So Long, March

March, you were the longest month EVER.

Here is a funny to end your month:

The children set up a "store" in the playroom (it's actually very impressive). Sydney was the cashier, and after she rang up my purchases, she asked, "Debit or destroy?"

***Crickets***

Me: "What does 'destroy' mean?"
Syd: "I don't know, that's what Lorelei told me to say."

***SIDE NOTE: I have no doubt Lorelei could walk into a store and successfully carry out a transaction with a cashier. She probably even knows my debit card pin number and how much money is currently in my checking account. SOMEHOW SHE KNOWS THINGS. Sydney, on the other hand, has a more big-picture view of the world, and doesn't think it necessary to bother with such details.***

Me: "She told you to say 'debit or DESTROY?'"
Syd: "She either said 'crash' or 'destroy.' I can't remember."

***Enter Lorelei***

Syd: "Lorelei, was I supposed to say 'crash' or 'destroy?'"

***Lorelei pauses a beat***

Lorelei: "Sydney, I said CASH. Not crash."
Syd: "Okay. Debit or cash, Miss?"
Me: "Debit."

Hopefully April is a little less confusing than March (and my pretend grocery transaction).

P. S. The pretend grocery store had a room where children of shoppers could stay and do art with a responsible child minder (Ford). When they called my child's name over the loudspeaker to notify her that her mother was ready to leave the store, the child minder (Ford) chased my daughter (Ruthie) out of the art room with a bottle of hand sanitizer. He was admonished by the cashier (Sydney) that the children were supposed to sanitize upon ENTERING the art room, not leaving. I have a feeling the next time I shop there they'll be requiring face masks and disposable gloves.

New Books

We are HUGE fans of the library, but since they're closed right now (there are at least 20 books I reserved that are currently "In Transit" -- and probably will be for A WHILE) I bought some Usborne books from a friend who was having a (Facebook) party.

I also ordered Domino's Pizza for dinner tonight, so, all in all, it was an indulgent day.

Dinner

Lorelei made dinner tonight while I sat in the living room with my feet up and worked on my Spanish app:

She also put away everything she accessed to make said dinner.

This is why I consider her my best friend.

(Don't tell the other three.)

Biking Again

We were mostly unproductive the first half of this Saturday, and then I kicked into high gear some time around 3 p.m. We changed all the sheets on the beds, vacuumed the upstairs, and put some things away that had piled up.

After dinner we went on another bike ride (sans Sydney, who was playing with another friend outside).

I can't remember what story Ford was telling me while I was taking these:

All I know for sure is that it was long and detailed.

Later, when he was in the shower and I was near the bathroom, he asked, "Mommy, does God want me to get married?"

In case you didn't know, it takes a tremendous amount of mental energy to answer such questions at 8 p.m.

(Also, the shirt Ford is wearing in the pictures was Chet's shirt when he was the same age. Ford said, "I LIKE shirts with buttons!")

The Last Few Days

Tuesday I sat down with the kids and "played" Legos with them. "Played," because I'm no good at building with Legos from my not-at-all-vivid imagination. I offered to hunt for whichever pieces they needed in our vast Lego dump.

Wednesday evening we went on a long bike ride (two neighborhood friends joined us). Ruthie rides sans training wheels now, and because her bike is so small I'm sure she traveled at least three times further than the rest of us (does that even make sense?).

Today I wasn't a school taskmaster like I usually am. We did math and practiced piano (except Ford, oops) and I read about to them, and after lunch we went to a local nursery. I've been wanting to spice up our front flower bed. It was fun to work in the yard, basking in the sun's Vitamin D. Tomorrow I'll take a picture. 

Happy Thursday!

A Reason to Celebrate

I know I haven't mentioned Coronavirus yet, and I don't intend to now (oh, wait -- I just did!). Really, I'm not going to talk about it now though.

The kids and I are celebrating today because the 22nd means we've finished one month of deployment! (Chet's deployment, of course...although it certainly belongs to us too!)

I bought a small gift for each child, to mark this day. (They asked, "Mommy, are you GLAD Daddy is gone?!" Definitely not, but they weren't old enough to remember the last deployment, and that you have to celebrate every single "win" over its course.) Sydney and Lorelei got books, Ford received some gardening tools, and Ruthie now has her very own retractable back scratcher, because she's always trying to steal Ford's.

After digging some holes using his new gardening tools, Ford said, "Well, now I know the truth...gardeners DO work hard."

Yes, Son, they do.

Happy Sunday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope your day was lovely and pinch-free!

Another week gone!

A week flew by!

We celebrated Ruthie turning four March 6th. I think I forgot to mention Didi flew into town Wednesday, March 4th, so it's been great having her here, especially to help celebrate Ruthie's birthday.

She is VERY excited to be four-years old.

I let her put the candles on the cake, and her siblings thought it was HILARIOUS that she put them all in one spot.

She was upset because she blew out the candles before we finished singing "Happy Birthday" and her siblings (gently, sort of) admonished her for blowing them out too early. So she was, in true four-year-old-baby-of-the-family fashion, upset.

It was a great day, and a great week. Hopefully another one won't pass before I post again.

Birthday/Birthday/Birthday Eve

On March 5th we celebrate Papa Greg's (Chet's dad) birthday, the Seabee birthday, and Ruthie's birthday eve. 

Here is Ruthie, about an hour before bedtime this evening, the last picture of her as a 3-year old, in her favorite place (the playroom toy closet, where she stores all of her baby doll paraphernalia and changes doll diaper after doll diaper using real baby wipes):

She is VERY excited to turn four tomorrow.

Folding

Ford: "Ruthie, come help me fold these washcloths."

Ruthie: "Why?"

Ford: "Because when you're a mom someday, you're going to have to fold a LOT of clothes."

Ruthie: "I am?"

Ford: "Yes."

Ruthie: "What if I grow up to be a dad?"

Ford: "You'll never be a dad."

Ruthie: "What if I turn into-"

Ford (cuts Ruthie off): "AND YOU WON'T TURN INTO A DAD."

Ruthie: "Why not?"

Ford: "Because you're not a boy."

Ruthie: "What if I use a magic wand?"

Ford: "Ruthie, magic isn't real, so don't believe in it."

Ruthie: "Is God real?"

Ford: "Yes, but God doesn't use magic, He just uses His powers."

***Ford runs over to me to quickly make sure God indeed doesn't use magic.***

Ford: "Yeah, He just uses His powers."

Ruthie: "Oh."

Ruthie doggedly folding washcloths in preparation for adulthood: