Roly Poly Bugs

Yesterday I spun them around on our little octopus merry go round until I couldn't do it anymore. With four or five kids sitting on it, that doesn't really take long. They're used to me giving up quickly, and one of them will generally refer to my "tired little noodle arms". They know me well. Anyway, they asked if I would move it out a few feet so they had room to run around it and take turns spinning each other instead. Bonus.

I don't move it very often because it kills the grass underneath and it's kind of muddy and gross. I scooted it over a bit and they got to see a huge den? (nest? what do you call it?) of roly poly bugs.

And ooh, now I am totally going to print that out as a coloring sheet and teach them all about it.

But anyway. There were about fifty of them all milling around and the girls were immediately fascinated. Duchess, Ariel, and Tinkerbell (who was back visiting for the day) were fighting over who could catch more of them, gathering them by the handful, letting them crawl up their arms...

And Sebastian was standing on top of the merry go round screaming. "BUGS! YUCK!"

I love that we're all about breaking down the gender stereotypes here. :)

Ariel got to sixteen, I think, before her handful got so big she was going to squish them if she tried to put more in.


Sebastian, in the blue plaid, never would get down or touch them, but he did get brave enough to lean over and look a bit more closely.

Pigtails

Earlier this week I was in the mood to fix hair. I brushed Snow White's and put it up in pigtails while the other girls were resting. When they saw her, they immediately demanded that I do theirs as well. I'm not the best at it, but hey, at least I got a lot of practice in one day!

Ariel, Snow White, Duchess, and Tinkerbell- rocking the pigtails!

But We Miss Her!

We haven't seen much of Tinkerbell lately. She's part-time and between my closings, their vacations, and whatever other summery things that have been happening, she just hasn't been around as often as she was in the spring. The kids are really missing her. Ariel, Snow White, Duchess and I had a big discussion last week about where she might be.

Where is Tinkerbell today?
I don't know- her mama didn't call me. Maybe she'll be here a little later.
But where is she?
Well, maybe she's at home. Where else do you think she might be?
She could go to work with her mommy.
Yes, that's true, she could have done that. Or maybe they went away for Independence Day a little early and they're on vacation today.
Yes. Maybe she is throwing up a lot a lot!
Oh, I hope not.
Yes. Maybe her mommy and her daddy is throwing up a lot a lot!

I don't think anybody's had a tummy bug lately, but clearly it is a memorable concept.

We miss you Tink! Hope to see you this week!

Lunchtime Discussion

Oh, the ongoing things they say... makes me tired and also makes me laugh. Such fun days we have.

I made sort of macaroni and cheese for lunch. Bowties, homemade sauce, pureed sweet potato/carrot, and then I also sauteed a vidalia onion, some corn, and turkey sausage and threw that in there too. Kind of casserole, kind of mac and cheese. I like to put veggies in whenever possible, and I can sometimes trick people who don't like corn into eating it if I hide it in same colored casseroles. OH MY the deliciousness of this dish. I did not need to eat a second helping, but I couldn't stop myself.

So I'm cooking...

Tink: Is lunch ready yet?
Me: No, babe, still cooking.
Tink: mm. What are we having?
Me: mac and cheese, with some other stuff in it.
Tink: Oh. I don't like mac and cheese. It makes my tummy hurt.
Me: Sweetie, anything will make your tummy hurt if you eat four plates of it. I think maybe last time you just got too full.
Tink: Oh. yes. I will eat that.
Belle: What are we having?
Me: mac and cheese, with sausage and corn.
Belle: I DON'T LIKE SAUSAGE!
Me: yes you do, but you don't have to eat it as long as you don't talk about it. I know you like it though.
Belle: I'm not going to eat that.
Ariel: What are we having?
(geez, do you people not LISTEN to each other?)
Me: mac and cheese.
Ariel: I don't like mac and cheese.
Me: You would, if you'd ever try it. You like spaghetti noodles, and you like cheese. I don't know why you don't want to try it.
Ariel: Can you put my cheese on the side by it?
Me: No.
Ariel: I'm not going to eat it. Are we having anything else?
Me: Peas, I think.
Ariel: I will eat peas and go to bed.
Me: okay.
O'Malley: WAFFLE! CRACKER! WAFFLE! CRACKER!
Me: O'Malley, are you hungry?
O'Malley: YAYSH.

So I finally get the stuff cooked and on the table. I give everybody a spoonful, except Ariel, who gets one noodle and a piece of sausage a little ways from it. They all hog out and ask for seconds and thirds, except of course my anti-pasta girl who ate her sausage and begged for more. The same sauce is on the noodles, which you like if they're covered in red sauce... I do not understand that girl's eating habits.

And yes, Tink ate four helpings again, and Belle decided oh, she did like sausage after all- THIS is sausage? I like this. I thought you were talking about something else. Snow White chowed, of which there was never any doubt. She's my best eater. And O'Malley rubbed it in his hair, and Sebastian ate his noodles and got mad that I wouldn't let him have more when he wouldn't eat his sausage or corn. He and his sister should get together- they sometimes eat a balanced meal between the two of them.

Now they're settled for rest, and I'm trying to not eat the rest of this stuff right out of the pan.

Disney Kids

It's official. I asked them what they wanted for their super secret names, and they chose to be Disney characters. Some of them surprised me and Ariel definitely didn't. :) Her brother is now Sebastian. It's a good thing he doesn't much care, because I'm not sure he would have picked that on his own, but sister insisted.

I ran through a bunch of different ideas for Buzz before he hit on it. Do you want to be Lightning McQueen? Or Prince Charming? What about Woody or Buzz?

YES! I be Buzz Ightear! In infitty anddeyond!

Excellent then. Well done and off you go. Then we have an assortment of princesses and several Aristocats. And they named the baby Eeyore, which does not really suit his personality but oh well. Life is good.