He has a healthy self-esteem

Samuel came home very excited. "Mom, I saw someone at school wearing a really cool shirt today! It said, 'They told me I could be anything, so I became a NINJA!' "

"Fun!" I said. "I once saw a shirt that said, 'They told me I could be anything, so I became AWESOME!' "

He was not that impressed. "Eh," he said, "I'm already awesome."

She looks fabulous

Bedtime can be a bit hectic. All the children still need me to one degree or another. Tonight I was running around trying to get everyone ready for bed. I told Makayla to put on her pajamas so I could carry a sleeping Rachel from the couch to her bed upstairs. When I returned she had on her pajama shirt, a hat, and she was playing with a belt.

"Makayla, put on your pajama pants," I reminded her as I tucked in Rachel.
"Mom, isn't this a pretty hat? I need help putting on my belt," she said.
Then I said something I never expected to say. "It's time for bed, not time to accessorize."

It's all a matter of perspective

 Me: "Why do you have a dishrag on your head?"

Makayla: "It's not a dishrag. It's a hat!"

Mom: "You're getting so big, Honey!"
Makayla: "I not big, I little."
Mom: "Don't you want to be big like your brothers and sisters?"
Makayla: "No."
Mom: "Do you want to be small because everyone else is big?"
Makayla: "Yes. I little."

Makayla will be 3 years old on Monday

Matching Outfit

My girls are already concerned about looking pretty because of their hair or clothes. I try to balance that attitude by telling them they are beautiful because of their sweet personality and their hair looks nice, too.

This morning Lisy asked if she was beautiful in her dress. I said, "You are beautiful because you are always happy, and everyone can see it when you smile."

She smiled really big and said, "I matched my dress to my smile!"

I did not pose her. This is all Lisy.

Unexpected greeting

Dominic came home from work while I was getting the children ready for bed. He walked in the door and called out, "Hello!"

Makayla, 2, who hadn't yet put on her pajamas, ran to the top of the stairs and proclaimed, "Naked!"

One day I forgot to put Makayla to bed for a nap. She took one anyway.

Missing the point

I'm trying to teach the children about modesty and privacy. The boys seem to be getting it. The girls? Well . . .

Getting dressed is a lengthy process for Lisy (4 years old), because she is so easily distracted. This morning she had put on her shirt and was playing with her underwear, almost putting it on a couple of times. The boys, having been dressed for awhile, came running into the room to play. Lisy freaked out. "Don't look at my underwear!" she screamed, as she hid the underwear behind her back. At this point I stepped in and helped her finish dressing so that she could go play. It was difficult keeping a straight face; I wanted to laugh! Perhaps I need to be a bit more specific about what others shouldn't see.

She knows her colors?

Elisa: "Daddy, these shoes are brown."
Dad: "That's right. What color are your socks?"
Elisa: "Pink!"
Dad: "Yes. And what color is your shirt?"
Elisa: "Purple!"
Dad: "Very good. And what color is your pants?"
Elisa: "Spiderman!"
Dad: Laughs too hard to speak coherently.
(And yes, a picture of Spiderman is on her pants.)

Streaker!

Rachel just ran past me, and she was buck naked! When I asked where her diaper was, she just looked confused. I remembered hearing her play upstairs. At the top of the stairs in front of the bathroom, we found her discarded (dry) diaper and a pair of Lisy's underwear. Rachel was sad when I put the diaper back on her. Apparently she was trying to put on big girl underwear like her big sister.

Unusual comfort object

Here is Rachel with a typical comfort object, a blankie.

Not long ago Rachel saw me leave the room, and she started crying and reaching past the baby gate - her usual routine. Although she couldn't follow after me, she picked up my shoe and hugged it. She even showed Daddy her Mommy's shoe. When I came back, she was no longer crying, just carrying my old, dirty, smelly, shoe around with her.

I thought that was a one-time deal. But alas, she continues to carry my shoe (or sandal) around the house. It's actually pretty funny, unless I'm going somewhere and can only find one shoe.

On the other hand, Rachel enjoys playing with all shoes. She carries them around and tries to put them on (with little success). She especially likes swinging shoes by their laces or chewing on the velcro. However, my shoe is the only one she snuggles with.

Hey, look! I found pictures of Rachel chewing on Dominic's sandals during our camping trip. Too bad you can't hear her giggling through the photos - she was very happy and proud of herself.

P.S. Check out the new poll in honor of Rachel. I put it up for a long time, so hopefully we'll get a lot of responses.

Fashion opinion

"I think this shirt is too small for you. See? It doesn't fit quite right," I said.

"But it's pink," Lisy replied. And the matter was settled.

"helping" with the laundry

I've started getting the boys to help more with the laundry. I had just told them to switch the clothes from the washing machine into the dryer, when Rachel woke up from her nap. I went to get her and came back to this:

Me pretty

The other day, Lisy was in the bathroom with me while I was washing my face. She got into my lotion and spread it on her cheeks. Then she beamed up at me and declared, "me pwetty!" She is very self-assured and confident in her looks and style, as evidenced by this outfit:


And here is a great example of how she likes to wear her pajamas backwards. Even though her clothes were all twisted, she insisted she wanted them that way and that they were comfortable.


-MR

Role Reversal

After getting all the kids ready in the morning, I said, "Now I get to get dressed." Lisy, who loves clothes and likes to help me, ran across the house, into my bedroom, and into my closet. She grabbed two shirts and enthusiastically waved them up and down saying, "Pick one! Pick one!" Well, what do I expect? I always give her a choice of two shirts. I just never expected my 2-year-old to turn the tables on me.

Always the fashion diva, one day I told her to go get dressed. She came back wearing sweatpants under a skirt, dress-up shoes, and that's it. She was very proud of herself.

-MR

Belly Dancing

Over the summer we went to a street carnival. Each intersection had a band or dance group performing. At one block we saw belly dancers. Well, we've taught our children about modesty, which includes not showing your belly button in public.

Sammy: "Mom! Why are they showing their belly buttons in public?"
Mom: "Well, that's part of the belly dancing costume. It's what all belly dancers wear."
Benjamin: "I'm never going to belly dance!"
Mom: "Good. Boys don't belly dance. Only girls do."
Benjamin: "Mom, never belly dance. Don't show your belly button in public!"
Mom: "OK, I promise." Not that I ever would, anyway.

-MR


I appreciate that they have a strong opinion of what should not be done in public - now if we can get that to include a normal (as opposed to a child's) fashion sense. "Sorry, camouflage and tie die don't go together, Sweety."

-Dom