Eve is growing up!!!

Today I registered Eve for kindergarten. Wait - that didn't do it justice. I'll try again.TODAY I REGISTERED EVE VANESSA RASMUSSEN, MY YOUNGEST CHILD, IN PUBLIC SCHOOL!!! Yes, that is better.

As you might have guessed, we both were REALLY excited about it. And why shouldn't we be? I have often felt that being the youngest must be hard. No matter how old you get, you are still the youngest. Eve may be hazy on some of the details, but she KNOWS that in turning 5 and starting school she is officially in the club that her big sisters are in - and for Miss" don't call me baby" that is super exciting. And it's everyday - so that is 2 days better than preschool. And how do I feel about my baby starting school? SO EXCITED - she will LOVE it!! She is my most adventurous child and I can't wait to watch her adventures. And I'll have every morning free. WIN WIN!

Eve is maybe a little too excited about her 5 birthday, which is still a little over 5 months away. If you ask her how old she is she will tell you that she is "almost five". It was so warm over Christmas, she kept saying, " It is warm, so it is spring and almost my birthday - and then I can go to school." Don't worry, we talk a lot about all the things that will happen before then. We talk about it so often that she can list them... Mom's birthday, Alice's birthday, Soccer, Then her birthday, then summer and the beach then School. She has already picked her birthday party theme " Who dunnit" ( though that may change - since her obsession with the Who Dunnit Backyardigans episode as recently been replaced with an undying love of Ruby Gloom (thanks to Netflicks)

Anyway - we are enjoying Eve. Five will be great but four and half is pretty awesome too. Four and a half is an age when sometimes she just seems so grown up to me and other times her little body still looks so small - too small for the unstoppable spirit that is in her. Here is a bit about her now:

1. Favourite person in the Family: Jackie. hands down. She loves wearing Jackie's old clothes and loves it when we tell her she looks like a little Jackie.

2. Favourite person in the world: her friend Chelsa. Can't wait to see what those two will get into as they get older.

2. Favourite game: Playing Barbies with Jackie. She asked Jackie so nicely today, "Do you want to play Barbies with me?" And Jackie is basically a barbie playing SAINT. She will go to heaven for being SUCH a patient sister.

3. New Skill: Skating and something I thought she would never learn: PLAYING IMAGINATION GAMES BY HERSELF!!!! Jackie has finally rubbed off on her.

4. New Interest: Chapter books. Once during Christmas my dad came up from the basement and said, "Eve's reading "Dress for Success" and I wasn't surprised at all. She has the bookshelf in her room and all the kids chapter books are stored there and she is always taking them ALL off the shelf to "read" them. Tonight she choose one for her bed time story and sat through three chapters. I think it is all about being grown up.

5. Favourite food: Toss up between Vanilla yogourt or Honey Nut Cheerios. Or maybe Nutella toast - no it couldn't be that, who would buy such an unhealthy item? Not me.

6.Worst part of her life: Chronic constipation. We are still battling this very rasmussen of problems. She is getting better at drinking her water and "special juice" but still basically births a baby each time she goes. Which is what I thought of she said the other day, " When I grow up I will be a mom, but I am scared to push a baby out". I read too much into her fears though. Yesterday she said, " Mom, when you had me did your stomach burst open?" The, "No, you came out my vagina, remember" answer calmed her fears, then confused her.

7. Things that always surprise me: How good she is at sports. Not that it should surprise me. It just that I learn things so differently than she does. She just knows how to move her body. So whether it's soccer, or dribbling a basketball or learning to skate - it just comes easy for her. Her Daddy's girl.

8.Favourite Christmas present this year: Playdough ice cream maker. ( not Andrew's favourite thing to clean up.

Anyway - we all love Eve!!! I am super lucky to be her mom. She is so much fun. And she gets to go to Kindergaten next year!! Woo woo!!

