Flattery Gets You Nowhere, Kid

Bug and I were getting ready to meet Beignet and friends at the pool today. I seem to have worn out my two favorite swimsuits this year. I dug into the bottom of my drawer and pulled out a speedo from years ago.

Mocking Bug's tendency to put on something (fake hat, fake tail, real clothing, etc.) and fish for a compliment, I went out to the living room and said: Like my bootiful swimsuit?

She looked. Her mouth hung open. Her eyes were so sparkly and excited. And then that darn cute girl exclaimed: (gasp!) You look like SHAMU, Tammy!

Luckily, I know that, in her eyes, looking like Shamu is a great, great thing.

All Hail King Robert

There was a guest at story hour last week. A big fancy frog puppet named King Robert. King Robert let the kids pet his "favorite spot" (his arm) and blew kisses. Bug was too scared to touch King Robert, but you'd think he was her best friend as much as she spoke of him all week. "We see King Robert li-berry?" "Bug not touch King Robert." (I should add here that you really need to KNOW King Robert's name to know that that is what she is saying.)

King Robert made another appearance tonight. Beignet was the first to give him a pet. Bug waited and waited to be called up. I was sure she'd back out at the last minute, hand waving and nonono-ing. She didn't though. She got up, petted King Robert's leg (oops, not his favorite spot) and beamed all the way back to my lap.

"I pet King Robert this day. Not last night, right Tammy? Today? I pet him today! King Robert love Ladybug!"

Now we all have King Robert stamps on our hands. A couple of us, I think, will avoid washing the back of our hands for a while. Long live King Robert!

Kindergarten is here!

Baby Beignet took a big step on Monday--into the door of her kindergarten classroom. She was excited, which blows my mind since she hated pre-K, but whatever...I'll be thankful for that. Here are excerpts from her interview, which she would not allow me to video, while we celebrated the 1st day at Baskin Robbins:

T: What was your favorite thing about kindergarten today?
B: I got my new backpack.

T: What do you think about kindergarten compared to pre-k?
B: Kindergarten is more funner because we do more stuff and go to Art.

T: What did you learn today?
B: We are learning about living and non-living things.

T: Anything you don't like?
B: I kept hoping she would say it was naptime because I am SO TIRED!

Bug Speak

I am enjoying the burst in language from Ladybug. Here are a few favorites:

Glassable: Breakable..."Dis plate glassable?"
Jammies Dark in Here: Glow in the dark jammies..."I wear Jammies Dark in Here 'gain 'morrow?"
Ponytail: Hotel...."'Member? Member Nana, Tammy, Bug sleep in ponytail?

Storytime

Lest anyone think I am exaggerating about the daycare situation at home, here's a picture of "story hour".

Please note three of our newest students in the back left and the two new young ones in the lower right. All listened quite nicely to the story and sang the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Bingo.

Apparently, clothing is optional at this story hour.

South Austin Daycare

We're running quite the service here. Despite my thinking that baby dolls are one of the creepiest things in the world, we have an abundance of them in the house. What a diverse collection it is! Black, white, bald, real hair, painted on hair, dolls that drink, dolls that potty, dolls that blink their creepy little glass eyes. They are quite time intensive. Each day, each doll is fed, burped, changed, patted to sleep, woken up, taken to Gramma's house, given a ride in the stroller and put to bed.

It is not unusual to hear this:
"Baby poop 'gain? Need change. Baby nucky (yucky). Need wipie. There baby, all better!" or "Oh Leah, do you need to go to the doctor again?"

Funny to me is that after all this effort, every single day, the girls pile all the well cared for babies into the toy box at bedtime. Has it not occured to them that this isn't a very nice end to the day for their dolls?

High Mass

The girls have stepped up the pretend play for church in the house. The other day, I hear: "I church. I first 'munion. Come my table!!" from Ladybug. She and Beignet then asked me to make blankies into veils and pretend to hand them communion. Today, Ladybug announced: "My carry book in church!" She held "Are You My Mother?" up high, walking around the table. To the tune of ABC, she sang: "Church, church, Jesus, Jesus, come to table, Jesus book!"

I guess I am thankful that the pretend play does not include asking: Is it time for a donut? 50 times in one hour nor running to the donut table after mass.