What's That Letter Sound?

Last night we were working with Nicholas on letter sounds. He pulled up a card that had the letter B on it with a picture of a ball. He said, "B...b...watermelon." I said, "No, honey, B..bbbbb...what starts with b?" He thought for a minute and said, "BEER!" Oops.

Mark just said, "No buddy, it's ball."

At least he had the right first sound!

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day. I wanted to do something a little different and fun for the kids, so we made heart shaped pizzas. The kids could put anything they wanted on their pizzas. I let them choose from the ever popular and plain cheese, pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms, pineapple and ham. Much to my surprise they both picked black olives and pineapple! What a combination! Ha ha! When the pizzas were done, they each ended up eating one piece. Nice. At least they enjoyed it while it lasted.

After dinner, Maggie was determined to put on a "magic show." She saw an episode of Caillou where he did a magic show and she really wanted to make me disappear. She decided that we needed a hat, a magic wand and a cape. So we found an army style hat of mine, a straw from her princess cup and her John Deere pink fleece blanket from her bedroom. We were set.

While we begin our magic show, Nicholas and Daddy are watching the Daytona 500. Mark is frustrated with his racer, Kevin Harvick, and saying things like, "Oh come on! You need to get it movin' Harvick!" Nicholas is very seriously just as frustrated saying, "Oh, that makes me so mad! Harvick! Come on!" They are enthralled.

To begin our magic show, I am the magician and Maggie is the audience. First, I make a marker disappear. I waved it around in the air and then put it behind my back and stuck it in the top of my pants. Mark mumbles, "Kids, you better not use that marker for awhile." Nice honey. The next thing is to make a pencil disappear, which I do much the same way. This time I think I put it in my back pocket. Maggie is wanting more "magic" and I'm just not sure what to do. Ah! The coin behind the ear trick! I can do that one! All I had was a nickel and I told Maggie I needed a volunteer, someone to help. She said, "You aren't going to make me disappear are you?" I assured her I wouldn't make her disappear and she agreed to be my helper. :) I "magically" pulled the nickel from behind her ear and she was amazed. She immediately wanted to try it. So I'm sitting there as Maggie is trying to pull the nickel from my ear...but first she is trying to put it in my ear. I mean to tell you she is trying her hardest to SHOVE this nickel into my ear canal. I reminded her that it comes from BEHIND my ear. She tries a few times then gives up and wants to be the magician. We went back and forth for quite awhile taking turns being the magician. We made mommy disappear (under the John Deere blanket), Wrigley disappeared, and even Daddy and Nicholas disappeared. All of this going on while Mark and Nicholas are discussing the going on's of the Nascar race. Nicholas standing with his hands on his hips, shaking his head and sauntering back and forth saying, "Aw Harvick, come on!" What 5 year old does this??

For Valentine's Day I don't need a huge bouquet of flowers or a giant heart filled with chocolate. All I really wanted was to spend the day with my family just being us. Making heart pizzas and doing magic shows was the perfect end to a perfect day!

Oh How They Think!

Just the other day Mark and I were getting ready to go out to dinner with some friends. My niece, Erin, was at our house ready to babysit. I was telling her about the place we were going to eat. I had never been there and didn't know exactly where it was. As I was throwing something away in the pantry, I told her, "It's supposed to be a really good Mexican place with cheap tacos. It's a hole in the wall, I think." Pretty soon Nicholas came RUNNING into the kitchen yelling, "Where? Where is it? I want to see it! Where is it mom?" I looked at him and said, "What in the world?? What do you want to see??" He says to me, "You said there was a hole in the wall." :)

The kids love to play in the basement. They both got bikes for Christmas and since they can't ride them outside yet, they spend some time downstairs riding their bikes or playing other outdoor things. The other day we were downstairs playing basketball. The rule was, you had to shoot it 3 times, then dribble it to the other side of the basement, come back and shoot again and then it was the next person's turn. So we have Nicholas first who makes all 3 of his first shots. Then he goes to dribble. He runs as fast as he can (in a confined area) holding the ball the whole time with this excited, determined look on his face. His chin sticking out, too...he has this thing were he sticks his chin out when he's concentrating real hard. (I discovered yesterday as I was shoveling the driveway, that I do the same thing- ha ha!) All I could do was laugh. Maggie and I were supposed to be "blocking" him. As he's running, holding the ball, and giggling hysterically he runs back to the basket and makes the shot. He's so proud of himself. Now it's Maggie's turn. She takes her 3 shots which go straight up in the air and back onto her head. She thinks this is HILARIOUS. She misses all 3 but we both cheer for her anyway. So here she goes dribbling. Maggie is determined to dribble this ball. Remember she is all of 3 feet tall so she doesn't have much room for a "dribble." But, she tries bouncing the ball a little bit anyway. Nicholas comes running over trying to block her as we did to him. He gets it a little more, so he's jumping around and waving his arms wildly. Maggie gets upset and says, "Nickel (that's what she calls him sometimes), stop it! I'm trying to learn!" Of course, what can you say to that? So Nicholas backed off and proceeded to "let her learn." We had so much fun running around the basement laughing at each other and trying to "block" each other. Who knows? Maybe we have future NBA and WNBA basketball stars in the making!

Quethtionths and Thecretths

Lately Maggie has been really into asking questions and telling secrets. But, of course, she can't really say her s's so it's "quethtionths and thecretths." The questions are a major stall tactic. At bedtime she tells me, "Mommy I have some quethtionths." So I tell her, "Okay Maggie, just one more question." "No, Mommy, 8 more quethtionths." She comes up with all kinds of stuff..."Is it dark outside? Will Iris be here tomorrow? Do I have a booga (remember the New Jersey accent too) in my nose?" All of these "quethtionths" come last minute. It amazes me how she can come up with this stuff so quickly.

The other night she came waltzing into our room at 4 am. She was WIDE awake. I put her in bed with me and she snuggled right in, wide eyed. I told her it wasn't morning yet and she needed to try to go back to sleep. It was quiet for a moment, then she whispers..."Mommy, I have quethtionths." In my half consious state I said, "What Maggie?" She whispers, "How many people are going to be at your birthday party tomorrow?"

"I don't know, Maggie. Go back to sleep." There is silence for a minute or two. Then I hear, "Mommy?" "Yes, Maggie?" "Is it your birthday yet?" "Yes Maggie, it's my birthday now. It's time to sleep sweetie." Before I knew it, we were both asleep again. At the moment I remember thinking, "Oh Lord, she has questions at 4 am. All I want to do is sleep! It's my birthday for crying out loud!" But once I was fully awake and I think back to the moment, it makes me smile to think of my little girl "athking quethtionths" at 4 am. :)

The Giggle of Nicholas

This giggle of his is priceless. I can tickle him right in his armpit and he laughs SO hard. The laugh comes from somewhere deep down in his belly and doesn't stop. It's the kind of laugh that will make any person laugh just hearing it. Yesterday we got into a tickle match and I just kept tickling him because I wanted to hear that funny little laugh. I wonder if he'll always have this deep bellied laugh? I guess when he's 40 I'm gonna have to jab my finger into his armpit to see if it's still there.