Gobble Gobble!

We're off tomorrow to enjoy the holiday in Boston and stuff ourselves silly!

The girls are excited to see all of their cousins both at Turkey Day

and at the Mega-Christmas party on Saturday.

Molly's turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Picky Eaters

More and more lately I find the girls becoming pickier in what they will and will not eat. In an effort to get them to eat new things we made a chart for the fridge and they get a check mark if they try (which means 2 bites - one to taste and one to decide) a new food. After 10 checks they can pick a special treat.

Molly got her 10 checks last night and so we started discussing her treat. Brenna suggested that a lollipop which Lord knows is no special treat for these kids but if Molly was willing I was okay with it! Nope, Molly says the lollipop isn't what she wanted.

"I was thinking maybe a ride in a limo," she says.

WHAT?! Where on earth did that come from and how does she even know what a limo is?! And did she really think that's what I had in mind as a treat for ingesting maybe a whopping total of 2 oz. of food? This kid is insane. I could see her getting limo on the brain if our teenage neighbor just had a limo for a dance or something but no, we haven't seen or mentioned a limo in ages! I never know what's going on in that Molly-brain!

Investiture

Which is a fancy way of saying Brenna is officially a Girl Scout Brownie now. There was a little ceremony at school last night for parents to present the girls with their pins. Brenna was chosen to carry the Brownie flag during the procession so that made her quite proud. As you can see from her vest, she's been working hard and already has earned 5 "Try-It" patches. Nearly all of the girls in her class participate in scouts so it's a great activity for her.

Eek!

You know the news isn't good when the PreK teacher leads the kids out the door and seeing all the parents clustered together to claim their little darlings says pseudo-brightly (and with a very audible sigh), "Well, tomorrow will be new day!"

That can only mean things didn't go well today. I however didn't get called over to the steps for "a chat" so whatever the ruckus was, I guess Molly wasn't involved (too much anyway)!

That said, Miss Molly was standing to the side with the class' #1 alpha-male (who is ALWAYS in the time-out red chair according to Molly) and before I know it, they have planned a playdate at my house, for today, and his mother was asking me if it was okay. Mind you I had not 2, not 4, not 5 but SEVEN children here yesterday so I'm still not thinking straight! With the teacher's words ringing in my ears, I nodded blindly and home we came. Actually Molly and Quinn played very well and his mom picked him up after 1.5 hrs so it was fine.

Now Brenna is playing with his sister at their house so the process will repeat when I go to pick her up in an hour. I hope they're behaving!

Open House

(Molly's in the pink at the Lego table - I didn't take the photos so this is the best I have)

Today was Open House at the girls' school and I always help as a guide in showing prospective families around the school. The principal reminded me of a story from last year that I thought you'd get a kick out of:

I was asking Brenna all about her first day in Grade 1 with Sr. Ritamary (who has a rather "old school" approach to teaching.) She went on and on about all the neat things and commented that her desk was in the front row. When I asked where Sophia's (her best friend) desk was she replied,"I don't know." That seemed odd so I asked where Mary's (another good pal) desk was. Again I got, "I don't know."

When I asked how she could she could possibly miss two of her best buddies in one small classroom, she said with a sigh, "Mom, I guess they're somewhere behind me. But I don't know exactly where because Sister said we're supposed to keep our eyes in front and I sure didn’t want to look back there!"

That was my first clue that she was gonna do just fine that year!

Dancin' Fools!

Today was "Visitor Day" at the girls' dance classes. I always enjoy watching them and seeing how their classes are doing. Both really enjoy dancing and are doing great. This is Molly's second year and she's an old pro. It's Brenna's second year at this studio (4th overall) and her first year with jazz (which Molly is very jealous of - she wants to try that so badly!) Her teacher announced today that she will take them to a dance convention in January - not to compete but to take some classes and just see the show. Brenna is excited so I hope it's something we can do. I think it might be a bit overwhelming for her but if she wants to try it . . .

Four older dancers from her teacher's other studio in VA will be dancing in the Macy's parade next week. Two years ago some of her girls danced on the Great Wall of China. Clearly this teacher does well, but what I like best is that this place is very low pressure, low stress. She wants the girls to dance for the love of dance regardless of how "good" they are. I'm just glad the girls' like it so much!

Parent Conferences

We had Parent/Teacher conferences for both girls on Friday.

