Butter

We are moving Maria's room down to the basement (along with Jamie's) and Dan and I were sorting her clothes from Alice's. We hear Maria:

Maria (singing): "Aliiiiiiiiiiiice. Found the buttttttttttterrrrrrrrrrr. The buutttttttteeerrrrrrrrrr."

Dan and I looked at each other and sprinted out to the kitchen where we found a trail of butter smears leading from the garbage to the living room. And then we found this:

She likes butter. Big deal.

A Kiss

Maria and Jamie rarely fight. They bicker a little bit and talk sassy to each other, but there is never hitting, kicking, biting, that kind of thing. Thank goodness because I don't think I'd be able to handle it. Sassy talk is one thing, but physically hurting each other? Not okay. So I was really surprised when this happened as Jamie was running out from their bedrooms.

Jamie: "mama! Maria hit me!"

Mama: "Maria Grace Prasil! Maria! Come here right now!"

Maria: "Whatttttttttttt????"

Mama: "Did you hit him? Did you really hit Jamie?"

Maria (holding a baseball wrapped inside a scarf -- as if she was using it to swing around really hard): "No, mom. No. See? This baseball was just kissing his face."

See? My kids don't fight.

Peace Out

It is 9:00pm on a Monday night which means that if the kids fell asleep right this minute, they'd get 10 hours of sleep which isn't enough for kids who don't nap. Our kids are definitely not asleep. In fact, they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. We send them to bed at 7:45 every night. That's early enough, right? Well apparently if we want them to get enough sleep each night, we need to put them to bed at 5:00pm because it takes them 3 hours to get to sleep!

Okay, so I'm laying in bed watching TV (because I would love nothing more than on this night to fall asleep early) and I see Jamie fly by. Once. Twice. Three times. Finally I stop him as he's climbing on Alice's toy train in the hall.

Mama: "Jamie! It is time to go to sleep. You need to go right back into your room!"

Jamie: "Nope. I'm going right here. Peace out, girlscout." And he rides away into the sunset....errr.....living room.

Camping

Last night Danny took the kids camping. There was some mushkala (how you spell that arabic word I will never know, but it means trouble, fiasco, that kind of thing). First, he took them to Field Springs and after about an hour, I got a call from him saying they were coming back to town because there had been 3 black bear sightings that day and he didn't want to let the kids run around. Uhm...duh. So they came back into town and decided to go to Hellsgate across the river. It's still in town, but it's still a fun place to set up camp. So they went, got all set up, and I met them out there at about 9:00pm. The big kids were still up and running around -- not happy.

Jamie: "Mamamamamamammamama!!! We're camping."

Mama: "oooh, sounds like fun!"

Maria: "No, we keep falling over wires." (the tent lines)

Mama: "Oh, darnit, you have to be careful, c'mon, let's go over here. ..... Jamie, watching out for that....[kerplunk]......log."

Jamie starts screaming and is actually kinda hurt.

Mama: "Oh no, well let's go sit over here and we'll wash it all off."

Jamie: "I just wanna go hommmmmmmme. I wanna watch Noggin!!! I wanna get in the car and not sleep here!"

Maria: "Well....we like rooms."

My campin' kids

College

This is pretty cute.

My kids are pretty smart. They really like learning things and asking questions about things. I know, I know, every parent says that so people don't think they sit in front of the TV all day. The cool thing about my kids? They watch a ton of TV and they are super smart. Win-Win.

So tonight in the car ride home:

Maria: "Mom, what is that school you go to after school?"

Mama: "What do you mean?"

Maria: "Ya know, like not for little kids."

Mama: "Oh, you mean college?"

Maria: "Yeah. Why do people go away to college."

Mama: "Well not everyone does. But sometimes they do."

Maria: "What is college?"

Mama: "It's school for grownups."

[long pause]

Jamie: "Mama, what was that word again? The school word?"

Mama: "College?"

Jamie: "Yeah, college. Do you go to college?"

Mama: "Yep, I do."

Jamie: "Are you going to go to college after you're done living with us?"

Mama: "No, Jamie, I can go to school at the same time as you and then we can all come home together."

Jamie: "Good."

awww.

Show and Tell

There is ONE thing Jamie has over Maria: Show and Tell. I have no idea why, but Maria's preschool doesn't do Show and Tell. Maybe it's because the thought of 23 kids bringing toys to class might make the teacher want to puke a little?