Our weekend

Eve: (with a happy face) When I grow up I'll be a mom! (face turns sad) But I'll have to live away from you and have babies in my tummy.

I'm glad she isn't moving away any time soon. She is my sweet little best friend, always wanting to read books or dance together or snuggle and watch a show.

Last Friday the girls and I celebrated the first snow fall of the year my all snuggling together on my bed and watching the Muppet's Christmas Carol (my favourite holiday movie).

Jackie: " This is the movie night I have been praying for since Halloween" (jackie was excited because Andrew let the girls eat the popcorn twists and drink pop they got while trick or treating).

We were all having a great time until the end of the movie, when Eve said she had a tummy ache. Just as Ebeneezer was sending the boy off to buy the prize turkey, Eve threw up all over me and Andrew's side of the bed! Yuck!!

That started "The night of vomit" for Eve, who puked about 12 times. I stayed with her till 11:00, then Andrew took over until 3:00, then I stayed up with her until Alice woke up at 7:00. Needless to say, the weekend didn't go as we had planned, but we made it through and Alice still made her basketball game ( they won 40 to 0 - but turned off the scoreboard for the last quarter) and Jackie made it to her cooking birthday party and she and I went to most of the RS Creative Saturday - just no date for Andrew and I, no working out for me and a lot of extra laundry.

But really Eve was a trooper. She didn't complain at all. She would just say ," my tummy hurts" right before she would throw up, and she was good a aiming in the bucket. She watched hours and hours of backyardagains and laid on the couch all night.

The next morning at breakfast, I told the older girls how good Eve was.

Me: Eve threw up so many times, but she was so good, she never cried or complained.

Alice: Really, she didn't complain at all?

Me: Not at all, she was so brave.

Alice: Maybe she should be sick all the time then.

Me: Alice! that's not nice.

Alice: I'm just saying, that girl complains A LOT - so if being sick helps her not complain...

I could see her point, but the not complaining might have had something to so with the fact that she had a 24 hour dedicated attendant to get her things AND she got to watch her best friends, the Backyardigans all night.

I have to say, the Backyardigans has to be the best preschool show of all time. She has good taste at least. Sunday night, Andrew got sick. He also threw up a lot and tried not to complain. He stayed home from work yesterday. He didn't however, watch as much Backyardagains.

Eve said to me this morning, "Mom, I can't read" like she had just noticed, and was disappointed. "But, I can talk, so that's good".

She does however, like to pretend to read, and will spend a lot of time a church during the sacrament, "reading" her pictureless Book of Mormon. She is quite convincing.

In other news, we had the primary presentation on Sunday and the girls all did great. I only made a couple of mistakes conducting the music, and never once forgot to get the kids to stand up. Eve's favourite song in the presentation was "Praise to the Man". She loves the "fight him in vain" part.

Jackie and Alice were all cool and collected giving their parts. Eve's part was, " I am grateful Jesus created flowlers for me". No - that's not a typo, that is how she says flowers.

I had planned a fun singing time for after the presentation, because the kids had all worked so hard. We sang nothing but requests - but so many of the songs the kids wanted to sing were the ones we had in the presentation. I guess they still were not sick of them.

Our Sweet little Evie - I mean Evil

This past Saturday was Creative Saturday in our Relief Society. I almost wasn't going to sign up, but at the last minute decided it would be fun - and it was. I made chocolate cake balls in the morning and hair bows in the afternoon. Fun conversation with the ladies and my girls were very pleased with the results. The best thing about the day of course - no Evie.

Andrew was excited to give me a day off and looking forward to a relaxing day at home with the kids. I knew he would be tired when I got home, so we made plans for me to take the girls swimming as soon as I got home.

I called before I left the church, so he would know I was coming home. I came home to three happy children outside in there coats with their swimming bag outside already. I thought," Dad's a little anxious to get them going". They came inside to sample my cake balls while I was getting my swimsuit. It became apparent to me that Andrew was not in the best mood.

