Random Bits of Cuteness

That was a quick trip!  We had fun hanging out with Jeannie, John and the kids, but now we’re back home and have just a few short days to get everything together for Christmas.  I thought I was so very nearly done before we left, but looking at my list there’s a lot left to do!

In other news, Carolyn is campaigning hard to change Molly’s name to “Nacho” and Murphy’s name to “Olive”.  While both are hilariously funny names for dogs, I’m pretty sure neither dog is going to start responding to their new names.  Though I do love Olive the Other Reindeer and Olive My Love.  And really, how funny would it be to introduce your dog named “Nacho” to someone?  “Hi, this is Nacho dog!”  (Carrie totally doesn’t get the Nacho = “Not Your” joke…)

Carrie and I had a conversation tonight about what she might like for Christmas.  I know she’s planning to ask Santa for pink ice skates and roller skates with “training wheels”.  (I hope Santa knows what she’s talking about, because I sure don’t!)  But I thought she might have some other ideas for other people (namely me) who might like to buy her a Christmas gift.

me: So, Carolyn, what else do you want for Christmas besides ice skates and roller skates with training wheels?
Carrie: PONIES!  And also, a Barbie named “Alexa”, or a book about a Barbie named “Alexa”.  And a sun that babies can’t play with.
me: A sun?  Like a model of the solar system?
Carrie: No, a yellow ball.  That’s really hot.
me: Have you ever seen a toy like that anywhere?  What does it look like?
Carrie: You could take lots of little pieces of yellow paper and make them into a ball and then somehow make it be hot.  Maybe by making it be on fire!
me: But then the ball would burn up, if it was made from paper.
Carrie: Well, maybe instead you could make me some yellow cookies.  With points!
me: Um.  OK, then.  Is there anything *else* you might like for Christmas?
Carrie: I don’t know.  I’d really be happy with anything I got for Christmas!
me: Well, that’s easy.  I’ll get you some spinach!
Carrie: No, not spinach!
me: How about dirt?
Carrie: No, Mommy, that’s silly!
me: Underwear??

And it got even sillier from there.  She finally suggested that maybe we should stick to toys.  Or books, or art supplies.  Basically, anything that’s fun.

I guess spinach is not fun.

The other morning, Carrie piped up with, “Mommy, we made cards for the vegetarian in our class!”

Me: ….???…. You have a vegetarian in your class? Who is it? Are they sick?
Carrie: No, Mommy, the vegetarian. You know?
Me: Um, you mean a “vegan”?
Carrie: No. Maybe it’s not the right word. There’s a day for it, Vegetarian’s Day.
Me: (at this point I’m struggling not to laugh out loud) Oh! You mean you made cards for a veteran??
Carrie: Yeah, that’s it! For Veteritarian’s Day!
Denis and I then tried to explain to her what a veteran is, but I don’t think it quite sank in. I think she thinks there’s a day to celebrate not eating meat. Or possibly for being a veterinarian. Sigh.

So, Happy Veteritarian’s Day!

Carrie: “Mommy, did you know that a long time ago…before Anna was born, before I was born, before you were born, before Daddy was born, before Nana and Poppy were born, before Grandma and Grandpa were born, before Big Grandma and Big Grandpa before, before Great-Gramie and Great-Grampa were born…  Did you know, that people thought earwigs got their name because they /crawled in peoples’ *ears*/?!?”

Me: “Um.  No, I didn’t know that.  Do they?”

Carrie: “No, that’s just what people thought a long time ago.  Also, they have thin front wings that fold underneath their thick back wings!”

Me: “Alrighty then.  I didn’t know that either.  Why have you been learning about earwigs?”

Carrie: “Because, *I* sit at the *earwig* table in my school!”

Me: “….”

(Keep in mind that this is the child who is terrified of pretty much every bug except ladybugs and butterflies.  And all of a sudden she is excited about earwigs…)

A funny story: we were meeting my brother for lunch at a particular restaurant where Carrie really likes the chicken soup.  But it was 90+ degrees and I steered her away from the hot soup and suggested something else instead.

So she asked if she could order the soup another time when we went out there with Uncle Michael in the winter.  And I said that we certainly could find a day she has off from school in the winter to meet Uncle Michael for lunch there.  And she said, “Wait, I’m going to be in school in the winter, too?!?  How will I ever build a snowman again?”, followed by many tears, until I suggested that maybe they did that in kindergarten at recess when there was snow, and plus, there are weekends and afternoons.

I think maybe she thought that she’d just be in school for a few days or weeks, not that this is the beginning of nearly two decades of academia.  (If you count college.)  Wonder what other misconceptions are floating around in that little head of hers?

I did about three double takes when, as we were getting into the car after gymnastics class this morning, Carrie complained about the heat.  Not because it wasn’t hot, but because her exact words were, “Mommy!  It’s sweltering out here!  Turn on the air conditioner and roll down my window, please!”

My four year old knows the word “sweltering”.

Of course, even though it was a good bit humid, it was really only maybe 80?  And not exactly sweltering.  I’d reserve that word for Disney in July.  (100 degrees and 100% humidity?  Now that’s sweltering.)

Denis says we should blame it on all the episodes of Word Girl Carrie has watched this summer.  It does sound like a Word Girl word – where else would she have picked up such a word?  It’s not exactly one that comes up in everyday conversation…

After a late night of using every bedtime delay tactic in the book, it’s essential to start your morning off with a nice mug of…milk.  :)

Denis didn’t make it home until almost lunchtime.  Poor guy had to sleep in the airport last night after missing his connection by 10 minutes.  :(

In other news, four-and-a-half can really be a wonderful age!

Carolyn thought she saw a firefly outside around 6:30, which at this time of year is still  full daylight. So I said, “Honey, I thought the fairies didn’t light up the fireflies until after sunset?” (From the Tinkerbell movie). And she said, “No, Mommy, that’s silly! The fairies don’t light up the fireflies in *our* world, they do it themselves.” And I said, “How do you think they light themselves up?” After a moment, she said, “I think they turn on like a flashlight! Like this!”

And then she got the mini maglight off the key hook, turned it on, placed it on her chair, and bent over in front of the chair so it was shining on her butt. I about died laughing – Denis came in and I could barely explain what was going on.

Then she said, “Wait, it would probably work better like this!” and pulled down her skirt so she could shine the flashlight on her bare bottom.

Denis and I were laughing so hard we could barely breathe!  Now we’ll have a to have a discussion about why she probably shouldn’t show anyone else her new firefly trick, though…

(And yes, I’m aware that she’s going to be really embarrassed by this post when she’s a bit older!  At least I didn’t take pictures…)

My brother recently proposed to his girlfriend, so this morning I was telling Carolyn that soon she’d get to call Uncle Dan’s friend Genevra “Aunt Genevra”. She was all excited and talked a bit about their marrying kiss and living happily ever after. (Kid’s watched one too many Disney movies, methinks.)

Fast forward to dinner tonight…

She looked at me, and her little bottom lip started trembling, and she said in this heartbroken little voice, “Mommy, I don’t think I’m ever going to find a boy who will want to marry me when I grow up.”

I kind of thought I’d have a few more years before I had to start reassuring her about that! She’s apparently 4 going on 14.