Luckily, Jamie's class only has 12 kids and they take turns. Jamie gets a Show and Tell every 4 weeks and Maria hates it. In fact, she has cried over the fact that on some days, Jamie gets to take the Thomas the Tank Engine fanny pack while her Fancy Nancy doll has to stay home. Life isn't fair, is it?

I've never really heard Jamie use his Show and Tell for him and against Maria until tonight. Hilarious.

(jumping and running and climbing in his room)

Maria: "Jamie, come jump over here!!"

Jamie: "Okay, Maria, wait!"

Maria: "Oh, sorry Jamie, you aren't big enough"

Jamie: "......huh. Well you don't have Show and Tell. Nah Nah na Nah Nahhhhh."

Max

Today the kids were playing outside. Jamie likes to climb on the back of Maria's little trike and hitch a ride (see www.rprasil.blogspot.com for a couple cute pictures). Today they were playing that Maria was the big sister and Jamie was the little brother (creative, right??). No, but really, they are super creative because they changed their names. Nope, they weren't Maria and Jamie, they were Annalise (lord knows if i'm spelling that correctly) and Max.

So Maria was riding like the wind with Jamie (ahem, i mean Max) on the back. Well, it happened. Jamie fell off. And Maria drug him a few feet. It was quite a sad sight to see Jamie not really want to let go. It was like watching a new waterskiier get up and then fall and then not want to let go of that rope. Except this was Jamie behind a trike going .01 mph.

Maria: "Oh, no!! Jamie! Are you okay???"

Jamie: (long LONG pause).... "uhhh...it's Max."

TP and baths do not mix

So tonight the big kids got in the bath. We put them in, run the bath water, and while it's running, we change Alice, go check on them, put dirty laundry in the basket, check on them, clean the toothpaste that's caked on to the sink, check on them....that kind of thing. All while the bath is filling up. Before you go and call CPS, we don't fill the bath up all the way. I mean, not even close. They are ALWAYS complaining that it's not full enough. But it's safe. We can hear them -- they never stop screaming and laughing and playing (and fighting) in there. And yes, we do check on them every 1 minute. Literally. While I was gathering their jammers for them to jump into after their baths, they decided to have some fun...

....well apparently they can reach over, grab the toilet paper from the roll, unroll it all and play with it in the bath. Play with it until it dissolves and crumbles into thousands - no, millions - of ridiculously tiny pieces. Pieces so small that I don't even notice them at first.

I walk in, turn off the water and start washing. I wash their bodies and then I wash their hair. But the little suds don't wash out. Not even after rinsing and rinsing and rinsing. Well it turns out that the little 'suds' are actually little pieces of toilet paper. [see above photo]

Jesus Loves You

I rarely put really sweet things that the kids say on here...but this was too cute not to.

We were in the car and Jamie was alseep. I hear Maria talking and turn around to hear this:

Maria (making the sign of the cross on Jamie's forehead): "Jesus loves you and I love you."

Awwwwwwwww

Here, let me explain:

At Costco we got a little playset with a bunch of buckets in it along with sand toys and water toys. He was so excited to get home and play with it.

When we got home, I told him we had to eat lunch and then we'd play with it. We ate lunch and i saw him kinda dancing. Not his normal dancing...he was doing a potty dance.

Mama: "Jamie!! Quick!!! GO!!! GO INTO THE POTTY!!!"

Jamie: "Uhhhh...uhhh....UHHHHH."

He ran into the bathroom, so I thought we were in the clear. But no. He came out with wet pants, undies and shoes. SHOES. AH!

So I told him that if he wanted to go and play outside, he needed underwear, pants and shoes on. This is what he chose. I love him.

But I don't love slipping (and falling...yes, falling) on puddles of urine in my bathroom.

Race

I've said before how Maria likes to be just one step ahead of Jamie all the time. They were in the bath tonight:

Maria: "First out out and in the living (pronounced 'libbing') room wins!!"

Daddy (looking at Jamie): "Ah, Jamie, it's okay, she's sometimes a stinker."

Jamie: "Yeah. And sometimes I lose."

Oh, Jamie. As long as Maria is in charge of things, you don't have a chance at winning.

