8:45

Nighttime is a struggle. You just want to go to bed.. like the good girl you are. I would say out of all 3 kids, you are the best at going to sleep. 

But. 

There are two bedrooms for three kids. 

Only one of these rooms has a door that locks and surprise!  It's not the door to the girls bedroom that you share. It's Henry's door. 

Plus-

You (Ruby) want privacy so you can sleep. (understandable)

Charlotte only wants to be with you (Ruby). At all times. Especially bedtime. And she only wants to talk. About leprechauns. And her new best friend in Mrs Wilson's class. And storm clouds. And she only wants to siiiiiing but "berry quietly". And jump and build forts and get water and go potty and tell me one last thing she forgot to tell me that is realllly important about the imaginary non scary leprechauns that have suddenly and silently invaded our home. 

Henry just doesn't want to be alone. And why would he?  His whole life, you and Charlotte have always existed. 

Not to mention that-

By 8:45,

I am completely spent. I have taken the day adoring you and playing with you, sorting out squabbles, feeding you, cleaning you, reading to you.  I have !loved! just about every moment. I feel so lucky to have such great kids. But now, it's 8:30, and I want some time with just me and daddy. I NEED you to rest, so I can rest. 

So there we have it. The fox and the duck and the baby getting across the river scenario. That is where we are at every night at about 8:45. 

I will come up with a solution. But for now, I am gonna switch the locks on the doors so you can sleep as quietly as possible in Henry's room and reassure Charlotte that you are still there- just down the hall from where Charlotte and Henry are sleeping :). 

Birthday Planning

Last year Ruby wanted a gymnastics birthday party. When I asked Ruby what kind of birthday party she wanted this year, she said "oh!  How about a Wicked party?  I think a les miz party would scare my friends. Or a party with a stage and we can all be in a play?!"  What a difference a year makes to my little starlet. 

Snow Day

What a fun day we had!  We played in the snow, painted a b backdrop based on your favourite movie, frozen. you played on your Nabi tablet while the little kids and I built our play dough Road for them to drive on.  We also made a tapein road on the carpet,complete with target, Walmart, church, school, in our house in the fire station

Mama's Banana Bread Recipe

This morning we found the best Banana bread recipe. It was moist and delicious!

Here it is:

Ingredients:

4 over-ripe bananas (my catalyst for baking banana bread)

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten (with just a fork, let's not get crazy)

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350

Combine smashed bananas w butter. 

Add sugar, egg, vanilla. Stir. 

Add baking soda and salt.  Stir. 

Add flour. 

Spray pan, pour. 

Bake 50 minutes then check. If not done, add 10 mins. 

Glaze: butter and brown sugar. (Combine to buttery consistency and spread over 20 min cooled cake, let sit in warm oven for 2 minutes then eat)

Sleeping Together

You guys really all sleep together so well, for the past week you have all been sleeping like this:

Mornings with Grandma

You girls had a 2 hr school delay bc of the snow and had a fun morning with Grandma. 

Playroom

Wow!

Ruby I have to tell you just how incredibly impressed I was with your selfless, helpful, charming and sweet spirit today at the playroom. 

You were such a wonderful little helper with the little kids, especially Henry and Nathan!!

Big mouth!

You have a tendency to say what is on your mind-...whatever is on your mind. 

This can sometimes lead to hurt feelings for your brother and sister and sometimes even me, daddy, and everybody else.  I did try to gently tell you to watch what you say, but as this had no effect, I then said "sometimes you have a really big mouth.. It can hurt people's feelings if you say things that make them feel like they didn't get what you got.. you have to watch what you say and think about it before you say it. "

Could I have said this better?  Yes.  But as beautifully and delicately as I could have phrased it, a frequent message I am giving you with warnings, looks, and often just a "ruby..." is a simple one in words: Stop being mean. 

You are beautiful and smart. You are so talented with singing and art, organizing the shelf over your bed so that it is "just so". Your heart is loving and kind. That's what I want you to use and appreciate. 

I know your heart, and it is good. I want you to know it too. 

Anyway....

Last night, you were reading a favorite book to Henry, "Mitchell's License". It is a book about a little boy who pretends his dad is a car and drives him around. You guys crack up when I read it. It is very cute. 

While you were reading, you started getting silly and not really reading, but saying the words very slowly and gibberishly. The little guys lost interest and I asked to finish the book but you just laughed. I said "ruby I love it when you read but you can't be so silly, they stop listening..." You got very upset and cried. I apologized and said "even mommies say the wrong thing sometimes, baby. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings". You looked at me and said ..

"Sometimes YOU have a big mouth too mama!" And you grinned. Then we got cracking up about me and MY big mouth. I said maybe that's where you got It from. :)

"Why do you call it a penis?"

So yesterday, you told me that you had touched Henry's butt. You did that because he had touched charlottes butt. And Charlotte had in touched his butt. 

Yes it was all in fun, but I realised that at six years old (and Almost seven) you should know that private parts are just that- private. 

So I did tell all 3 of you about their proper names and explained about how they are private and how and who are allowed to touch them.