Diva in Training

Mama: "Sissy, are you ready to put your book away and get tucked in?"

Sissy: "No, I am having 'ME TIME'!!"

Mama: Inwardly cursing herself for all of the times she said those words outloud.

He went "at himself"....

Bubby was invited to a birthday party this past week. The birthday boy was a younger sib of one of Sissy's classmates. He and this boy will be in Kindergarten together in the fall, so I encourage the friendship now, to give him some familiarity later when school starts.

When told that Mama wouldn't be at the party, and asked if he still wanted to go, he exclaimed, "I will go AT MYSELF!" proudly. I was shocked, thrilled, and yes. A little sad. There is something both exasperating and heart warming about a little boy that doesn't want to leave Mama's side. Those apron strings audibly snapped that day as I watched him scamper off with all of the other little tiny boys to play.

(Just so you don't feel too sorry for me, 7 year old Sissy was practically in tears over me leaving the party and sat glumly until I returned. Apparently my apron is still snugly tied with this one.)

What is this kid watching?

"Mama, I *love* the Wizard of Odd." said Bubby.

Mind-altering candy, Anyone?

Next door neighbor came over with goody bags for the kids on Valentine's Day. Each night, they go through the bags and decide which piece to choose. (This process takes longer than one might imagine.) Being the lazy mother that I am, I told them to eat the candy that we know to be gluten free first. When that is all gone, I will check out the other stuff online to see if they can have it.

Each evening when the goody bags are out and the candy is strewn all over the living room rug, intense negotiations are happening. "Have this one!" "No! THIS one!" "Is that one gluten free?" I kept hearing something about "funny" and "laughing", but again, if no one is on fire or bleeding, it takes a lot for me to ask what is going on.

There is a great deal of excitement each morning for Bubby, thinking about how he gets to choose another candy later in that day. (The daily life of a preschooler is simple, yet so full of serious things to ponder.) This morning, in the van, (our best conversations always occur in our van) he said, "Mama! I want to try the candy that will make me giggle! Will you check to see if it is gluten free???" I was perplexed. I said, "What candy???" I had no clue what he was talking about. He just kept insisting that there was this candy in that bag that would make him giggle! He was very, very excited about trying this! I was suggesting different candies that I knew he had in the bag and enjoyed very much. "Nerds?" I asked. No. "M&Ms?" No. I was stumped. Finally, a lightbulb went off in my head. "Laffy Taffy???????" He said, "YES! Mama! LAFFY TAFFY! It will MAKE YOU GIGGLE!" He was totally serious, Folks.

Quick! Alert the media! WillyWonka candies is now manufacturing MIND ALTERING candy for our youth. (It's really the parents that need it. I need to have a secret stash for those really rough days at home with the kids. I will eat it and just sit in a chair and giggle uncontrollably for hours! Sounds like a plan.)