Double Digits

SEVEN

Nine. Oh why does the time go so fast?!

Fuzzy

We found him frozen, laying on top of the snow. Brought him in. He thawed and delighted us with his wiggly ways. Then I looked him up on the internet and it was all "if you find these caterpillars outside in the winter, don't bring them inside - they are fine outside!". We put him back.

And then there's this....

I feel weepy about this.

She's My +1

Violet: How many people are there in the whole world?
Jesse: About 7 billion now, I think.
Violet: INCLUDING ME?!

MCDNA

Jem: Violet, are you going to do your dance to the McDona music?
Violet: Jem! It's not McDona, it's MUDona. MUD-DONA.

2013

Hey, what do you mean it's the middle of January? Didn't we just finish our Advent calendars? That's right, for a whole month these kids sprang out of bed and devoured two chocolates each, and didn't share once with us.

JANUARY 2013. My resolution is to blog more. My Instagram account and facebook have become a micro-blogging thing, sucking the life-juice from this blog. I miss this blog. Remember how much I used to write here? You probably do and are disappointed with me. I love looking back and reading what the kids were up to.

They are so funny, but they do say less 'cute' things as they get older. Now they say alarming things  like "Mom, what is sexy? Like in I'm sexy and I know it?".  At least Jem still thinks it's sexty.
. . . .
Jem: I invented a language. Will you check if the government wants it?

Bon

Jem came up to me this morning as I was getting his breakfast ready.
Jem: Mom, you should speak more French to me.
Me: Bon!
Jem: WHAT?! (starts tearing up) You're just like my teacher, blah blah in French and I don't  
         understand anything!

The Menfolk.

These kids are lucky. I am lucky. The Captain of My Heart is everything a father should be. Even if he refuses to get a cell phone so that I can call him about important things, or says things like "yeah, I saw you emailed me today, but I didn't check it". Hey, Jesse?

He's a great father because he has a great father. Father of the Captain of My Heart, Stephen.

Hey, Jem really knows how to pout! But he'll be a great dad one day too because of these excellent role-models. Happy Happy Father's Day!

Violet: It's going to be Mother's Day soon!
Jem: Yeah, we have to get something for you.
Me: Don't get me anything. You know what I would love? A day without bickering...and lots of hugs and kisses. Could you do that for me?
They look at me, trying to see if I'm serious about this.

Two minutes later, they are bickering in the hallway. Violet is bugging Jem as he tries to get his boots on for school. Jem is trying to swing his backpack to hit her.

Me: Violet, let Jem get his boots on! Jem, put the backpack down!
Violet : It's not Mother's Day yet, Mom.

My Lord

Jem: Do you know why Darth Vader has a cape?
Me: No, why?
Jem: Because he is a Lord. When a little Lord is born, they, like, just give them capes I guess.

Secret Cinema

Violet likes to make videos on my phone when I'm not looking.

March Break

Miami Beach! We played in the ocean, fed the seagulls and ate ice cream every day.

Imagine that.

Violet was lying in our bed a few mornings ago, having a sleep-in as the rest of us puttered around the house. She was holding one of our wedding pictures up and gazing at it with such a wistful expression that I had to ask "what are you thinking?". She hesitated for maybe 2 seconds, and answered "that you're dead".

Back story

Jem still has his snuggly, except now it's three shreds of threadbare fabric. He was holding one last night as I put him to bed...
Jem: Snuggly doesn't have a Mom or Dad. They died. His Dad was a soldier and he died. His Mom was a nurse that made army mans feel better. She died in Mexico.

I think the Remembrance Day ceremonies this year really did a number on him. I'm not sure a four year old needs to know about that stuff yet, but his school makes a BIG deal about the day. Does it need to start so young?

Wait!

Last night, just as we had tucked the kids into bed, the doorbell rang. I answered it. There was a young man in a rumpled suit who wanted to know if we were interested in receiving a sample of meat. Huh? Ummm....and....ew? I don't usually accept raw meat from strangers, so I thought I'd make it easy and tell him we don't eat meat. As I was closing the door Jem cried out from his bed "WAIT! MEAT IS MY FAVOURITE!"
. . . . .

Violet: Mom, I'm not going to murder someone because I'm going to jail or I'm a bad person. It's just because all that blood...yuck, y'know. It just makes me feel grossed out.

Big words from small people.

Jem: Mom, I'm not going to be a shenaniganizer when I grow up...I'm going to be a straggler.

In the car the other day Violet and Jem were arguing as they so often do. Violet is smart enough to make it look like Jem is to always to blame. I am tired of their bickering.
Me: Violet, it's not just Jem causing this ruckus, it takes two people to keep a fight going!
Violet: Or three...mom!

I was trying to get them to pose for the nice picture together. I don't really expect them to pose for me perfectly, but I did want them to at least look at the camera at the same time. I told them that something really weird was going to come out of my lens after the next shot, so they should look really closely. It's out of focus because I started laughing too hard at their faces.

Good one, Jem.

Jem: I'm going to tell you a joke, OK?
Me: Sure Jem!
Jem: What did the clown say to the jester?
Me: What?
Jem: I'm going to bite your penis!
Me: Hmm, Jem. That's not really that funny.
Jem: OK, sorry, I'll say another one.
Me: Go ahead.
Jem: What did the clown say to the jester?
Me: What?
Jem:...oh...wait...that's the same joke again.