Booze and Hookers

Kids say the darndest things, don't they? The other day Ricochet told us that when her little brother is sad she cheers him up with "Booze." "You do what?!" I asked in surprise. "I say BOO! And it makes him happy! I give him boos." So that was boos, not booze - good thing too since she's only 4 years old! A few days later she says, "Look Mom and Dad, I'm being a hooker!" Now I'm not totally sure, but I'm thinking that 4 is a little young for hookerhood. "See, I'm using my hands to hook onto this thing. I'm a hooker." OK then! "Um, where did you learn that word, Ricochet?" I ask without giving away the fact that it is totally and completely inappropriate. Both times when we asked where she learned about such things, she said it was from "Sister Squirrel," who happens to be her imaginary friend. We're gonna have to have a little chat with Sister Squirrel. Who knew an imaginary friend could be such a bad influence? :)

What I Should Be Doing...

Here are a few things I should be doing today instead of blogging:
1 - Feeding my children breakfast
2 - Renewing my library movies (so I don't have to go there today)
3 - Grocery Shopping (I just can't put it off any more!)
4 - Cleaning the bathrooms (who knew Halloween could be so detrimental to the countertops?)
5 - Packing for our quick jaunt to Idaho
6 - Uploading our Halloween pictures
7 - Editing a story
8 - Making Christmas presents
9 - Fixing the Primary Program
10 - Kissing my kids!

Book Plug - Playful Parenting

I have been reading a book called "Playful Parenting" by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph. D. It is the most useful and on-target parenting book I have ever read. I LOVE it! I just finished a chapter titled "Follow the Giggles." It talks about how healthy it is to laugh and play in a way that makes your children feel confident and happy. This kind of playing establishes connections (as opposed to hurtful laughing or mocking, which builds walls of defense) and so many of us adults have forgotten how to do it! Who knew that one of the very best things a parent can do for their child is to laugh and play with them? I think I knew that once, and I've forgotten. But I've noticed that as I've tried to put into the practice the practical advice and ideas presented in "Playful Parenting," my children and I have been happier and there has been less tension in our home. They're happier, I'm happier, and it shows! This book can truly enrich the life of anyone who spends time with children. If you're a parent or spend any amount of time around children, I highly suggest this fantabulous book (and I'm not even half way through yet)!

Not Just Luck

So lately I've had a number of people tell me how lucky we are that I get to stay home and be with my kids all day. What I say is, "yeah, we are." But who knew that what I've been wanting to say is that I DON'T feel lucky to stay home with my kids. Are you crazy? you may be asking, Are you admitting you don't want to be home with your children? The answer is no, that's not what I'm saying. I don't feel lucky; I feel blessed for a commitment that my husband and I made before we were my husband and I. To me, LUCK does not play a part here. We decided that it was important for our children to have a mommy and not a babysitter long before we decided to even have children. It is not something that fell from the sky one day with a note saying, "IT'S YOUR LUCKY DAY!!! NOW YOU, TOO, CAN STAY HOME AND BE A MOMMY TO YOUR CHILDREN!!!" Is it easy? No. Most of the time my kids go to bed early because I'M tired. Do we have everything we want in life? No. We have one car. My husband rides his bike the two miles to work. (Well, he used to until last week when he rendered both himself and the bike inoperable - but that's it's own story. Now he walks.) Do we wear designer clothing? No - unless it came from a thrift store! The point is, we give up a lot, but we get a lot in return. Lucky? Nah, I call it blessed (and planned, too).