Too Jealous

Yesterday, I took all three girls out to do a little Christmas shopping after Lucia had finished her daily allotment of school work.  The timing worked out perfectly: Lucia had just finished when Alexa awoke from her morning nap, so we packed a lunch for baby and headed out.  Our mission was to find something the girls could give to Papa for Christmas, and then I had told them they could each find something for each other in the range of about $5. 
Our first mission was quickly accomplished, so we then went to a store that might have something the girls would be interested in.  Alexa was very patient while Lucia and Rhea took their sweet time exploring all the toys.  They got all excited and kept showing me their discoveries.  It was a major challenge, though, to keep them focused not on themSELVES, but on sister.  Lucia kept showing me things, saying, "I wish Rhea would pick THIS for me!"  And Rhea kept telling me, "Mama, I want to bring this home."  After repeatedly reminding them of their budget ($5 doesn't buy much anymore these days :-( ), and trying to get them to focus not on themselves, Lucia finally found something that was age appropriate for Rhea and that she would very much enjoy.  It was a reuseable sticker pad (something like this http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12704274).  Lucia kept looking at it and thinking about it, and then told me: "No, Mama, if she gets this for Christmas, I would just be too jealous.  It has SO MANY stickers!"  I tried to explain to her that since it had so many stickers, Rhea might be willing to share some of them with her.  After contemplating it a little more, she asked: "Couldn't we find one with FEWER stickers?  This just has too many, and it would make me too jealous."  So... she decided she wasn't going to get this for Rhea. 
(Very interesting concept... I'm still thinking about this.) 

After I helped Rhea pick something for Lucia (and, no, I didn't just get the sticker pad ;-) ), I hid both items in the cart so that the girls couldn't see them, and we proceeded to check out. Rhea REALLY struggled with not being able to tell Lucia what she picked out for her.  She kept telling me, "Mama, I'll tell her JUST ONCE!"  I kept insisting that, no, she couldn't tell her even once because then the surprise would be ruined. "But I WANT TO tell Lucia!!!!"  I was finally able to somehow sufficiently distract her, and after paying, we all went out for a treat lunch at Taco Bell.  Alexa did a good job eating the baby jar I had packed for her, and the girls had tacos.  It was a little "busy" with three little ones, as you may be able to imagine (potty breaks, gesturing with a taco in hand, resulting in half the filling flying out in several directions, etc.), but we all had a good time.  And, as a special treat for me, a lady stopped by our table on her way out and remarked how well behaved the girls were and how impressed she was with how they had been doing the whole time she was watching.  She asked: "Do you stay at home with them?  I think you do, because it really makes a difference."  That was such an encouragement for me to hear, and a good reminder for me to encourage other moms as I see the opportunity.  The girls WERE doing well yesterday, and I told them that.  And on our way out of the restaurant, I told them I had learned something that day:  That we could go out again sometime for lunch, because they had listened well and used good store and restaurant manners, and that Mama had fun with all three of them.  What a great day!  And on the way home, Rhea said, "Mama, that was a great meal at Taco Bell.  Thanks for taking us there!"  How much sweeter does life get?! :-)

Girls vs. Boys

This past weekend, David unfortunately had to work A LOT to make some deadlines.  So the girls and I tried to give him as much space and quiet as we possibly could.  Sunday afternoon, I took them to the park since it was beautiful (about 77 degrees) and that way he could get some more work done.
When we got to the park, I was surprised to see a group of cub scouts having their weekly meeting there.  I've never observed a group of scouts, so it was a cultural learning event for me. 
Lucia was also rather intrigued.  She would play for a little, and then come back and stand at a small distance and watch and listen to what was going on.  After a while, their formal instructions were over and the group of about 12-15 boys started doing what boys do... they started throwing a football, playing tag, and horsing around the play structures.  Lucia watched the groups throwing the football for a while and told me she was going to ask if she could play too.  She ended up staying on the sidelines, watching (which didn't surprise me).
After a while, the scout leader joined in the game of tag and it got a little crazy, with a boy falling (but not hurt) and a general increase in noise.
Lucia watched another five minutes of this, and then very decidedly walked up to the scout leader and said something I couldn't hear.  He responded to her: "Well, hello there.  And who are you?"  Then she turned around and came back to me. 
I said, "Lucia, what did you say to him?"
Lucia *authoritatively*: "I said, 'Stop that craziness or someone could get hurt again!' "

That's Lucia for ya.  Always concerned, always responsible.  Glad she has the guts to confront an unknown adult, now we just need to work on the manner and situational appropriateness of her confrontations. :)

Not Cute Enough...

