A Peace Treaty With Unusual Terms.

[Cici and Ruby are fighting over a book.]

Ruby: I want it! I want it!

Cici: Okay, Ruby - you can have it, but then I get to be the mom, okay?

Ruby: No.

Cici [holding book out of reach]: Okay?

Ruby [grouchy and defeated]: Okay.

[Cici gives her a look.]

Ruby: Okay, "Mom."

Fancy Momlissa and Dadam

About once a year we get dressed up and go out. We've now filled our quota for 2008!

A Random Post

Remember when Cici looked like this? This is July 2005, just a few weeks before her 3rd birthday:

Career Paths.

On Saturday morning I asked the girls which they would rather be, a princess or a superhero.

Ruby answered instantly: "A princess in a castle."

I expected Cici to answer "superhero" just as quickly, but she surprised me by taking a little more time and then saying, "Actually, I'd rather just be myself." Then she added, "I'd like to be a mom, too, with just a regular job, like Mommy."

I found both these answers to be kind of touching . . . although I would note that Momlissa is both princess and superhero in my book.

Either That, Or A Very Hairy Yow.

Last night Cici was doing an assignment in her workbook in which she was given a letter and picture of an animal that began with that letter. When she got to 'Y,' she saw an illustration of the animal pictured here.

Which is a yak, of course. Not being particularly familiar with yaks, Cici made a perfectly reasonable guess:

"Is it . . . a yuffalo?"

The Bathroom Is Not Your Personal Candy Store, Young Lady.

As a follow-up to the "toothpaste as condiment" post from last week, this morning we got out of bed to find Ruby already awake and happily eating TUMS out of the bottle. Anybody got the number for Poison Control handy?

(Update: As of five hours after ingestion, Ruby is JUST FINE, so there's no need for frantic or reproachful calls, thank you very much!)

A Special Night Remembered.

On Friday Cici brought home a project she had made at school. It was a crayon picture of a group of people all holding hands together, and her teacher had typed up this caption for it:

When I read Owl Moon, I remembered something special. My special moment is going with my mom and dad to my grandpa's grave. It was special because we gathered around him and sang his favorite songs. We held candles to remember him.

This is a Christmas tradition of Momlissa's family; on Christmas Day, we gather at Grandpa's grave and sing "Feliz Navidad" and other Christmas songs. I know she's very proud that it made such an impact on Cici.