interview with a five year old

It's quite possible that I forgot I did an interview with Laci last year on her birthday.  I forgot, until I remembered about a week after her birthday.  Oh well.  Such is life these days.  So here is Laci's birthday interview at five years and one week old.  Also, I tried to interview Mia for her birthday which turned into a giant giggling fest without answers.  We will try again next year.  

What day is your birthday? August 18th

How old are you?  Five.

Are you ready to start school?  No.

Why?  Because I'm scared.

What is your favorite color?  Pink, Red, White, and Purple.

What is your favorite animal?  Puppies and Kitties.  Lions, Tigers, and Bird.  Even birds.

What is your favorite food?  Frosted Flakes and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Animal doctor.

Who is your best friend?  Bubs, Evan, and Sydney.

Not Mia?  Well, because she is my sister.  Well...(then she hugs Mia)

What games to you like to play?  Tag, Hide & Seek.

What do you like to do with Mia?  Play and color together.

What is your favorite movie/TV show?  Frozen and Sheriff Callie.

What is your favorite thing to do? Snuggle and play with the kitties.

What is your favorite time of day?  In the afternoon because I get to have afternoon milk.

What are you afraid of?  Lizards, frogs, and snakes.

What makes you happy?  Ice cream, cookies, sprinkles, and cupcakes.  And snuggling with you and having milk.

What is your favorite thing to do with daddy?  Color together.

What do you take to bed with you every night?  Spike and Foxy and my Blankie.

What was your favorite part of your birthday?  Having cupcakes, blowing out candles, and the whole thing.  The whole thing was the best part.

What is your favorite thing to wear?  My Elsa dress and my Frozen shirt.

What do you do really well?  Singing like Elsa.  I color very well, I do art very well, and I make presents very well.  All by myself.


Happy Fifth Birthday Little Lady.  We love you and think you are pretty special!!!

For last year's interview, click here.

may 28

It took four hours to wash the dishes this morning. It went something like:

Fill the sink with hot, soapy water. 

Feed Noah. 

Wash a few dishes. 

Change a diaper. 

Wash a few dishes. 

Break up arguments. 

Start a load of laundry. 

Fix Laci's hair. 

Wash a few dishes. 

Put Noah down for a nap. 

Two hours after filling the sink, Ryan took Mia to the store with him, Noah was sleeping. It was my chance to finish a few chores. 

But there was Laci. My sweet, sensitive Laci. Always wanting me to play with her and always wishing for more one-on-one time.

So, we painted. And colored. And talked about life. For an hour and a half. She asked me if she is just like me when I was a little girl. I asked her if she was going to be a mommy when she grows up. 

I told her we are a lot alike, but also different. She told me she is never getting married or moving out because she likes this family and wants to live here forever. 

Now, she is asleep. And Noah and Mia, too. There are new dishes to be washed and four loads of laundry that need to be folded and put away. But, for whatever reason, I'm not too worried about any of it. Calm is not a feeling I'm familiar with lately. So I'm embracing it while it's here. 

may 21

Just my

beautiful,

dreaming,

animal loving,

artistic Laci. 

may 10

Tonight's dinner conversation went something like this:

Laci: Is God real?

Me: Yes. 

Laci: Where is God?

Me: We can't see God. 

Laci: Is god the sun?

Me: No, but he made the sun. 

Laci: Is God in the dirt?

Me: No, but he made the dirt. 

Laci: Is God going to die?

Me: No, he isn't a person like us. 

Laci: Does he have eyes like us?

Me: Not really. He isn't a person like is. 

Laci: Can he see us?

Me: Yes.

Laci: Does he look like this? 

At this point, she closes her eyes and starts swaying her head side to side in a sort of Ray Charles fashion. And sorry, but I had to hide my hysterical laughter in my shoulder as I asked her to please finish her dinner. And even as I'm typing this, I can't help but chuckle at the thought of God sitting at a piano with big dark glasses on, "watching" us from heaven. 

may 9

Today was the annual "Kiddie" parade. Laci and I walked with the dance classes while Ryan and the grandma's watched from the sidewalk with Noah and Mia.  And the Aunties and Harper too. And Riley the Boxer. 

This marks Laci's very first public performance and she did great. It's crazy how proud you become of these little humans, doing new things, becoming little people. 

Thirty years ago, I was in my own ballet costume, participating in this very same parade. I wish I had a picture of that right now. I'll have to get a copy from my mom. 

And now I'm exhausted. We will get up in the morning and go back downtown for the "Big" parade. The girls will eat too much candy, get dirty, and melt into crying puddles. You know, like what happened tonight after an afternoon at grammy's, a parade, a fast food dinner they barely touched, and a car show. 

Memories. We're creating memories. 

Oh, and Mia wants to drive. 

All the time. 

may 8

Six weeks ago, I had to drag her into dance class and literally peel her off my leg. 

Today, she ran ahead of me the whole way. 

may 5

Today, Laci told me, "Today is the best day ever!"

Why?

"Because it's so fun!"

Today, Mia told me, "You need a time out!" 

Because I was trying to make her eat lunch and she didn't want to. 

