Non sequitur

Recently, we spent two weeks at the Florida house. The first week was all Carter cousins, all the time, plus Nana and Granddad and then....poof - no one but us for the second week. I'd say the silence was deafening but I'd be lying, since Jellybean has taken to yodeling (singing? YELLING? unsure the english language has quite the right verb for that behavior) at the top of her lungs. But I digress...

The last night of our vacation we went to a birthday party. For an adult. With, like, other adults and adult beverages and OMG we did NOT have to talk to our kids the whole time. Instead we benevolently let them play with our friends' kids, and enjoy the company of someone other than their parents. I.e., we totally ignored them (in a safe environment) and it was awesome!

One of the guests, a good friend of the host and hostess, was an unmarried guy who clearly was entertained by Jellybean's antics.

She must have picked up on this early, because about 30 minutes into the evening, she wandered out to the porch with her milk, set it down, and told him in a VERY serious tone of voice that "you know, tiredness RUINS me." The deadpan look on her face solemnly conveyed that she was - and I mean really, truly, honestly was - ultra-serious about this matter. And then, you know, wandered out again.

Special Friend Day

Jellybean's school does a Special Friend/Grandparents day at school. No parents allowed!

Jellybean wanted our babysitter C (who has a real job and we are fortunate enough to see for occasional family dinners on Sunday nights) to be her special friend.

Jellybean was a WEE bit excited when C arrived:

Literally jumping for joy...

They had a lovely time both on the way to school, and upon arrival. We are lucky to have C as part of the "family"!!

The ???

Children, raised in the same house by the same parents, with the same goals and rules and food and - ok, you get it. Those children? They grow up to be DIFFERENT from one another.

Shocking.

As you may recall, Monkey is uber-particular about her clothing choices. Since she turned 18 months old she has had specific opinions. And enforced those opinions. Dressing her when she wasn't interested in the choice/texture/color was about as much fun as putting toothpaste back into a tube while roasting in Hell, upside down, while listening to the theme music from Barney. Yeah, that bad.

Which is my way of saying she has never willingly worn jeans. Or pants. Or shorts. Or anything with buttons or a zipper. Leggings only. And not too tight, either. Leggings - just so.

And Jellybean, albeit a very different child, has always emulated (read: copied) how her big sister dresses.

Last night, Jellybean asked me to buy her jeans. And when I asked her what jeans were, she showed me my jeans. (I wanted to make sure she knew what the heck she was talking about). My jaw about hit the floor.

I love watching the differences between these two. It is just fascinating!

Irony is lost on children

For example, "SURE! Everyone come on into the bathroom..." did not work as intended. For sure enough, everyone crowded in with me.

Jellybean even made sure that the cat came, too.

It's been too long...

I keep thinking about things that "should go on the blog"...and then never get around to posting. Sorry!

More and more often, I promise.

Easter Eggs

Titi V and Uncle R invited us to spend Easter Sunday with them, and hosted an honest-to-goodness Easter egg hunt in their backyard.

Baby-A, who Jellybean and Monkey don't realize isn't actually NAMED "Baby-A", was the belle of the ball and flirted up a storm. When she was in mom's arms, only, of course.

Max, their dog, was better at finding the eggs than the girls....but he only ate one chocolate egg. That we know of.

 And yes, those last few photos are the girls in their pajamas. Titi V and Uncle R gave them to the girls....so they HAD to wear them immediately, over their Easter frocks. While blowing bubbles. Good times.

Overheard

Recent snippets of conversations:

WE'RE READING IN BED! WE'RE READING IN BED! (sung in a LOUD chant, with maracas for accompaniment, at 7:10am in the morning. sorry neighbors)

Monkey: Jellybean, I am going to tell mom & dad that you are....being so kind. (not where I expected that one to go!)

Monkey: I can't figure this out. I need to watch Harry Potter (the movie) again, because my spells aren't working.

Jellybean: Mom, I'm sick.
Me: Really?
Jellybean: Yeah. Really sick.............I have the hiccups. (hiccup)

Easter Eggs

And yes, our fingers are still stained various hues!

Hypochondriac

Yesterday I got that call. The dreaded call in the middle of the workday, a phone number you recognize but wish you didn't.....because it is the school, saying "come get your sick child." Immediately.

Jellybean got sent home, on suspicion of pinkeye. I picked her up, and while her eye was puffy and swollen, and while she was swaying with exhaustion as she sniffled and rubbed at her raw upper lip where the constant boogers had irritated her skin, she didn't look too bad.

I asked her how she was feeling as we walked home in the sunshine. Hand in hand (as I mentally reminded myself over and over again not to touch my eyes or - really - anything else until I washed my hands) we strolled and chatted.

Me: How are you feeling? Is your eye OK?
Jellybean: No mama, I feel sick.............I have the hiccups.

Literal

Last week we went to the Florida house.  Most days there was a strong breeze coming off the Gulf of Mexico...but when that breeze dropped, the bugs were fierce.

M looked like he had the measles...bright angry red welts all over his calves and ankles. I suggested wearing more bugspray.

Jellybean was sorely disappointed to learn that bugspray doesn't actually spray bugs; her look of consternation implied a sincere disapproval of such a misleading word.

Our neighbors downstairs are going to HATE US

We bought a Kinect. Jumping commenced 30 seconds after we plugged it in...and hasn't stopped for the last 45 minutes.

Did I mention our neighbors downstairs moved in yesterday? Poor things.

What? We are definitely NOT up to anything here...

Hanging out at the park

First, find a good stick.

Then, tell mom you didn't pick it, you "found it"

Scale every rock. Twice. Ok, three times.

What? Oh these are for babies? But I still fit!

Thanks for the push, sister!

Makes up for when they are actively trying to maul one another...

"I like you!" - Jellybean

Takes her lumps

Jellybean, despite her diminutive size, is a bit fierce. She will lay into her big sister and fight like she's twice her size. And, not surprisingly, she gets time outs. Same thing for jumping on furniture, etc.

Only, here's the funny part. When she's in the mix and being defiant, if we ask her "do you want a time out"??? Well, she says YES. And then, you know, goes and does her time out.

I bought a book on positive discipline. Because time out sure ain't gonna cut it soon.

Gravity

The stomach flu is making its way through Manhattan. Monkey was a recent victim and spent an evening throwing up. She was a trooper, poor thing. And soon it was over.

Leaving me with one question as we cleaned up. Why, why, why doesn't kid puke follow the regular rules of gravity?

I mean seriously....it practically ended up on the ceiling.

Haircut?

Who me?? I don't need no stinkin' haircut!