night before Christmas, and my eldest daughter (who believes in Santa) just asked for footed pajamas for Christmas. And I'm not even sure they make them in her size anymore. Huh. Yeah. Anyhoo, I'm tired and need to find footed jammies tomorrow....

where was I?

Oh yeah.

So the whole think about Jellybean's name is that it can be broken down into multiple nickname possibilities. Some of which I adore, others I'm not keen on, and some....meh - indifferent.

But there's one? One that - for whatever reason - I simply didn't think about. Maybe because it's boyish. Maybe because it doesn't seem to roll off my tongue naturally. Who knows.

Yesterday I gave Jellybean a quiz. I told her that she had multiple names she could go by - including her full given name - and asked who she was. What does she want to be called?

And wouldn't you know it? She pounded her chest with her open palm and said "I'm ______" - the one nickname I hadn't considered. Not even once.

Just goes to show you. She's her own girl. And I love her for it.

Terrible Twos

The terrible twos are upon us.

When Monkey was two, she was an....oddly logical creature. A Vulcan, if you will. You would stop a temper tantrum by giving her a reason - any logical reason - for the offending behavior. And she would stop her tantrum, adjust herself mentally with a shrug, and say OK. Done. Now, she still had some pretty f-reaking spectacular tantrums (there's one in my memory, of demanding multiple cookies, with echoing shrieks and screams of displeasure echoing across Columbia's campus....), but still - she was oddly logical and collected for an insane two year old. Three? Phew. Three was hard. But two? Two rocked.

Jellybean? I am thinking she is going to do the terrible twos up right. Tantrums. Time outs. Fisticuffs and shenanigans. After all, she already broke my nose.

But this is the weird part. She LIKES timeouts.  In fact, she gives them to herself. Happily!

We're screwed.

My girls

Sunday was a rough day. We essentially cancelled Jellybean's second birthday party because she was just freakin' miserable. Fever, cough, boogers like snakes trying to charm her upper lip. Good times. I couldn't walk out of her line of sight without her going ballistic. And yet? It was perfect. She turned two and we celebrated, albeit quietly. She smiled (a bit), hugged us (a lot), and tried to enjoy her (demanded, and delivered) chocolate. That's my girl.

It's a good thing we called off the party, too. Because that evening? Monkey came down with the stomach flu. She puked one, took it like a champ, and went back to bed. But then....she continued puking. And puking. About every 30 minutes from 10:30pm - 3:30am. At the end she was dry heaving - more tears were making it into the bucket than anything else. She told me "it's hard being sick." So it is love, so it is. But the amazing part was when she figured out that I was "sleeping" on the floor of the front room where we'd sequestered her - and she commented that "daddy and jellybean must be lonely tonight" since we weren't with them. That's my girl.

They're my girls. Our girls. And they're perfect.  (and - knock on wood - healthy again! phew)

Princesses

Guess who's turning two this weekend? AKA, look ma - I got me some POCKET!

That's right, Jellybean is turning two!

I've been able to intercept most of the presents coming into the apartment these days, and sequestered them in various hidden nooks and crannys (oh fine, they're all piled precariously in the play/guest room and I'm locking the girls out!). But yesterday, our lovely sitter C2 (not the original C, who was bitten by a baby gila monster), was kind enough to bring the package in and say "oh look, Jellybean, it's for YOU" and that, well, that was the end of trying to nip that package out of her prying hands to pretend it wasn't there.

Which is a looong way of saying we opened up her bday present from Uncle N and Auntie G early.

Jellybean loves this dress. LOVES it. Why? Because the necktie portion folds itself into a huge pocket. When we left for school today, she had shoved so many toys, necklaces and princess crap in there she clanked when she walked!

Forgive the crummy cell phone photo - but that look of wide-eyed glee needed to be shared. I think she thinks pockets are the best invention evah!

Santa's a tippler, but shh...don't tell the kids

We met Santa, shopping in the beer aisle at Stew Leonard's this past week.
Monkey was ASTOUNDED to learn that Santa grocery shops.
I was amused that it was in the beer aisle. But then again, he does have that rosy glow to him....

School photos

Monkey is a good looking kid. No, really - see?

 

Which is why I kind of wondered who this kid was, when the photos came home. Needless to say.....we didn't buy any photos. I know, I know - I should have. You know, for bribery material when she's a teenager.

But even I couldn't be THAT mean:

 

CHOCOLATE!

Jellybean turns two soon. In 10 days to be precise. So Monkey and I keep talking to 'lil bean about her party. And she listens, and nods, and then....every single time.....hollers CHOCOLATE. I WANT CHOCOLATE.

I think we shall have chocolate for her birthday, don't you?

Meanwhile, I still get those annoying milestone emails, saying "your 23 month 3 week old child *might* be doing this....". A recent one commented that my child "might" be having an opinion on things. I about fell out of my chair laughing. That's like saying the pope "might" be Catholic.

Hello....anyone still out there?

I know, it's been radio silence. Hope readers still exist...

We've been busy. I'm on augmentin for a sinus/bronchitis infection and am feeling much better (aw, thanks for asking!)  - as a result I once again have the mental capacity to actually note the happenings in our lives....going to bed 38 seconds after the kids do leaves little time for things like blogging. Or, you know, life.

But life has been happening! Let me fill you in:

Jellybean broke my nose. She head butted me. (stop laughing, little brother!) I have been calling her a butthead at work for the past two weeks and only today did anyone get the joke. Head butt....butthead. Oh g*d my jokes are bad that I need to explain them! (I'm here all week! don't forget to tip your waitress! har)

But, no joke here - we're potty training our Jellybean! She's had three days at school without an accident! She's my big girl. We started this process at the prompting of her school - and also because she won't tolerate a dirty diaper. The kicker was that she kept taking off poopy diapers and I had to go find the - ahem - nuggets that rolled away. That was pretty motivating, between you and me.

Monkey wants in on all the praise we're heaping on Jellybean for using the potty - so now she offers to "show her sister how to use the potty" each time she heads in. And what the heck - she's a great role model, so we praise her. I love that kid. And I'm not the only one...

It's amazing how much Jellybean adores her big sister. She wants to sit by her at breakfast. She wants to wear her big sister's clothing to school (she wore two of Monkey's pj tops to school today. Yes, that's right, two. And yes, Jellybean is now picking out her clothes. sigh)

Anything that Monkey does? So does Jellybean. It's (no pun intended) monkey see, monkey do. And it's adorable. We used to think we had Jellybean for Monkey, but I think it's the other way around.

Monkey is thriving at school. We just signed her up for summer camp, and part of it will be Spanish immersion. I give her about 6 months before she starts teaching me things to say in Spanish, and tricks me (you know, like the lead in My Big Fat Greek Wedding who says "I have three testicles" to his fiancee's family....funny).

Monkey has also bought into the Santa thing, hook line and sinker. I was talking to her the other day, suggesting that if she was good maybe Santa would bring her and Jellybean a table that they could do artwork on together, and wouldn't that be fun...and she sighed, said yes it would be great, but "how will Santa get it down the chimney? the chimney is only 18 inches wide!!" Funny kid. Especially since we don't have a chimney!