Shadows

This morning we went up to the gym. They have a daycare there (awesome) and some of our friends' kids hang out there while their moms work out. Brayden and Lydia and Wyatt were all there to play with Jamie and Maria, and they couldn't have been more excited. When we were getting in the car to go home, Jamie was a little wound up. I was putting Alice in on the other side and could hear him yelling/singing:

Jamie: "I LOOOOOOOOVE you, shadow! I love you!!"

Mama: "Jamie, what are you doing? I can't see you...stay by the car please!"

Jamie: "I LOOOOVE you shadow!!"

The front doors to the gym are automatic sliding doors and they popped open. They popped open because a woman's arm was extending, pointing at what I could only guess was Jamie. She was laughing pretty hard. So of course, I run around to the other side of the car because I think he may be doing something like running away or taking his clothes off or something. But no. He's just flat on the ground kissing his shadow.

Gah!

So we are laying in bed and I'm feeding Alice and Jamie is sitting there with us. Now, when Alice laughs or makes any sound it usually makes a hilarious sound like a grunt. We love it. Jamie is our translator:

Mama: "Jamie, thank you for the earrings. I LOVE them. And thanks to you, too, Alice!"

Alice: "gah!"

Mama (whispering): "Jamie, what did she say?"

Jamie: "She said, 'You're welcome,' in Spanish."

Mama: "Oh, thanks."

Alice: "keeehhhhhhh."

Jamie: "That's 'hello'......in French."

Clap

Last night was Maria's "Spring Sing" concert for preschool. Classes get up on stage and sing and then everyone, naturally, claps. We knew right away that Jamie would last maybe 5 minutes if we didn't pull out our bag of tricks. Our bag of tricks is the ipod loaded with Max and Ruby and Phinneaus and Ferb. I think it's a sweet bag of tricks. Anyway, here:

The Audience: "....clap clap clap clap clap...."

Jamie (with his ear buds in so he is talking EXTRA loud, after the clapping has stopped): "Hey! Could you guys keep the clapping down???"

My sweet, polite boy.

Noodles and PBJ

Maria: "Mama, you are the best mama in the world!"

Mama: "Thanks. Why do you think that?"

Maria: "You are the best cooker. You make the best stuff for us."

Mama: "mmmm like what? What do you love that I cook?"

Maria: "Well you make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and noodles with no sauce."

You read that right. Apparently Maria doesn't appreciate the chicken piccata, bit size steak, homemade pasta sauce or macadamia nut halibut that I make. Nope, she likes the basics.

Not Funny

Today is Cinco de Mayo which means our favorite Mexican restaurant was packed. Pat came with us, so there was extra excitement. Dinner went pretty well, the kids were awesome, and afterwards we were going to see Papa and Lala so there was even more excitement. So Patrick is holding Alice and Jamie wants to race to the car. He bolts out into the street and Pat tries to grab him but accidentally trips him instead. He falls and actually rolls. It did look like it sucked. He screams and cries so I pick him up and ask what's wrong.

Mama: "oh no! What happened?!"

Jamie: "I falled. I was racing and I falled!!!!"

Mama: "Ouch that looks like it really hurts!"

Jamie: "yeah......" (sobbing)

Alice: "HA.....HAHAHA.....HEHEHEHE.....AAAHHHHHH." (She is gut rolling. Laughing and pointing, thinking Jamie is being funny)

Jamie (glaring at Alice): "NOT. FUNNNNNNYYYYYYY!!!!"

[it kind of was]

That girl

My younger brother Patrick is 21 years old. Like most 21 year olds, he's had a couple girlfriends. We have really (and I'm totally not just saying this) enjoyed all of them, his current girlfriend included. Maria was 3 when Patrick and his girlfriend at the time, Jac-Jac (what they called her) parted ways, and for some reason she will talk about her every once in a while. Here's what was said in the car on the way home from school the other day:

Mama: "Okay, you guys need to stop screaming or Patrick and Whitney will not be taking you to get ice cream later."

Maria: "Mom, is Whitney Patrick's girlfriend?"

Mama: "Yes. You know she is...you know her."

Maria: "Remember when he used to know the girl named Jac-Jac?"

Oh, Maria. Leave it to her to make a moment awkward....even if it was just me and a couple of toddlers.

***I also want to add that they LOVE whitney. I mean really really love her*****