Pillow talk

One night last week I let Anna fall asleep in my bed. It's not something she asks for frequently but that day had been a long one for both of us and she seemed to need some extra cuddle time. We lay there exhausted and I knew she was close to sleep when the chatter gave way to the sound of her thumb sucking. I enjoyed the relative quiet and the way she curled her body into mine even as she claimed her own pillow. I was on the verge of falling asleep myself when suddenly thumb popped from mouth and Anna turned her head so her face was inches from mine. Her expression was serious.

"Mommy?"

She always waits for me to answer before proceeding.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I keep growing up."

I thought my heart was going to explode right there.

Just as she waits for me to answer her call of Mommy, she always waits for my reaction to her statement.

"Yes you do."

With that she treated me to an especially sweet smile and went back to her thumb and her own pillow and within minutes she sleeping deeply enough for me to take her to her room. But I didn't. By then I was the one who needed extra cuddling.

The flip side of potty training

One dinner at a family-style Italian restaurant with the in-laws and some family friends. Approximately three sips of water per child. Did you have any idea that this equals six trips to the potty during dinner? And that was just for Rachel. The kid can take a two-plus hour car trip without having to stop - she gets out of the swimming pool to tell me she has to go for goodness sakes - but she can't let me finish a piece of garlic bread without having a public potty adventure.

Don't get me wrong, it is all better than dealing with diapers. I am not complaining. Well, yes I am complaining but I'm allowed. I'm Mommy, dammit.

My Very First Time

My friend Claire tagged me and it's my first time ever being tagged. I suddenly feel so included. Here I go!

Where were you ten years ago?
I was smack dab in the middle of law school and my social life consisted of... oh right ha ha I had none. I was working as a law clerk at a mid-sized branch of a large law firm and discovering why I never wanted to work for a large law firm.

Five items on your To-Do list today:
Maybe I should starting making those little to-do-list-thingies... hmmm, it's a thought. Here's a shot - 1. Get at least three loads of laundry done (towels and linens), 2. Make rice dish for dinner tonight at my sister-in-law's house, 3. Confirm crazy hectic schedule for Sunday, 4. Get a few more garage sale leftover items listed on craigslist, 5. Buy ingredients to make Father's Day cake.

Snacks I Enjoy
Anything involving cheese. I love cheese. I also enjoy those lime-flavored tortilla chips, especially with guacamole. Any type of party food really. If you'd put it on a table at your Super Bowl party, I'll probably eat it.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Pay off the debt of all my family, make sure everyone had a place to live and kids had college funds. Buy a few trinkets and then travel EVERYWHERE.

Places I would live:
Surprisingly, I don't really mind where I live now. Not that much. Weather can be sucky but I guess home is home. But I think I could see living in Chicago. Every time I have visited that city I have felt very comfortable. Or San Francisco, I loved the weather (and I know a couple of cool people who live there too). My family being from New York I guess I should say NYC but I'm not sure. And I always thought I could live in Israel but that was 14 years ago. I'd have to go back again and see how I felt.

Bloggers I'm passing the challenge on to: Well I don't know many people who read me on a regular basis and the ones I do know don't blog themselves. So I will just have to tag Emily because I know she's out there.

Isn't It A Little Too Soon For This Conversation?

Last night Anna was enjoying a few extra minutes with Daddy while I put Rachel to bed. I came back downstairs and Anna announced very matter-of-factly: "We eat cows." I stopped in my tracks and glanced over at my husband who was sitting on the couch looking very amused. They were both staring at me, anxiously awaiting my reaction. Co-conspirators.

I was faced with a choice. (A) I could try to do damage control and hope I don't dig the hole any deeper. (B) I could ignore the situation completely and hope Anna doesn't bring it up at some inopportune time say, Monday morning on her first day of camp. Luckily for me there is always Mommy's secret option (C) Wine.

Reminder

When my girls aren't hitting, kicking, pulling hair and/or clothing, spitting (I know!), shrieking, screaming, crying, whining or thrashing they are actually quite often like this:

Probably The Dumbest Question I've Ever Asked

Why can't they just LISTEN?!

You know. Because two- and three-year-olds usually do. Deep breaths being taken.

Entertainment

You know what's really funny? Watching a two-year-old who refuses assistance try to put on a bathing suit over her head. Almost as funny is the way she pronounces bathing suit "babing soup." I'm just saying.

Strange Bedfellows

For the last four nights Rachel has gone to bed with an empty plastic Scooby Doo soap dispenser. Allow me to explain.

Dan's best friend has two daughters who are a few years older than our girls. Which means he also has several boxes of child-related randomness in his basement and so Dan occasionally comes home with a few surprises for the girls. Four nights ago it was a sparkly Ariel mermaid doll and said Scooby Doo soap dispenser.

Anna immediately went gaga over Ariel which meant that Rachel had to do the same. I swear I sometimes can't tell if Rachel even wants the stuff she asks for because she just immediately imitates Anna. A huge fight ensued and by the time we (and by "we" I mean Dan) had them calmed down they were "taking turns" by passing the doll back and forth every few minutes. Whoever didn't have current possession of Ariel got to hold Scooby. When Anna announced she wanted to take Ariel to bed with her, Rachel grabbed Scooby and demanded that she also get to sleep with a cold hard piece of plastic.

Aside from Rachel's blankey, my girls have never insisted on taking anything to bed with them. Anna never had an "attachment" item. As long as she had her thumb and a lock of hair to twirl she was good. On occasion when they really get into one particular doll or toy I even offer to let them take it to their rooms for nap or bedtime but they always decline. So it just surprised me that each child carefully tucked their respective toy under their blankets and tenderly curled up next to them. "Deere you go Gooby Doo," whispered Rachel.

Here's to hoping they soon find softer toys to sleep with.