Four going on 14

The girls and I were at the mall the other day. Carolyn had this little exchange with the salewoman at the Gap. Who knew a 4-year-old could be snarky?

Saleswoman: So. What do you like to do?
Carolyn: I don't know.
S: Well, do you like to play softball? Do you like television?
C: I don't know.
S: How about the playground. Do you like reading books?
C: I don't know.
Penny: I like school.
Saleswoman: High five for that.
Carolyn rushing to set things straight: She's too little to go to school.
Saleswoman: And you're old enough right. What school do you go to?
Carolyn: I go to preschool.

Earlier, I told Carolyn I didn't have enough money for the Merry-Go-Round at the mall.

Carolyn: Just go to the bank. They'll give you money. It's easy.

Here they are in front of the Merry-Go-Round, climbing on the giant free bear that I'm pretty sure 84 kids have sneezed on.

Carolyn's first BFF

Carolyn preschool class had a field trip yesterday to the zoo. Penny and I got to tag along, which was fun because Penny was lining up with the class and fitting right in. She was even answering the teacher's questions during circle time. It was super cute.

But the best part was meeting Carolyn's newest best friend. Most of her friends up until now have been kids of moms I like. Or they live nearby. Or she's in swimming class with them.

Jenna is her first "just Carolyn" friend. It was so sweet, watching them walk through the zoo holding hands. I mean, come on... How freakin' adorable is that.

The only problem is, I think I want Jenna to be Carolyn's BFF more than she does. Carolyn also likes Indyiah (pronounced India), the preschool equivalent of Catholic high school's naughty girl (and, trust me, I know that girl). She's actually pretty nice, and her great grandma lives next door to us, so Carolyn's known her for a while.

But sometimes it's hard to forget this girl is 4. She kind of looks like a really tiny tween with her earrings and swishing pony tail and short skirts. Frankly, I prefer Jenna.

This is clearly why Carolyn will decide to declare Indyiah her BFF. I should just keep my mouth shut.

And then, there was one

I'm not sure why, but it seems I'm only allowed to have one good child.

For the longest time, that child was Carolyn. She was sweet, helpful and always eager to please. At this moment, she's trying to shove a stapler into a glass of water. She's taken to calling Steve, "Steve." This has sent her to her room twice today. She likes to spill water all over the counter under the guise that she's "helping."

Penny, on the other hand, is my new favorite. She just so much fun and so very sweet. She can play by herself for extended periods of time and is always so thankful. Just a few short weeks ago, she screamed if you suggested chocolate ice cream after she demanded strawberry.

At least I should be grateful that I've got one. I see a day, I'm thinking girls at ages 13 and 15, when I've only got prime time television and a gallon of red wine to take the edge off the screaming and fighting and hurling of dinner plates.

Fall days

It doesn't feel quite like fall, with the hot summer sun and all, but we're busy like fall. We're adjusting to all the activities and Carolyn seems to be fine, if not a little exhausted at night. But as far as exhaustion goes, it's a good time to get it.

Here's Carolyn at her new dance class. I'm not sure about Carolyn and dance, although she talks about it a lot. What was really amazing was Penny. She saw the class and her already big eyes widened with awe. It was like she was thinking, "This is something that exists. Why was I not told about this before."

Here's Carolyn (the only non-blond) a few minutes into class. She was super amazed how everybody looks the same.



And while Penny isn't enrolled in anything organized, she's busy with her own lessons. We have discovered she's a puzzle protegy. Here she is, finishing a 64-piece Strawberry Shortcake puzzle for about the 10th time that day. It's really quite amazing.

Carolyn's calendar

Despite my best efforts not to enroll my kid in every activity available, I've enrolled her in every activity available. At least every one available within two blocks of our house.

And surprisingly, there's quite a lot available two blocks from our house.

Let's see... We have preschool four afternoons a week.
Swimming two mornings a week.
I just signed her up for dance, which is one evening a week.

And library story time one morning a week. This activity is a whole mile from our house, but it's free.

That's two activities every day, Monday through Thursday.

Today we went to Target to get Carolyn's leotard and ballet shoes when I told her about the dance lessons. That's great she said, but added this:

"Can I have music lessons?"

Sorry kid. That's all the way across town. I guess she'll have to wait until kindergarten for that skill set.

Back to Normal

Well, things have been crazy around here but we're returning to routine..... Now!

We had visitors, took a long weekend and really ended summer with a bang, but it feels really good to get back to real life. Carolyn's in school four days a week, and has swimming two days, so we're pretty busy Monday through Thursday. She seems to enjoy school and I really like her teachers.

Her first field trip is later this month. To the zoo. And Penny and I might go. Hooray for fall.

I'm sure there are plenty of great stories to be told, but I'm much too tired to remember any of them. I keep waiting for this haze of exhaustion to leave, as it always does after much activity, but I think I'll give it a few more days.

Until then, here's the girls at the playground today in some fancy new school duds. Penny doesn't go to school, but she still needs to look sharp.

What happened to summer?

So what that it's 90 degrees outside (and inside for that matter). So what that school hasn't yet started for Carolyn. So what that we just kind of hang out on these long and lazy days.

Summer officially ends because, today, I'm 35 years old.

Ugh... But what's a aging mom-type to do? I'm thinking Chinese buffet. Maybe a half dozen cocktails. I did spend my morning running, which has brought me into my 36th year healthier than at any other time of my life.

But enough whining from me. There's girl news to be had.

The other day, Carolyn was saying, "Oh. I've gotta crap."
What?????
She's squatting, insisting on this and also saying something like, "Racoto."
Penelope finally filled us in by cheering for her insistent sister. It was "Bravo" and "Clap."
Oh! That's much better.

Penelope is nearly fully potty trained. At least the front half of her is. She even stopped wearing diapers to bed. But when it's time for the big potty time (see Carolyn's misinterpreted line above) then she wants her diaper. Another mom told me that's common, so I'm not too worried about it.

We just had a house full of people for about a week and a half. It was super fun, but left us super exhausted. Here's a picture of the zoo, where we took the girls and their cousins, Jeremiah and Isabella, while their parents took an overnight trip to Chicago. It was fun having four kids (I even braved the grocery store, just to see if I could do it) at least for a few days. If I had four, I'd for sure lose one.