Molly's was first. Her lead teacher simply said, "She's perfectly wonderful. If I had a class full of gems like her I'd come skipping to work every day!" Dean looked at me and I looked at him and then we had to break it to the teacher, "You have us mistaken with another family, we're MOLLY'S parents." She cracked up. Come to find out Molly is a lovable little Miss Personality who everyone wants to play with, is confident and careful in her work, is obedient and just a joy to deal with. We don’t know who’s file was actually read to us since that simply couldn’t be OUR Molly, but her teacher seemed thrilled with her “Miss Molly Oh Golly.” This teacher is very structured and comes off as being a toughie. The kids love her though. The secondary teacher who is in the class every day as well is a more soft-hearted lovey woman and Molly also has her completely wrapped around her finger. I'm just glad to see my little gal so happy to be in school and doing good work.

So buoyed by that report we went to Brenna's class. The news there was equally positive. Brenna is a good girl, easily stays on task and follows the rules, is generally as quiet as a mouse, is kind to everyone and is right on target for her academics. The only even slight recommendations were to work to get her to participate more now that she's comfortable and to encourage her to write more slowly to make her penmanship a bit neater. We can't complain about that!

It was nice to hear glowing comments about both kids. We're all very happy with this school and the girls' teachers this year really seem to have identified our kids personalities and have classrooms that will be great for our kids. Let's hope it continues!!

If my kids like school so much . . .

why do they look terrified in their school pictures???

I can't say I really like them (not that I think anyone is ever supposed to like school pictures, but still!) This is part of the reason I still take them for birthday portraits. At least you can preview and select those.

Molly however thinks hers is fabulous. She whipped it out of her school bag announcing "It's super cute, Mom!" When I asked her what specifically she thought was so nice about it, she replied "Oh, pretty much just that cute kid who's in it!" It's a shame she has such poor self -esteem. :) I think I'll have hers redone because they should be able to get her to smile at least ! Brenna doesn't want hers redone because this one shows all of her missing teeth. Every one of her previous school pictures has that "deer in the headlights" look as well so I don't know that a retake would be much different. Either way, these are the ones that go into the class composite photo. Oh well.

Sorry-looking turkeys

With October finished and Thanksgiving looming, I thought I'd share these pictures of the turkeys we've had our eye on at Homestead Farm. Here they are in late September:

And then this is in late October:

We sure hope Auntie Dottie is planning on cooking the whole flock to feed the crowd she hosts because these are some scrawny looking birds!! Maybe Molly was right and we should give her candy to the farmers - it might help plump up these birds!

And let me just tell you, these are the ugliest creatures I've ever seen (well, except for that vulture I once saw smack dab in the middle of our street but that was like something from a cheap horror flick! Ugh!!!) When they get stressed (they live in a pen that gets visited by dozens of screaming kids every day - when AREN'T they stressed!) their heads turn bright blue and their tail feathers spread. They're still ugly though. But they taste good. ;)

Still Plodding Along . . .

I think we're all still coming down from the sugar high of Halloween. It's been a tough few days. Both girls are a bit "off" - Brenna with a bad cold and Molly with a bad attitude. We'll muddle through somehow.

This will be a somewhat relaxing week though since the girls are off school for 2.5 days. Tomorrow is Election Day so Dean will be at the polls all day since he's now a big Chief Judge. He really likes it - and I think it makes him less nostalgic about not being on Capitol Hill so much anymore. The girls have the day off since their school is a polling place but Brenna has a field trip to the National Gallery of Art with her Brownie troop an Molly has a birthday party so we'll still be out and about. They are out again with a half day Thursday and Friday off for Parent/Teacher conferences. Wish me luck with those! I'm expecting good reports, but what you see is never what you get in this house! Either way, we can all use the rest so we're just going to lay low. We all need a break.

I've been keeping busy with a bunch of things at school, but mostly helping with the Girl Scouts. This is the first year we have scouting at school so there's a big learning curve while we all learn the best way to do things. Right now I'm coordinating a special program for the Grade 2 & 3 Brownies. There is a religious medal they can earn and I'm moving things into overdrive so they can get everything done and receive their medals at the Scout Sunday Mass in Feb. Our way-cool priest and one of the sisters will help me with the wrap-up sessions but right now it's all me. Soon I'll be shifting gears though and plunging headlong into the school auction again. I got sucked in to that venture 2 years ago and secretly enjoy all the hoopla. I do all the business end of things from the data entry to the catalog. Basically every sheet of paper related to the auction comes through my computer. It's a lot of work but I get to work with great people, get to spend a lot of time at school (like I'm not there anyway!) and generally feel like I'm putting some small part of my education to work again! After 7 years of filling sippy cups and repairing Polly pockets, it's nice to know I can still balance huge spreadsheets! Plus if I look busy enough, Dean won't send me back to work just yet!