We were on the road soon enough and I asked the girls how the day went. They said,"

Girls: Fine

Me: Really? Dad seems like he is in a bit of a mood.

Jackie: Oh yeah - Dad's in a bad mood. He was all like this ,

Alice hits Jackie's arm.

Jackie: What was that for?

Alice: I don't want you making fun of Dad for being in a bad mood.

Jackie: I wasn't going to make fun of Dad, I was just going to show that he was in a bad mood because of Evie.

Alice: Oh, yeah that's kinda true.

And I wasn't surprised - seeing as I must have said three different times to the ladies, "It is so nice to not have Evie". Now let me be clear - WE LOVE EVIE. She is hilarious. She is clever. She is fast. She likes to have fun, and she .......likes to have her own way. Her persistence is exhausting. I tell myself over and over that she will be delightful when she is able to run her own life, (as I myself am delightful). As I give her timeout after timeout for hitting her friends or whining relentlessly, or when I carry her screaming kicking body out of sacrament meeting because she doesn't like the snack I brought, I remind myself that in a few years I will look at pictures of her three year old self and miss her littleness. I will use blog postings like this one and pictures like the one below - to remind me..

In the meantime, I will enjoy her great qualities - how she loves to tell you that she is , " so big, so strong and so fast". I will enjoy teaching her things she feels like learning and will thoroughly enjoy when she has decided to be a puppy all day, even when she has decided that she wants to be a bad puppy. And when the whining and the tantrums come I will endeavor to be patient and remind myself that:
1. She will not always be like this
2. She is the child I deserve.
But I also will be patient with my husband - who from all accounts was a perfect child and does not deserve our little Evil, I mean Evie.

Art Walk 2010

Since Alice was little (like she's so big now) she has wanted to be an Artist. When I learned that this weeked was Alberta Art Days, I figured we should check it out. We looked through the activities and decided to do the Art Walk downtown.

So as our NY cousins say, "we took the train into the city."and had a great time. We felt a little like tourists. Since it was Art Days, we tried to artsy up our photos.

Jackie was the main one pushing for the train. This is her on the way there. On the way back she looked a little different. A lot less clean, and a little more tired.

Me: Jackie, when you get home you will have to wash your face. You have hot chocolate all around you mouth, and mustard on your cheek.

Jackie: The mustard tells a story.

Me: oh yeah?

Jackie: A story of a gigantic hot dog, and how I shoved it into my mouth, chomp.

Below is a picture with the hot chocolate. This is Jackie's favorite effect. She loves saturated colour. (She also kind of loved that her hot chocolate looked like coffee - We got it an Tim Hortons, where all her teacher like to get coffee).

You may have noticed that my kids are sporting winter hats and warm coats. It was freezing. But luckily it wasn't raining, which it has been doing most of September. And we haven't seen any snow yet - though Grandma and Grandpa on the North of town did. Some days I worry about global waming more than others.

This is my favourite picture of Alice. So pretty and so grown up looking.

We saw 4 small galleries, 2 unique jewelery stores, and caught some live jazz. We got to walk past some artist's studios, but we didn't get to see anyone working. We did get to talk to a gallery owner and learn about some different media and she told us a little about the artists that did the pieces in her gallery. The kids loved picking out there favourite pieces and seeing how much they cost.

Jackie was determined to see the Chinese Cultural Centre, even though it was a bit of a walk. Alice was dying for hot chocolate, which was harder to find than I thought it would be. We didn't find any on the way, but we did find a hot dog and then a tiny cup cake bakery tucked away in a basement. We needed energy for our long art journey.

Jackie: Alice, do you know what my favourite kind of arts and crafts are?

Alice: What?

Jackie: Ones made out of food!

