When life gives you...

After a week of record breaking high temperatures, our valley took a turn for the chilly.  A late spring storm dumped inches of snow.

When Eliana came downstairs first thing this morning, she looked out the window and exclaimed "Snow!" She then started bustling about in ways that I didn't really follow as I put away dishes.  Next thing I knew she was speeding out the door with boots on.

Soon she came back in with a cone loaded with snow and was asking for flavoring.

Three noteworthy things about this deserve praise:

• My kindergardener upon re-entering the house with her snow-cone-in-the-making in hand first took off her boots at the door, carried them across the house to where we keep our shoes, and put them away without prompting.  I was so proud.
• The kiddo didn't complain in any fashion about the snow.  She just excitedly jumped on the opportunity to make snow cones.  (Also she wanted to go skiing, but, alas...)
• And finally, Elizabeth keeps snow cone syrup in the pantry which is a brilliant thing to have on hand to turn a dismal late season snow into a rare treat.

Another one bites the dust

Eliana lost her second tooth today.  It was the other bottom front tooth, which had been migrating to the middle of her mouth lately and was beginning to look a bit odd.

Tonight as I was getting her ready for bed, she surreptitious grabbed the ziplock that her tooth had gone in.  When I asked about it, she said she wanted to find out "if the tooth fairy was a real fairy."  She tucked it under he pillow as I tucked her in.

I couldn't help but smile at her willingness to experiment.

Breakfast conversation

While eating breakfast this morning before I'd gotten ready for the day, this conversation happened.

Eliana: Your hair is crazy!
Me: (Sarcastically) Thank you.
Eliana: (Quite earnestly while reading a book) You're entirely welcome.

Child development experts say that kids can't detect sarcasm until they're 6.  I guess we're not there, yet.

She left her calling card....

Today while we were mailing a package, Eliana asked for something to write on. Trying to keep focusing on what I was doing, I handed her the first thing from my purse that I found - a napkin. Eliana started to object, saying that it had to be something big enough to write her phone number on. Then she opened it up, remained quiet, and "wrote." Before we left, she quickly handed the napkin with her "number" on it to the guy behind the counter and said it was so he could call her. At that point, I started questioning my parenting skills, but we were already heading out, so I let it go.

In the car, I asked her what her phone number was. When she asked me to repeat the question, I asked what phone number she wrote on the napkin for that guy. Her reply was quick and clear:

"five seven zero... four one nine nine!"

D'oh! That's MY phone number. **facepalm**

Counterproductive

We've been fighting a stomach bug in our house.  As with most illnesses we share, it seems to have been brought home by the youngest member.

This exchange happened recently:

Me: Trying to explain to child various acts of hygiene she can perform to help everybody in the family stay healthy.
Child: Picking and eating boogers while nodding.
Me: Freaking out.


In reality, the conversation ended up having some positive benefit.  The child has been more diligent about washing her hands and not picking her nose.