Mommy & Daddy's "Play Date"

X-Factor was quite entertaining during our dinner conversation this evening. Mrs. N was telling her the story of how she and Dr. N first met. After describing their first encounter, she continued, "and then...." X-Factor then finished the sentence, "you went on a play date?" That's right little one, Mommy and Daddy went on a play date.

Later, Dr. N was complaining about the tomato sauce stains on her shirt. X-Factor countered, "I saw on TV, you can get this Kaboom, and you put some in the wash, and it comes out all white." Maybe you've been watching too much TV, little one. Hmmm? On second thought, have you considered a career as a pitchman?

End of the School Year

It's official. A rising Kindergärtner now lives with us. Last Wednesday marked the final day of Preschool for X factor. The pictures below were taken at her class picnic. And to my astonishment, it seems that my little girl, who is almost my replica, can do yet another thing that her mommy has never mastered - Hula Hoop! And she can sing too. No, I'm not kidding.

After receiving her Pre-K diploma

With her fabulous teachers Ms. Tamika and Ms. Dawn

She was thrilled to get a chance to play with a water gun. When she grabbed it, I braced myself to get squirt. Instead she cheerfully yelled, "I don't want to shoot people, let's go water plants."

With friends Maya and Desirae

X-Factor and her friend Luis. You may recall mention of her liking his
"wonderful black eyes."

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't seriously impressed

X-Factor with her friend, and field trip partner, Tamoura

Bleeding Bones

When I pull the mint gingham sheets and floral comforter up under her chin and kiss my daughter's cheek before wishing her sweet dreams, a piece of me shuts off. That piece is my mommy mode...the state of being able to simultaneously prepare meals, wipe noses, listen to recitations of nursery rhymes, watch made dance moves to Wiggles music, and answer a slurry of questions ranging from ethics, to art, to anatomy, to theology.

By eight o' clock in the evening, I'm fried. I'm not sure if something innate turns off the mommy mode switch or if it just short-circuits on its own. But once my kids are in bed, I prefer that they stay in their beds until rays of sunshine press through the glass windows and slowly entice eyelids to open. In fact, few things irritate me more than flipping the mommy mode switch back on once I think I can rest it for a few hours.

Because of my lack of patience after bedtime, I've set up a few bedtime rules.

Rule 1: Once put to bed, the child is not permitted to come back out of his/her room until morning unless there is an emergency.

In our home an emergency consists of needing to use the bathroom, bleeding, or fire.

Needing to use the bathroom, can usually be handled without adult supervision and blood and fire are not likely to occur once the child is in bed.

Last night, however, X-Factor slowly came out of her room claiming emergency.

When I saw her slowly walking toward me I asked, "Are you on fire?"
I was not joking when I stated that my patience wanes after bedtime.

"No, and I don't even smell smoke" she answered.

"Are you bleeding?"

"I think so," she replied.

"Really," I questioned, suspiciously. "Where? How?"

"I fell off my bed."

"X, your bed sits four inches from the floor and there are pillows on top of the carpet right beside your bed. How could you have gotten hurt, let alone bleed?"

"Well," she started defensively, "I did fall and it did hurt, right here," she said as she pointed to her left calf.

"I'm sorry your leg hurts, but I don't see any blood...or any mark at all. Please go back to bed."

She sighed and continued her defense.

"You don't see any bleed (she calls blood bleed) because when I fell, I cut my bone. It's my bone that is bleeding and you cannot see it because my skin is covering it. But, I can feel it bleeding."

"Nice try. Go. Back. To. Bed," I said calmly and firmly resolute.

I'm not sure what leaves more of an impression...her creativity or my lack of sympathy.

Easter Weekend 2009

We have had a lovely Easter weekend and day! The pictures are in reverse order. On Friday, they painted eggs and then went to an Easter Party at Chick-Fil-A. Then on Saturday, I took them to an egg hunt. Z-man wanted to examine each egg as soon as he picked it up. For us, Easter Sunday is all about Jesus. We got ready for church and took a few photos. You'll notice that Z-man has a large egg shaped bruise on his sweet noggin. X-Factor was balancing along a rail and Z wanted to try it as well...but instead of first gaining balance...he stood up...ran...and then fell face first on the side walk before I could catch him. It was awful, but he seems to be recovering well.

Happy Easter to all of you...what a glorious reminder of the joy we should carry in our hearts every day--_Christ is Risen!!

A Craft of Love

X-factor loves to make crafts. Yesterday, she was home sick from PreK and while Z-man was sleeping, we sat down to have some prayer time together. We then incorporated some crafts. First, we made a caterpillar for Stellan and wrote his name on it with white beans.





Then, we made a sign for Ryan. I helped her with the spelling, of course, but she wrote all the letters and drew that sweet picture. Pretty impressive heart for a five-year-old, isn't it?