What's Your Name?

It's taken a long time for the glamour girl to call me something.  Anything.  For several weeks, she'd walk across the room and tap me rather than call me anything.  A few discussions, a summary of what every other kid in this house has called me, and a list of choices later, she came up with Monkey.  So for two days, I was Monkey.  Thankfully, this has finally switched to Mommy.

Just in time for Little Sister to  start consistently calling me Daddy.

Perspective

1.  We're walking across the parking lot at the garden store today.  I have Tiny Man strapped to my chest, Little Sister on a hip, and am holding one hand of each three year old in the same hand.  A woman stops her car, rolls down her window and says:  I can NEVER EVER say that I have my hands too full.
 
2.  Thursday, a client asked me how many kiddos I have. "Four." Oh really, what are their ages?  "Two three-year-olds, a 20 month old and an 11 month old."  Wow! she says, I'd like to meet your husband!

Watch out!

Big Sister frequently wears dress up clothes around the house.  Big Sister also frequently, in her three year old way, gets mad at me.  Tonight, the two things met in the middle.  I have no idea what she was upset about while I was making dinner, but she was.  In stomps Ariel, mermaid tail skirting around her ankles, arms crossed, eyebrows scrunched.  "The mermaid is NOT HAPPY, Mom!" and she stomped away.

The Big Bug

Finishing up dinner, I sent Big Sister down the hall to wash her hands.
"Mom! You gotta come see this bug!"
"Just a minute."
The fashion queen, wearing her usual bunny ears and plastic bangle bracelets, jumps down from the table to see it.
"Hey! You GOTTA come now."
So I went. Expecting to see a little tiny thing that caught their eyes.
Nope, they were sharing the hallway with a roach that may have been able to tackle one of them if he had wanted.
Smack! went the shoe.
"Why?" went the three year olds.
"To knock him out so he won't be scared riding in the dust pan." went the mommy.
And out into the grass went the roach. "To find his mom." I explained.
"And his dad and grampa?" asked one girl.
um, sure...."

And the Winner Is....

I have wondered for the past 6 weeks who would win as the Queen Bee of the house. The already established three-year-old or the new, but a couple months older, three-year-old. Who would turn out to rule the roost (aside from me, of course)? As it turns out, we don't have a Queen Bee. We have a King Bee. If the tiny guy of the house squeaks, he gets a response from four of us. If he wants a toy, it's his. Help getting dressed? Got it times four. His Royal Treatment really shows every morning. If I could post a photo of what he wakes up to each day, I would. Three girls tip toe in every morning if he is still asleep, each hanging onto the edges of his little bed and look down at him, sweetly (soooo surprisingly sweetly for as loud as they can each get) saying his name. He wakes up with a grin as big as his face. Oh that we could all be so loved at seven a.m.

Fear Du Jour?

...that my tiny fella's first words are going to be "Hang on." or "In a minute". Seems like someone is always waiting their turn for attention around here....

Three and a Half

I like to acknowledge half birthdays here. Maybe because I know that most kids don't have a half AND a whole birthday while living here; maybe because it's just fun. Yesterday was the newer three year old's half birthday. She's a little glamour girl who wears silly bands up to her elbows, as many mardi gras beads as she can find, and a pair of white bunny ears out in public on a regular basis. I don't suppose I expected her to choose something incredibly classy or decadent for her half celebration...no pedicures or visits to a spa, but I sure didn't expect to be going where she chose for such an event--Genie Car Wash. Follow that with a trip to Krispy Kreme for a chocolate donut with sprinkles and we are good to go. But the glamorous one is confused. All this talk about turning three-and-a-half but "I'm not bigger than I was yesterday." I think she was a bit disappointed.

Mommies

Two 3 year olds are dying to grow up. They both want to be a mommy, now if at all possible. Here are some of the things mentioned this week that they are looking forward to:

When I am a mommy, I'm gonna:
Change your diaper for you.
Brush your hair.
Stop at red lights and wait till it's green.
Buckle my own car seat all by my own self.
Drive a red car.
Wash the clothes.
Push the buttons on the washer.
Have two cats.
Wear your underwear. (no idea....)
Hold my baby brother.
Feed my brother.
Wash dishes.
Say I love you too.

I guess that sums up what they see me do, except for the changing my own diaper bit. Not sure where that came from.