Halloween Pictures

Here are my troops. They had a great time at the school pizza party and parade and then came home to trick or treat in the neighborhood with friends. It was a nice warm night so they didn't have to worry. The New Englander in me has a hard time adjusting to costumes that need to accommodate a sweatshirt underneath or a winter coat depending on the weather that particular year. We've had some nice nights the past few years.

They had school today (public schools were closed though) so they finished up at a decent time and came home to sort their loot. Molly gave all of her Butterfingers to her teacher (much to Dean's dismay - he loves those!), donated about 6 pieces to the candy drive and most of the rest she packed up for the farmers. ;) Brenna reluctantly parted with a few pieces for the candy drive. She may be a sweet and generous child in general, but all bets are off when there's candy involved! It was a fun night - especially because all the neighborhood daddies did the walking this time!

I leave you with this picture of my friend's 3 year old. You have to know that this child has a thin blonde bob hairstyle in real life. I nearly wet my pants when I saw her !!!

Too Much Farm

Clearly we've visited the farm way too many times recently.

Molly was telling me today that they're having a candy drive at school (they collect extra/unwanted candy on Weds. and donate it to shelters) She told me she would bring some in for that but wanted to donate most of her trick-or-treat goodies "to the farmers who don't have any candy."

Ummm, okay.

Silly me asked "Why?" knowing full well that Molly always has a perfectly logical explanation.

So she told me (with that "you're-simply-pathetic" look) "Well, because farmers grow their own food and they sure can't grow candy!"

Again, I have no idea how this child's mind works but all of her comments, when taken literally, actually make sense. Especially because she's so completely sure of herself when she says these things. I just love this age!

Neighborhood Parade

One quick photo of the girls and a few friends from our neighborhood party today. It's been a busy weekend - Brenna had a Girl Scout mock campout yesterday complete with tents and smores. This mommy got to chaperone and boy did I come home tired! Today was homework including a book report and preparations for this party/parade. Molly got pretty good makeup job but we couldn't get the white paint to work on Brenna - maybe she's fair enough already! Either way she was happy, looked great and both girls had a fun time at the party. Brenna came home with only 1 chopstick from her hair and her kimono all ripped in the back (See! these cheesy nylon things just don't hold up to industrial mommy costumes!) so I have some repairs to do tomorrow before the big night. 

Photos Are In!

Here is what a very cooperative 7 year old looks like. After years of portraits captured only through aggravation and tears, it's a nice change! This one was a simple "Look right, look left, click, click, click" and we were done. I think they came out pretty well.

And aunties out there, if you want a particular pose, just let me know. You know me, it's going to take a bit before I get them in envelopes and mailed!

Voila!

Today was a little party with the gang from my MOMS Club. Tuesday we have a pizza party at school and then trick-or-treating so we'll go all out with makeup for that. Brenna didn't wear her costume today since she came straight from her Irish step class and all of the kids there were little. She'll wear it Sunday for our neighborhood parade and I'll get some photos.

DONE!

And she does look faintly like a leopard - one wearing size 12 pajamas that is. I greatly overestimated when I cut the fabric figuring she'd need warmer clothes underneath for trick or treating. Well, she could wear 2 ski parkas and it would still fit. Who cares - it's soft and it's warm and she's thrilled. So thrilled in fact that she got right down on all fours and started crawling around and growling.

And good mom that I am? I yelled "Get off that floor! Don't you know that costume isn't for playing in? Good Lord it took me hours to make that!" She thinks I'm possessed.

Lessons learned:
The blue thread was perfect given all the seams I had to rip out.
God bless spotted fleece that hides a multitude of sins.
Tails and mittens are easy to make.
Do not ever attempt to make sleeves without a pattern.
Do not ever try to sew sleeves onto a shirt that is already on the body of a 4 year old.
Do not ever try to sew sleeves period.

I'll have photos later since we have my MOMS Club party today. Brenna will be coming straight from Irish Dance class so she's not dressing up.

Now that all of this is behind me? I resolve that next year they'll both be wearing costumes that only involve mittens and tails!

(And no reason other than the season for this photo. I just decided to be wonder-photographer at the pumpkin patch and get some classy pictures of subjects who weren't complaining that they were cold!)

Wish Me Luck!

