Completely random kid updates

I'm currently reading (if renewing 3 times from the St. Paul public library qualifies as "reading")Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. I've long suspected that Eve is a "spirited" child, and I'm quickly confirming, by Ms. Kurcinka's standards, at least, that I'm right. The interesting thing is that I'm also discovering lots about Josie, and myself, through reading this book. The theories surrounding extroversion and introversion have always fascinated me, and even if you're not a believer - it makes for good bedtime reading material. I'm very grateful for the recommendation from a co-worker whom I greatly admire, and also read another book she read years ago when raising her own three boys - Siblings Without Rivalry. I'm going to have to buy this one, as there was just too much to learn and retain in one reading. Great tips and things to try... but I can't remember them in "the heat of the moment," and digging around for my notes doesn't always cut it when the girls are in the middle of a fight.


Anyway. The reason I bring this up is that completely out of the blue one day at work - I saw a notice that the child care facility located in our building was hosting a parenting seminar about kids getting enough sleep... conducted by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. How weird is that?? Not all that weird, I guess, considering that she's local, and has been a parent educator for many years in the St. Paul Public Schools ECFE classes and wrote an entire book on the subject. So I went. And we're *trying* to have the girls get to bed earlier at night, and take steps to ensure they get a solid night's sleep, and nap well. I type this as I listen to Eve an hour and a half in to nap time today... and not sleeping. *sigh* We can only try.

We woke up this morning to Eve yelling "I GOT BOOGERS! I GOOOTTTTT BOOOOOGGGERRRRRRS." Hard to ignore.

For some reason, the girls think it's hilarious to lean over the baby-gate when we go in the basement for something and yell "Barney... Barney..." No idea where it came from, or why it's so funny.

Josie has taken to calling us "Patrick" and "Carol".

We put the girls back into their own bedrooms about a month ago. As mentioned above - Eve isn't the best sleeper in the world, and Josie was suffering for it. So far, so good. Since then, we've started much more intensive "talk time" sessions with Josie as part of her bedtime routine. I love it, and so does she. We talk about everything from the day's activities to dreams to heaven. Oh, yeah- it gets pretty deep sometimes. I hope that this is only the start of lines of completely open and honest and trusting communication. I want her to know that we want to always talk to her, and have her talk to us. The subject of school has been a big one lately - and we were talking about teachers and trusting other adults and things of that sort - and she said "other people can help me, too - not just mommys and daddys." I said "that's right." And she coyly responded "sometimes even boys."

Eve has always been pretty good with her manners - but we couldn't get her to say "thank you" - it was always "welcome", instead. Finally, she has started to respond thank you... but when she says it, it comes out "wank you." Awesome.

Josie tells me secrets. I have to lean in real close, and she whispers in my ear. Usually - it's something to do with Daddy. Poor guy doesn't stand a chance in the house full of girls.

We got a not-new-but-new-to-us swingset in our backyard. Life is good.

Josie and I have been going to gymnastics. It's been super fun. The kids all do some stretching first, then the teacher sets up different stations for the kids and parents to go do... then everyone joins back up and the end of class for a little activity. The kids have learned about tuck, pike and straddle positions - but sometimes when Josie says them, she says "puck, tike and waddle," instead. Soccer ended a couple of weeks ago, and I think when gymnastics is over... we'll try skating lessons.

Jo is going to be a kitty, and Eve is going to be a puppy for Halloween.

When Eve gives hugs, she insists on hugging on one side first, then putting her head on your other shoulder and giving a hug on the other side, too.

Josie can usually be found playing either school/teacher or mommy/baby around the house. I'm often coerced into being "Betty" and taking care of her baby while she goes to "work." I have outline what kids will be there for the day, and what activities her baby will do, and what I'll be serving for meals and if her baby pooped or not that day. Kinda makes me wonder if that's how we sound when dropping off/picking up from Betty's house.

Eve is particular about where we all sit at the table, and apparently which dishes everyone uses. Pat picked out a bowl for cereal a while ago, and Eve told him he couldn't use that one because it was Mommy's, and he couldn't sit in that chair because it was Mommy's.

I was listening to Josie playing in her room a few mornings ago, and I heard her tell our cat, Baxter, who had just meowed at her, "Oh - Baxy... it's okay. You're old, and you'll go to heaven soon. But it's okay - Buford is there and he will be with you."

Told you - totally random. :) Gotta go - I hear a fight brewin'