Plate Lickin' Good!

Lovey was on a mission tonight! Poor Murray has been wanting salmon for supper for ages but he's the only one who enjoys it so I rarely put it on the menu. Since it was on sale this week, and it had been so long since I'd gotten it, I decided we'd have some. Tonight was salmon night. I gave very small (maybe a teaspoon full?) serving to each of the girls and waited for the crapstorm to start. Lo and behold, it DIDN'T!!!! Every single one of them ate their microscopic portions and cleaned up their plates well! I almost fell over. Then I remembered what they were playing for: Murray's homemade from scratch blueberry pie or Berry Bliss Cake or fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Obviously, the stakes were high :)

 At another meal earlier this week, the dreaded portion of that meal was under discussion.

Sweetie: Lovey? is broccoli your arch enemy?
Lovey: (scornful face & tone) NO! of course not. beans are!

 That girl really gets into her work :)

Speaking of work, violin lessons have started up again and Lovey is nearly ready to move up to the next size of violin. When she started at age 5, her violin was 1/8 the size of a regular one. Then earlier this year she graduated to the ¼ size and now here she is with that one and her new ½ size! She's so excited to have a new (to her) instrument. Misty says she's not quite ready to move to the bigger one but will be very soon and she found a used one for us to buy so we're going to get it now. Lovey wanted to use it for practice tonight though.

The Race is On!

Every morning is a struggle to get all 3 girls up, fed, dressed, beds made, teeth brushed, hair done, lunches loaded into backpacks, winterwear ready & everybody out the door in 6o minutes. (tell me that didn't make you tired just reading it!!!)

Honey & Lovey have found it faster to get dressed & then eat breakfast. I'm not sure why it works but it does. They can get dressed, make their beds and finish eating all in the time it takes Sweetie to eat one piece of toast.

One night I went in to check on the girls and noticed that Lovey was half out of her nightie. I thought she must have gotten hot and tried to cool herself off. The next night I suggested a cooler nightie.

L: I like the other one!

Me: but you get so hot in that one. When I checked on you last night, you had it mostly off, you were so warm!

L: (bursting into giggles) that wasn't because I was HOT!!!!!

Me: well what were you doing then you crazy thing???

L: I wanted to get a headstart getting dressed so I can beat Honey!

It's good that she's learning to think ahead right?????

Laughing with Lovey

Oh my word this girl cracks us up! Well they all do on any given day I guess really. It seems that Lovey is really coming out with some gems lately though. Plus, since she rarely eats her supper, she's taken it upon herself to be the comic relief at the dinner table!

One night at dinner, Sweetie was reading the grace out of their prayer book & it was the Johny Appleseed one. At the end, Lovey asked who Johny Appleseed was anyway? We admitted that we really didn't know the full story on him & that we'd have to look him up. A couple days later, Lovey launches into a long explanation of who Johny Appleseed was, where he went, what he did and how he got his name etc. I just looked at her, speechless (well, not for long of course!).

Me: Lovey how did you find that all out?

L: I read it!

Me: do we have a book about him?

L: nooooooo! it was on Daddy's computer.

Me: oh! Daddy looked it up and showed you?

L: no! I did it myself!

Me: WHAT?!?!?!? how did you do that?????

L: welllllll, (btw, this is hands down her favourite word!) I turned on Daddy's computer and typed it in!

Me: you Googled it yourself??????????

L: yes!!!!!! now I'm going to go find some puppy videos!!!!

So there you have it! We have been rendered completely useless as an information source by our almost 7 year old daughter, now a proficient Google user. They're teaching them too much at that freaking school!!!!!!!!

Conversations....

We were talking at supper the other night. It was another meal that Lovey preferred to stay hungry rather than eat the boiled tripe I served. (or something equally distasteful I guess!)

Me: Lovey you're going to be hungry!

L: no I'm not! I had one bite of steak!

Sweetie: oh YEAH you are! later tonight, when you're all snuggled into your bed, you'll be hungry!

Me: I guess that's what happens to you Sweetie?

S: yeah.

Me: and when you're in bed all hungry, what do you wish?

S: I wish that there was a plate in the kitchen with a hundred pieces of bacon and a note that said "To Sweetie" on it!!!!!!!!!!!!

So much for using her to teach Lovey to eat when you've got the chance!

Conversations.... with Lovey.

Lovey was on the phone with my aunt this morning. They were discussing the recent baby shower at her house.

AC: and do you remember the names of the babies?

Lovey: L & B

AC: who do you think the oldest person at the party was?

Lovey: GG!

AC: do you know how old she is?

Lovey: how old?????