I have in my posession:

A 4-year-old who wants to be a leopard for Halloween (or possibly a jaguar depending on the day)

Invitations to three Halloween parties (beginning Thursday)

Two yards of brown and yellow spotted animal fleece (it's can be a leopard or a jaguar as the mood fits - though Brenna said it looked like a giraffe but the bolt specifically said "leopard" so I'm going with that)

Red thread and blue thread (refer to previous point that the fabric is brown and yellow)

A sewing machine

A pair of pajamas that fit said 4-year-old

A bizarre mother-brain thing that says I need to make Halloween costumes when that cheesy nylon leopard suit in Target would have been just fine.

What I do not have:

A pattern of any type (save the pajamas which are doing me little good at present)

Sharp Scissors *see Addendum

Any sewing ability whatsoever (witness Brenna's 2-yr-old poodle skirt costume. The entire thing was glue gunned together! and she still looked precious!)

Luckily, as I said, Molly is 4 and her expectations are minimal.

Do not be alarmed if photos next week show the poor child wearing two yards of leopard print fleece with a hole cut in the middle for her head and the whole thing simply tied around her waist. She does have a tail and ears so she's feeling good!

Brenna is going to be the first blonde, gap-toothed Asian princess to ever walk the face of the Earth. Don't think I'm making a kimono! She's already had her mommy-created costume moments in the sun! Target provided the heavy lifting for her cheesy nylon get-up and I've merely spray painted a pair of chopsticks to stick in her hair. Although that was 2 days ago and they're still wet. You might need to wish me luch on that too.

It's gonna be a long night . . .


Addendum: I found a 2" web picture of a pattern for doll pants which gave me a clue about how to cut the fabric (sharp scissors would have helped. I'll add those to my list for next time) and after some issues with the seams (which are very easy to pull out when the thread is blue against brown fabric - so see, it was a blessing in disguise!) not going right , I did manage to make a pair of pants sometime around 1 am. I even remembered to increase the size since Molly's slighter larger than an 18" doll! They are a bit too long (gotta love fleece though - just trim and go!) and they come halfway up to her armpits (I figure she'll be warm if nothing else) but they at least look like pants! I used some stretchy cording from a gift box as elastic. Improvisation is key. Now I need to go search for an idea for some kind of top. I don't know that I have it in me to do sleeves. Oh, and she wants leopard mittens with yellow paws on them. Ummmm, sure kid. Let me just whip them right up. I think I need to go buy real elastic!

Watch for photos later this week - this ought to be a hoot. I had better buy some makeup so I can do a cute face on her - it will draw attention to something other than her outfit!

Picking Pumpkins

Cool Slideshows

Back to the farm again yesterday to get pumpkins! We are becoming quite the regulars there. I think we'll even head there this year to cut a Christmas tree. But I'm getting ahead of myself - we're still working on Halloween! It was a sunny but windy day so we opted to take a hay ride to the pumpkin patch rather than walk out. Well, that and there were no wagons left and I don't think Dean wanted to lug 3 or 4 pumpkins all that way back since he was well aware that everyone else would by then be "too tired" to pitch in! Then we checked out the animals, had some hot dogs and hot cider and headed back home. Brenna was disappointed we skipped the corn maze but it was a bit to chilly at that point. It will be something to look forward to next year!

From the files of . . .

it sounds more offensive than it is. I've repeated this story so many times recently for whatever reason that I figured I had better write it down. Don't think I'm horrible and don't take offense - you'll see. . .

I was outside one day when a man walked by with his dog. He stopped and introduced himself as a new neighbor. (Our neighborhood is two streets that form a P-shape. We're on the loop of the P and he moved on the straight part where we didn't know many people.) I shook his hand and asked which house was his. He rattled off the number (which was meaningless to me) and then said, "I bought the house from the fags. Did you know them?"

Could he be offensive if he tried? I was truly speechless.

You see, Tom and George live down that part of the street. Two very nice guys I had met several times but rarely saw day-to-day. They did great holiday decorations though! They had been in the neighborhood a long time and were well known and liked. Anyway I think I replied yes rather dumbfoundedly (is that a word?) when he prattled on, "Oh yeah, the fags were great about all the closing hassles on the house. "

I swear I didn't know what to do or say. Lord knows I've met my share of prejudiced folks, but this was a perfect stanger and he was being so incredibly . . . blunt! And it went on and on!! "So the fags told us this was a quiet neighborhood" and "The fags were sad to leave." I simply couldn't believe my ears. After a few minutes he continued on his merry way and I came in and told Dean the whole story. I pulled out the neighborhood phone directory to see where on the street his number was when it suddenly all become clear.

Tom and George hadn't moved at all. But Joe and Ethel had.

