Merry ThanksChristmaween!

The stores have all dragged out their holiday offerings NOW.NOW as in every store I walked into last month including the gift shop at the zoo.
For most of us it brings forth feelings of rage and hate. Kelsea is in heaven- or would be if I allowed her obsession with allthingsRUDOLPH to blossom into the full sized freak show she wants it to be. She is happy because the stores have all of their Christmas offerings on display now. She asked me if I would please buy her "everything reindeer" that she sees. I had to explain that that is simply not possible.
She was Rudolph for Halloween. The only costume I could find was on the internet(thanks Al Gore) and it said it would fit sizes 2T to 4T. It was made for 2T. I had to cut the feet off. I also had to replace the brown nose with a red one as it was very upsetting for her to see Rudolph in the wrong colored nose.
So we went through the neighborhoods with her leading her sisters across the lawns . I called out "On Dasher on Dancer...you know the rest...
The next 2 months are going to be long. I am going to try to join her in her excitement.She will have to wait for me to catch up after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving- which is a holiday I enjoy but really seems to have gotten the shaft this year as far as excitement for it's arrival in the stores. I hope I can find a few autumn themed napkins and not be forced to feed my family on Santa plates.

I will say that the positive is that I have already used the Santa card a few times. As in"Oh no- I hope Santa understands when he sees you are not in your bed yet"
I love Christmas with the girls- I love it. I love that Devin still believes although I am really concerned that she might be really annoyed when she finds out the truth. Hopefully she will understand the magic that believing creates and even be in on it with us for Kelsea til she is older. For now I am simply hoping they'll hurry up and finish off the remainder of their candy corn before the candy canes start coming home.

Logical guilt

So Kelsea went camping with her grandparents this past weekend. My husband's parents. We are working hard on fostering independence in her- IE staying in her own bed so I can stop being awakened every few hours by random kicks and punches. Cory told his parents this new "rule."
Kelsea woke at her normal morning hour of ohcomeonisitreally6already and asked to get in the bed with her Grandma. She told her no- she had to stay in her own bed because Mom and Dad said she had to(way to use POSITIVE reinforcement). Next, Kelsea asked for her normal morning cup of coffee aka her fiber bar. Grandma told her no -it was too early (she usually gets one herself).
So then Kelsea said to her 'Gramma, how would YOU feel if you were 3 years old and you asked someone for a fiber bar and THEY would not give it to you?"
You can bet Gramma got her that fiber bar after all.

I never would have thoght of it that way.

We are actively looking for a new set of sheets for Kelsea's bed. Nana wants to buy them for her for her birthday- and of course- they must have deer on them. It is more difficult than you might think.The main choices out there really just drags me back into redneck hell... but I did find a set that looked more lodge inspired AND had deer moose and bears. I showed them to her.She looked at me and said "Mama! I don't want sheets with bears and deer on them.Bears kill deer.I don't want sad sheets!"

a stage production in her own head

She makes me laugh. Even at 8 am.
Devin and I were sitting in my room trying to find specific socks from the nightmare I call the sock basket(that has BTW morphed into 2 baskets) when Kelsea opened the door and in a very dramatic voice said "She BURSTS through the door"

Her job in this life

Kelsea and I were waiting for our appointment time to visit a preschool. She was looking at the playground and asked me- "Why aren't there any deer?"
I said "Maybe they don't understand the importance of deer.
She said very seriously, "Oh I will have to teach them."

children are made out of rubbah

My sister, Sarah, came to celebrate Devin's birthday with us with her 3 children. Connor , the oldest, is 6 days younger than my oldest, Bailey. Connor is a pretty serious guy and so is Bailey. They are also both just-about-twelve and fully immersed in the tween stage.
Connor decided that at about 1 a.m on Sunday he would try to fly.Seriously. I was asleep on the sofa bed downstairs when I was awakened with the loudest crash. I thought the ceiling was headed for my lap. Connor had somehow managed to leap off of the top bunk of the bunk beds and was curled up on the floor in a ball. Sarah was already there- she was asleep in the room next to his and easily heard him fall. Honestly, I don't think she was even fully awake but her Mom-radar sensed danger so she went straight to it.
Connor would not respond when we asked him if he was ok or if anything hurt. I finally got him to roll his ankles and wiggle his toes then he just crawled back up the ladder and went back to sleep. It took about an hour for my heart to stop racing- We just sat on the floor in amazement at the fact that he didn't actually go right though or break something.
The next morning Connor recalled NOTHING of this adventure. Nothing. Thinks we made it up.

So she DOES listen

Devin has been begging me for what feels like years but is likely months for a pony. Hey it's ME - If we could swing a pony do you think she would have to ask?
We can't get a pony. 2 main reasons. MONEY- those suckers cost a lot to maintain and medicate and shoe and feed. Oh and the poop. See I love our animals.I do. It is just that I am really at my poop limit. As it is, if the girls tell me they're bored they get instant poop scooping duty. BTW this rule has only been tested ONCE by Devin. I have never heard that whine/phrase uttered again.
So back to the story- Devin asking me- for a pony- AGAIN. I explained the financial obligation. I told her if we got a pony I would have to go back to work full time just to pay for it. I asked her which she would rather have- me at home or the horse. I KNOW SHE ANSWERED ME. Well she MEANT to anyway.
It was time for some animal chores to be done and I asked Devin would she like to help.She rolled her eyes, heavy sighed and then breathed I guess so. I looked at her and I said- yeah. YOU want a pony. Do you know how much MORE poop a pony would make? Do you have any idea how BIG your pooper scooper would have to be? And this is every day mind you.....

Today Kelsea walked into the kitchen and said "Mama I reeeealllly want a pet deer. I will clean the dishwasher every day and I will clean ALL( grand hand gestures) of the poop if you let me have one. So yeah, she DOES listen.