Cahoots

A lot of the time, the girls are either 1) ignoring each other, or 2) fighting and/or struggling with one another over something – a toy, a seat on the couch, mom or dad’s attention, etc. Monkey wants the book, Jellybean wants the cat, etc. etc. etc.

This morning, however, they were in cahoots. Secretly collaborating. Plotting and scheming. Being sisters.

Once I would get one settled/ready for school, the other would run off and cause some havoc. So, I would turn to that child and either get their shoes back on, or try to contain the mess, or – whatever - and as my attention was divided…the OTHER one would get into something. I’m not talking terrible mischief, just – you know – mischief. Shoes off, books on the floor, bags pulled out from under the stroller, etc.

At one point, I turned my back on them to shut a door, and as I was doing this they started screeching at each other. I turned back to see Jellybean with a blanket over her head (playing “spooky ghost” so she could reveal her face and say “boo!”) and Monkey tugging at it. (evidently Jellybean wanted to be in control of the reveal, not her sister!)

I raised my eyebrows to say “now girls, what’s the story here….” And before I could even say a word – they BOTH STARTED CHORTLING….and then took off in separate directions. It’s like they just know, innately, that if they run in opposite directions I can’t catch them both. I don’t know how they know this, they just do.

They are troublemakers. Rabble-rousers. Partners in crime…..

They are sisters.

Four!

Yesterday Monkey had her 4 year checkup. And, unlike last year, this year she opted to actually participate in the vision and hearing tests! (she passed)

Her weight and height have her in the 35% and 50-75% ranges, as she has been consistently since birth. She put on around 5 pounds this past year, and grew almost 4 inches....all of which happened, I swear, in the last two months! Matter of fact, I bought her shoes in June and she was in 8.5T.....last week (after she got REALLY grumpy about putting her shoes on) I brought her to the shoe store and she's now wearing 10s. Oops!

And, despite some early morning tears when I told her teachers I'd be picking her up early to go to the doctor's office, Monkey was fiercely brave and didn't cry one bit when she got her shots! (she's very proud of this, and reminded me several times of this feat!)

Here she is, fiercely rockin' the bandaids....

Artwork

A recent impressionistic rendition of the sky by Monkey.
(ok, really? no clue. but it's pretty!)

Chatty Cathy

Jellbean is starting to talk more and more these days. I love listening to her ever-expanding vocabulary.

Yesterday she started saying "rabbit" and pointing to the ears on the rabbit in a book. It was perfectly enunciated, but since I always call it a bunny, it took me a moment to figure out what she meant. It was like my brain needed to catch up to the fact that my 20 month old was talking to me!

She's using two-word sentences, and assigning possessive terms to things - so I'm "Monkey's mommy" and our cat is "Monkey's Ollie," etc.

She loves to talk! (atta girl, that's my baby!) Combine that with her love of technology and every phone call becomes an excuse for her to show off.

Yesterday we got a spate of (wonderful!) calls from family and friends to wish Monkey a happy birthday. Monkey was being a bit of a stinker, however, and by the end of the evening she simply didn't want to talk anymore.

Jellybean? No such problem. She was chatting everyone up! She regaled Uncle N with "woof woof" and "roar" and "meow" and a variety of other animal noises. Then closed with "bye bye."

After Uncle N rang off, M actually said - out loud! - "maybe we should get her a phone"....of course meaning one that doesn't work. But really, there is NO way she'd go for that.

She's totally going to need a dataplan, dad, so she can text her friends. Like OMG, unlimited texting would be gr8!

My imaginary friend

When I was little, I had an imaginary friend named "Mousie." She was, you'll be surprised to hear, a mouse. And I would pretend to be a mouse, too, and bite my cousins when they did annoying things like pile all of the cushions from the patio furniture on top of me and then sit on it. You know, since my mouth was the only thing not pinned down. But I digress about the biting...

The point is, I had an imaginary friend.

Now, recently Monkey has been obsessed with Princesses. Really, I mean obsessed. It's like my very own version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Aliens landed and replaced my child with one that only.wants.princessy.things. ALL.THE.TIME.

Princess shoes. Princess toys. Princess books. sheets. underwear. tiaras. costumes. wands. dolls. castles. toothpaste. toothbrushes. headbands. etc.......

So, when Monkey came home from school and started telling me stories about Yasmine, I figured she had read something about Jasmine (from Aladdin), and had an imginary princess friend!

Imagine my surprise when she introduced me to Yasmine....her new friend in late care at her Montessori.

Whoops. And here I thought you were just telling tales!