Joe and Ethel Fagg. I laughed so hard that I swear I almost fell over! My life had suddenly become a bizarre 'Saturday Night Live' sketch! Then it also hit me, I should probably warn this guy! He's trotting all over the neighborhood introducing himself this way and he has no idea that a gay couple lives just doors away!

Sad to say I never remembered his name - or maybe I was too mentally shaken and simply blocked it out - and never said anything to him. There's been a lot of movement on that end of the street and this guy may not even live there anymore. I'm sure once he met Tom and George at the next block party he was too embarassed to show his face around the neighborhood anymore.

It does still make me laugh thinking about it though.

Cats? No thank you.

A firend's comment today reminded me of this story. I figured I'd share it since well, it just sums up life in our house.

Brenna and Molly love cats and desperately want one. Problem is Dean and I are not cat people. They are cute to look at and I know other people love theirs, but we just don't want one. I got sick of listening to them beg so I (bad mommy that I am) told them that Daddy was allergic to cats so they would have to wait until they were older to get one of their own. Problem solved.

Until the night Molly found a picture of a cat in a magazine and came to Dean and I and said,

"Mom, when Daddy dies can we get this cat?"

I though my poor husband was going to choke! I guess my little white lie wasn't the sure-fire solution I thought it was! No wonder my poor kids are like they are. I'm ruining them!

So You Think You Have Talent?

A few weeks ago an a capella group came to Brenna's school and did a show and presentation. She was thrilled with it and we've spent the better part of the last 2 weeks listening to CDs of my friend Jon's a capella group "Ball In The House." (www.ballinthehouse.com) She views herself as a bit of a human beatbox now (vocal percussion as Jon terms it!) and has been known to bust out with some funny accompaniment when we're listening to the radio in the car. Secretly I think she's so infatuated because evidently the guy doing the presentation made some comments about needing a spit guard (hysterical to a group of 6-9 year olds!) and practicing at home to annoy your parents. Either way, she's learning about music and appreciating a very unique style so I'm all for it.

At dinner tonight our conversation was all over the place and at one point Brenna said something that reminded me of a song she learned in Vacation Bible School. I started to sing it and she hopped up and started doing the hand motions that went with it. Out of the blue Molly stands on her chair, covers her mouth with her hands and starts this incredibly funny beatbox right in time with the song. Mind you her class did not see the show and she's only seen Brenna mimic it a few times - and never to this extent. She was a riot. Not to mention she has great rhythm. I must email Jon and see if he has a need for 4 and a 7 year old backup singers. If nothing else, at least they look cute!

It's Hard To Get Old!

I had my helper Molly in the grocery store with me the other day and she was assisting me with check out. She wanted to punch in our phone number to activate the school rewards program, she wanted to scan the grocery store savings card AND scan the credit card too. Lots of work just to get food in my opinion. When she was all done she handed me a ballpoint pen from the register. For a credit card purchase, what I actually needed was the stylus thing attached to the scanner to sign the screen but they do keep pens handy for people writing checks. When I told her I didn't need that pen (the ballpoint) but rather THAT pen (the stylus) she sighed and announced, "In the old days we always used to use these kinds of pens to write things!"

I thought the cashier was going to die. (It didn't help that he is perhaps the most flamboyant guy you've ever met but he's hilarious and I usually get in his line simply because he's funny!)

He was roaring laughing saying "Dear God what is she? Like 4 years old? And she's talking about "the old days?" He cracked himself up so badly that he had everyone around us laughing too becasue he kept repeating the story.

It really was quite funny. That's Molly - the grizzled veteran of electronic payments!

Oh Baby She's a Redneck!

At the rate she's going there will be jack o' lanterns
out there this month with more teeth than Brenna!
She pulled this one out today all by herself.

Good thing I took her for her 7 year old
pictures yesterday!
But school pictures are this Friday so we'll still have
one gap-toothed "official" picture anyway.

So her grand total is 4 bottom teeth that have come out but no top ones. My mom swears our luck they'll fall out just before First Communion! What can you do? I think she looks just as sweet with or without teeth! Yeehaw!

 

Homework

Molly had homework tonight - namely to gather 5-7 leaves of different colors and shapes. She was playing upstairs and I called her down so she could go out and get them before it got dark. She came down and I told her that she needed to get her homework done. This is the conversation:

Molly: Okay, right now?
Me: Yes now.
Molly: Okay, BRENNA? How 'bout you go out and get me some leaves?
(Brenna happily agrees)
Molly: I need different shapes and colors so pick good ones.
(Brenna dutifully trots outside.)
Molly: How many do I need, Mom?
Me: 5 or so.
Molly: Good job Bren! 5 or so is good. Maybe some extras!

