Conversation with a four year old...

Lila gets very contemplative during car rides, and then she will ask the most random questions.

"Mom? How do cats move by themselves?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do they move?"

"Do you mean 'How do they walk around?' or 'How do they go live in a different place?'"

"How can they walk around?"

"Well, they have bodies with bones and muscles and brains, and their brain tells their muscles how to move."

Exasperated sigh, "Mom, cats do NOT have brains!"

"I know some people would agree with that, but they do have brains. All animals have brains."

"Hey, do you want to hear me sing the ABC's?"

"Yes I would."

"A-B-C-D-H-I-J"

"Wait, wait! What about E-F-G?"

"Oh right, A-B-C-D-H-I-J"

This went on for several minutes. If I sang it with her she could get all the letters, but on her own she couldn't remember E-F-G. When I asked her why she sighed and said, "I don't know... they just won't stick into my brains."

We sang it together one more time and the last line I sang in my best fake opera voice. "Won't you sing with meeeeeee!"

Lila giggled and said, "Why are you singing like an old woman?"

So I sang it as deep as I could.

"That's like a boy voice!"

Then I started to sing random tunes but using animals noises instead of words. I meowed, barked, quacked, mooed, neighed, baa-ed, and oinked. I was impressed that she even guessed fish right when I made quiet popping sounds with my lips.

As I pulled up to the preschool I sang one last tune in my normal voice. She thought for a moment and then guessed, "Walrus!"

I know I'm not a great singer, but I certainly don't sound like a walrus, thank you very much! Ah well, nothing can prick the ego faster than the honesty of a child...

Why is color so hard?

I think we finally have the paint color!

I have to thank Emilie for coming over and holding my hand as I hemmed and hawed and dithered over the sample palette. I just had to get my head over the idea that I had to pick one color to go with everything and last forever. I needed to be looking for a good neutral as a jumping off point, and I have to be resigned to the fact that I will be painting again and again in this life... or finding a way to barter with someone. I'd be willing to swap knitting or sewing services for someone who wanted to paint for me. Or is willing to be paid with cookies, I make very good chocolate chip cookies.

Blocks and Books

Today was a fairly normal day, but lots of little things happened that I apparently felt the need to document with a picture. So this post has a LOT of pictures.

 After lunch Lila asked me to play with the building blocks with her.

Who could resist that face? Not me.

We build a shop for Hello Kitty to sell baked goods from.

Note the Japanese influence in the architecture...

Lila decided that we should post armed guards at the base of the steps.

Then she thought if two is good, setting up a perimeter defense would be better.

Only serious buyers allowed.

I'm always glad when I slow down long enough to be treated to a game of make believe with one of my children. It's so fun to get a peek inside their heads.

We ran home to check out how the installation of the floors went.

I am so in love with my flooring!

 It's nerve-wracking when you're trying to envision how a room will look from a two foot long sample, but I couldn't be happier. It's exactly what I wanted!

Vinyl in the bathrooms.

Every day I get happier and happier with how this remodel is turning out.

Last month Jake had a pretty awesome accomplishment that I failed to blog about, because it happened on the same day that I got the call about the washer and dryer and that just put everything else right out of my head. He took third place out of the entire school in the Geography Bee. 

Today he was surprised with a gift card to Barnes and Noble as an award! It wasn't hard to talk this mom into swinging by after school to pick up a new book or two. I'm so proud of him, and grateful that he is good at geography in case we ever get lost.

We also stopped by the library so the girls could get a new book too, and I finally paid off all my fines. I love not having any late fees due at the library and have charged all three of my children to help remind me not to get anymore.

That is one of my re-occurring yearly goals: NO library fines!

Lila couldn't quite figure out the correct way to wear this hat, it's supposed to look like this.

I kind of love her unique sense of style though...

Knock, knock...

We have doors!

We are so excited, not only is it a step closer to being done with the remodeling, but it has been over a year since the hall bathroom has had a door on it.

Locking doorknob- $45
Bathroom door- $100
Being able to lock the children out of the bathroom for five minutes of privacy- Priceless

(Even though they'll just lay down in the hall and yell at you through the crack at the bottom....)

Random observations for the day...

We watched the Super Bowl at my Dad's and ate lots of nummy finger foods.

That's my favorite kind of meal, where the kids can graze as they like and don't need much if any help from me.

I finished January's baby hat.

We did our taxes.