We did eventually make it to the Chinese Cultural Centre. I am ashamed that we have lived here so long and never been there. The roof alone was Alice's favourite thing she saw that day. The display on early immigrants to Canada from China was fascinating and the gift store was a real hit. The girls each got some inexpensive,but very legit looking fans. Jackie posing outside the cultural center. She as already asked if we can go back there.


Alice has been constantly opening and closing her fan since she got it. I learned she even was playing with it in primary today. Doesn't this effect make her eyes look cool?

Anyway, It was a lovely afternoon for me. I find Art energizing. I am excited to do more interesting projects with the girls. We got an excellent book from the library with some very cool ideas in it which we are going to use for " Home art school". I am making plans to do more virtual and in person art walking with her, since she still wants to be an artist.

Jackie, on the other hand, might want to be an artist or a chef.

I just enjoy her being a kid. This is a picture from Heritage park this summer.

Eve didn't come with us, instead she got to spend some quality time with Andrew. She did like modifying pictures. I like this one.

She likes this one.

Who said it....

It is time for a game of who said it:

1. " It is so sad that Eve is growing up so fast. I remember when she was just a little baby in a crib, and now she is in a bunk bed, and talking and soon she'll be starting preschool. It all just goes so fast.

a) me
b)Andrew
c) Alice
b) Jackie

2. " See, I don't need you". ( hint - this is this person's favourite phrase so far this week
a)Andrew
b)Eve
c)Jackie
d) Alice


3. "I'm scared of my light"
a) Andrew
b) Eve
c) Jackie
e) Alice


4. "I just really love winning"
a)me
b)Alice
d) Jackie
e) Eve

Let me know your answers and what imaginary prize you would like if you are a winner. Yes, the winner will get an imaginary prize!

Overheard

Me: Why is the floor all wet?
Alice: Eve spilled a cup of water
Eve: No, Chelsa did it?
We all laughed - since Chelsa wasn't here. Eve thought for a bit then said,
Eve: Not me, Not Chelsa, Terry did it. (Terry was over yesterday)
Me: are you blaming Terry for something you did?
Eve: Yup.

*********
Alice (after I did her hair for church): This ponytail is as tight as Professor McGonagal's bun.

We are in the middle of Harry Potter, and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She is really into it.

*********
Jackie: I am so tired of reading the scripture EVERY NIGHT. Why do we have to do it every night.

I am getting a lot of eye rolling from Jackie and Alice lately. I makes me smile, because I think it is good practice for me for when they are teenagers. She mostly enjoys reading the scriptures, she just wishes she would get to read more picture books. We are working on that.

Dad's a Star

Alice: Is dad ever going to be in the Olympics?
Me: no
Alice: Right, because it is in Vancouver

*******
Jackie ( on the way to watch their Dad's JV team play): I hope this game will be on TV!


Dad's a star to them! Though on a side note, Andrew's team did win a tournament over the weekend. The girls have been having fun playing with his gold medal.

Punished by Rewards

Jackie: What are you reading?

Me: A book about how it is not good to give kids rewards and prizes for doing things right.

Jackie: That's crazy, prizes are great.

Alice: I think you should stop reading that. ( Alice really likes her piano practicing chart. It has been very effective)

Jackie: What's the book called?

Me: Punished by rewards.

Jackie: That's not right. If you are getting a reward, that is a good thing, not a bad. Punishments are bad, so if you get something bad, it isn't a reward. It just doesn't make sense. (I can see her thinking hard.) Unless someone hit you on the head with your own trophy.

Gotta love the way her mind works.

A bit of Alice

Alice got her first grown up hair cut last week in preparation for our SugarSnaps photo shoot. Her Aunt Anne said when she saw her, " Alice is.....old". Yes it is true, at seven, with grade one under her belt, she is ready to take on the world. For those that don't get the pleasure of spending a lot of time with her, here is a " a bit of Alice" for you to enjoy.

Alice is sensitive. At seven, she knows that about herself. The last week of school she said to me:

"Mom, when picking us up, if you ever have to be late for one of us, me or Jackie, you should always be late for Jackie and get me on time because even though Jackie is younger than me, I am more emotional than she is.

