My little helper

Mags is still my little helper. She will sneak off and clean a room just to make me happy. She races in when dinner is being made to set the table. She loves to get everyone their coats, shoes, hats, etc. The other morning Sean and I were attempting to sleep in (it was only 7:30am mind you). I finally got up and got in the shower. When I came out, Sean was still in bed. I heard the microwave beeping. Sean called down to Mags asking her what she was doing and why she was using the microwave. She yelled back up, "Kerri wanted Hot Chocolate." Oh, Okay then.

Potty on the Potty

That is heard around our house this day... either prefaced by "Kerri just went..." "You don't have a diaper on so you must go..." or sometimes "Why didn't you go..."

About two weeks ago, KJ decided she wanted to go potty on the potty from now on. She was really doing a great job. She would just go into the bathroom by herself and go about her business. The only reason I would know about it is when I went into the bathroom later and saw some yellow and even a little piece of toilet paper (or sometimes a whole roll) in the toilet. I tried not to encourage it (I know, bad mom) because I don't like potty training, especially in the winter, so I am not sure it will stick, but it sure would be nice to be done with diapers. Now what to do with those two cases I stocked up on from Costco when there was a coupon?!?

Learning the Hard Way

We found out on Monday that Jameson had cancer. Last night (Wednesday) we had to put him down. It was way too fast, but I guess better in the long run... less suffering for him, less confusion for the girls. Yesterday was a very bad day for me and a very hard one. I could tell Jameson was not right, I just did not know how bad he was. I was crying and lying with him on the floor. I was debating how much to tell the girls. When I told Maura we should be nice to him and love him because he was old for a dog and pretty sick, the questions started. Maura could turn a simple walk to the mailbox into twenty questions, so this was just way too much. Is he dying? Is he dying because he is sick or because he is old? How old is he? How old is Lexi? How come Lexi is older than Jay but not dying? How will he get to Heaven? Then she asked me how I knew he was going to die. How did I know dogs did not live as long as people? I said I had many dogs growing up so I knew what happened. She then replied, "So you learned the hard way mom, didn't you?"

We told the girls we were taking Jay to the Vet last night. We left them with my dad who put them to bed. As soon as she woke up this morning, she called me into her room and asked me how Jameson was. I told her he was in Heaven. She didn't believe me at first, but once she accepted it, she said, "I wish I didn't have to learn the hard way, Mom."

I wish you didn't either maura. and mags. and B. and KJ. I have a feeling I will feel like this a lot throughout my lifetime as a mom. Wishing I could shelter the girls from all that is not pleasant in the world. Wishing that the fact that I already learned it the hard way would count for something and give them a pass. I wish it worked that way. I wish that they would learn from my mistakes, be wiser because of my un-wise decisions, avoid making that same dumb decisions I made, simply because I tell them to. I know that will not happen. I know it is not realistic. I know they will be better off in the long run having learned life's lessons in a safe way while growing up, but it still stinks. Actually it pains my heart that I can't protect theirs.

We are so, so sad to not have our J dog greeting us at the door, barking at the deer, eating all the crumbs (except cheerios) that the girls drop. I already forgot twice today that he was gone. I really hope he is off chasing the angel-squirrels and playing catch with some kind and wise Saint. We will probably get another dog someday, but he'll never be our J Dog!

B's new term of endearment

B has a new thing she says.

I like you, I love you, and I believe you.

I think she may have been attending some covert therapy sessions to learn this phrase, but somehow she picked it up, and now the whole house has picked up on it. The other day I threw her for a loop when I proclaimed, I like you, I love you, but I don't believe you (she was proclaiming that if I let her out of the cart to walk in Target she would not run away or stray).

Dressed for success

Mags: Mom, do I have Gym class today?

Me: No, Mags. I think you have music?

Mags: Then why am I wearing my gym dress?

Me: Sorry, Mags, didn't realize that was your gym dress.

Hanging in there

Maura lost her first tooth on December 22, 2010. Her two bottom teeth were loose for a while. I thought it would happen any day for the last month. She was hoping it would happen any day for the last six months. It seemed her baby teeth really liked her mouth as they stuck around pretty long. It was getting pretty disheartening to her that all her friends (most younger) were losing their teeth, then her little cousin Caitlin, then to really rub it in Chloe (Mag's bff) lost hers! So I told her, in desperation, the longer they stayed in, the better the "prize" from the Tooth Fairy. ell, that made her a little happier.

This last week they were very loose. I mean sideways in her mouth loose. On Wednesday she stayed at the Y to swim with her cousins and it was barely holding on. Luckily they rushed home where she yelled for me to run downstairs. I did and she showed me sideways-barely-holding-on-bloody tooth. She calmly said she was going to take it out. And she did... just pulled it right out.

The next day her second tooth fell out. She kept both on her shelf. She wanted to put them under her pillow Christmas Eve (I may have mentioned how cool that would be). So the Tooth Fairy and Santa left her a little something. Mags collected the Fairy Dust left behind by the fairy (Maura did not notice that, just the golden coins and moo-lah). I hope it was worth the wait.

Bye Bye Lights

Kerri loves her some Christmas lights. Unfortunately for her we do not live in Havertown anymore where lights (especially colored ones) were plentiful and blow up Christmas decorations adorned every other yard. Round these parts it is beautiful, but in a white lights and red bows kind of way. Still, she loves it. As we drive she yells LIGHTS, LIGHTS, LIGHTS as we drive by, you guessed it, a house with lights, then yells, just as loudly BYE LIGHTS right after we pass them. Repeat. This is fun to hear, because I was reading past blogs this evening, and I was reminded at how quiet our little Ker-Bear used to be. Things have indeed changed. She likes to be heard now. And I like to hear her.