Then They Go and Do This....

After wallowing in my mommy-vent still today, I decided to buck up and give it my all tonight since I was alone in the bedtime ritual. Tucker is so much more patient at it than me, but when he's gone, I try to step it up a bit.

So, tonight went a little better. And, if I do say so myself, it was 100% because I tried harder and made the right move at every little tiny dip in the road. There were about 15 places we could have flown right off track into melt-down mode, but somehow I kept my game on. That happens on occasion. It's like a perfect ping-pong match, where somehow I hit every ball just right and won the game (all three in bed at 8:20, no complete melt-downs, everyone basically still happy).

And I even got a cute picture of the subjects-at-hand! Love when that happens.



Some funny things I KNOW I'll forget:

• Peyton is SO aware of smells. The other night, we walked outside and it smelled like cow manure (who knows?) and she said "Mommy, it smells STINKY!". I love when she says "smells", by the way, because she nearly omits the "s" and it's more like "mells". Then tonight, she said "Mommy, 'mells GOOD!" as she sniffed her blankie. She noticed that I washed it today! How funny is that for a two year old? She talks about smells like 5 times a day.
• Lexi asked me the other day if she could have this house when she's a mommy because she loves it so much. Cute!
• Lexi very decidedly tells us that she HATES races (competitions, not ethnicities...). Tucker will sometimes try to motivate them with things like "Who can brush their teeth first?" or "Who can buckle first?". It used to work, and still works like a charm with Jordyn. But Lexi doesn't budge and says "I don't like races!!". Takes after her mommy on that one.
• Jordyn really really really doesn't want to be considered a "little kid" anymore. Afterall, she's nearly 7 ya know. She tries to act so old and wants to be a grown-up so bad, but doesn't quite have the maturity to match. So it's a fun balancing act for all of us. Her favorite thing right now is to wear any shoes of mine that have a heel (preferrably that make a clicking noise when you walk) all over the house. If I can't find my shoes, they are in her room!
• Jordyn and Lexi reluctantly helped me clean out the toy room the other day so we could donate lots of their toys to needy children. But once they got into it, they were so helpful! They even helped take them to the donation place today! Lexi said she wanted to give the needy kids a hug. Jordyn said she felt both sad and happy to do it. I was proud of them.
• Jordyn and Lexi both ask me very often "Mommy, why does Peyton love you the most?" or "Why do you love Peyton so much?". I try to give an explanation, but that is how they see it I guess! Every morning, they argue over who gets to have Peyton sit/lay by them. They are very protective over her!
• Peyton likes to tell me everything she likes or doesn't like. All day long. I love it actually. So, recently it's been "I like Santa Mommy!" or "I like the pretty lights". She often tells me, "I like pretty hair mommy" (meaning mine) or "I like Baby Einstein". Sometimes, as she throws her quesadilla she'll yell "I don' LIKE it Mommy!" (the don't doesn't have the "t", emphasis on the LIKE).
• Peyton is incredible and knows all of her ABCs (capitals and lots of lowercase) - thank you signing time and Letter Factory!
  
• Lexi makes absolutely SURE I give her tons of hugs before I leave her classroom (after volunteering). I love it and soak it up because someday in the future I'm sure she'd rather die than do that at school.

*by the way, Beth's coffee cake recipe is linked on the side. Check it out!