Even with her sensitivity, there are times when I expect she will cry and she doesn't. Then there are the times when she does and it breaks my heart. We just got back from a family reunion where we stayed in a tent trailer. The girls had SO MUCH FUN with their cousins playing in the trailer. We were supposed to stay two nights, and her favourite cousin Jaylin was going to sleep in the trailer with us that second night. Due to some bad weather and serious lack of sleep, Andrew and I decided that we had better not stay over that second night. Alice took it much better that I expected but she was disappointed. Today, when we were sitting in church I noticed tears in her eyes. I asked her what was the matter " Oh, I was just thinking about Jaylin." Little heart break right there.

At seven, she is independent. She LOVES to make her own microwave oatmeal. She loves that she can read herself stories. She even loves cleaning up the living room all by herself. We all love that she can eat apples now without having them sliced, thanks to those front teeth that have grown in ( now she just needs to grow into them).

She is also independently creative. Every day I hear, " Mom, can I do a craft?" For Alice, life is not worth living if there is no time for crafts. Grade one was tough because there was no painting station and not nearly enough time when she got home to make up for it. Some of the things she has created since school ended include: a puppet show made with drawings on Popsicle sticks, a large robot made from tin cans and boxes, a "chariot" for Eve made out of a decorated cardboard box and rope snd she is currently working on a very large paper doll mosaic. She comes up with these projects all on her own, finds the materials and even cleans up after with minimal help from me. She also doesn't get to attached to the final product ( thank goodness). For Alice, it is about the process of making it.

Development psychology states that seven year olds have a better grasp of time. This is true of Alice and she is constantly trying to explain timelines to Jackie. Alice is obsessed with our vacation schedules and always knows how many days we are going and how long we are staying. Math was her favourite academic subject and she enjoys figuring out how old everyone will be in the future. When I told her that because of the grade 5 - 6 's being moved out of her school she would never get to go to the same school as Evie she said, "Aww...wait a minute, she'll be five by then, so she won't be cute anymore anyway. So that's ok with me."

Alice thinks five is too old to be cute. I think she is still cute, even at the ripe old age of seven.

Discovering Strengths

This evening I took a online self assessment test designed to help me discover my strengths. Don't worry, I won't bore you all with an my insightful musings on my strengths and weaknesses - that is sure to come later after I've had more time to really digest the information. Right now I thought I write a little of what I predict my children's strengths will be based on what they are saying and doing now. In twenty years, I'll be able to look back and see if I was right. Today I will start with my little Evie, my terrific toddler. Eve values her independence. She is my charge ahead girl. Today at the spray park, she kept running away, turning around to do her " mommy come with me " sign and then was off again. In a "come here" battle with Eve, I always lose ( luckily, in a "I'm going to pick you up and carry you" battle I always win.)

Eve tantrums less than my other girls did ( not a hard thing for anyone who ever dealt with Jackie after a nap). She is not all about the drama, she is all about the action. Eve mostly gets upset if there is something she is unable to do that she wants to - like doing up her red buckle shoes at the gym( so frustrating), or wants something she knows she can't have -(like the camera). She also has a very cute way of tantruming I like to call the "silent protest non-tantrum tantrum. This is how it goes.

She does something I have asked her not to do and continues to do it after I have told her to stop. I physically stop her from doing it. I get down to her level and explain why she can't do it. While I explain, she sinks to the ground, lays on her belly with her head on the floor. She doesn't move. She doesn't answer - she just stays still until I get up, at which point she gets up and before I know she is doing what she was doing in the first place.

I think she tantrums less than the other girls because she doesn't except no as an answer. She just plans how she will do it anyway. Experiential learner maybe? I'm just glad she came third - so her Dad will have had two teenagers ahead of her to break him in, because she does not do well with someone trying to control her. I think she will go her own way. Her baby blessing said that she would enjoy making choices, and blessed her to make the right choices. I hope so..