AC: 91

Lovey: omigosh she's gonna die SOON!

AC: don't tell GG that!

Toddler Chat VI (or something)

Last week, Lovey was very keen on helping me out in the kitchen. She helped clear the table off for supper, then set it & then put away a bunch of stuff that didn't belong in there and then asked to wash the dishes. I told her what a good helper she was being and how impressed I was etc. She told me "I like helping you. I can do some of your jobs and then you won't have so many things to do and then you won't have to say "oh CRAP!" all the time."

Murray was reading the kids one of their bedtime stories and came across a word he thought he'd better explain.

Murray- girls, dilemma means the same as "problem"
Sweetie: yeah Daddy, another word for that is predicament


On Tuesday, Sweetie came out to the kitchen holding a bunch of coins in her hand.

Me: Where did those come from?
Sweetie: my bubblegum machine
Me: What are you doing with them?
Sweetie: I want to give it to the poor people.

We put the money in a little baggie to take to church. Last winter, almost a year ago, we heard about a single mom with 2 young girls, one the same age as our girls who were having a hard time and had a totally empty cupboard. So we went through our pantry and gathered some things to donate & then I bought some more stuff at the grocery store, including some bubbles as Easter was coming up. Sweetie remembered this family and wanted her coins to go to the little girls that we gave the bubbles to. It's amazing what they can remember sometimes. That was a one time event, ages and ages ago (especially to a 4½ year old!) but she was very specific and very serious.

She also decided to get her teddy bear bank and looked at what she had in there and added ALL of it to the bag because "I don't need anything and I don't need that money but that family will be very excited to get my coins. Daddy has money and he gets what we need." Mind you, our money tree out back doesn't work any better than anyone else's but she is right, Murray's got her basics covered and her life won't suffer any for her generosity so I didn't try to talk her out of it. Honey & Lovey came along and got in on the conversation and then ran to their bedroom & were back with their banks in no time. They dumped out all their coins onto the table and started adding to the bag. Lovey decided she didn't need any of hers either and added it all. Honey thought maybe she might need a bit and decided to save some but still put the majority of what she had. I let them talk it out & do what they wanted but it was an interesting conversation!

Toddler Chat....Again.

Sweetie, eyes still shut in a dead sleep as I'm taking her to pee around midnight: "Mumma?"

Me: yes?

Sweetie, mumbling: I love you. (how cute is THAT??????????)



The girls have been asking about jail lately (something about Murray's side of the family I guess...) and wanting to know who goes to jail, how you get to jail, how long you stay in jail, what you do in jail, could Murray or I end up in jail etc. Then the other morning they were discussing it amongst themselves and were saying "Oh I hope Mummy & Daddy don't go to jail!" "Yeah, that would be awful, I don't want them to go either!!!!" and Lovey pipes up with "yeah, because I can't reach the cereal!!!" (always good to know where you stand!)


The girls now have to clear their dishes from the table after meals and I ask them to scrape their plates in the garbage. Honey headed straight to the garbage can tonight and I noticed the bag had been taken out & was sitting next to the fridge.

Me: Honey, noooooooo! the bag's not in there, go scrape it over there
Honey (frozen in place by the garbage can, startled by this change of plans): ohhhhhhhh! but!!!! ohhhhhhhh! I don't know!!!..... ohhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Me: it's ok.....RICK.

Toddler Chat IV

it's alllll about the teamwork!

Oh the conversations going on around here these days! I WISH I had a little recorder on me all the time so I could remember all the gems they're tossing out lately.

A few weeks ago, Murray's parents were here & treated the girls to new outfits. The next Friday, when Mum was here, Sweetie had an accident in her new fancy skirt.

Mum: Oh Sweetie! What happened?

Sweetie: Honey was on the toilet & I had to pee and she wouldn't get off.

Mum: Well, you could have gone downstairs?

Sweetie: I didn't want to pee down there, I wanted to pee upstairs.

Mum: uh uh uh. What's Nanny going to say???

Honey: (finger to her lips) Shhh! Sweetie, don't tell Nanny!

Sweetie: (very solemnly) I won't Honey!

Mum: Well now Honey, that wasn't really the point!


Honey: wellllll.... what was the point anyway Grammie?



Tonight at supper we were having one of our many many alphabet discussions on what letters make what sounds, what does the letter b start with (this is how they ask) and Honey starts asking about "w".

Honey: what letter makes "wh" (make w sound here)

Murray: "w" says "wh"

Honey: no it doesn't

Murray: yes it does

Honey: nope. "y" says "wh"

Murray: no Honey, "y" says "ye"

Honey: no it doesn't

Murray: Honey!!! you don't know everything!