So there it is. Molly at a mere 4 years old is already conning her sister into doing her homework! She claims it was because she couldn't go out while wearing her bathing suit (why she was wearing that is a whole other issue!) Didn't matter that Brenna was in pajamas! They wound up both going out attired as such and got more than enough leaves. I can only assume the neighbors saw them and I fully expect Social Services here sometime tomorrow.

Oh and here's something else to dwell on:
Molly: Can I ask you a question?
Me: Sure (while thinking that that is never a good opening line coming from her)
Molly: Why do we call pants and shirts "clothes"?
Me: Ummmm . . .
Molly: I mean, if they already had names why did we need another word for them?
Me: Ummmm . . .

Think about it. The kid has a point. It's just that in 35 years I never thought about it from that angle.

She scares me sometimes.

Job Aspirations

One of my favorite Brenna stories was a chat she and I had when she was just turning 3 years old. We were talking about jobs and she was fascinated that there were so may things she could be. Here's the story from my book of "Brenna-isms":

I was tucking Brenna in bed last night and she asked me if she could be an astronaut. I said "sure" and she seemed really pleased. Then she changed her mind and asked if she could be a "book writer". I again agreed and told her that when she grew up she could be anything she wanted to be. Talk about a proud female moment as I was thinking that my daughter could be President someday! Looking down at her sweet smile and her little blonde head I heard her say, "Wow! I can be anything I want? Oh good - I'll think I'll be a Barbie!" Ouch.

Well Molly has her own book of completely random comments that have many times reduced me to tears - sometimes from laughter and sometimes from just plain fear that this child is crazy! Yesterday we were driving home and Brenna told me she thought she might be a nun when she grows up. (Note: her 1st Grade teacher celebrated her 50th jubilee as a nun yesterday and gave a rousing "God could be calling you" speech to the school kids so this was fresh in her mind) I told her that if that what God was calling her to then it would be a wonderful job (all the while hoping this calling lasts through the teenage years thereby saving me additional gray hairs!) Molly pipes up that she can't decide what she wants to be. Her thoughts:

"Well, I think I could be a gymnastics teacher (the child has never had a gymnastics class in her life) but maybe not. Which would be fine because then I could be Santa Claus. I've been thinking that's what I really want to be when I'm big. Wouldn't I be cool when I'm Santa?!"

Brenna launched into a huge argument that Santa is male but there was absolutely no moving Molly. It's Santa she wants and it's Santa she will be! So start making your lists because this little elf has a big future!

Scouting 101

Brenna was very excited to start Brownies this week. This is the first time in many years that her school has sponsored troops and nearly all of the girls in kindergarten-Gr. 4 have signed up. One thing I noticed as I was ironing on all of the patches was that her council is "Nation's Capital" and I couldn't help thinking how cool that is. It's not something bland like "Pine Bluffs" or something (although I'm sure those girls should be just as proud!) but something that is really distinctive. Of all the scouts in the country, only a small portion can proudly say they are from the Nation's Capital area. It reminded me again how lucky we are to be raising the kids right in the heart of things here.

Anyway, you'll be hearing from us again when it's cookie time so get your appetites ready! In the meantime, wish me luck as I get back to nature with them. Although I must tell you I honestly was upset to learn that our unit's first campout is over First Communion weekend so we won't be able to go. I really was looking forward to it!

Before Blonde

Who is that baby?


Well,

if we age-progress her

by 7 years

you'll get . . .

This birthday Brownie! Today is also her first scout meeting (and she brought chocolate lollipops for her class, and she had a book report/art project to present and her old kindergarten teacher was to be in visiting . . . it simply doesn't get any more exciting!) and she couldn't have been prouder to don this new uniform. You'd think since she's in a school uniform every day she wouldn't care but evidently this is just over-the-top thrilling! As the youngest in her class, she's just thrilled to finally be 7 like everyone else. I keep telling her that someday she won't be wishing all these years away so quickly!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENNA - We love you sweetheart!

A Look Back

Since we have less than 6 hours left with a 6-year-old in the house (technically it's more since Miss Brenna didn't arrive until 11:59 pm!) I've pulled together a brief glimpse of birthdays past . . .

Devoted

Brenna and Molly are completely devoted to each other. Clarification: That doesn't mean they never bicker, but on the whole I must say they are amazingly good to each other. Molly especially just simply adores her big sister. They were in the middle of playing some elaborate Polly Pocket thing in Brenna's room last week when my mom called. Brenna came downstairs to talk and I heard her tell Molly "Don't move anything until I come back". Molly sat there for easily 30 min. and literally touched nothing because - well because her sister had told her not to! She simply worships Brenna (who you can see sometimes takes advantage of that!)

