Super Heroes and Coffee

Milo this morning, heard Amelia and I talking about the grouchy aide at her school. He has been talking for the past few weeks about his plans to become a super-hero when he grows up. A real one, not like the pretend characters he reads about in books but, specifically, the first real non-fiction super hero the world has ever known. So in the car after we drop Amelia off, on the way to preschool, he tells me that when he's grown up and is a super hero, he will change the world so that the mean teacher can learn how to be kind to children. Then walking into school he asks me if coffee is good for adults to drink. So I tell him that drinking too much coffee isn't healthy, and coffee with lots of sugar isn't healthy, but drinking a little bit is ok. So then he says that when he's a grown-up super-hero, he's going to change the world so that coffee is healthy like medicine or vitamins.

He has other plans for bettering the world that I didn't commit to memory (or paper, or blog) but I am continuously so impressed at how caring and thoughtful this child is. He is turning out to be the most kind and insightful little boy and I am inspired by his love.

****This was written back in March of 2012.

Mr. Snazzy Pants

Milo came out of his room this morning with a tie on and declared: "I want to look snazzy today."

Mission accomplished, I'd say!

The other day in the car Amelia was reading something and sounding out the word Yugoslavia. It sounded like "yoooo.... yoo-go.... yoo-go-sl...." And Milo chimes in "you go sledding!"

We were discussing where such-and-such animal lives (I think it was bears) and I suggested maybe there are some in Canada. Milo replied "No, nothing can live in Cannonda. It's just a land full of dirt with cannons buried under the dirt, so no people or animals can live there."

I love this kid so much!

Forever Ending Falls

It's been a while since we got out the water colors. So today, finally a snowy day, seemed like as good a time as any.

This is a map of where Sara lives. Complete with mud puddles because it's in Washington where it rains a lot, and the Forever Ending Falls, where you'll get lost if you go. But next to the Forever Ending Falls is a brown dot marking the place where the rescuer people stand to find you if you do go there. She's got all the bases covered.

today, a haiku

thunderstorms today

a game of chess played her way

peaceful bliss, content

Two of my favorite quotes.

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

~Albert Einstein~Scientist(1879-1955)

That head of hers.

"Mom, I don't have a brain. It went out of my head. It's in California."

Goodness gracious me, what a problem! And then what happened? I'll tell you.

She said "I don't have a phone to call it. [Her brain, in Cali, apparently.] Oh here's a phone. Does it have the right numbers to call California? Oh good, it does. But I don't know what to say because I don't have a brain to think!"

Now that is a predicament!


And bedtime. It's like Peach does this and that thoughout the day, going here and there and playing, doing whatever, having a grand ol' time. But around 20 minutes before official Getting Ready for Doom Bed time starts, is when inspiration hits. And this of course, makes it difficult to initiate bedtime schtuff. And so that the newly inspired activity can be interrupted, then recommenced seamlesly in the morning, we've taken to writing things down so as not to forget them and that way peace prevails. I'll share with you, the latest. From the mouth of the peach, verbatim:

"How to run the Circus tomorrow morning:
Yell out 'filly-dup!' then start the circus. Put a rag over my head and bound onto the pillow. Then throw a magic bracelet over Madi's head and she disappears. Then she comes back. The bracelet disappears and a magic goat puts a rag over everyone's faces and they all disappear. Then say 'ta-da!'. Then I wave the magic goat up and I have a hiking stick. Then my walking stick, I mean my hiking stick disappears and I go camping. Then the circus is over. Everyone glooms over them and hugs and kisses. And waves. And tears open the sharp and mermaids come out."

That last part I had to get clarification on. I ask "the sharp?" And she clarifies... "yes, the SHARP. It's kind of like a shark because it sounds like shark but it's a sharp. A sharp wave and it opens and the mermaids come out. But I don't say sharp wave, I just say sharp."

Love it.

Happy Birthday Sara!

"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." -Albert Einstein

I know that imaginative play is good for kids. But there have been times that she gets so deeply involved in something that I start to wonder, and I forget actually how good it is for my kid. I mean come on, how am I supposed to walk around the imaginary schoolbus with all the children and animals and friendly monsters inside if I can't see where it's going? And for that matter, what's my child's name today??? Is she even human!? Because there are a lot of days that she spends very little time being herself; instead she's a pirate or a princess or a crocodile.... the list goes on. The other morning I was pretty grumpy and something she was doing just downright annoyed me, then I got a call from my wonderful mother. "Turn on your NPR station!" I couldn't at the moment, and I don't think our local NPR stations play the same programs at the same times, but I found the article on their website including a link to listen to a recording of the broadcast. The report was on one particular benefit of imaginative play; self-regulation and discipline. Awesome. I started to remember how wonderfully the Peach's mind is growing with all this creativity and how necessary it is for her development in general. Perfect timing too, thanks mom! I've been re-motivated to not only tolerate all the invisible beings and structures in my home, but to have fun with and encourage it.

So without further ado, Happy Birthday, Sara!!! Sara is turning four.

Sara is one of the Peach's best friends, so we hosted her birthday party at our house. Sara likes strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. Mmm. Sara is imaginary, obviously. The gold sparkly thing next to the cake is a wood (wooden?) vase with a pair of kitchen tongs stuck in it and a gold ribbon wrapped around the top of them a bouquet of flowers for the birthday girl.

"Your imagination, my dear fellow, is worth more than you imagine." -Louis Aragon

Booger Nuts and The Backyard Farm

This weather has been wonderful lately, and the Peach has been spending more and more time outdoors. This is especially great for me because it means it's quiet in the house for a little while. Anyone who doesn't think it's possible to talk non-stop for a full 12 hours has never hung around a three year old girl for a full 12 hours. It's incredible, really. Anyway, she hangs out in the yard where I can still see/hear her, and comes in every once in a while asking for hay seeds or a bucket of lemonaid or other such necessities for efficiently running an imaginary farm. A bucket of lemonaid? As it turns out, that's what the horses drink.

I love the pretend play, it's so much fun. The other day she was putting together a picnic or something for dolls/stuffed toys/imaginary people. She marched into the kitchen announcing that she needed some wine and booger nuts. Gastronomy at its finest.