Are you a big girl?

"Uh -huh.  No.  A Bay-bee.  Baby."

Mads is pretty happy with her place in this family and isn't looking to be upgraded to 'Big Girl' anytime soon.  Qualifications like naming everyone on Sesame Street, naming things in books, using a potty (sporadically) or doing Ellie's entire dance routine beginning to end don't matter to her.

At the zoo this weekend she was moo-ing at the cows.  Auntie asked, "Oh, are you a cow?"  Mads replied, "No, a bay-bee.  Baby." 

This morning I plucked a bed-headed Mads out of her crib and made the mistake of saying, "Good morning, Big Girl!" to which Madeline said, "Baby, Mama.  Bay-beeee."  Oh right.

We're not sure when Madeline will be Big Girl Official, maybe when she turns 16 and wants to borrow the car? 

Suburban Camping

What is suburban camping you ask?  Let me tell you.

Suburban Camping is sleeping three in a bed with the windows open.  It's showering by candlelight with and tying your wet hair up into a pony tail. 

When you're suburban camping, you charge your phone in your car and use a lighter to ignite the stove so your water can boil for coffee.  The kids get fruit that doesn't need to be refrigerated, cereal bars and juice boxes for breakfast.

To keep away the boredom you go on excursions.  Fast food and ice cream for dinner, the farmer's market, out to lunch and even a trip to the zoo after naps.

You never know how long your suburban camping experience will last - an hour?  a few days? - and you don't choose the dates of your camping experience. 

Suburban Camping is what happens when a big storm blows through and takes your power lines with it. 

Ellie kept asking how long it was going to take to repair the 'power plant'.  Ryan and I kept reassuring her that they were working as fast as they could to fix it.  Finally she asked, "What does the power plant look like?"

I replied that I thought it looked like a big factory or warehouse.

"Oh."

Then I got it.  "Ellie, what did you think the Power Plant looked like?"

"You know, maybe like a cactus or somethin'."

Suburban Camping was a blast.

The First and The Last

The first day of school (being a 'model' of course).

 And the last day of school.

Our Elizabeth has grown a couple of inches since September and learned so, so much.  Not only is she reading the first few Bob Books (more to come on those soon) 'all.by.my.self.' but she learned how to be independent and how to be a good friend.

The end of the year program and 'graduation' is tonight and then Ellie will officially be ready for Pre-K.  Nine months have never flown by faster.