Brenna's birthday is fast approaching and Dean and I were teasing her the other night. We joked that she was getting too big and was becoming too expensive to feed and such. We said maybe we'd return her to "the girl farm" and trade her for a new, smaller kid. I said "Oooh, maybe a baby boy, that would be different!" She laughed with us and this joking went on and on for quite a while. When we went to tuck Molly in she was laying in her bed saying "But I don't want a baby brother. Please don't donate (!) Brenna because I really don't want a baby brother!" She quieted down and I explained that we were only teasing and we'd never give Brenna away.

She seemed okay but as we were walking out she smirked and whispered, "Is there any way to trade her for a different big sister though?" :) She did whisper again in the morning though that she really didn't want us to donate Brenna for anyone else.

Devotion story #2: Brenna has a "password" on her bedroom door. Mind you the door is wide open but she insists that you need to say the password before you go in. Molly is 100% religious about waiting until Brenna tells herto enter. Sometimes Molly will ask for permission to go in when Brenna isn't home (they both are good about respecting the other's space) and even then she stops, says the password and waits . . . until I yell up the stairs that she can just go in because no one is going to stop her!

Well last week I found Molly crying (you know that really sad sort of sobbing) downstairs. When I asked why she was so upset she said it was because she wanted to get her elephant (yeah, the one that goes everywhere with her) that she left in Brenna's room that morning but she couldn't remember the new password Brenna made. It broke my heart because A.) Molly is distraught without that elephant and B.) BRENNA WASN'T EVEN HOME! She literally wouldn't go in to get her toy because of some silly made up password. That's devotion to the extreme!

Apples, Apples Everywhere!

The girls didn't have school today so we took this chance to get Daddy to play hooky as well and we all headed out to a local family-owned farm. It's become our family tradition to go for apples at Brenna's birthday and for strawberries at Molly's birthday. We'll go back in a few weeks for pumpkins as well. The girls love the orchards, hayfields and best of all, animals! Molly was particularly taken with their dozen billy goats while Brenna was happier jumping on all the hay bales.

Years ago during a visit when Molly was small, one of the farm's beautiful Golden Retreivers followed us around all day. When we went to the little market to pay for our things we found out why -the dog's name was Molly too! Every time we called for our Molly, the dog dutifully trotted over to obey. So now at every visit, Molly looks for her "friend Molly Dog" and I try to get a photo of them.

The weather was perfect and now I'm off to find recipes for all these apples we brought home!

Those were the days . . .

School days continue to roll on and the girls have adjusted quite nicely. I'm the one still struggling to find a schedule. I have quite a few volunteer slots at the school doing library duty, helping occasionally with hot lunch, scouts, etc. but for the most part my mornings are pretty unstructured. Now that I don't have other commitments to preschool, MOMS Club, etc. I honestly have more free time than I ever had since I came to DC.

I went to the dentist yesterday (How nice was it to book an appt. saying "Any morning is good for me!" That hasn't happened in oh . . . 7 years!) After that I popped into the mall because . . . well because I could that's why! Walking around though I saw so many moms with their little ones in tow and I realized how much I really, truly do miss having the girls around. I've logged many an hour pushing a stroller around that mall and it felt strange to be alone. Having never had a regular babysitter or anything, I've just gotten used to towing my little ladies with me. I was actually sad for a while.

So I went and bought some clothes.

And I tried them on first.

I wasn't so sad after that! But I still miss the kids all morning. :(

If only they missed me! Both are quite happy in their classes. Molly was "Girl of the Day" yesterday and got to do all the cool responsibilities like being the line leader to the bathroom and turning the lights off at the end of the day. She even got to pick out and bring the snack. Life doesn't get any better than that! I told Dean he could be the "Boy of the Day" and bring snack to work but he didn't seem to share the joy of the idea. :) Brenna too is inching along. Already complaining about having "so much homework" but thrilled to have been assigned her first book report. And she's especially thrilled that it's due on her birthday. Someday she'll realize that that's not a good thing. But for now . . . again, life doesn't get any better than that!

Saying Goodbye

Today Dean is in Iowa and we're there in spirit saying goodbye to GreatGram. She passed away earlier this week but today was the official goodbye as they laid her to rest. I think Dean said it best when someone expressed their condolences. He said "Thank you for that but how can we be sad? She was 95 with 11 children, 28 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren. If that's not a life fully lived than I don't know what is." This is a photo from the last time we visited her in Iowa. It wasn't long after that that she moved to Wisconsin with Auntie Julie. Godspeed Grandma and we'll miss you always. 

