1m2aSandbox

Yes, down here in the hot South,
it’s spring break already! And we are going to sunny –


Um, here.


We are having yet another family Staycation, which I have
successfully hyped and spun until it could easily run for public
office. My kids now thing Staycations are just as cool as traveling
vacations, mostly because we 1) eat Fruit Loops (well,
fruit-juice-flavored Cheerios. I have my limits.) and because we 2)
watch movies. Or at least one movie.


I’ve drawn up a big poster of our Staycation day-by-day.
Maddie wrote in the name of each day, and Cora stuck the Velcro
pieces on each day. What is the Velcro for, you ask? Why,
it’s for the big star we drew, colored, cut out, and
laminated. Each day one of the girls is the Calendar Girl, and
moves the Staycation Star to the next day.


You gotta make your own fun, people.

My Cora is, shall we say, loquacious. The
child can talk. In a very stream-of-consciousness,
I-have-so-much-to-say-and-you’ll-find-it-all-fascinating kind
of way. Here’s a recent example:


“Mommy, don’tcha know that today at open gym we heard
this great song? It went ‘Menomenan, doo doo da doodoo,
Menomenan doo doo da doo’ and that’s so interesting
because we have that same song on our pink iPod! So I have that
song to listen to in two places – open gym, and my iPod!
Isn’t that so cool? Oh, look, my underpants are going up my
hiney. Hey, there, underpanties, get out of my hiney! Look, Mommy,
look, they’re going up my hiney. Speaking of hineys, did you
know the basilik lizard lays eggs out of her hiney RIGHT ONTO THE
WATER? And she can RUN on water, up to five miles an hour!
Isn’t that so interesting? Oh, look a tic-tac on the floor
– it’s probably still good so I’ll eat it.
Don’t you think I should? Don’t you think it would be
wasteful not to eat it? Don’tcha know tic-tacs make your
mouth feel better?”


And so on.


These are all things that have come out of my daughter’s
mouth. In one conversation.


What do I do about this? Because I have to admit that as annoying
as I’m sure it will be soon, it’s darn cute right now.
Don’tcha know.

Maddie and I were walking home from school
when she pulled out a silly band from her backpack. These stupid
elastic wristbands are banned from her school – thankfully
– so I could understand it being in the backpack, but it was
one I’d never seen before. “Where’d you get the
silly band?” I asked Maddie.


“From Joe,” she replied.


Of course. Joe. The boyfriend.


And then the bombshell –


“But I don’t think he likes me any more.”

I'm sick with a doozy of a spring cold,
and when I feel this way I invariably find myself thinking one
single, awfule thought:


I wish my kids were sick instead of me.


This sounds really really bad, I know. But if I have to choose one
of us to get sick, I'd rather it be the kids so I can take better
care of them. The girls need Mommy whether she's feeling great or
feeling stink-o, and dragging through the day gritting my teeth
trying to not lose patience is just no fun.


Of course, I will probably see my wish fulfilled - sort of. Because
Cora was complaining of a "lump in my throat" all yesterday, and my
cold drainage has given me a terrible sore throat. So I'll
probably have a sick, cranky Cora when she wakes up.


Laissez les bon temps rouler.

The weather’s turned nicer here
– well, darn near perfect, if I’m being honest. A bit
chilly in the mornings, then hanging around in the 70s the rest of
the day, balmy and sunny and lightly breezy.


Sorry, New York.

Last night, I was taking a shower with the
girls when Maddie said, "Hey, Mommy, your tummy looks like it has a
baby in it!"


Now, I know that I am not the world's largest person. Most people
- and I say "most" because somewhere out there are a couple old
ballet directors who would call me a "fat cow" because they did
before when I was skinnier - would not call me overweight. I also
realize that it was right after dinner, and there was a
cheeseburger and apple in there helping with the gestatory
illusion.


But still.


I'm going to complain to my friends Ben and Jerry. They understand
me.

I posted yesterday about my seeking out
fairy-tale-like alternatives to the Disney princesses. I want to
give the girls better role models (sorry, Ariel and Snow White) and
perhaps a smidge of self-esteem in the process.


Then, coincidentally, a friend of mine sent me a link to a blog
post yesterday from Christianity Today entitled href="http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/03/toddlers_tiaras_and_surviving.html">
“Toddler, Tiaras, and Surviving the Princess
Mania”. The blog is a review of Peggy
Orenstein’s newest book, href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCinderella-Ate-Daughter-Dispatches-Girlie-Girl%2Fdp%2F0061711527%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1299035267%26sr%3D1-1&tag=1mother2anoth-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">
Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatch From the Front Lines of
the New Girlie-Girl Culture. Based on the review,
I’m heading out to get that book.


I’m relieved to know it’s not just me.


But read the review – while not exhaustive on the topic,
it’s got some good points on the subject. And keep sending me
alterna-princess book ideas.