Moments like these

make it all worthwhile.

By moments like these, I mean when I sneak into her room while she's napping because I have to wake her up to go pick up her brother at school, and she looks so heartbreakingly beautiful that I have to run and get the camera. Then when I take a few pictures, even the flash doesn't wake her up, and I feel guilty about interrupting her nap.

But look at her red cheeks, and the sweet way she's snuggling with her baby. The big purple thing is my pillow. She has been doing this blanket folding thing lately to make herself a "pullow" but she wasn't happy with my folding, so I offered my real pillow. She loved it, and promptly fell asleep. The baby has a blanket and a "pullow" too.

Such a second baby - always a good sport when I have to wake her up, and doesn't even fuss when we have to get right in the car. Thank goodness someone in our family can go with the flow, because most of us are not known for that quality.

Perseverance

Sometimes I can muster it up and sometimes it pays off.

To be honest, today I was just too lazy and tired to deal with Bitty Girl during the time she should have been napping, but it worked.

Timeline of Events:
1. I put her down for a nap around 12:45 pm. She chatted, arranged her dollies and chatted some more.
2. I give her one reminder around 1:15 pm that she needed to go to sleep, rearrange her blankets.
3. About 1:45 pm, I go in with more milk, read her another story, and did some wishful snuggling, and remove all but 2 dollies and blankets.
4. She is still chatting and wiggling at about 2:15 pm, and I'm convinced she won't nap, but am too tired and busy to go get her. Plus she's not crying and I haven't heard any sounds of Velcro diaper tabs opening which would indicate nakedness.
5. At 2:30 pm: All is quiet. Silent cheer!!
6. At 2:45 pm: I go in to peek and make sure it's not just a very quiet naked girl, and she's ASLEEP! All blankets and dollies thrown in the laundry basket, but she's asleep. I cover her up and tiptoed out, proud of my perseverance.

P.S. I may have to kill the neighbor who is daring to drill something LOUDLY outside as I'm typing this..

I guess that's a NOPE

Bitty Girl is in her bed chanting "Halloween Night, Halloween Night."
Guess that means she's not going to nap?

Ah, the joys of having an older brother and being this excited about Halloween at the ripe old age of 2 1/2.

At least she doesn't have a 9 am soccer game tomorrow...

Will post pictures after the big event!

Late afternoon edit: After a diaper change and 30 more minutes of "rest time," otherwise known as chanting, she FELL ASLEEP. For about an hour! Amazing.

Reason #1 to always carry my camera

So kindergarten is going well, 3 days down and 1 to go this week. He's tired, having strange sassy meltdowns each night, but that's what we expected.

Today was my day at home, in which Bitty Girl decided not.to.take.a.nap. Grrrrr.

But making the best of it, we left early to pick up The Boy at school. School gets out at 2:30 and I walked into the class at 2:15, thinking they'd need some help getting packed up and lined up. But they are already kindergarten experts and they were packed up, sitting on the front carpet singing songs with the teacher.

The following is true. I am not making it up, and there were witnesses. I only wish I had my camera.

Teacher: Does anyone know any other songs? (The Boy raises his hand, but then says, "I forgot" when she calls on him.
They sing another song, like Row, Row, Row your Boat.
Teacher: Anyone else? Yes (to The Boy)
The Boy: Ten Little Honeybees
Teacher: I don't think I know that one. Do you want to come up here and teach it to the class?

Ok, I don't know if she always says this, and encourages them to come up, or if she figured there was no way in hell he was going to come up there.

Can you guess what happened next? That's right, he walked up next to her, so all the kids are sitting in front of him on the carpet.
The Boy: (VERBATIM) Okay everyone, hold up your hands like this. (demonstrates by holding out his hands with all fingers spread, and sings) Ten little honeybees, making honey, one flew out to get some nectar. How many were left?
Class: NINE!!
The Boy: Nine little honeybees making honey, one flew out to get some nectar...

You get the picture. The whole song... I have never EVER heard him sing this song - he says he learned it at preschool, but I partly think he made it up. But the whole class counted down with him, and it conveniently used up all the time they had left while waiting for school to get out.

Somehow the teacher held it together and didn't fall down laughing. I was laughing inside, but trying to look presentable on the outside. That's our Boy, former karaoke star! Maybe we could hire him out to entertain the preschoolers.