Thing 2: Uncensored

I went to El Pollo Loco to pick up lunch so that the kids and I can take it to my mom's work and have lunch with her. She still can't get around with the cast on her leg.

I ordered two large sodas. The lady asked what kind of drink do I want, and Thing 2 shouted "Mommy only drinks coffee and wine".

Oh boy!

Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer & Became a Robot

My mom broke her leg. Badly. She required surgery to put a plate in to protect her from future breaks. So, that meant no grandma for Thanksgiving, and for the kids to learn not to rough house with her for the next few months.

My son kept asking me questions over and over about how bad her leg was. I didn't want him to be completely distraught, as I know how sensitive he could be. So, I explained she needed surgery to fix her leg, and she'll be fine after some rest. I mentioned that she'll have a metal plate in her leg and she'll be as good as new in time for his birthday.

Metal parts in Grandma's leg?

A boy couldn't be happier! Grandma was part robot. After all, isn't that what happened to Luke Skywalker when Darth Vader cut his hand off? And, wasn't Darth Vader (his current hero) part robot?!

My son is now pleased to have a cyborg granny.

The Nutcracker

I've decided to try and implement some arts and culture into my kids' lives. First, it was the art museum, which resulted in me getting yelled at and the kids deciding that looking at pictures of birds and "weird people" wasn't their thing right now.

No biggie, that's fine. But, I'm not about to give up.

So, I saw that The Nutcracker was in town. My children were super excited to go. They were hopping up and down in anticipation. Finally, we get there, and they sit through the first few scenes. My son asks me "where's the Nutcracker?" I whisper, you have to wait for him. Finally, there's it is. A little girl dancing with her new Nutcracker gift. Some action on the screen (where the Nutcracker kills the Rat/Mouse King) and then more dancing.

My son whispers again "where's the Nutcracker?" Having never seen it, and not knowing what to anticipate, I reassure him "shh! We have to be patient". The snow falls, as a lovely couple dances on screen. He gets antsy "booooring! Mommy where's the Nutcracker?!"

The Nutcracker doesn't reappear. During intermission, I review the program only to see, that The Nutcracker doesn't reappear, that was the extent of it.

Sitting back during act two. Watching the local performers continue dancing to the beautiful melodies, I feel the same frustration as my kids.

I'll know better next time. Maybe I'll save "the arts" for when they're older and I've done my research.

Bedtime Routine

After our bedtime routine (books, etc.) here's the bedtime dance:

Thing 1 and Thing 2 go to bed.
Thing 2 talking and singing herself to sleep. Gets up. Wants water
Thing 1 needs to pee.
Thing 2 needs to pee.
Thing 1 wants water.
Thing 2 wants a story (whines when I say no).
Thing 1 wants a lullaby (whines when I say I'll be in later after Thing 2's asleep).
Thing 2 wants to hold my hand and wants a lullaby
Thing 1 wants another hug and kiss
Thing 2 wants another hug and kiss
Thing 2 starts to sing
Hubby yells at Thing 1 to go back to bed.
Thing 2 asks if daddy's mad at Thing 1
Mommy loses her cool and tells Thing 2 to stop talking and sleep
Thing 2 pouts and sniffs
Thing 2 finally falls asleep
I sneak out and check on Thing 1
Thing 1 wants a lullaby
Thing 1wants a story (whines for no story)
My leg falls asleep, I leave the room
Thing 1 sneaks out of bed
Both parents shout "Go back to bed!"
Thing 1 sneaks out of bed exclaiming "I can't sleep by myself"
Hubby sits in Thing 1's room to tuck him in
Thing 1 wants a lullaby
Hubby leaves b/c he can't sing
Thing 1 falls asleep
Thing 2 wakes up and wants mommy
Thing 2 gets out of bed again
Thing 2 falls asleep on the floor
Thing 2 wakes up (2o minutes later) and wants water
Thing 2 goes to bed

I wake up in the middle of the night with both kids. The sneak into my bed while I was sleeping again. I swear, they're breaking me down!

Tears of sweet sadness

Last night, as we normally do on Wednesdays, the kids and I had movie night. Toy Story 3 came out on DVD, and so naturally we had to get it and watch it ASAP.

Movie loaded, kids had their cups of milk, popcorn was popped, and we're all snuggled away on the couch with the magic blanket covering us.

We were ready!

And then the sadness started. There's a scene in the movie where the toys tell of how a teddy bear gets lost. I hear little sniffles coming from Thing 2. I look down, and there was the biggest frown on her face, and tears down her cheeks.

I ask if she's okay, and she starts to bawl "NOOOOoooo" as she buries her head deeply into my shoulders, sobbing uncontrollably. I know these cries. These are those cleansing cries I have every so often, usually once a month. These cries are good for the soul, and often over exaggerated by an event (such as a sad movie or story). They are the built up tears that flow uncontrollably, and washes away the sadness from the soul.

I just didn't think that these tears would start so young. At 2 1/2 yrs old, Thing 2 had these soulful sorrowful tears.

It was so sweet to see her tear stained cheeks, wet eyes, and extremely sad frowny face. I looked at her and said "it is sad, isn't it? It's okay to be sad, and it's okay to cry when you're sad". Which, of course, made her cry even more. Once she got it out, she tried to explain (in the best blubbery way she could" that the teddy bear was lost and didn't have his mommy.

I gave her a reassuring hug and told her, that it is sad he didn't have a mommy, but his mommy will always be with him, even when he can't see her. And, that mommy is always thinking about and loving him, just like her mommy loves her. More than words could say. I hugged her so tight and told her that I'm not going anywhere, and that I'll always be with her and love her.

After giving her another piece of cheesy popcorn, we resumed the movie.

Fat Questions

I believe in being honest with your kids about the important things. And, I also know that Thing 1 is at the age where he's learning about judgment, comparisons, opposites, etc. So,when Thing 1 asked me "mommy, are you fat", I felt obligated to answer him honestly "yes, mommy is fat. But, I'm also healthy". Which I think is the important things. I'd like to teach my kids about being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle as being important.

I'm working on a healthy attitude towards body image. I just hope that there are other things that my kids will focus on to be embarrassed about. I mean, it's me, and I have plenty of ammunition to give them.

So for now, I have instructed Thing 1 to answer anyone who mentions that he has a fat mommy with "she's not fat, she's fluffy". That seems to have made him happy.

Red Hot Chili Pepper

My 2 1/2 yr old decided that it would be a good idea to eat a chili packet of peppers left over from one of our Round Table Pizzas today. I doubt she'll be exploring any more packages with her mouth any time soon...the bright side? She wasn't hurt, and the bright tomato red shade didn't last, as she returned back to her normal shade of color within a few minutes (and after chugging a lot of milk). Oh, and her sinuses are clear for the moment...