And From the Logical Black and White Five Year Old

"It is very uncommon for people in Austin, Texas to spank their children. People just shouldn't do that because it's not nice, so people in Austin, Texas don't usually do that."

From My Glass-Half-Empty Kind of Guy

...who yesterday, with his sisters, spent a couple hours with a friend of mine he knows and one he had never met.

Me: Was Miss Ann nice?
Him: Yeh.
pause....
Him: Aren't they all?
Me: Aren't who all what?
Him: Aren't all people nice?

Apparently I am not a Princess

or a fairy for that matter.

I showed the kids two magic tricks the other day. They totally fell for them.

"Teach me!" said Speed.
"A magician does not reveal her secrets."

He looked at me like I was crazy, laughed and walked away.

"Show me how!" said Sunshine, still the most overcompliant kid you may ever meet.
"A magician does not reveal her secrets."

Sunshine stomped over to the middle of the living room and started to THROW A FIT. My ultra well behaved child, crying and kicking her feet.

"PRINCESSES AND FAIRIES DO!"

"Princesses and fairies do what?"

"SHOW THEIR SECRETS! I GUESS YOU ARE NOT A PRINCESS!!!!!"

Then she stomped into the kitchen, only to pop her head back into the living room to add:
"OR A FAIRY!!!"

FAQ #9

"How have the kids been since Eagle left?"

I would say they are fine. Chickadee is my talker. She has asked many, many questions about where he is, why he isn't here, why we don't still see him or talk to him (when we got to for Junebug for several months after she moved). She talks about missing him and about things he would be doing "right now" if he were with us. (ex/ Eagle would be riding his bike with us if he didn't move.)

Sunshine, true to herself, has not said much at all. She will occasionally point out something that he would have liked (ex/ Eagle would like it that we are eating dessert.). She was greatly bothered the other day when she found a handful of matchbox cars I forgot to send on. She has since played with them a few times, but in general, seems fine.

Speed was initially so excited to have his car seat moved from the 3rd row to the middle row. Now, he talks about Eagle and things Eagle likes and occasionally wonders why we don't see Eagle anymore. Speed can be tricky in the behavior department so has one less kid to bother when he is feeling jealous or in need of attention.

To me, fostering doesn't impact them the way I initially thought it would. I see more positives in what they get out of sharing a part of their lives with a kiddo than negatives. (There are negatives...don't get me wrong).

For now, we are pushing the pause button. We have some things we want to do that are easier with three kids than four. We need to chat about what another child in the home would look like (age-wise, rooms-wise). The kids would like a baby. I would not. We need to take a little road trip this summer to begin our quest to get "48 states before Speed graduates". I would expect only a very special circumstance to bring us a "friend" anytime soon. We will reevaluate things as a family sometime this summer and go from there.

Chickadee's Artwork

"That's you and me. See your necklace? And I'm in your tummy. I have beads in my hair. We are in the house."

Say Cheese!

Big Feelings About a Little Bed

I sold Chickadee's toddler bed tonight. That is to say, I sold Little Howler Monkey's, Big Sister's, Peanut's, Sunshine's, AND Chickadee's bed.

I originally bought this bed when I went from two kids to three. Someone described me as a "glutton for punishment" the day I was putting that together when I knew that the Howler Monkey was on her way.

I remember squishing my body into that bed with Big Sister when she arrived because she was so, so scared and cried all night.

When Peanut arrived, I put her in the pack n play. Then I heard a thump and saw that she found her way to the bed instead.

And Sunshine? She used to be soooo tiny in this HUGE bed. She was in it till Chickadee moved out of the pack n play. Since then, it has been hers, though she inconsistently slept in it.

No shortage of stuffed friends here.

Chickadee wasn't super excited about her bed leaving tonight, but the reality is she doesn't sleep in it, she has a big girl bed and well, this: 

That's my spot in the middle there.

 So we carried this memory holder of a bed out to someone's truck tonight. Hopefully, they will have some memories of their kid in it one day too. Can't imagine how nostalgic I will feel when I am sending kids off to college if a little bed makes me scroll through a million pictures!!