9.30.20 - Kid snippets: singular of Kix is kick

When Jane or Clara has a single piece of Kix cereal they call it a "kick."

9/28/20 Selfie by Jane

9.25.20 - Joy status: Jane reads to herself

Listening to Jane (3yo) "read" books to herself....

9.25.20 - Kid snippets: Clara is NOT bossing me around

We're working on having Clara say "please remember X" instead of "You forgot X!" Tonight Clara asked if we could have tortillas for dinner. While I was still making them:

Clara: Moooooom! *long pause to think* Please...remember...to give us tortillas.
Me: That was very nice asking, Clara! I am almost done with them right now.
Clara: Yeah! I was going to say "You almost forgot!" but then I thought of better words!

Earlier today Clara and I were co-creating a drawing of Jack Skellington and Sally. She asked me to sketch Jack Skellington's house in the background. As I had only just begun to outline the house:

Clara: Don't forget to draw the windows.
Me: I'm not going to forget, give me a second. Stop bossing me around.
Clara: *puts both hands up at her shoulders in a defensive posture* I'm just *asking* you to draw the windows. I'm not bossing you around!

Also at some point this morning Clara ran across the room to fart on me and laugh uproariously. When I asked her why she did that, she said it's because she loves me.

9.25.20 - Kid snippets: Calvin and the ladder

If you're ever at our place and you don't see Calvin anywhere...he's frantically climbing the ladder to Clara's top bunk as fast as he can! His balance is terrible! Go stop him!

In other news, we are now keeping the nursery door shut at all times.

Bouncing on Clara's bed. So exciting to be so tall!

9.20.20 - Kid snippets: Mom, please remember

Recently we've been trying to teach Clara that instead of reprimanding us for forgetting things she should just say "please remember." For example instead of saying "Mom, you forgot to get me juice!" She should say "Mom please remember to get my juice."

Just now we had spent a couple hours at the playground and we were packing up the kids to go home. It requires breaking down the stroller and all of the stuff we have to drag along with us with small children. While I was trying to strap Jane into her car seat:

Clara: Mom you are taking so long! Calvin is already falling asleep because you are taking longer and longer and longer to leave.
Me: I don't like it when you complain that we are taking so long. Dad and I are doing all these things for you, and you are just sitting there.
Clara: Oh I'm sorry! *Pauses to think* Mom... please remember... to drive the car.

Two of these kids really are asleep.

9.18.20 - Joy status: non-smoky sky

The sky is not smoky! We have cool fresh air breezing into our apartment! Such a welcome relief.

9.15.20 - Joy status: email back ASAP

Work joy inventory: when people email me back right away.

9.14.20 - Kid snippets: Calvin the sneak

In the last 48 hours there have been two occasions where I suddenly realized Calvin was being very quiet and not demanding attention. Today it was because he had gotten hold of a wax candle and was trying to eat it. Yesterday it was because he had come up behind the chair I was sitting in, taken my favorite lipstick *out of my pocket*, and was smearing it all over himself.

9.14.20 - Kid snippets: It's fall today!

Jane: Mama, can we watch pumpkin videos?
Me: No, not right now.
Clara: But it's fall today!
Me: You can't watch videos in the morning.
Jane: But it's fall today!
Me: ...? That isn't related. You still can't watch videos in the mornings.
Jane: But it's fall! It's fall today Mama!
Me: That doesn't matter!
Jane: Yes it is!

Pic taken same day of Jane's "dress"

9.13.20 - Joy status: Calvin's pre-morning baby cuddles

When Jack is out of town and Calvin wakes up before everyone else, I can just bring him into my room and we cuddle for a good 20 to 45 minutes. He seems happy for the individual attention and I enjoy his adorable kissable baby cheeks. 

Usually during the day when he's fully awake he's very busy exploring things and can't be bothered to cuddle, or I can't really sit down to do it because the girls need help with various things, but in this in-between time (after he wakes up before the day gets started) he's pretty happy to smush his whole body against my stomach and smush his face against mine and just lie there. It's so sweet. I love baby cuddles.

9.13.20 - Kid snippets: unintelligible whispers

Clara is sitting across the room from me.

Clara: Mom? [Unintelligible whisper]
Me: Can't hear you honey
Clara: [unintelligible mumble]
Me: Nope still can't hear you
Clara: [unintelligible slightly annoyed sounding mumble]
Me: Babe you have to speak louder!
Clara, now definitely annoyed: I SAID [reverts to unintelligible mumble again]

I start laughing. Clara, who is still at the age when anything adults think is funny must be funny, starts laughing too.

9.8.20 - Kid snippets: Clara won't go to sleep

Every night Clara finds one or multiple excuses to come out of her room after bedtime. Usually she will shyly open the door a crack and softly call my name until I notice she is standing there. Just now:

Clara (softly): Mom?
Me: What?
Clara: We forgot something.
Me: What?
Clara: We forgot that the night is so long until morning.
Me: Well it would go a lot faster if you went to sleep.
Clara: But it's so long!
Me: I don't care. Go to bed.
(Overlapping)
Clara: But it's so long! / Me: Go get in bed!
(Clara continuing to talk as she slowly shuts the door)
Clara: It's so looooooong!
(Clara fades into the darkness of the nursery.)

And scene.