Happy Saturday everyone!

Its been a few weeks since I’ve done a round-up of the lighter moments chez nous and linked up with the Mommyhood Chronicles, so, well: Ta Da!

Top Five Laughs of the (last few) Week(s)

Number 5

My 4-year-old decided she wanted to be a witch for Halloween this year.  So we got her a nice little witch costume and we were off to the races.  She was a witch at school.  A witch at her dad’s work party.  And a witch for trick or treating.  Apparently she was concerned this might call her emerging identity into question because, as we were leaving for trick or treating, she decided there was a need to inform me that she was “just pretending to be a witch.”  Good to know.

Number 4

My husband and I are getting ready to leave for parent-teacher night.  We are saying good-bye to my mother – who is babysitting for us – and getting our coats on, when our 16-month-old starts trying to grab her coat from the chair it’s sitting on.  It gets stuck and she starts pulling all the harder, and crying with frustration.  She so obviously wanted to come with us and you could just tell from the look on her face that she was trying to communicate: “Wait for me!  I just need to get my coat!  Why is it stuck?  Stupid coat!  Life is so hopeless.”  This resulted in me trying to rationalize with her that we’d be gone for a sum total of MAYBE half an hour – like she’d understand.  My mother – the wisest in the room, just distracted her as we dipped out the door.

Number 3

Speaking of the determination of toddlers, we were at playgroup this morning and had played happily at the art table for about 20 minutes when my eldest decided it was time to change activities; so I dutifully tried to get my youngest to follow.  She, however, had discovered markers (thankfully, she has not yet discovered how to take the caps off) and was gripping on to them for dear life.  I try to extract them from her hands as you shouldn’t take them away from the arts area.  No go.  Finally, I just take them away.  Naturally her entire world collapses and she implodes into a puddle of inconsolable tears …. for about two minutes.  Then, in the new area, she discovered blocks.  And we were all good.  She was totally engaged in stacking them, trauma forgotten (and BTW we are gonna ROCK that “can your child stack 3 blocks” milestone at the 18-month check-up.  Take THAT Nipissing!) and another mother and I exchanged stories about what we thought toddlers would talk about at therapy if they went.

Ie:

My mother gave me FORMULA and I wanted MILK!  She just doesn’t understand me!”

“I cried out in the night and my dad brought my PINK blanket to comfort me when I so obviously needed my BLUE bear!  I am so alone.”

“I just wanted to hold these marker stick thingies and my mother STOLE them from me!  I’m not READY to CONFORM to marker stick thingy ZONING RULES and I think my parents should understand that I am a free spirit who needs to express myself.  And I need juice.  And a cookie.  No.  Not that cookie.  THAT cookie.

Number 2

My 16-month-old has recently fallen in love with all things oral hygiene.  She LOVES brushing her teeth.  While this is such a nice change from the horror that was trying to brush my older child’s teeth at this age, it is funny how often she tries to do it.  Just hanging out?  Hey mom!  Let’s brush our teeth.  Had some milk?  Hey mom!  Let’s brush our teeth!  Also, it’s a great distraction when she’s upset.  Really, I kinda wish I’d brought a toothbrush to playgroup this morning so I could have given her that when I grabbed the markers.  At any rate, we’re not anticipating any cavity issues 🙂

Number 1

My 4-year-old has entered the stage of repeating things she hears.  Most recent example?  We are in the car and she drops her dolly.  Given she’s in a car seat she can’t reach it and asks me to get it for her.  I tell her I’ll do it at the first red light to which she responds, “Good!  I don’t want to have to repeat myself 50 times!” Indeed.