Zoiks!

Someone is getting a bit shaggy around here! Wait, I think he's past shaggy... We're going to get it trimmed and cleaned up a bit Monday, but he doesn't want it cut! In the strange-parenting-experience file, M4 sleep-walked (is that the past tense?? slept-walked??) last night. He often talks in his sleep, but he was yelling and he called out for M3 and his friend H, then came barreling into our room. I don't think he ever really woke up as I took him back to bed. I'm just glad he didn't barrel down the stairs!

This is a shot from the concert in all his shaggy glory. I'm not sure why he decided to tuck in his shirt? Y'know, the elastic waist bands aren't exactly flattering. I'll post a video soon!

Growing up...

**spoiler alert for young children!!**

Well, M3 officially no longer believes in the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus. The other night she asked me if the Tooth Fairy was real (not that either my children has ever given up their teeth to the TF), and I asked her what she thought. She thought no. Part of this is because she left a NOTE under her pillow for the TF. Well, HOW is the TF supposed to KNOW there is a note under the pillow when there is NO TOOTH involved?? So the TF didn't write back; hence, the confirmation of M3's suspicion. The question about Santa followed. I explained that the spirit if Santa is a real part of Christmas, but the presents and stuff...well, yeah, that's your parents.

But then she asked if she could still "do" the Tooth Fairy, meaning exchange notes, I guessed. So the TF finally retrieved the note from under M3's pillow and dutifully replied.

Sniff...

Lemonade stand...

M3 and M4 were very keen on having a lemonade stand Sunday afternoon. I was not too excited...something to do with exposing my children to random strangers passing by, I guess. Way to spoil the childhood fun, Mom! Anyway, Mark helped them set up, and they were very earnest and enthusiastic about shouting "Lemonade for sale!" to any passing car. They had several customers and made a few bucks! M3 also sold some of her drawings. I guess it was an art sale, too. I was so taken by their enthusiasm that I even found myself riding to the store to fetch them some ice with my new bike panniers. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) They were just so cute in this endeavor, I couldn't stand it!! They are not jaded yet....

Flash forward

Last Friday night we had an open house here in our new home. It turned into quite a party, not least because there were so many kids raising a ruckus! M3 and her friends were doing things like knocking their drink cups off the front porch, throwing ice off her balcony, trying to lock each other in the bathroom, etc. I had a sudden vision of these same activities only about eight years in the future. So naturally, I am locking her in her room until she is 25!! Then she can go off to college if she wants.

I did it!!

Oh yeah...I used the "children are starving in Africa!!" line this morning. And "Because I said so!" you ask?? Been there. Done that.

One small parenting victory

M3 is reaching this age where girls are starting to be manipulative and mean (OMG...already!!!). It's hard for me to bite my tongue when she has a friend over and one of them does the "I don't want to play that" routine, causing the other to break down into a blubbering mass. Or when they fixate so stubbornly on an imagined slight (Real life example: "You stepped on that bug." "No, I stepped NEXT to it." "No, you stepped ON it." "No, I didn't!!" "Yes, you did!!") that one or both of them is reduced to a blubbering mass. (My less-than-exemplary reaction, turned up to 11: "It doesn't matter AT ALL!! SO DROP IT!!" Nice, huh?)

Anyway, the other night M3 told me a best friend (I'll call her R) called something M3 said "stupid." M3 didn't argue because she didn't want R not to want to play with her anymore. (Mommy, why are your ears steaming?) My advice for this and other situations has been to just ignore it and try to make your own fun. (And of course, to believe in yourself enough to know that what you said was NOT stupid. Can I throttle R now??!!) When your friends can't make you angry, they lose that power over you. Well, this is a hard concept for an 8-year-old to grasp, let alone execute.

But yesterday she did it!! And saw for herself how well it worked. She said to me, "R wouldn't listen to me, so I just looked out the window and started singing Pop Fly. And it was just, like, 30 seconds later that she asked me if I wanted to play Concentration!!" I wanted to dance with joy!! I was so proud that she actually kept her cool and tried this tactic. I'm just hoping that this real-life success will convince her to try it again in the future. Cuz I know things are just gonna get worse! We haven't even hit middle school yet! Guess I'm gonna have to read Queen Bees and Wannabes sooner than I thought.

Meanwhile, M4 just wants me to watch how fast he can get into and out of his "fire suit." (It's Fire Prevention week. Check your smoke alarm.)