Back Seat Driver (and other random things)

Sweetie is my back seat driver. She is VERY observant and often points out things that I didn't notice (like a dog or something). She likes to tell me which way to turn and says, "Oh man!" when I tell her we are going a different way. She recognizes when we are in our neighborhood and asks if we are going home. If I turn a certain way out of our neighborhood she asks if we are going to church because that's the way to church. Sometimes she'll say, "A red one, Mommy!" And I'll have to look until I figure out what she's talking about. Sometimes it's a red car or bike or sign. Both girls love the American flag and point out whenever they see one. "Look Mom, it's a 'Merican flag!" Sweetie always tells me when she sees an airplane. She rarely misses anything because she is always soaking everything in.

Recently, if I tell her no Sweetie has started asking, "Why not?" She has been testing the waters and been trying to get away with things. She tries to use her cuteness to get away with things, as if a little cock of the head and a flash of dimples will lessen my resolve... She knows I mean business if I start counting.

Sweetie likes to be overly descriptive. She is always saying, "I'm so very too..." or "She's super too..." It's the cutest thing.

I love it when Sweetie comes to wake me up in the morning (well, as much as it is possible for me to love waking up, which I don't). She is so sweet about it. She gives me a kiss, hands me my glasses and takes my hand and tries to pull me out of bed. She will ask for cereal or wo-gurt or a different movie.

Sweetie loves new books. I picked up some new ones from the library and she insisted on bringing them in the car today. When she gets in the car she throws whatever she is carrying behind her neck while she buckles herself in. Putting the books behind her neck made it a little difficult to buckle up. The books were a new series about a pig called Mercy Watson. The pictures are darling and the stories are cute. It's a beginning chapter book.

I recently started reading The Indian in the Cupboard to Ballerina. I think it's a little old for her, but the other day she wanted me to keep reading and I ended up reading 3 chapters to her.

Ballerina is a little baker. If we don't have a cake or cupcakes on the counter she insists that we need to do "ingredients." She'll go and find the cake mix and tell me what she'll do and what I'll do and that she'll help and I won't get too tired.

The girls are outside playing in the backyard. This is going to be a GREAT summer. I LOVE that they can play outside without my help. Of course, I still have to deal with some tears (because Sweetie's first line of defense is tears). They love to play on the play structure, pretending to cook and drive and be princesses and bad guys (Sweetie has the best bad guy laugh). Handsome Husband bought a tee ball stand and kiddy basketball stand from a garage sale and they like to play with (and fight over) those as well. I have to make sure that Sweetie isn't digging in my flower beds or garden box every so often. And I have to check and make sure that Ballerina isn't being too bossy.

Sweetie is pretty compliant and will play the way Ballerina wants her to for a little while. But then she gets tired of it and leaves or refuses to play along. Then Ballerina gets upset. The girls have decided that if someone is upset you need to bring them flowers. Ballerina has gotten to the point where she tells Sweetie to bring her flowers if Sweetie shows concern during one of Ballerina's pout fests. The other day Sweetie grabbed a weed flower with roots still attached and Ballerina gave it a look of scorn and demanded a different flower. I tried to explain that she was being ungrateful, but Ballerina was not in a teachable mood. Someday, they will learn...