I will not freak out...

So we're heading up to Elizabeth's ballet class.  The walk from the parking lot takes a few minutes so we make quite the entry.  The four year old dying to get in and see her friends.  The two year old who had to be awaken from her nap.  The baby who just is over her carseat, period. By the time we get to the front door, there is no one in the zip code that is unaware that we have arrived.

This week as we walked up, I was wrapping up a phone call with a good friend who I simply haven't talked to enough lately.  As we approached the front door, I notice that E is talking in a very animated manner but to no one in particular.  I stopped to listen and this is what I overheard:

(Confession: I admit that I once made her miss ballet because I remembered the time wrong and so I got the all tutued up only to realize that we had arrived an hour late...right as all her friends walked out).

So she has her hands gesturing all out in front if her, so emphatically.

"I will not freak out.  I am not going to panic.  This is not something I need to cry about.  This will be fine.  Even if we are late, even if we missed my class.  It's just not that big of a deal.  I am totally ok. This is fine,  this is just completely fine.  I WILL NOT CRY."

Is that so adorable? She had no idea I was listening,  this was entirely her self pep talk.  What? Don't lie.  You give yourselves pep talks too!

S has learned to talk. Ok not really but she says uh oh and she copies the girls when they say it.  It's so much fun for me when they find they can use their voices to make actual intelligible sounds.  It's my very first glimpse into what they are thinking in their busy young minds.  It all goes so fast,  I'm shocked with each baby how quickly we get to the point that it seems to be going dizzyingly fast.

Slow down, little lady.  Don't be in too big of a hurry to grow up.  We love every minute of your cuteness so just take your time. 

The setting: Mall play place

N comes running around the corner beside this 4' high bear thing she'd repeatedly jumped off off.  (Twice her height!)

"Mom, I'm super!"
"You're super?"
"I'm super n because I'm super!!!" And off she goes to jump off the top again.

The setting: family prayer

N has this new habit (aside from pretending to be a kitty all the time and insisting we call her N kitty) of praying without opening her mouth.  like, you can hear her voice and the inflection in her voicem you just can't make out the words.  its very high pitched and squeaky.  I feel like that is how a dolphin would sound when saying its prayers.  Anyway, N was said her prayers in the non opening her mouth way.

Immediately after N finished, E smirks, looks over at me and says "well I don't speak Orca so I'll take that as amen.". She then proceeds to say her prayers and says "please bless N to stop speaking Orca." Completely matter of factly.

No seriously, where do these kids come up with these things?

N has taken to announcing when S is freaking out.

Super loudly she'll announce in public "Mom, Our baby is having a fit!!!!"

But N can't say her " f " sound.  She replaces it with the "sh" sound.  Can you imagine the looks I get in the grocery store?  I've tried getting her to use another term besides "fit" but she is not interested in that idea.  What do I do with that?

She is trying out all kinds of new phrases.  She always beams when she correctly uses "that's the one"   Or " you got it!"

Today at the zoo, we randomly ran into some girls from our ward who graciously invited us to amble the grounds with them.  I was chatting with one of the girls, just casually making small talk.  My girls were sitting in front of me at one of the zoo exhibits, happily occupied and busily playing together.  My new ward mate asked how long the hubs and I have been married.  I said "About seven years."  E, without even looking up says, " no, mom.  Six years."  My new friend chuckled at E purported knowledge.  I laughed too ...and then I realized she was right.  "Oh yeah" I say. "It has been six years."  E says again without looking up, "it is, Mom. Six years."

Yep. I should be embarrassed that my four year old has a better memory than I.  On the other hand, it is a little gratifying to know for sure that all the brain cells that evacuated my head when I was expecting her  found a good home with her.  Thank the heavens for oldest children.

She's figured me out!

The scene: driving home from church last Sunday (it takes about 20 minutes) E staring out the window and sees a restaurant.

E:  mom, can we try that restaurant?

I look out to see which one she's talking about. Not appetizing. AT ALL.

M: maybe. ( I was trying to sound optimistic about the prospect.)

E: awwwww. Maybe means no.

Yep, sure does! But when did she figure that out?

Poor baby!

Tooth number two just erupted. She is over teething and she only just started...

This just in

S cut her first tooth. Big girl!!!