Deep Dark Jem

I've been terrifying the kids with the story that starts "In the deep, dark, forest...". They scream, laugh, tell me to stop, and then beg me to tell it again. It's good fun. We turned the camera on Jem and asked him for his version.




Transcript:
In the deep dark forest, there was deep, dark, house.
There was deep, dark, basement.
There was darkmantles*....everywhere.
There was spiders, crawling on the bones.
There was....a hair cutting place**.
There was a crow cutting haircuts!

*from the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual that he loves to read.
**Jem gets pretty worried even walking past a hair salon.

One of each

Jem crawled in to our bed one morning a few days ago. He was lying there for a while, then turned to me and said "Mama, I like you...you're....different".
Violet's job is to feed the cat, and she does it with enthusiasm. She'll often give Ruby her scoop, but then skip away, leaving the entire container of food on the floor. I was in the kitchen for this teachable moment:
Me: Violet, put the food away
Violet: OK! I'll do it!
Me: It's that when it's in the middle of the kitchen...
Violet (interrupting): LAME!

I'm bragging here

Look like anyone you know? Yes, this is me as a princess.

Violet is an artist - and I mean a 'crumple-the-paper-in-despair-then-throw-your-marker-when-things- aren't-working-out-with-the-mermaid's hair-and-declare-you-don't-love-anyone-anymore, "even you, Mama!" kind of artist'. I'm so proud. She's always drawing. She doesn't just make a birthday card for someone, she makes 6 birthday cards.
Some highlights from February:

She dreams of summer flowers in our garden.
Our family walking hand in hand. She likes to write the name of the subject about their heads. Her penmanship is so neat for 4 years old. That's an exclamation mark after Jem's name.
A girl goes for a stroll with her cat. Jem is not at all interested in drawing. He prefers to use crayons as drumsticks or weapons - his media is Lego, and is equally amazing in his own way, but that's a post for another day...