Weird

Are you ready for another cute kid story? Well, you are already here so you might as well read it anyway.

Cody and Carson think it's lots of fun to rub lotion on my back. They put way too much on and then draw funny stuff in it and laugh together. And hey, I get a free back rub out of the deal so it's great fun for everyone.

This afternoon Carson was happily making pictures of various animals. I should mention that she was in her underwear which is pretty much the norm around here. Anyway, all of a sudden she launched herself onto my back and started sliding around on her stomach like a baby seal pup.

"Carson, what on earth are you doing?" (laughing)

"I wanted to rub the lotion in with my belly."

"You are a silly girl. I think I love you."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're weird."

Dodgeball!

Oh the things that go on in this home.

Cody has adopted 5 caterpillars. Their names are Rose, Flowers, Ellie, Dandelion, and with all these names to remember I have forgotten the name of the 5th one. I will have to beg Cody's forgiveness when I ask her yet again to remind me.

She also begged me for bangs and as hesitant as I was, she looks pretty cute with them.

She was convinced that they wouldn't last.

"Mom, are my bangs going to be gone when I wake up in the morning?"

"My bangs are gonna wash away if I get in the bathtub, huh Mom?"

"Don't you want bangs Mom?" Emphatic no thank you. "But if you don't like them you can just cut them off."

Oh, well in that case sign me up.

We have the Fisher Price I Can Play Piano and the girls love it. Until Memphis wakes up. You see the power button on this piano is a bright orange light. Bright orange lights are irresistible to one-year-old boys. He is constantly turning it off in the middle of their song.

This piano hooks up to the tv and teaches the kids to read music. One of the things they can do is play dodgeball where if they hit the correct key their ball shoots across the screen and makes their opponents ball explode.

Carson loves this game. She loves it so much that she wants to play it even when she is not on the piano. Cody was concentrating very hard on the game she was playing while Carson was eating a York peppermint pattie. Carson very carefully balled up the wrapper, took aim, shouted, "DODGEBALL!" and pelted Cody in the head with the wrapper.

I had to hide my face behind my computer so that Carson wouldn't mistake my laughter for approval.

All of this craziness only leads me to wonder how things will change when there are 2 more kids and a husband around.

An Example of the Michief

Memphis has a new hobby. He goes into his room (which is also Carson's room even though she doesn't sleep in there), opens Carson's dresser and throws the clothes all over the room. All of the clothes. It looks like the rapture occurred while there were 14 toddlers in there.

Cody's comment upon discovering the mess: "He's a disaster, huh Mom?"

Six-Year-Old Logic

"Mom, I'm really thirsty."

"We are almost home. You can get some water when we get there."

"But if I don't drink something soon my mouth is going to fill up with water."

Hmmm. So, we get home and she gets herself a drink of water. Then, the best part:

"Mom, I waited so long to drink something that I lost my C."

"You lost your what?"

"See...when I say my name it sounds like 'ody' because my throat can't say the C sound anymore because I didn't have a drink for a very long time."

"So the next time someone asks you what your name is you are going to have to tell them 'Ody'?"

"Yeah."

Sharing is good?

My relationship with Carson is backward. It's no secret that she has been sleeping in my bed for about the last year or so, and that has never been a problem for me. She's little. She doesn't move much. And she hardly ever wets the bed. No big deal.

But tonight, she kicked me out of my own bed. I put her to bed and, being totally exhausted, I collapsed next to her planning only to be there for a few minutes. She sat up and stared at me and the following conversation took place:

"Are you going to sleep?"

"Maybe."

"No Mom! It's not time for you to go to sleep."

"But I'm really tired."

"Then take your pillow to the couch and use the couch blanket to sleep there."

"Why would I sleep on the couch when I have a perfectly fine bed right here?"

"Because you can't sleep with me right now. Go to the living room Mom!"

This little ingrate has the nerve to kick me out of the bed I have generously shared with her for the past year. All I can say is I hope she doesn't think I'm going to share my blueberry waffles in the morning.