So Mom, have I got what I deserved?

On a side note - she has recently added a few new words to her vocabulary - please, cookie, shoe, and show. She only has said them because we have made her try.( i.e. if you try to say cookie you can have a cookie). Otherwise, she really doesn't try out words on her own. I think maybe because if you are planning to do whatever you want - really no one else needs to know.

Anyway - she is a super interesting, super delightful girl - She loves balls, cars, animals and kissing. Yesterday I was playing cars with her. She was making car noises, then would make the cars kiss each other. Pretty cute.

Eve's first overheard.

Eve looked out the window at the snow.

Eve: uh ohh. no. no.

I think that is how all of us feel. Don't think our pretty spring flowers will pull through, though Andre covered them all last night with tupperwear.

Earth Day

Alice: For Earth Day I picked up garbage in the school yard. I even did it instead of playing at recess. I love picking up Garbage.

Me: Really?

Alice: Yeah, I LOVE picking up garbage - but only garbage. I still hate picking up toys.
( she could see the ideas I was starting to get, I think).

**********

Jackie: Someone is totally wrecking the world, because they left their garbage on the ground..

********

We got an early Earth Day gift this week. Our blue bin was delivered! So glad our city FINALLY has a residential recycling pick up!!! No more loading the recycling into the van!!!!!!

Some words from Jackie

I haven't done an "overheard" in a while and need to catch up. Jackie says so many interesting things everyday, it is hard to remember them all. Here are some of the most memorable Jackie-isms of the past few weeks.

Jackie can be very persuasive. She has a way of asking for things that is so cute that I end up giving it to her. On the weekend she got in trouble for snitching granola bars and fruit snacks from the storage room which she would cut open with the sewing scissors. She promised she would ask first and was made to understand that those things things were not for snacks at home but for times like church. On Monday, this is what she said, as you read try to imagine the bright smiling eyes, and a business tone of voice reserved mainly for pretend telephone conversations:

"Mom, I am going to ask you for a snack and I don't think that you will say yes, because I am going to ask you something that IS mostly for Sunday, but yesterday was Sunday and we didn't have any, so I am just going to take a risk here and ask you for a fruit snack, you know the little gummy one's that are just so tasty".

She said that she didn't think I would say yes, but I really think she completely expected I would say yes, and she was right, I did say yes. She got the fruit snack and Evie got one too. I think that girl will be able to schmooze and negotiate with the best of them when she grows up. I am still laughing at the "take a risk here" and " just so tasty".

******

Jackie was very matter of fact about the lice she had in her hair. When she learned about the Easter egg hunt we are going to on Good Friday at Butterfeild Acres she said,:

"Oh, I am just so excited it, it will be so much fun, I just can't wait!....but, if we find bugs or something else in my hair I just won't be able to go. That's just the way it is."

Doesn't she sound so travel hardened, " that's just the way it is..." Also, I wondered what else could we find in her hair that would make it impossible for her to go?

*******

When Alice was home from school because of the lice I instituted home school, since she wasn't sick and was having a little too much fun. It was great since until then, Jackie refused to do any workbooks. During home school she discovered she loved them and now does her work book all the time. The day after that first "home school" she said,

"Mom, when we were doing home school, you were exactly like a teacher. EXACTLY! You really could be one of my teachers".

Not sure if I should be happy she liked doing the work book with me or insulted that she was soooo surprised that I could help her with the exercises.

********

As I posted before, when we came home from Heritage Park we watched the first half of Anne of Green Gables. After the first part, Alice had had enough. I said, that was good because there was a sad part in the next part. Jackie pressed me and pressed me to learn what the sad part was. I said that someone died, then she started the morbid guessing game to figure out who it was ( if you have never read the book or seen the movie - stop reading now). She guessed it was Matthew. Alice thought it would definitely be too sad to watch, because that is just awful, but Jackie said,

" Oh I want to keep watching it because I want to see the sad part. I just LOVE sad parts, and now I know there is a sad part coming I just have to keep watching."

