You Do NOT Need to be Saved!

Tonight Payton was trying to explain to me how a teacher was teaching them about characters, and as she told the story it went something like this. (Mustache,bow and bow tie created by a fanned piece of paper moved from lip,to hair to neck.)

Guy with mustache (deep voice):You must pay!
Girl with bow in hair(high whiny voice, boo hoo attitude):I CAN'T pay!
Repeat twice
Guy with bow tie(deeper voice, and swooping body motions):I will pay!

I'm trying to figure out how much this bothers me. I think the lesson trying to be taught was that you can act out different characters using voice/mannerisms/acting, but why was the example SUCH a stereotypically situation where a man swoops in and saves the poor poor girl who can't pay. Maybe her interpretation was skewed? I just feel like the underlying message is one I'm working hard as a mother to not teach my girls. They do NOT need a man to take care of them!  

Safe and Alive

On the eve of you're 8th birthday tonight you are so mad at me.  Today is Easter and Leslie is hosting her family Easter dinner and earlier today invited you girls to stop by and join their egg hunt.  We got back from Grandma Barb's after bedtime and being the mean mommy I am, I told you girls to get to bed.  By the way, it's now pitch black outside and the egg hunt still hasn't gone off, so I made the right call.  But back to the story.  I went up to tuck you girls into bed.  Parker of course was storming mad, crying kicking, as would be expected.  I tucked her into bed and came to your room.  You were in bed, sulking but handling  it pretty well.  I decided to tell you how proud I was, which might have been a mistake.  You went on to tell me that I do a good job of keeping you safe and alive, but that I never let you have ANY fun.  And that I embarrass you.  Quick on my feet, and too much on my mind lately, I came back with yep, and I will so may more time in the next ten years.  In reality you know that we take you to do bazillions of fun things, but right now I broke your heart, and that's as far as you can think.  And for sure I will embarrass you over and over.  It's my job, my right, my privilege, because for the most part when I do it it is to keep you safe, alive and sometimes just to teach you how to be a better person.  Oh boy, the next ten years are gonna hurt.

Smarter Than I Can Take

Oh Parker! Upon seeing you leaning back in the chair, AGAIN, I just yelled at  you "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!"  You answer, "I didn't count.". How do I not laugh out loud at that?

Wash Your Mouth Out

Parker attended a fantastic spa birthday party today. Upon returning home I was so proud of her willingness to share her goody bag with Payton. I wasn't paying much attention beyond that. A few minutes later Payton came in to complain that the cookie she ate was awful and could she please have one of our suckers to try to get the taste out of her mouth, she claimed water wasn't helping. Being ...the mean mommy I am, I said no, have some more water. Flash forward two hours... I walked into the kitchen to see the cute tub of "cookie", and thought I might try one, but remembered Payton's complaint. I started to read the tub, DO NOT eat, for external use only, all in small, very small print. Oops, guess those pretty balls covered in sprinkles where soap and not cookies or ice cream or icing as I'd thought.. LOL, mommy of the year, I just laughed and teased her for not reading the fine print! Life lesson hopefully learned by Payton!

School Drop Off

Some of the funniest stories happen in the morning on our way to school, I'm in full zombie mode just happy that we've almost survived another day, and your little brains are already up and running.

Today I have two new favorites to add to the collection in my head.

First, I hear Parker admiring a piece of schoolwork that Payton had left in the car.  I thought it was a little funny, because although I know Parker admires Payton, she hardly ever acknowledges that Payton is older or her work is more complicated.  So, I hear her asking Payton something along the lines of "Wow, you did all this?", to which Payton answered, "yeah, well, some of it was there and I did the rest".  Here's the funny part, Parker, still impressed, "Did you get a STAR??"  "Well, in SECOND GRADE, we don't really do it like that, we don't really get stars".  Which is hysterical, because Payton is always putting stars on her own homework and papers, even before she returns them to school, so she is definitely still seeing stars at school and considers them a job well done. 

A few minutes later Payton asks me if I can shave her legs when we get home.  "Uh, WHAT??  Why would I do that?"  She informed me that she can see hair on her legs.  I wanted to answer I didn't do that until I was in college, but of course that would be an outright lie, so I go with "I didn't do that until I was a teenager!", which in my mind was practically the same answer, but probably also somewhat of a lie.  Not so much to Miss Payton.  Her response was that she's "ALMOST a teenager, only 6 more years and that's not very long."  Then she laughed at her self a little and corrected herself that maybe it is a little while still.

Parker Turned 5, and Mommy Was Busy!

It's been a few months, but Parker, you made it to 5!  Between your fearlessness and spirit, there have been times over the last 5 years it's been questionable.  I have to say, I feel like this summer you really grew up a lot, and in so many great ways.  You were SO excited to start kindergarten was so hard for you to wait, but now we're in the full swing of it, and you are doing great.  Even since the beginning of the school year I feel like you've come leaps and bounds, and I already thought you were ahead of the crowd.  I kind of missed writing your 5 year post, promise to better next year!

School Rules

Yesterday was the 4th day of school, and on the way to school Payton informed me that she'd had to make a new rule for the bus and school.  She had to make a rule for Parker, no kissing on the bus or at school.  I think it's pretty funny, because I can't think of a time that I've seen Parker trying to kiss Payton, maybe some big bear hugs here and there, but kissing just isn't something I see her do.  Guess she sure must be missing her sister at school!