Impossible conversation

Here’s just a piece of part of my day long question/ answer sessions with Madeline.

In the car…

Her: Mom, are we going far, far away?

Me: Well, kinda far, but not like to the beach far.

Her: Oh. Like this far? (her hand trailing her arm from her shoulder down to her wrist)

Me: Uhhmmm, maybe.

Her: Like this far? (her hand trailing from her shoulder down to her elbow crook)

Me: Yeah, like that far.

Her: Can we see Marlee?

Me: No, we’re going to Miles’s and Isabella’s house.

Her: Is it far like Marlee’s house?

Me: Yes, but just not the same direction.

Her: Can we go to Marlee’s house?

Me: Uhhmmm, not right now.

Her: Why?

Me: Because we’re going to a birthday party right now.

Her: Oh. Marlee’s birthday party?

Me: No, remember? It’s Miles’s birthday and his baby sister’s.

Her: Go faster. Why are you not going faster? Because there’s cars?

Me: Yep.

Her: Why are there cars?

Me: I don’t know, there are always cars.

Her: Are we getting closer to Marlee’s house?

Me: No, we’re going to Miles’ house.

Her: Turn here! Turn here!

Me: No, that’s not the way.

Her: But it’s a shorter way!!

Me: No it’s not.

Her: Can I go to sleep?

Me: Sure

Her: Are we getting closer?

Me: yep

Her: Are we by our house?

Me: Nope

Her: Are we far, far away? Like 46 seconds far?

Me: Yep, I think so.

Her: Like 183 seconds?

Me: I don’t know, honey.

Her: Like NRRRRRMMMMMM (car driving sound) far?

And on and on and on and on and on

I love how she’s really trying to figure out the measurements of things, even though she gets her terms all mixed up. She typically measures distance on her arm, quantities on her fingers, days by how many times she has to sleep and sizes by mommy, daddy, baby references. Anyways, between her measurement terms getting mixed up and her throwing whatever number comes into her mind in there, understanding is very difficult on both sides of the conversation.

And, yes, I know this here blog has been sorely neglected. I barely hit 3 posts in November. So sad. My wonderful friend Angela has me reading again and I can not tear myself away from the books. I'm going to have to go cold turkey for a while after my current batch is read just so my bills get paid and dishes get done, and presents wrapped, and cat box cleaned, and children fed, and laundry done, and so on and so on.

Today my ears hurt

I think today was the loudest day of my life. Both kids were up super early, Maison may be having some sort of teething issue, Madeline is just Madeline. One would scream and the other would scream louder. We almost got kicked out of the library. The security guard asked me if I had a pacifier or bottle that I could give Maison. My ears are still ringing, my shoulders are in knots, tomorrow will be better.

Halloweenie

We did a few different things this Halloween. It is really the first year that Madeline knew what was going on, picked out her own costume and was excited to wear it (almost every day for a week and a half). On Wednesday we took the kids to Ian & Max’s school for their costume parade and classroom trick or treating. Madeline was so brave walking around the whole playground with the other kids holding Max’s hand. And she got to hone her trick or treating skills.


On Friday the boys and my mom came over to decorate some pumpkins. My kids painted. The rest of us carved, except mom she carved at home. Hers is the fancy cat. Ian’s is the big one. Mine is the small smiley one and Max’s is the other small one. Maison’s painting attention span is short, but very intense.



We had some family over on the big day. Miss Piggy showed up with her Harvard student boyfriend. We also had a hippy and a cat. Next year the rest of us losers are going to dress up. Maison was a train engineer. He wasn't paying attention and I was able to get the bandana on him. We chowed on mini pumpkin pies, mini caramel apples (which turned into apples in watery caramel goo, unfortunately) and chili and cornbread.


We went through a disgusting amount of candy again. I had chocolate withdrawals for a few days after because I didn’t stash enough chocolate and Madeline traded all of hers with the boys for Starbursts. We took the kids up our street and back down, until the boys wanted to leave us in the dust because we were slowing them down, and both of our little ones wanted to be carried everywhere by then anyways. Maison learned right away how to hold his bag out for candy.