I think the real reason she wanted to keep watching is that she wanted to stay up later, but I think that Anne Shirley would respect and understand the love of tragic endings. Jackie does love drama and emotion. Unlike Alice, who always draws happy faces, Jackie will often draw people with sad faces and have a story to tell about why that person is feeling like that.

******

For preschool last week, she wore her cherry red velvet skirt, her red sparkly tights, a red sparkly tank top with Alice cream satin blouse over top. She said,

"I think I look exactly like a mom in this outfit and this hair. Do I look exactly like a mom to you?" Then she looked in the mirror, " I do look like a mom and I look like business woman. I look exactly like a mom who is a business woman".

She went to school very happy that day.

When I grow up

On the way home from preschool today.

"If I become a veterinarian when I grow up it would be great because I could help animals, Then if a kitty is sick I can help it. (Jackie loves kitties).But I would never see Daddy, because he HATES all animals and will never had any pets. (Pause)But it might be ok because I could probably see him on my day off."

Somehow I thought it funny that Jackie had a concept of day off.

They have been learning about different people in the community this in preschool this month. Jackie was very impressed with the idea of helping kitties, was not impressed with the concept of being a firefighter (too scary),or mail carrier ( a little bit boring) but enjoyed the idea of becoming a police girl, so she could "Help people and have a gun". They still have banker and Dentist to learn about. This just shows that school does broader your horizen's, because none of these ideas are dancers, movie stars or princesses.

Lost in Translation

Today - at Superstore

Jackie: Mom, are English accidents real?
Me: What did you say?
Jackie: Are English accidents real?
Me: I don't know what you mean.
Jackie: (losing her patients a little bit)Do English accidents exist in the real world:
Me: Sorry Honey, I still don't know what you mean.
Jackie: You know, when we were watching Barbie and the Christmas Carol and the girl says Tomahtoes - you said she was because of her English accident.
Me: Oh, you mean English Accents - yes, those are real.

(Incidently, Jackie now likes eating tomatoes because she can call them Tomahtoes, she also calls potatoes, potahtoes - she is very fancy, and it is not accidental at all.)

On Thursday after school

Alice:Mom, we have got to get one of those furnaces.
Me: a furnace?
Alice: A furnace for my lunch.
Me: What kind of furnace?
Alice: Gareth had a furnace in his lunch today. His mom put ichiban in it.
Me: Oh, a thermos, yes that would be a good idea.

In regards to Alice and her lunches - a thermos is what we need, since she no longer will eat sandwiches and even cheese buns come back uneaten. ( especially now that her friend Jake is at her table and he is so funny she spends all her time laughing and forgets to eat). Lately I have been packing her a Tupperware with cereal in it and a spoon. She gets milk at lunch that she wasn't drinking, so now it goes on the cereal. The nutrition is questionable, but at least she is eating something. Cereal for breakfast, lunch and bedtime snack. If they ever stop making Shreddies, Alice will starve.

When we are rich

A conversation with Jackie, while she was trying on the most beautiful red and gold Belle dress at the Disney store the other day:

Jackie: Oh Mom, can we get it?

Me: No honey, you don't need another dress, and it costs way too much money.

Jackie: (Hopeful) Maybe we can get it when it is on sale? ( my girls understand the concept of sales at a early age)

Me: No honey, it is already on sale, and it still costs too much. ( it was $99 on sale for $49)
Looking disappointed, then thoughtfult, then happy...

Jackie: Can we can buy it when we are rich?

Me: Yes, I guess we can buy it if we get rich.

