On the drama filled world of my two year old...

Some snippets from my conversation with friends online last night as the girls prepared for bed:

My little redhead just collapsed to the floor in a fit of silent weeping over the grave injustice of being denied licorice right before bed....

Now she's trying to get out of picking up the toys with her sisters by telling me she needs a drink...every 10 seconds. She just staggered up to me clutching her throat and WHISPERED, "I really need a drink, Mummy, right now!" My child is such a drama queen.

Me: "Bethany, take this book and put it on the bookshelf." Her, eyes tightly closed, innocent voice: "Oh no, I can't see the bookshelf!" *drops book and walks away*"

Me, exasperated: "Bethany, GO in your room and help your sisters put the toys in the baskets!" Her, saluting me (yes, literally): "I will do that, sir."

I love my silly, beautiful, crazy, vibrant littlest daughter so much!

On dating when my husband is out of town...

I got to take my sweet Ashley on a date today! A little lunch, a little shopping, a little reading in the coffee shop, and a whole lot of talking and laughing and thinking "When did my baby girl get to be such great company?!" I really like her, which is pretty awesome because as bad as this sounds, I used to wonder if I would actually like my kids as well as loving them. (For the record, I like all three of them, not just Ashley...and suddenly this tangent is getting really cumbersome!)

It was a special and all-too-rare several hours together. My time with the girls is rarely 100% focused, one-on-one time, and when we do get a time like that I am always blown away by how incredible these little people are. What an amazing privilege it is to have them as my daughters....

Some sound bites from Ashley today:

"If I had a restaurant, I wouldn't make girls have french fries with their hot dogs, because it's better to have grapes with hot dogs and that's what I would give them."

"Mummy, you are the prettiest girl in the whole world! And Daddy is the most handsome man in the whole world. (long pause) And so can you even imagine how beautiful I must be?!" (I'm loving the confidence, but thinking we might need to work on humility!)

"I know those toys cost a lot of money (window shopping), but maybe if we go and ask nicely and make sure to say please, the people in the store will be so happy and then they will just give the toys to us!"

(Discussing 'Beauty and the Beast') "You know how the Beast was so ugly, and he would die if Belle didn't love him? She did love him even though he was ugly, and that's why he learned how to love her, and then he changed and wasn't ugly anymore and they were really happy. And that's just like what God does, isn't it?"

And finally...disgruntled after I told her that no, she couldn't scoop up those lovely dollar bills sitting on the table next to us because they were a tip left for the waitress, she muttered,

"I don't know why she needs to have a tip -- I clear my own place after I eat and I don't get a tip, and I'm just a little girl!"

Tidbits for Tuesday

October has been a bit chaotic so far, from wonderful chaos like one of my best childhood friends coming for an overnight visit with her two little ones, to not-so-wonderful chaos like a stomach flu bug making its tedious way through our ranks. Unfortunately it's been too chaotic to allow me time to document any of it for my lovely blog, but here are a few somewhat random thoughts currently floating through my head, which may or may not be worth mentioning!

1) My camera is dead!!! *weep* *wail* *gnash teeth* Ok. It's not actually dead. One of the invisible people who seem to roam my house at night working random bits of mayhem has stolen my camera battery charger, and hidden it in some spot that even my most diligent and desperate searching could not find it. This has resulted in a slow disintegration of my mental health and a forlorn, unfocused look in my eyes, not to mention the twitching.... It's not pretty. My new battery charger is supposed to arrive on Thursday, a good three weeks after my poor battery died. Yes, I will be hovering around my window on Thursday watching for the mailman. There's no shame.

2) Unfortunately, here's another sad bit of news: my wedding ring has sustained some damage from an unknown source at an unknown time. (Another invisible person in the middle of the night? Perhaps?) I know, I was as shocked to discover this as you are! Joking aside, it was awful to glance down at my finger and realize that my diamond is twisted on the band, and I have no idea when or how it happened. Honestly, what on earth would do that kind of damage?? I would show you a picture, but...yes, let's not revisit point #1. Anyway, it seems solid but I'm afraid to wear it until it's fixed in case the diamond should actually come off somehow -- plus it looks strange. So until I can get it repaired (which will not happen in St. Maries, my dear little town with no stoplight, so it may be a while still), my finger is disturbingly naked. And call me paranoid, but I feel like everyone's judging me when I go out in public with three small children and no wedding ring!

3) Something cute to close off the night...Bethany has this heart melting way of apologizing if she accidentally hurts someone. Her little arms steal around your neck and she presses her soft baby cheek to yours, repeating, "sorry, sorry" with great concern. It has recently come to my attention that Lamont will sometimes exaggerate an "Ow!" if she even bumps into him, just to get that sweet apology! Bad Lamont...

Also, Ashley may be a tiny bit too enthralled with the story of Moses right now; everytime we go somewhere, even to the grocery store, she wants us to stay there and wander around for 40 years!