I just got another box of clothes out for Rhea, since she's rapidly outgrowing 3T and needs more and more size 4T.  There was a pair of pajamas that she hadn't seen before, and since it says "Big Sister" on it, and her current favorite shirt also says "Big Sister," I figured I had found a new pair of favorite pajamas.  After baths, I showed her the "new" PJ's with hearts on the pants and a little girl on the shirt and excitedly announced, "it says 'Big Sister' on it!!" 
Rhea: "I don't want those.  I wanna pick my own pajamas.  I'll show you which ones I want to wear."  So she climbed the chair in her room to reach the pajama drawer of her dresser and pulled out yellow ones with pink ladybugs.  "I wanna wear these!"
I asked if she could explain to me why she wanted to wear those rather than the Big Sister pair. 
R: "I don't know, I just like these better."
M: "Yes, but why?  Don't you like these hearts, and the little girl on the shirt?"
R: "No, I don't like all those.  They're just not cute enough."

Right.  Thankfully, you ARE cute enough! :-)

Isn't It Weird?

Lucia asked me to help her with her Christmas list, when all of a sudden she looked up at me and said, "Mama, I have to ask you something.  Isn't it WEIRD that even though Santa brings the presents, WE wrap them?!"
We've never promoted the whole Santa thing at Christmas time.  We've carried on the tradition of St. Nicholas Day, when the kids put out a boot on the eve of December 6th and find some goodies in it from "Nikolaus" the next morning.  But we try not to distract from the true meaning of Christmas on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  So all the kids "know" about Santa they have learned from other kids and read in books.  So it's interesting to me to have these types of conversations with Lucia.  I try not to lead her on, but I also don't want to simply burst her childhood bubble. 
The conversation continued. 
L: "Mama, I think when we put our our shoe, this time we should leave Santa some cookies and milk." ... *after a thoughtful pause* "I've heard other people leave out cookies and cheese, but I think cookies and milk would be better." (Cheese?!?)  "What else could we do for Santa?  How about we could leave HIM a present?!  Mama, what do you think Santa would like? ... Mama, he has glasses, right?"
M: "What do you think?"
L: "Well, I think we could give him his first mug.  Let's find one for him and wrap it and leave it outside for him."  (where she also left her Christmas list, as follows:

BARBIE COMPUDR
CHRISTMASS TREE (I helped her spell "Christmas", the letters of which were somewhat surprising to her. She said: "They should change the spelling!  Take out the T and change the A to an I." :-) )
B. CASLEE (Barbie castle)
ANGNLE COSTOME (angel costume)
STAR WAND
A DOG
A CAT
A BALL
A BIKE
A BARBIE
A HAIE STÜLL (we're not sure, but think "a high stool" maybe for the counter in the kitchen?!?!)
A NEW WTRE BOTTLE
A DOLL
A WAND

(Then the pre-printed Christmas wishlist template was out of lines, which is probably a good thing.  Gotta fill up all those lines!  :-) )

Then she also wanted to know if Santa came on the night before Christmas, or on Christmas.  I said, "neither," but that he came on the night of December 5.  So now we're eagerly counting the days. :-)  And on Christmas, we can keep the focus on Jesus.

I was just working with Lucia on her Christmas wishlists (which will be a separate post) when Rhea came running into the room, grabbed my hand, and exclaimed: "Hey Dorothy, hey Dorothy!  I just cleaned the mirror!  Come look!"  (?!?)  I took her hand and followed her and she demonstrated how she climbed the bathroom stool, wet her hands, wiped up and down the mirror, and then took the hand towel and polished it dry. She was SO proud of herself!  After a minute I asked, "But why did you call me Dorothy?" 
Rhea: "Because Mama's not a good name."

Okie dokie then. :-)

A little while later we were getting ready for bed, and Rhea announced to me that my name was Dorothy, hers was Dorothy too, and her baby's name was ... surprise, surprise ... also Dorothy.  So then I said: "But then how will we know who were talking about when we all have the same name?  If I say, 'Dorothy has to go to bed,' do you have to go to bed, or your baby?"
Rhea: "My baby."
Mama: "But what if I say, 'Dorothy can have a cookie.'  Is the cookie for you or for your baby?"
Rhea, without missing a beat: "For me." 

(I love 3-yr-old logic. :-) )