I can't win for trying

On the way home from school today...

H: "You didn't ask Humpty Dumpty how his day was!"

M: "Oh, is he in the car with us?"

H: "Yes!"

M: "How was your day, Humpty Dumpty? [pause] What did he say, Hope?"

H: "He can't talk. He's just pretend."

Questions about "Snow ladies" from H

Are they real or pretend?

Are they sticky or not?

Can you hug them and take them to bed?

Wanna play, Hope?

M: "Wanna play, Hope?"
H: "No thanks, I'm working."

Let me just brag on my daughter a bit

So tonight, T went out with a friend for dinner leaving just me and the kids for our after school routine. Here are just a few of the ways H amazed me:

1. She played by herself while I got dinner ready, occupying E when he got fussy before I could even ask.

2. At dinner she turned to me and said, "How was your day?" Then listened to my answer.

3. She ate all of her broccoli without a word from me.

4. She cleared the table, including picking up the pasta she dropped, while I went to give E a bath.

5. She didn't complain when E's evening fussiness kept me from doing all the fun things we had planned in the car on the way home; she just played with her Duplos by herself until I could play with her.

6. She drew this with a trackpad: 

[She said it was "a fruit that didn't taste good." Don't ask me what that means.]

7. She had the patience and perseverance and small motor skills to type the whole alphabet, hunt and peck-style. [I had to sing the song for her to know what came next.]

8. She chose a map of King of Prussia mall for her bedtime story and spent 20 minutes learning about legends and how to read a map. 

Don't get me wrong, there were lots of un-bloggable moments tonight too. But, wow. We must be doing something right.

Our city kid in the suburbs

On the way to the playground at the elementary school, I pointed out a giant mushroom growing near a tree. After some convincing, H touches it.

Later, at the playground, she wanders into a small wooded area and calls me over, "Mommy, mommy, I found two mushrooms!"

I go over to look. She's found two brick-sized rocks.

Some Sunday morning quotes

I'm going to dress up like a super hero teacher!

I'm going to give out flowers. This one has a tag that says, "happy specialist birthday ever! Your favorite neighbor, one one one."

I'm going to dress up like a policeman!

I'm going to pick out clothes for baby Susie. Oh, this looks so cute for her! Look at her bootiful pants! Look at her undershirt!

Polices help babies not cry, right?

1st library trip

Ok, sorry to be such a prolific poster today, but I FINALLY got H to a library for the first time ever. It's shameful that it took so long, but look who's so proud to have a library card with her name on it! She checked out so many books that she couldn't pick up the bag. #takealook #itsinabook #worldatherfingertips On November 17, 2015 at 07:30PM

Actual conversation with H

Actual conversation with my 3 year old while she's getting ready for bed:
H: Don't sit on my bed! If you sit on my bed, I'm going to call your cousin on my hand phone. [holds hand to ear like a phone] What's her number?
M: 123-456-789.
H: No, one number!
M: 5.
H: No, it has to have two.
M: 5-6.
H: No, it has to have two parts.
M: Twenty-three?
H: Ok. #controlfreak #mathnerd #futureteacherofamerica
On November 16, 2015 at 08:29PM

So this just happened

H: [Coloring brown furiously over a picture of Dora] Dora pooped herself!

Where does she come up with this stuff?

"This part of my bed is made of wood [gestures at slats]. This part [thumps mattress] is made of hair."

Playing with baby brother's toys

You can't tell her Bumbos are for babies.

Backseat observations

"Mommy! When I pick my nose, it bleeds!" 

"Only cars go in the street. And people go on the sidewalk."

"Some houses are apart, and some houses are close."

"There's leaves on that house!"

"Some trees are sick."

"Daddy looks like a monster because he has a beard. Baby bruva can't have a beard because his chin is too small."

While reading a book in which all the characters have dark hair: "Mommy, where's the one with the blond hair?"

Sometimes parents need some prompting

H: [to T right after she poops] Say "good job, Hope! I'm so proud of you."

My little ducky

Just chillin' with my little ducky on a Wednesday night....

#doesnteveryoneweartheircostumeeveryday #getyourmoneysworth #preschoolersrock On November 04, 2015 at 06:45PM

Every night

Hope poops right before bed. And every night, she tells us what the poop resembles. Tonight it was a banana.