She also said a handful of other obnoxious, sassy things to me that landed her in trouble. And even as I was trying to be firm, I was really laughing inside. 

I would guess that Mia doesn't agree it was the best day ever. 

Oh well, can't win them all. 

may 1

"We need glue and paper for a nature art project," Laci said to me this morning through the back screen. 

The girls were outside, gathering leaves and sticks and dirt. Noah and I were inside doing dishes, making breakfast, slurping coffee. Well, at least one of us was. 

My first instinct was to say "No." Unsupervised glue isn't usually the best idea. But I was trying to get a few things done, so I handed over a bottle of Elmer's and two sheets of paper. 

Several times I heard, "Mia is putting glue on her hand!" And, "Mia is putting glue on the ground." And "Don't Mia!" And "It's my turn!" 

Laci came in once for tape when the glue wouldn't hold a large branch. And I went out once with a washcloth to remove glue from Mia's hand. But, for the most part, they worked on their own, even helping each other (when I forced them to).

And they created these:

(The first one is Laci's - neat and organized. The second one is Mia's - a bit less orderly).

And I was, am, a proud momma. 

Even when I had to comb glue out of Mia's hair. 

how to tell a knock knock joke

Laci has entered the age of joke telling.  And, like any four year old, has no idea what really makes a joke funny.

The other day, I hear her instructing Mia on how to tell a knock knock joke.  Mia, ever the admiring little sister, listened to her big sister's directions.

Laci:  Ok Mia, now it's your turn.

Mia:  Knock, knock.

Laci:  Who's there?

Mia:  Papa.

Laci:  Papa who?

Mia:  Papa E!

They break into hysterical laughing for several minutes.  Papa E is what they call Ryan's dad.

And THAT is how you tell a knock, knock joke.

tiny dancer

Laci started pre-dance class today.  A little ballet, a little tap, a little girl in a leotard that makes me smile a big, proud momma smile.  She was shy, scared, terribly unsure of herself.  I watched her through the classroom windows as she struggled through her uncertainty, and she fought back tears when she slipped in her tap shoes.  But she did it, all on her own.  I strategically hid behind the curtain so I could see her, but she was too focused her teacher to know I was watching.  She is so much like me sometimes, it's like I know exactly what's going on in her little head.

She tells me she is not going back next week, even though I know she had fun.  I know she did because she had that tiny smile she gets when she's enjoying herself but doesn't want to show it.  So, we will go back next week, and at least a couple weeks after that.  I never want to push her into something she really doesn't like, but I will force her into trying it a few times before making that decision.

I haven't been so great at blogging lately.  It isn't that I don't want to, or don't have anything to say, but as you can imagine, three kids keeps me busy and very tired.  They have all decided to wake up at different times almost every night lately.  But, my dad had surgery today and we won't see him for a few days.  I know he loves reading the blog and seeing his grand babies (even though he sees them in person all the time, too).  So, dad, hope you can read this...eventually...when you aren't all drugged up anymore.  We'll see you in a few days.  Xoxo

we need jackets

Early one morning last week, the girls wanted to go outside to play.  It was sunny, but certainly not warm.  In their nightgowns, they wrapped their blankets around their shoulders like shawls, put on pretty red shoes (because that's what girls do), and played on the dirt pile.  I warned them they would be cold.  They assured me that their blankets would keep them warm.

Ten minutes later, they returned to the back door.

"We're cold," they said.  "We need jackets."

"Maybe you need pants," I suggested.

Mia stared at me a few seconds and said, "No, just jackets."

Because wearing pants outside in the cold is clearly a ridiculous idea.

love and marriage

As we rode in the car the other day, she says, "I want to marry daddy."

I have been told every girl says this. I don't remember saying it myself, but four years old was a very, very long time ago. 

I say, "But I'm married to daddy." I start to tell her about the joy of growing up and meeting a very special man that she'll want to marry. 

This only upset her. She doesn't want to grow up. She doesn't want her own house. She tells me she wants to live with me forever and she wants to marry daddy. 

So, of course, I tell her she can marry daddy.  And she is happy. 

She also thinks Mia should marry Noah. 

valentine's day 2014

We don't usually go "big" for Valentine's Day, but we did a lot of crafting this year.  My mom came by with boxes full of stickers and pretty paper for the girls.  And they discovered the amazing joy that is Glitter Glue.  Glitter Glue is exactly what its name implies:  glitter and glue, together.  Which actually is quite amazing and it means that I won't have loose glitter all over my house for months at a time.  Oh, what am I saying?  I have girls.  We will have glitter all over the house...for...ever.  But what it DOES mean, is that we must glop as much glitter glue as possible on every single art project we create.  It also means that we have already used almost all of it and I need to restock.


Hearts, flowers, love.  This is our Valentine's Day:

I love this little note Laci wrote.

get outside

Just a few pictures from Friday afternoon when I threw my children outside and told them to "Run, run, run!"  Sickness and rain and wind and cold and laziness have kept us cooped up too much lately.  So, while Noah napped, the girls and I soaked up some sunshine, and ran, and climbed rock hills and sand hills, and found holes the dogs had dug and called them "fox holes," and fought off crazy mosquitoes.  

And it was fun.