Muffins, Mayhem, Molars, & Mistakes

This picture should be entitled, "Look, Mamma! They're risin' up!" When Leia Rose got home from school today, (that is after getting gas, groceries, and peaches) we got to work right away on some banana bread mini muffins. Leia Rose has snack tomorrow! (She's only the second child to do so this year!) And you know how she loves to cook! I just love her reflection in the oven in this picture!

Okay, why use "Mayhem" in the title of this post? (Answer: bike ride, molars, and sister bath) Well, Annie cried before our bike ride this morning. (And I mean really cried.) And it was because I pinched her with the helmet buckle, . . . twice! I was trying so hard to protect her, but the strap was just too tight now. I should have loosened it. Honestly, the second time I tried, I think I actually pinched her skin in between my nail and the buckle. I was trying so hard not to pinch her again. But when I gave up and took the helmet off, sure enough, there were the two red marks. Gosh! I just hate it when I do that. I guess I do it once with each child. Leia (when she was about the same age) just sat there with it pinching her the whole bike ride. I wondered why she got tired of it so fast. That was why. Anyway, I was able to get the helmet on Annie by simply taking it inside, making it looser, and putting it on while she was playing. I think I might have to tighten it up a bit, though, because by the end of our ride, she was biting on the strap. : )

And I suppose the mayhem of the day should also include molars, . . . because Annie got her first molar today! [It's absolutely torture to find out if Annie even has a new tooth, by the way. The joy of the finger brush wore off, so why not just go back to the one I'm supposed to use? But now I have to sit on her arms and legs on the floor to restrain her so I can get the brushing/checking done more quickly. Today I felt a molar, . . . but that doesn't mean it wasn't there three days ago considering how hard it is to check.] The new molar is on her right on the bottom. What the heck happened to the teeth that are supposed to come before that? She doesn't even have all eight in the front yet. : ) Anyway, these molars are really hurting as they come in. Annie wakes up most every night now. She wants to be held until the medicine takes effect. It's sad to see. Speaking of which, . . . Note to Self: When Annie wakes up teething. Give her medicine immediately, and then hold her for at least twenty minutes before putting her down again, to prevent extra tears.

And then there's the mayhem of sister bath. Sister bath in general really tears me in two, . . . The girls just love it. I'm guessing it's the favorite part of the day for Annie as well as one of the favorites for Leia. The problem with it is that it totally riles Annie up so she can't settle down to sleep. What to do? What to do? I guess the answer is: Not to deprive them of that joy. Okay. That settled. : )

Oh yes, just as an aside, one of Annie's favorite pastimes now, . . . taking books off of the shelf an looking at them. Good girl! [Until I have to clean up the mess, that is.] And, um, her other favorite pastimes now is not going to sleep right away at naptimes. Now she stays up to play for a bit beforehand. (Hmmm, have to consider whether to remove the toys or not.)

Leia Rose made a funny mistake today. She came over to snuggle with me today and I said, "I sure do love you!" And Leia replied, "Why did you say, 'Oh shoot!'" I laughed and cleared up the misunderstanding. ; ) I told her "these were the moments to treasure" and she said, "what's treasure?" So I tried to get her to tell me what a treasure was (before I tried to explain the verb). Kind of hard for a four year old. Eventually, we talked about treasuring as remembering something special and holding it close to your heart. And sometimes at night Leia Rose says that "Oma likes to tell me some mistakes she has made." When she asks me for mine, I tell her. Here are some of my early-life beauties: I've walked in the mud with new Sesame Street sneakers (that landed me the only spanking I got). I've done a somersault in the middle of circle time (that landed me in the thinking chair the only time in my life). I've gone into the nap-room with the extended day kids (which was the first thing I ever lied about). Leia Rose seems to be glad that Mamma makes mistakes, too.

While we're on the subject of Oma today. Here's something funny Leia said, "I just love to wake Oma and Papa up! But sometimes when I try to wake up Papa, he just stays asleep! Ha, ha! That's what happens with Daddies and Papas. That's what happens with some boys, . . . they sleep for longer!"

I think she's looking forward to their visit the next few days, don't you?

Here's something kind of sad Leia Rose just let slip while talking to herself in the car today. "I don't really like Church very much, but I do like the weekend because it's the only time you can do everything you want to do." Oh boy. This launched us into this whole conversation. "What would Jesus say if he knew you didn't like Church." And "Maybe you could try harder to listen to the stories about Jesus and that would make it more interesting." And "Oma always says that even though there are times when she doesn't want to go to Church either, God always puts something special in each Mass to make it worth while." And "Won't you be excited, though, to receive your First Holy Communion?" Insert review of the Consecration/Transubstantiation. [She was even surprised to find out that the same bread and wine turned into Jesus' body and blood at the consecration is the same that she would receive. As evidenced by, "What is the round thing?" Oh my. I don't think I had ever mentioned that fact. I always focused so much on the beauty of the miracle with her as she was watching it, . . . I guess I forgot to mention the main point, . . . that she would be able to share in it. *sigh* Brian and I have lots of work to do.] Anyway, I could see why so many people take advantage of the nursery/children's program during the 9:15.