Chased by Children

The Common Enemy

Last night as I was shopping with my mother and oldest daughter I was reminded of the old joke, "Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well?  They have a common enemy"  Ha.  Ha.  Ha......

I'm not a great shopper.  I'm a decisive shopper.  It's one of my charms (what?  shut it).  The problem is that my mother and my daughter are equally decisive (and better shoppers than I) so they were always immediately sure that they DID NOT like my suggestions.  

Ironically they both like bold color and pattern (I wear black or beige almost every day with no pattern ever....well, maybe a stripe or two). It was magical to see the two of them giggle conspiratorially at my blander suggestions.  And I have to say that CoCo came home with the most adorable outfit, which fits her great. In fact, it would be suitable for a job interview.....hmmmm....is 12 too young for me to suggest that?

Eating Hobos

What kind of title is that?  Well, it's what passes for a joke in these parts.

You see it all began innocently enough.  The princesses and I  were playing the game where one of us would say three words to start a story.  Then the next one of us says the next three words and so on and so forth until we are laughing so hard something snaps.  LuLu recently started the story with "The Hobo was...."  and somewhere along the line this story took a very, very dark turn.  Eventually the Hobo was eaten along with ketchup and corn (and a nice Chianti and Fa-va beans.....). 

Sick?  yes.

Funny?  You bet.

The problem (besides the cost of therapy these children will need later) is that now we can instantly crack our whole little team up if we just mention a Hobo...and ketchup and corn.  And if one of us yells "Hobo" on the streets of Chicago the other three of us become incapacitated with laughter (sooooo inappropriate).  At some point one of these "hobos" is going to hear us and we will all be impaled on a shopping cart (it will make the news people).

As the mother of these hooligans it's disturbing that they find the term "hobo" so entertaining.  And that they are further entertained by the thought of eating one of these "hobos" (is that the plural of hobo?  or is it hobai?) is the funniest thing they've ever heard.

Advice?

My Daughters Three

So every night the girls and I make up stories and entertain one another with them.  Often the stories star characters that sound like people we know and there is usually a punch line or two.

LuLu's stories have traditionally ended with the line, "and then everyone fell in the garbage."  It's funnier when she says it.

So last night I was telling the troops my story.  It starred three little princesses who adored their mother.  They did what she told them the very first time she asked them.  They always brushed their teeth without being asked.  They never talked disrespectfully to her.  And every morning they made her eggs on toast.

"Ha, Ha Mom. We get it" 

We laughed.  We went to sleep.

This morning as I came down the stairs yelling at LuLu to get her socks on.... I saw it. 

Eggs on toast. 

They had cut a heart out of the peice of toast and put it on top.

I love my daughters. 

Exhausted.

So, the day was EXHAUSTING.  I took the princesses to the Field Museum of Natural History today.  Great Museum.  A lot of laughs. EXHAUSTING.

Either I'm getting older or they are getting better at running me ragged.

Princess CoCo: helpful, but since she had a sleepover last night slightly off her game mood-wise.

Princess CoCo's friend, Ashley: also helpful but since CoCo slept over at her house last night also a little cranky.

Princess LuLu:  HIGH ENERGY.  What can I say.  The girl has energy to burn every moment of the day.

Princess MiMi:  Thrilled.  Genuinely Thrilled.  She loved the museum and made great shows of amazement at every new thing she saw.  It was worth the price of admission.

It really is a great museum.  Lots and lots of the posed stuffed animals (which even sounds gross as I type it) in natural poses and in natural "settings".  It's amazing really.  That is if you aren't a member of PETA.  I'm pretty sure PETA members don't love the Field Museum.  but i do.

   

And the princesses do.  And I'm really glad we went.  It was a great day (did I mention EXHAUSTING?).

But I'm not too exhausted to remind you to enter my contest.

Sisters at the Milestones

Princess MiMi has learned how to write all of her letters, her name and a few of her friends' names.  She knows how to spell Mommy. ahem.

Tonight at dinner she said to her sisters, "what word do you want me to spell?"

CoCo said, "spell Cat".

Then CoCo and LuLu watched intently as MiMi did just that. I watched them as they watched her. Their expressions were so serious as MiMi carefully wrote each letter.  And as she finished her "T" their faces lit up and they broke into applause. 

CoCo said, "Great Job, MiMi" and LuLu ran around the table and kissed her four-year-old sister's head.

MiMi was so proud of herself but it paled in comparison to the pride that her sisters clearly felt. The three of them were practically glowing as they grinned at one another. 

What must that be like?  To have older sisters who are genuinely thrilled at your accomplishments?  I'm guessing it's wonderful. MiMi knows for sure.

They are so lucky to have each other, and I'm lucky that I get to be a witness.

Where did they get this stuff?

At 8:30 am this morning I was loading the crew into my car.  Three princesses aren't as easy to "load" as you would think.

Princess Coco - iPod on her head

Princess Lulu- Nintendo DS in hand

Princess MiMi - a family size bag of cheetos in hand as she smears orange powder on the dvd screens while turning on an in-car movie.

It struck me that perhaps these children have too much of the wrong stuff.  I didn't know what a cheeto was until I got to college.  And why do all three of them have to have constant electronic stimulation?  When I rode in the car I'd have stimulating conversations with my parents....usually something like, "Mom, did you know that brother gunny  fell out when you turned that corner?"

Beautiful on Paper

I love this.  It really shows what we see is just a fantasy.