Coloring

Biggie loves doing art. She loves coloring and creating and doing 'school work'. She's great at writing and staying in the lines. She loves when people color with her.

I took Biggie and Bruiser out to lunch one day and while waiting for our food I helped her color the children's menu she was given.

"What are you doing??!!" She suddenly exclaimed.
"Coloring...?" I responded unsure why I was getting in trouble.
"You're coloring my snow flakes yellow!" apparently this was a very serious problem because she was very seriously mad.
"So?" I asked.
She huffed and then threw her arms up "That's pee snow!! You put pee snow on my picture!!!"

Suck up

Biggie is very intelligent for a 5 year old (she gets it from her mama). Because of this I can have great conversations with her and we can discuss things like space, the Earth and politics (which I'm sure when she really understands them she'll have quite the opinion).

But because Biggie is so smart, she knows how to get her way.

I read a lot and one particular night I was laying on the couch reading a book. Biggie comes up to me, and in a very sweet tone asks, "Hey mum, what are you doing?"
I look up at her from over the rim of my reading glasses, already suspicious to her game, "Just reading something..."
She smiled sweetly and touched my hair, "You're beautiful when you read."

I spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what she had done that she didn't want me to get mad about, or what she wanted from me but knew she wasn't supposed to have.

Healthy Eater

I think I'm pretty lucky. My kids are very healthy and active. In fact, Biggie LOVES fruits and veges. She'll tell anyone that her favorite foods are carrots, celery and broccoli. Bruiser on the other hand HATES veges. He never eats them even though each night I serve them to him.

One night I was getting exasperated with his lack of vegie intake. Biggie, who had inhaled hers had her own two cents to add to the dinner.

"Bruiser is stupid because he doesn't eat his vegetables. I don't know any other Bruisers, de'cause none of them eat vegetables. They're extinct! There is a lot of Biggies de'cause we're so smart. But I'm the smartest one!"

Lesson Learned

Being a parent I often wonder if the things I teach my children actually take hold. One thing I have been really adamant about teaching my children is the whole "Stranger Danger" lesson.

You see, I have ridiculously good looking children. They are beautiful (and I'm not just saying that because I'm their mom). My biggest fear is someone taking them. And they're fast. Boy can Bruiser run when he wants to get away. And Biggie? She is the master of ninja-hiding.

I take them most everywhere with me, and on one outing we had to stop at the bank. I have strict rules at the bank, and the kids are fully aware of them. They are to sit on the couches and wait. They are not to get up AT ALL. Because if they do? They won't get their suckers. Suckers are the best errand running bribes!

I'm standing in line waiting for my turn and Biggie and Brusier are sitting on the couches waiting like perfect little angels. One of the bankers approached them. I bet he thought he was being charming and funny, and I kind of thought he was trying to impress the female tellers with how 'cool' with the kids he could be.

"Hey Guys! Are you here to open an account?" He said with a big cheesy grin.
"We're not s'pposed to talk to strangers." Biggie replied with out even looking at him. I had a proud Mama moment.
"But, I work here! I'm not a stranger." He tried again, even going as far as crouching down to 'get on their level'.
With a withering glance in his direction Biggie dismissed him with "You are beyond strange, you can go now."

Biggie got 2 suckers that day.

December - 2011

You know when someone looks a certain way, or resembles someone specific? Out of social etiquette, you don't point this out to them or say comments about them (at least not loud enough for them to hear).

What I love about children is that they don't have a social etiquette filter. They see, they say, they do, and they have no remorse.

Case and point...

One night I took Biggie (my 5 year old daughter) and Bruiser (my 3 year old son) through a fast food drive-through. It was near Christmas time and to say Biggie was OBSESSED with the season would be an understatement.

I pull up to the window and there was a large man with a white beard, wearing his red t-shirt uniform, and I silently prayed that Biggie wasn't paying attention. No sooner had we stopped at the window do I hear the back window roll down.

"What are you doing here?" Biggie asks the man at the window.
"I work here." He replied, un-sure of where she was going with this.
"It's Christmas. You should be making toys with Rudolph."
Finally catching on to what she was implying he started to get a little gruff, "I'm not Santa."
"You have a really big tummy and a red shirt. Yes you are."

The thing I love about Biggie is that she never lets anyone derail her when she's so sure of something. Needless to say, I grabbed our food and drove off quickly.