Jackie found many things that shopping trip she would buy when she was rich, the cutest one being a red dressy wool coat from the childrens place like this one, only with fur around the bottom.

http://www.childrensplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=494564&styleId=72339&categoryIdsTree=25851%7C25913&categoryNameTree=baby+girl%7Couterwear&categoryName=babygirls

Luckily, we were at Superstore and there were the cutest red sparkly shoes - and we didn't even have to wait to be rich to buy them for her.

Quotes from Jackie

Yesterday, after telling me how she told her preschool class that her kitty was named Rosabelle, she teared up as she said: " Oh, why did you have to name me Jackie. I wanted to be Rosabelle".

Feel free to call Jackie Rosabelle whenever you like.
******
While wearing a dress up dress, standing alone in the living room, holding a crown, and looking sad, " I'll never win". Then holding the crown higher, "What, I am the winner?" Then putting the crown on her head, " Oh, I never, ever thought I would win, Thank you".

Not sure what contest she won. I think it probably had something to do with having the most beautiful dress.
********
As we were walking together to get Alice from the bus stop.
Me: What did you say Jackie?

Jackie: Mom, I wasn't talking to you, I was just telling myself a story, be quiet".
*******

Jackie got her Halloween costume yesterday. It is a pink princess dress (original choice I know). She is wearing it to her birthday party tomorrow. When Alice got off the bus and saw it, she immediately wanted to try it on too. The whole walk home Alice tried to convince Jackie to let her try it on. She offered to let Jackie wear her costume (Bat girl). She offered to let Jackie pick what was for lunch tomorrow. She offered to let Jackie pick the show the next time they watched TV. She pretty much went through everything they ever fight about. Jackie refused all trades. Finally, as we were nearing the house, she said "Jackie, isn't there anything you want more than that dress!"
Jackie: "There is nothing I could ever ever want more than this dress."
A well placed 15 dollars I think.

From Alice

Alice, after a loud argument with Jackie ( said very kindly and genuinely): "Jackie, you should be a teacher when you grow up. You would be a very good teacher, because you have a very loud voice, and teachers need to have loud voices, to yell at the kids, so the kids can hear them. (there are 34 kids in Alice's class - a think it may be a little noisy, her teachers don't seem like the yelling type though) "


Incidently, Jackie thought this was a great compliment, and has talked about it several times. Since she wants to be a danser, she has decided to be a dance teacher, to incorporate Alice's wise advice. She will tell you that Alice is right, she DOES have a loud voice, and then proves it by screaming.
*****


Alice, on the morning of the third day of school: "When are you going to let me skip school like Anne does?"


I knew the skipping school issue would come up - I just didn't think it would come up on the third day of grade one. Thanks Aunt Anne, and thanks Grandma!

When I pointed out that she had read a word: (rolling her eyes) MAWWMM, I didn't read it, I just looked at the word and knew what the word was, that is not reading".

hmmm - sounds like reading to me, wonder what she considers to be reading.

*******

This morning when I answered her skipping school plea with " you can think about skipping school when you can read". She said: "I already can read, I just don't always understand the sounds and the words don't make any sense, but I can read".

Oh, so that is reading.

*****
As we were driving out of our neighbourhood she said, : "The next time we move houses, make sure we are moving into a mansion with an attic. Actually, the attic is not that important, just make sure it is a mansion."

Okay, I'll get right on that.

Overheard

Alice: "Do you know what Daddy had to call Evie today while you were at work? He had to call her EVE VANESSA RASMUSSEN because she was being soooo bad."
***
Jackie: " Daddy told me that green things make air". That is why I like plants, because I really like having air" (don't we all!)
****
Alice: Mom, I really like dressing people up. I want to dress people up all day long.

Me: That sounds like fun, are you going to dress up your stuffed animals

Alice: No Mom, I really like dressing people up. I always want to do it. Are there any jobs you can have where you dress people up - all day long?

So now Alice either wants to be a Stylist to the stars, a costume designer for movies are dancers, a fashion designer or she wants to sell clothes in stores....