Sisters

Maddie thinks a lot about not having a sister. Today she said that having a sister is just like having a cyst (sist).

Quote of the Day

Ben kept trying to talk to us from upstairs while we were in the kitchen on the main floor. We can't hear him and he gets angry with us. We just keep having this problem, so I told him to come down and talk to us or we weren't going to respond. He continues to talk in a normal volume voice. Brian makes one last stitch effort and yells, "Ben, we can't hear you." Ben finally raises his voice to an audible level and says, "I can't come down. My problem is that I can't find any long sleeve pajamas. But I can't come down to tell you that because I'm naked." I reply that he shouldn't put five pairs of clean pajamas in the laundry each week because they just aren't going to get back to him that fast and I shouldn't be washing them anyway if they are clean. Ben complains again that he can't come down naked. I retort, "Well don't get naked unless you have your pajamas or a plan. That sounds like your problem, not mine." Brian says to me, "Lots of people in the world have the same problem. They get naked without a plan. Then they end up with a problem."

Some People Are Just Cool

Anyone called Audrey lately? Their answering machine message gets me everytime. I'm always caught off guard and for a second I'm not sure if I'm loosing my mind, called the wrong number or what, but something is always familiar about the situation. By the time the beep comes to leave the message I don't know that they understand me because I'm laughing. I don't remember what it says exactly, but it sounds like you've called some business and the message is automated. It tells you that you are number 9,453 in the call que but someone will be with you in the order the calls were received or something like that. Love it. I need to call her more often.

Ben on Soccer

We started soccer this week for Ben. Actually, we started last week. The rest of the team just forgot to show up. Can you believe it? Every single player missed practice. I told Brian right where to go and had the kids ready to go with him because I had another meeting at the exact same time. Apparently I don't read well and sent them all on a wild goose chase since we were a week early. On the day of the REAL first practice, Ben was super excited. Again. He had a fun time, but when asked what they did he said they mostly just learned how to sit on their balls while the coach talked. Funny. I watched the practice and it seemed like they were running and kicking most of the time. His team is the Dales, as in Chip and Dale. He was ecstatic to find out his team uniform was purple, his favorite color still. Ben really wanted to sleep in his uniform the first night. Then after school he begged to wear it so he could show his buddy that was coming over for a playdate. I explained that if it was dirty he'd wear a dirty uniform to the game. He decided it was okay. After dinner he got in a water fight with the neighbor (his idea) and was upset that it got wet and wanted the neighbor to be in trouble for getting him wet. Tough luck on that one. He chose to wear it. His comments after the game today: "I wish there were ten days in every week. Do you know why? So we can have ten days of soccer. I love it!" When we got home: "The other team was better than us. They were running so fast. When we were playing our game, we were in the shape of a tadpole. It was kind of like everyone was running in a circle like this (hand motions) and then I was always following on the tail of the tadpole." I'm sorry to say that Ben was not born with parentage of all star athletes. At least he's young enough to not care yet and just have fun. He is one happy kid and doesn't want to take his uniform off ever.

Mad Face

Out of no where Maddie comes into the kitchen and says, "Mom, this is my mad face."

From what I can gather she is trying to imitate the evil step mother's face on Cinderella.

Count Me Out

Last night I looked at my calendar. It was obvious you could just count me out for the day. As usual more things come up in the moment and we're just in the mode of "being" today. Babysitting a long one today with really good kids.

Talking to a good friend about major family troubles because some days we all just need to do a major emotional dump.  It's freeing for the soul to unload and I hope it helps her because she's helped me in the same way.  Then tea with an old friend here before she takes Ben away for a playdate at her place.  Ending the day with some kind of event at the school.  Not much time left to do real life today.  The laundry will have to wait.  Today people matter more.

 

 

Through Maddie's Eyes

No doubt Maddie is 100% female.  We all know if you ask your husband what happened today at work he will tell you the project he was involved in and what progress was made that day.  Ask a woman what happened at work today and she will tell you all the social things that happened during the day, i.e. the boss did this and it made so-and-so mad because xyz but that is only because she did and he said and did you know about such-and-such that happened to that guy over the weekend?!?!?!  It's just a fact folks. That's the way the world operates.

 

This Sunday after Maddie's class we asked what did she learn about/do in class that day.  She says:

 

"First Jayda wanted to sit by me....so she DID!! (throwing hands up in the air to the side abover her head)

"Then next Ruby first wanted to sit on the grown up chair and then she just....changed her mind!  Then she moved and sat in a sweetie chair.  Then Jayda wanted to sit by my other teacher which was behind me.  Soon I decided to sit in my other teachers lap that was in the big chair that says my name on it. That's Sister Grover's lap that I mean."

 

(Sweetie is the word reserved for a child that is a girl.  Only recently has she decided that girls can be kids.  Usually she would scream at us for calling her a kid.  "Kids are just boys! I'm a sweetie!" or simply "I'm not a boy!!")