Converse with children

In a family home evening lesson Paul asked Maggie, "When Mom asks you to do something, what should you do?"

"Clean up."
I feel like it's all I ever say to them, and that confirmed it.
"Mom, tell me a story about when you were a princess." She's the only one in the world that thinks I'm the kind of person that would be a princess. It's kind of sweet.
While I was upholstering Axel said, "Mom, all you do is work, work, work. Don't you ever take a lunch?" Axel says all kinds of funny things for a five year old. I think it's because he reads.
"I thought Maggie was right behind me, and to my surprise, she was gone!"
Original was said 'org-inal' for a long time, because he learned what it meant from reading and didn't get the pronunciation right. "Mom who was the org-inal owner of the van?"
Paul is so tickled that Axel reads, he is giving him books to read that he loved when he was a kid. Then quizzes him.
"Hey Axel, are all the giants in The BFG nice?"
"Well not all of them. Actually they're really bad."

"Why are they bad?"
"I can't tell you. It's too terrible."
"Is it because they eat children?"
"Yes! How did you know?"
Now that I think of it, the other book he really likes is Robinson Crusoe. Maybe we should lay off the books where people are eating other people.

Tonight for dinner, I really didn't want to make or eat anything. Isn't that unfair that when I don't feel like eating, it's still my job to cook. We'd had whole wheat pancakes for breakfast with nectarines and mangoes. For lunch a big spinach salad, and fruit for snacks. (My kids are awesome eaters! It makes me love them soooooo much.) I was supposed to make Thai Chicken stir fry for dinner, but just really didn't want to. So I suggested that we go to the grocery store and pick out some ice cream for dinner. Paul and the children agreed it was a good idea. Because it was on a great sale, we got two: peanut butter cup and strawberries and cream. It was a very satisfying day. All natural, full fat.

I love saying to the children at the grocery store, "Look very closely at the label and make sure it doesn't say low-fat on it. We only buy the high fat." I especially love it if we are next to someone who is obsessing over the 100 calorie yogurt vs. the 90 calorie. Come on, if you lift that yogurt one more time, you'll burn those 10 calories, sister. Related: "See, that jello says 'no sugar'. In our family we eat real sugar, look for that jello." Big jock passing by gave Axel an encouraging, all-American smile. "Yeah! Eat the real stuff, Buddy." Thank you football-guy.

This pic is for my cousin Brenda, who wants a belly picture. This one was taken by Maggie, when she was playing with the camera. Her height makes the picture so much better.

And yes, there are still 4 more months of growing to do. I know, it's amazing.