Dancing Queens

The girls started back to their dance classes today. Molly is in a 4-5 yr old class and was quite pleased that her teacher put her front and center for the routines today (I didn't have the heart to tell her it was because all the returning students were in the front row. See, last year the teacher told her that she was one of the stars and Molly has really taken that to heart!) We've been spreading the word about how much we liked this studio and when the class began I noticed that it was 5 kids from Molly's PreK, 2 friends from our old preschool and a neighbor. Looks like I'll be getting some referral discounts!

Brenna started later in the day and was happy to see most of her old class had also returned. This year her group "graduated" to Mary Jane taps and jazz shoes. (Basically all that means is that I had to shell out $70 for new shoes!) Brenna has very small feet and she's a bit bummed that the only taps in her size still have velcro fasteners rather than buckles and her jazz boots look more like elf shoes! They won't be doing ballet anymore and I think she'll miss that but hey, she's happy and was 100% sure she wanted to go back to this studio. She'll also be returning to her Irish Dance class at school (more new shoes!) so she's going to be getting her fair share of exercise!

Words you never want to hear in the morning . . .

Brenna slept over her best friend's house last night. It was her first sleepover and I let her since it was this little girl's birthday and she just really wanted to have Brenna over for pizza and a sleepover. We know the family very well and I was sure they'd have fun and Brenna would be perfectly content there.

We were also doing a favor for a neighbor though and kept their daughter yesterday afternoon into evening. So between the excitement of Brenna leaving around 5pm but this other girl still being here, then this girl's dad coming and staying for a while and them Molly getting a bath and going to bed - I don't think Molly was really fully aware that Brenna wasn't here.

So this morning around 6:30am I hear Molly walking around the bedrooms. She appears at our bedroom door and says.

"Ummm . . . I don't know if you know this, but Brenna didn't come home last night."

(I never closed Brenna's shades and her bed was still made) Dean opened one eye at me and said,

"Please dear God let that be the one and only time we ever hear that sentence in this house!"

I couldn't help but crack up because Molly was so confused about why we didn't seem more concerned about her missing sister. I also laughed because, in the event this was the only time we hear that comment, it was all backwards. It should definitely be the other way around with BRENNA telling us that MOLLY stayed out! No question in our minds about which daughter we need to be keeping closer tabs on!

My Darlings

I found this poem once and it seems fitting here:

I look at them and see two sisters
Connected by more than blood and shared existence.
Two sisters who will draw strength and encouragement
from each other as they move through life.

I look at them and see
two sisters,
two lovely daughters . . .

and wonder what I have unleashed upon the world!

Who needs PreK . . .

when you already know everything? Here's Miss Molly doing a little light reading after school. She's been methodically paging through this Norton Antivirus book for several days now. Who am I to stop her? Especially since I keep getting this nagging pop up message . . . Another day or two and she'll have finished her reading and can fix it for me!

And the award for Perfect Attendance goes to . . .

not Brenna!

Yup, poor bugger hasn't even been in school a full week and she's sidelined by a stomach bug already. What gives? She escaped the preschool germ factory unscathed yet gets flattened in grade school when the kids aren't really sharing supplies anymore. Oh well - solves the problem of what to do with all the hand sanitizer I bought last winter . So it's been an uneventful day here. And one that reminded me of why I haven't gone back to work yet. Throw in an unplanned snow day (like we don't get those here in Montgomery County!) and I may never go back!

Luckily Miss Brenna feels much better after a nap this morning so I figure she'll be back in action tomorrow. So that's the scoop here.

Super Snooper

Dean's mom picks up neat things she sees during her shopping trips and keeps a supply of gifts handy at all times. Particularly stuff for two spoiled little girls I should point out! Since Krissy has moved out, Cindy's stash has been shuffled to Krissy's now-unused closet. I never knew this until today, but it seems my little super snooper did.

We stopped in to see my in-laws this afternoon and the girls were entertaining Grandpa while we waited for Grandma to come home. Molly disappeared and shortly thereafter Grandpa found her lounging on Krissy's bed with the closet open. When asked what she was doing she coyly replied, "Just resting." She admitted she had opened the closet and when he asked what she found there, the ever-sly Molly replied with a grin,

"Oh, just a whole lot of cool things that sure don't fit Krissy anymore!"

Isn't she bad? What on Earth am I going to do with her?