Did you know that if you use Turbo Tax there is a button you can click after you e-file that lets you brag via Facebook and Twitter that you are all kinds of awesome and have your stuff together, and have already done your taxes?

I guess I'm old school in that I just brag about it on my blog...

I've spent the last half hour playing a fun new game called, "Let's hide our dirty laundry in random spots and really make Mom work for it."

I'm not a fan.

Tomorrow I have to try to do enough laundry to get us by for a week.

Nothing makes me want to own less stuff than trying to find something in this mess of half-packed boxes.

Except yarn.

I would be happy to look for things in boxes and boxes of yarn...

Multitasking...

I am trying to knit a baby hat a month (in addition to my other projects) for donating to Primary Children's Hospital this year. Myra mentioned that she keeps her hat in the car and knits on it when she's waiting for her kids after school, etc. All those little moments add up and you can have a hat done before you know it. I thought that sounded like a good idea, so I grabbed a skein of yarn and a circular needle and cast on as we left to run errands this afternoon. 

I knit on it while Jake ran into the library to pick up a book he had on hold, and while Brian ran rolled into Ace Hardware for a new pair of gloves. 

The girls had both fallen asleep so I waited in the car while Brian ran into Target, and I finished the ribbing. 

I knit in the dark as we drove, because I don't need to look for plain stockinette. I knit a few stitches in Lowe's as we were debating which toilet to buy, but that didn't work as well because I had to keep stopping to push the cart. 

Yes, that would be me knitting while waiting for the gas tank to fill up. It kept my fingers warm while standing out in the cold winter air for at least two minutes, possibly even three! Brian just laughs at me and takes pictures. 

"It's Valentime's Day!"

Today Lila noticed that we had turned the page on the calendar that she made for me in preschool. Every month has a picture made with her hand prints, I love it and she is so proud every time she looks at it. This month is a heart and she knows what that means, Valentime's Day! (That's is how both my girls pronounce Valentine's, I can't convince them that it's an N and not an M.) All day long she's been telling me, "Happy Valentime's Day Mommy!" and giving me hugs. I love it. I foresee at least two weeks full of extra love and hugs.

I feel like I've started off this month on a good foot. Life is stressful and not easy, for many reasons, right now. But this morning once Brian and the older kids left for work and school, I climbed back into my bed with Lila and just snuggled her. Instead of tackling one of my many chores that needed doing, I decided to enjoy the peace and silence as I was waiting for the workmen to arrive for the day. I started to pray, but before I could even form the thoughts to ask for help with my worries, I had a story that I'd heard recently in church come to my mind. It was about a family that was going through a painful loss and they were challenged by a visiting church leader to pray, and not ask for anything. Just to offer a prayer of thankfulness and gratitude. I decided to try it, a prayer that simply listed all of my blessings and the people and things that I feel grateful for. It was hard at first, I kept having to stop myself from asking for help and just focus on what blessings I've already been given, but it got easier as I kept going. I think it was the longest prayer I've said in a very long time. I was amazed at the immediate change in my attitude, I feel so much calmer and hopeful about the challenges ahead. I've decided that this is how I will work on being calm this month, by trying to stayed focused on what I have to be grateful for... and there is a whole lot to be grateful for. :)

The tile is finished and grouted now and it looks great!

As we drove home from school and he saw the guy's truck parked in our driveway, Jake asked, "Who's here?"

"The tile guy, he's here grouting." I replied.

"He's pouting? Why is he pouting?" Jake asked.

"No, he's grouting. Putting the grout in between the tiles." Then I laughed, "Yes, he's sitting in the shower, pouting."

We also had a funny experience this afternoon that I feel perfectly highlights each of my children's personalities. One of them used a little too much toilet paper and caused the toilet to overflow. I was upstairs at the time and suddenly heard three panicked voices and running feet up the stairs. Jake dashed in the living room first and said, calmly but quickly, "The toilet is overflowing! I need the plunger and some towels!" He is my man of action.

Evie followed second, all flustered and upset, "...and then it flushed, but there was too much, and now there is water, and I think it's broken, and so we need to clean it up, and get some more toilet paper because we're almost out, so I need some towels... and your help... I think."  She tries so hard to be helpful, but it takes her awhile to get around to explaining what the actual problem is.

Lila, who is nothing if not dramatic, waited patiently for Evie to explain and then exclaimed, "And it's going to flood the whole house!"

Calm down, Chicken Little. Be grateful for running water, even if it makes a mess sometimes.