Long Overdue

I have been receiving much-deserved harassment from friends and family about how long it's been since I've updated this blog. It's not like there hasn't been stuff to talk about. Thanksgiving at the in-laws. Christmas at home, just the 5 of us. The day-after-Christmas Potty Party/Booty Camp, when we began potty training in earnest. The Potty Party/Booty Camp aftermath. Our first time getting out and playing in the snow. (Why didn't we do it last year? I don't know. We are mean. And too cheap to buy 3 sets of boots and snow pants.) A discourse on why legwarmers make the perfect potty training accessory. Many hilarious conversations with 3-year-olds. A special song Tim and I have been writing together titled "The Drama Queens" (sung to the tune of Abba's "The Dancing Queen") And dozens and dozens of pictures. I just haven't been making time to get it all down. Or to install the software for our new camera so I can get the pictures off the camera and onto the computer. I can't promise to do better, but I will try. In the meantime, I will leave you with two stories that will give you a little look into life in our house.

1. (Copied directly from an email I just wrote to my friend Liz, because I am nothing if not lazy.)
There is a "Lightning McQueen" (from the movie Cars) game at the Children's museum. Months ago, Tim incorrectly identified the character as "Speed McQueen" and as far as the girls are concerned, that is in fact his name. Sometimes if they are in a good mood they will concede that other people call him Lightning. But really his name is Speed. Anyway, they talked about that game so much I decided to rent the Cars movie and see if they liked it. We've watched it twice now. There is one scary part in it that Julia will tell you she doesn't like. About five times a day. There's a still from that part of the movie on the back of the DVD box so she will periodicaly pick it up, show it to you, and tell you that this is the part she doesn't like. Because it is scary. And she doesn't like that part. And last time we skipped over it. Because it's scary. And she doesn't like it.

But she can't have been too traumatized by the movie because now she is absolutely insisting we call her Speed. And talking about herself in the third person ("Speed is hungry! Speed needs to go potty!"). Yesterday I had the following exchange with her:

Me: Julia, I've told you twice now not to play on the stairs. Go sit in time out.
Julia: Actually, I'm Speed.
Me: Ok, then: SPEED - you are not supposed to play on the stairs. Go sit in time out.

Sometimes it is hard to keep a straight face.

2. Conversation among three 3-year-olds

Julia: I pooped in the potty!
Eve: I want to see!
Lily: Me too!
(Everyone gathers around the potty to admire.)
Eve: Wow Julia, that's a big poop!
Julia: Thanks, Eve.
Lily: It looks like a puppy!
Julia: You're right, Lily! Look, there's its mouth!