Honey (quickly & assuredly) yes I do!

at which point Murray & I both dissolved into laughter. Her confidence is unshakable, how can you argue with an almost 4 year old who already knows it all???

Sweetie made up a new song today & we've been singing it quite a bit. I've GOT to get some of these compositions on video & upload them to youtube. Typing them out just doesn't do them justice. Anway, Sweetie's newest release is short but catchy.

Climmmb UP the MOUNNNNtain,

Ruby-ruby-roooooooo

Climmmb UP the MOUNNNNtain,

Ruby-ruby-roooooooo

See? not nearly as cute as it is straight from them but we'll work on that.

Another family dinnertime favourite is:


Mum-ma likes mango!

Dad-dy likes mango!

Swee-tie likes mango!

Hon-ey likes mango!

(pause)

but Lovey doesn't.


Then Lovey decided she didn't like being left out and now enjoys her mango so we had to change her line to "loves mango" and add "but Murphy doesn't".


One week we were talking about how Grammie does nail polish for them every week & I was trying to point out how nice it was that she does that stuff.

Kelly: you're lucky girls that Grammie does your polish

Them: yeah!

Kelly: what if you didn't have a Grammie? what if there was NO Grammie????

Honey: WHAT if there was no POLISH???? (apparently an even worse situation!)

always good to know where you stand eh Grammie? ; )))

Today, while I was out, they decided they wanted Grammie to play "Sleigh" Who the heck plays SLEIGH???????? Mum wasn't too sure how this game went so went to check out the living room. They'd placed one kitchen chair in front of the loveseat and about 47 stuffed animals over in another part of the room. She asked for more clarification.

Mum: Is the chair the sleigh?

Them: No! You're the driver. We sit here (loveseat), this is the sleigh.

They then load up & the sleighdriver takes off. Everyone's sitting in their seats in total silence during the "ride".


Mum starts making some noises "chkka chk chkka chk"

Honey interrupts: GRAMMIE! You're NOT driving a train!!!

they continue on, sans sound effects.

Honey: Ok, we're here!

Lovey: Well... it was MY idea, so we're NOT.

5 seconds later...

Lovey: Ok! We're here!!!


and off they went, to the zoo.

Those are just a few of the things I can remember. There is so much more that totally cracks me up but I can't seem to keep track of them all.

We went for a walk tonight after supper and went all the way out to the main road, down the court & back home again. On the way back, just shortly after we crossed the busy road, back onto our street, the girls decided to race. Honey took off & just ran & ran. She kept going until 3 doors before our house! Murray was impressed. He thinks she can enter the kids' 1k race they have at some of the marathons.

still in the lead & almost home!

Toddler Chat III

I was trying to get the kids to get dressed and finally succeeded in getting Honey's duds on but Lovey wasn't interested. I attempted to put my foot down.

Me: Lovey! You have to get dressed!

Honey, as she was walking out of the bedroom, loftily tossed over her shoulder: Yes Lovey. You really must. (then she flounced off down the hall)

Toddler Chat- Lovey

I hate it when I have a funny or cute little bit about 2 of the kids & not the other. So all day I've been racking my brain, trying to think of something amusing that Lovey has come up with lately. I did think of one little thing so I now I feel a bit better!

One morning before anyone got out of bed, I heard this high, squeeky, obviously fake baby voice...

Someone (sing song-ish): I don't have a mummy... I'm allll done wif her!

Me: Lovey is that YOU?????

Lovey: no! that's Little Sarah!

Whew! I was a little concerned there for a minute! : )))

Toddler Chat II

no big story here, just a few more little gems heard around here lately!

Honey isn't crazy about a lot of the meals served around here so I try to think of ways to make things more appealing. One day I cut up apples & gave them all some yoghurt. She was eating the yoghurt but not touching the fruit. (hmmm did I tell this one already?) So I thought I'd make a suggestion.

Me: Honey, do you want to dip your apples in the yoghurt???

Honey: (without batting an eye & very matter of fact & scornful) Of COURSE not!

different day, but also food related-

Me: Honey, are you going to eat your lunch?

Honey: (short & sweet & immediate) nnnnOPE! (right. what was I thinking???)

This morning I was putting a ponytail in Sweetie's hair.

Sweetie: Mummy, I want it like a drop of water! (what the heck does THAT look like anyway?)

Toddler Chat

Today at lunch, they started talking about best friends. I asked each of them who their best friend was.

Honey: You Mumma!

Lovey: Anna!

Sweetie: Boys!

Now which one do you think is going to give me the most trouble later on??????