Sassy Girl

Maggie is currently in a Music Together class that she absolutely adores. We listen to the CD at home and in the car and Maggie is quite clear about which songs she prefers.

"How 'bout 'Open and Shut Them'?" she'll call from the backseat, immediately requesting "Shoo Fly No Bother Me" as the first song comes to an end.

Today I was being silly and changing the lyrics of one of the songs. Instead of singing, "Oh Eliza! Little 'Liza Jane" I sang "Oh Margaret! Little Margaret Elyse."

Maggie frowned at me, "No say that."

"Why not?" I replied. "That's your name."

"That not my name," she responded. "I Maggie."

Tough crowd.

Oh Maggie.

And the really funny thing about this photo is that immediately after she..."decorated" her face with blue Magic Marker she climbed down from the table and went over the the mirror to inspect her handiwork.

And one more...

Maggie was not very happy when I attempted to change her clothes after lunch today. In an effort to get her to stop squirming, I tried to appeal to her love for anything "new."

Me: Mags! Don't you want to put on your new onesie?

Maggie (stops wiggling away and looks up): Papa buy that for me.

Me: Really? That was very nice of him.

Maggie: Papa have good taste.

On Having a Very Verbal Child

A few nights ago we sat down to a fabulous and innovative dinner of...tacos. An uninspired meal, certainly, but one that is both easy to make and something that (almost) everyone in my house will eat.

Maggie sat in her high chair and stared unhappily at her tray, tossing a stray grape onto the floor.

Maggie (looking at her taco and wrinkling her nose): No like.

Me: What? Maggie, you like tacos!

Maggie: I want peanut butter.

We have a this-is-what's-for-dinner policy in our house. You might not like the main dish but you have to try it. I make sure there are plenty of sides (e.g., fruit, veggies, yogurt) so that if you really do not like dinner then you won't go hungry.

Up to this point, I have been pretty lenient with Maggie. She's the baby, after all. The most important thing is that she eats, right? But I decided that if she is old enough to complain about dinner then she is old enough to follow the same "food rules" as everyone else.

Me: Maggie, this is what's for dinner.

Maggie: 'SCUSE me? I want peanut butter RIGHT NOW.

It was all Chris and I could do not to laugh out loud. Seriously. On the one hand, her command of the English language was impressive. When Cate and Ben say something rude my initial response is often in all-caps, usually something along the lines of, "EXCUSE me? How do we ask for a glass of milk?"

And, when I want them to do something immediately I might say, "Go put your shoes on RIGHT NOW or we will be late for school."

Maggie has clearly been listening and let me know in no uncertain terms that she found my response ("this is what's for dinner") entirely unsatisfactory and that I should address this problem as soon as possible.

It was an impressive effort but, in the end, unsuccessful.

Me: Sorry Mags. This is what's for dinner.

Technical Difficulties...

My laptop is being temperamental and I am unable to download any photos so it might be a while before I update again.

Ben's 4th Birthday - Continued

Celebrating with his best buddies at his preschool party
With his gumball cake (I think he liked it).
Listening to everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to him.

Oh Ben.

Dear Ben,

You look so grown-up in this picture.

I think I might have to cancel all future birthdays so that you stay my little boy forever.

Love,

Mom

Ben's 4th Birthday

Ben turned 4 on November 10, 2011.


How does a boy like Ben celebrate his 4th birthday?


Oh, you know, the usual---get up, go on a birthday scavenger hunt to find presents, open presents, eat some Hostess mini-donettes, head outside to ride his new bike, play with his new stomp rocket, go swimming, climb a 52-foot rock wall all the way to the top...

Oh Benjer, can't wait to see what the next year holds for you!

One Last Halloween Post

I love Halloween.

So do my kids. All three of them.

This was Maggie's first year to really get in on the Halloween action.

Cate and Ben taught her to say, "Trick or Treat! Smell my feet."

Chris bought her a spider shaped candy bag to carry all of her loot. She was set.

Our plan was to take Maggie to a few house and then head for home and put her to bed.

Instead, she marched up to every door and shouted, "TRICK OR TREAT!" She then examined the candy carefully and, when given a choice, pointed a little finger and said, "How 'bout that one?"


She loved it so much that she was still going strong even after Cate had collapsed into the stroller telling me, "I've actually got enough candy Mom. It's okay if Ben and Maggie get more."


For the record, some of my favorite Halloween photos:

The best group photo I could manage

Cate with her pal, Kiki


At Cate's class party (the only Halloween picture I actually appear in)

Ben's Halloween parade at preschool

Maggie and Daddy, waiting for the preschool parade to begin