1.31.20 - Joy Statuses

1.31.20 - Kid Snippets: Kiss and make up

This morning Clara was being kind of rude to Jane. Jane had gone into the bathroom to tell Clara good job for using the potty and Clara yelled at her to go away. She yelled at her for a couple other things that I can't remember now too. Clara later apologized but Jane was a little bit upset about it. But then Jack was walking out the door to take Clara to school and:

Jane: Wait! Kiss!
Me: Clara can you give Jane a kiss goodbye?
Clara: yeah *Jane toodles to Clara who gives her a very gentle kiss
Clara: Goodbye my Jane!
Jane: Goo' byeeee!
Clara: Mom, that's my sister!
Jane: Yeah!

Good note to end it on.

(Pic from a few days prior, checking out dress ups from Jama.

1.27.20 - Kid Snippets: Clara loves Erin

I was driving Clara home from school.

Clara: I just like you.
Me: Well I love you.
Clara: I love you too.
Me: Who else do you love?
Clara: Jane and Dad and Calvin.
Me: Me too!
Clara: Me too! Who else do you love?
Me: Hmmm. Jama.
Clara: And I love Erin!
Me: Oh, Erin?
Clara, nonchalant: Yeah.

Clara telling Jack he's too big to be on the swing.

1.23.20 - Kid snippets: Clara is not lemonade girl

Today Clara's teacher sent me this picture of her and explained that Clara really enjoyed helping squeeze lemons to make lemonade. So tonight when she got home I asked her about it and she told me the whole story about making lemonade. Later on I said "Come on, Lemonade Girl!"

Clara: "Lemonade Girl? I'm not Lemonade Girl, I'm just a person!"

1.18.20 - Kid snippets: Does Jane have a brain?

Clara was looking at the "mission accomplished" picture series I posted last night of Calvin. I was trying to explain to her that she and Jane and Calvin each started off inside me and then eventually came out. So I looked up a fetal development video online and now she's watching it over and over again and telling us what is happening at each point, ie "There's his hands! There's his nose!"

There's a part in the video where it animates neurons growing and connecting and I told her that's what's happening in the brain. I told her she has a brain in her head and so does Jane. She looked curiously at Jane for a moment and said "Jane, do you have a brain?" Jane glared fiercely at her and protested "Noooo!"

1.17.20 - Waking up slowly with Jane

This morning I woke up while everyone else was still asleep. They were all still asleep while I showered and got dressed. They were all still asleep while I caught up on some emails. It was so peaceful.

I decided to go start waking the girls up. I opened the door and turned on the smaller lamp, and as usual, Clara stayed fast asleep and Jane popped up immediately. I knelt next to her lower bunk bed.

Jane: Mama, where moon go?
Me: It's behind the world, honey.
Jane: No, Mama. Moon behi' sun.
Me: It's behind the sun?
Jane: Yeah.
Me: Okay

I had my arms resting on her bed and she lay her head on one of them and for a long time I just rubbed her back and arms while she cuddled me. Eventually I told her I was going to use the bathroom and I'd be right back, and she said "No, Mama. Mama lie down." "You want me to lay in bed with you?" "Yeah." "Okay."

So I crawled into her bed (I've never done that before, actually) and cuddled next to her and kept stroking her hair. I thought about how the room looks from her bed (and thus often her perspective) and thought about how rooms looked in my childhood when I had the bottom bunk. We have a Little Mermaid poster on the opposite wall from the bunk bed. I started humming "Part of your world."

Jane: TOP!
Me: What? You want me to talk?
Jane: Top, Mama! No singing!
Me, trying not to laugh: Okay.

We cuddled like that for awhile longer before she was ready to get up and play with her fake food, and even at that point, the rest of the family was still asleep. It was some treasured one-on-one time.

1.11.20 - Kid snippets: Jane wants to know why Alexa is sleeping

About 20 minutes ago Jane asked Alexa (Amazon Echo) some question and Alexa responded at length at a (sort of) high volume and this response really really bothered Jane because she said it was too loud. I then muted Alexa so she won't respond to anyone to prevent this problem for now. Since then Jane has been having an ongoing conversation with me that has gone approximately like this:

Jane: Mama?
Me: Yeah?
Jane: Mamaaa?
Me: Yeah?
Jane: Mama why Awexa so woud [loud]?
Me: Because you asked her a question.
Jane: Mama why Awexa so woud?
Me: Because you talked to her.
Jane: Why so woud?
Me: ...Because you talked to her!
Jane: Mama?
Me: Yeah?
Jane: Mamaaaaa!
Me: YEAH?
Jane: Why Awexa no talking?
Me: Because she's asleep.
Jane: Buy whyyyy Mama?
Me: She's asleep, she's tired.
Jane: Oh a-kay.
Jane: Mama?
Me: Yeah?
Jane: Why Awexa sleeping?
Me: Jane stop asking me about Awexa.
Jane: But Mama, why Awexa sleeping?
Me: Because she's tired.
Jane: Oh a-kay. Mama?
Me: WHAT?
Jane: Why Awexa sleeping?
Me: I don't know, babe.
Jane: Why Awexa sleeping?
Me: I don't know.
Jane: Mama?
Me: ....
Jane: Mammaaaaaaaa?
Me: What?
Jane: Why Awexa sleeping?
Me: mmm.
Jane: Mama, whyyyyyy?
Me: Because.
Jane: Oh a-kay. Mama, Awexa vewy woud!
Me: Yup.
Jane: Mama?
[And repeat.]

Cuddling on the couch as she fully wakes up from a nap.

1.9.20 - Kid snippets: Clara loves me

Last night Jack was reading bedtime stories to the girls in the nursery, and I was feeding Calvin in my room with the door shut. I heard Clara leave the nursery, telling Jack "I'm gonna go see Mom." Then she very tentatively opened my bedroom door. I said "Hi babe, what'cha doing?" She said "I had to come find you." Then she crawled onto the bed with Calvin and me, sat up on her knees, stared at me for a second, and said, "Mom, I love you." It's very rare for her to tell me that without me initiating it, and I just wanted to write it here so I get to keep remembering the moment, because I freaking love being a mom.

Me holding Clara in 2015, 2016, and 2020.

1.6.20 - Kid snippets: Clara goes back to school

Today is Clara's first day back at school after being off for a couple weeks for the holidays. We got her ready as usual and then I stayed home with Jane and Calvin while Jack dropped her off, but unlike the normal routine, about 15 minutes later I got a video call from Jack. I answered and Clara was sitting in our car clearly nervous. She said she couldn't go to school because she needed to see her mom. I talked to her for a few moments about how she's going to get to play on the playground and ride the double seated bike, and she started grinning. She seemed okay when we disconnected.

I know it won't be long before I won't be able to help her so simply and quickly but I really enjoyed being able to do so this morning.

Later that day coloring a Dumbo coloring page

Jane is fussing because she stepped on something that stuck to her foot. Jack: "Oh, did you step on something?? Welcome to MY world! Do you know how many things I step on on a *daily basis* that shouldn't be there?

From two days earlier - Jane dancing with Baby Rose