Christmas to a 4 yr. old

Guest Post…Oh, I just love it when Prince Erik chimes in.  Here’s a recent message he sent out to our families…

“T-rev has taken it on himself to provide the family with “freezing’ ice-cold water this summer.  This is a real treat for the family on the hot summer days.  Twice a day he replenishes our kitchen water cooler with blocks of ice keeping the family supplied with what I would have to agree is ‘perfect’ water. 

Well, evidently his perfect water has not gone missed by Hope.  She absolutely loves it, and when she is not outside cooling off in the kiddy pool, she will be in the kitchen cooling off with T-rev’s summer gift to the family.

She mentioned to us on Monday, as she was drinking some of T-rev’s water “Ummm, now that is Christmas in my tummy !”, then she proceed to get 7 other cups for the rest of the family so we could all share in the “Christmas in our tummy” experience.

What a cute reminder to me to enjoy the little things that we have and then to share it.  I took my glass and felt the water tingle all the way down.

‘Ummm, Christmas in my tummy !’

Prince Erik

>>>>>>>>

Note: A couple of days ago I won a gift certificate to Baja Fresh (A local Mexican restaurant) that I took Evo-man to last night for a nice meal.  I can’t say that the experience was ‘Christmas in my tummy’ but there was absolutely a party going on !”

The Biggest Loser and Me

My kids want me to go on The Biggest Loser.  How comforting!  Last night as I sat on the couch with Hope and was again reminded why I shouldn’t let her watch the show with me.  Duh - As if I didn’t already feel bad enough about the state of my physical girth or lack of fitness.  And this being on the heels of her pointing out (very loudly) at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago about how the man standing next to us in the check-out line looked like the guy on the Biggest Loser.  I mumbled something along the lines of, ‘Oh you mean the one that Lost All That Weight?’

‘No the really big guy.’ she clarified, making me quickly want to stuff a candy bar in her mouth.  Ugh.  How embarrassing.  I guess the tack lesson on not commenting on people’s sizes didn’t sink in.

So last night I was selfishly indulging my obsession with the show by watching it and Hope pointed out.

‘Mom, you need to be on the Biggest Loser Show.’ she said.

I kindly told her that I couldn’t because then I would be away from my family for a long time, maybe 3-4 months (that’s like forever to a four year old).  That and I could take care of my pesky pounds just fine without Jillian screaming at me.  Although secretly I think Jillian would scare the lbs. off me faster than anyone else on the planet.

Then Princess piped in, ‘Yeah, Mom, you really need to be on the Biggest Loser.’ 

What?  Two against One?

Now, I don’t know if she wants me to lose the weight I’ve packed on lately or if she’s dreaming of how much nicer the home will be without mom there to nag everyone for a few months.  Secretly, maybe Princess harbors some satisfaction of the thought of someone else chewing me out for a change.   Hummm.

I have a love/hate relationship with this show.  I watch it all the time, celebrate the contestants emotional break-throughs and accomplishments.  Of course I shed rather hormonal tears when they play up the sob stories.  I’m a sucker for sob stories, you see.  Last seasons Abby left me a puddle of mush after every show she was on.  And you bet I pray the contestants can find some way to keep off the lbs when they leave Never, Never, Ranch and head back into their stress-ridden real lives back home.  I’ve heard the statistics aren’t good.  Anyone could lose weight on the Ranch.  They need to take the show into people’s homes and teach them to lose it while their chasing six kids to and fro to who-knows-what extracurricular activity they may be involved in.   Oh and let’s see them lose weight at home when they are dealing with Mental Mountains the size of Emotional-eating Everest.  That’s the show I want to see.  Lose the Ranch folks.  Get out in the real world.

Of course I criticize the show left and right.  Regardless, no matter what bugs me about it, I’m right back there the next week cheering and blubbering.  And yes, I watch it sprawled on the couch eating my very own bag of microwave popcorn, Lite of course.

Meanwhile I think it’s time I pulled the plug on my daughters watching the show with me.  Before I know it they will recruit Abner to work his movie making charm to make a video audition tape to send in of me.

I do take a little comfort in the fact that Prince Erik loves me regardless of my emotional-eating mouth and he doesn’t want me to go on the show.  Although I think the real reason he doesn’t want me to be on it might be the horror of having to do laundry and change the Kitty-litter box.  At least he likes having me around.

So spill it blog friends – What Reality TV show is your secret fascination?

I Play with Dead People

Now Hope isn’t another Sixth Sense kind of kid.  But she does have a simple way of putting things.

Today she was playing with some Bible flannel board people and she had to show my friend Ethel how she had arranged the characters.

‘See my pretty Picture,’ she beamed.  It’s full of Dead People.’

Yes, the scriptures are alive and well in our home.  Now I’ve got to go pick up Hope’s dead people off the floor.

I’m The Witch Again.

I was walking into the Craft Store today to pick up some things for Abner’s Senior Project and I had Hope in my arms.  She was being very snuggly and looking at me like I was the best, most wonderful thing in the whole wide world.  Overcome by her brilliant smile and adoring look, I kissed her forehead and whispered.

‘I Love you Munchkin.’

To which she replied equally devoted…

‘I Love you too Witch.’

Somehow I think she will never forget my costume for Last Halloween.

That’s it.  This year I’m going to be a Fairy Princess.

Mommy's a Witch

So I ended up taking Hope with me last week when I met with my Young and Gorgeous Counselor and she merrily and lively started engaging her in a conversation about Build-A-Bear's and coloring books and other things that interest 3 year old wee ones. I was only half paying attention to what she saying and secretly chewing myself out for not trying harder to get her a sitter. She was draining my time and I needed it. Then she threw me for a loop when they started talking about me.

My jaw hit the floor when Hope said, ' My mommy's a witch.'

Of course I responded, 'But Hope don't you think Mommy's a very nice witch.' (See I let you play your Build-A-Bear game on Nintendo DS and buy you a brand spankin' new coloring book and crayons so you'll let me have a conversation with my counselor)?

'No Mommy's a Bad Witch, a very Bad Witch.' she whispered her eye's as big as saucers.

'What?' Now I'm starting to sweat because she's ratting me out to my counselor. And here I was thinking I was doing O.k.

'And I'm a munchkin,' She proudly proclaimed.

'I hope, I think that she's referring to Halloween when I was Oz's the Wicked Witch of the West and she was a Munchkin' (in more ways than one), I explained to my smiling Young and Gorgeous Counselor. I hope she bought my reasoning.

Earlier that day we had seen a doll of the Wicked Witch when we were wandering through an antique mall. Hope quickly pointed her out and told me, 'that's you mommy.'

So next year I think I'll be an angel for Halloween. But with my luck Hope will still refer to me as the Bad Witch.

I don't blame her. I've been sticking to my guns with the whole healthy kick. Which I have to admit has made me a bit of a grouch this week. It was worth it thought. DOWN 3 lbs. Wa-hoo! Only 30 more to go. Boo-hoo! So worth it. But I've got to work on the grumblies cause they are starting to rub off on the rest of the herd. That and now my counselor know's my secret identity.

There's no place like the barn

Today in church one of the Primary ladies drew a sweet looking little house on the chalkboard and asked the kids what it was. They of course responded, “It’s a house.”

“And what is another name for a house.” She asked, seeking for someone to mention the word - Home.

Raising her hand and waving it frantically with the actions Pick-Me, Pick-Me trembling all over her body, Princess innocently and angelically replied, ‘A Barn.’

Fortunately they will only have to endure the barn squalor a couple of more days while I’m finishing up the boat cushions.