1 more sleep until Em and M are 4! Party is today!

The girls woke up this morning around 6:50 but played in their room until 7:30 (I so love that they do this now)! Maddie must have asked me 10 times in 5 minutes what time her birthday party is among other questions she fired off without pause. Here is how the conversation went:

"Mummy, is it my happy birthday today?"
"Well Mads, actually your real birthday is tomorrow, but today is your party with all your friends."
"Oh. What time is my happy birthday party?"
"It's at 11, after you perform your Lady with the Alligator Purse show."
"What time is the show?"
"10"
"What time is the birthday party?"
"11"
"What time are the candles going to be there?"
"Not sure, maybe 12:30 or so?"
"What time is my birthday party? Is it NOW?"
"Nope, you have about 3 hours"
"And when are my candles going to get there? What did you say mummy? Is it now that my candles are going to be at my happy birthday party with all my friends, and my presents, and Rhetsy and Auntie Julie? And are there going to be muffins, I mean cupcakes or big cakes? Will the icing be pink or purple? Are we making pizzas mummy? I want lot's of peppe-yoni but just a little cheese and no green things. What time is the party, do we get to go now?"

She is one excited little girl! Emma is excited but much more subdued about it. She is more interested in being the star of their Music class show (she is Miss Lucy and knows all her lines)!

2 more sleeps!

The girls will be 4 on Sunday. Wow, wow, wow. I still cannot get over it. I guess the passage of time is something that flits by, especially once you have kids. I am excited for them to embark on this new phase and yet it is bittersweet, as they really are little girls, and not babies or even toddlers anymore. I know, I know, I say they will always be my babies, and they will. But they will become more and more independent of me and that will be hard. I love the cuddles, hugs and kisses and the fact that they still want "up" (I remember when it used to be "uppie peas" instead of "can I come up please mummy")? But since I can't stop it, I will try and embrace it. They are super excited about their birthday party. They had a mini one at daycare today and then tomorrow will be their party with 12 of their friends and on Sunday we will celebrate with just our family. Emma will be so excited to get her Queen Clarion (please send vibes that she doesn't lose the darn thing within a day) and hopefully Maddie loves her mermaid Barbie (the kid changes her mind within minutes)! Tomorrow they are also performing in their musical, "The Lady with the Alligator Purse." They know all their lines, it's just a matter of whether or not they decide to perform on demand! It's right before their b-day party. Tomorrow will be a very exciting day!

Emma's loyal to her grandpa!

Emma was being super cute today slurping her cereal and milk. John said "Emma, you are so cute" and Emma said "do you want to marry me?" and John said "yes, Emma, will you marry me?" and Ems replied with "no dad, I really like grandpa."! Maddie chimed in with her desire to marry "Rhetsy" (a.k.a Rhett) and she said "I will marry him but I won't kiss him." John was happy with this arrangement but I asked why she wouldn't kiss him and she said "because Rhetsy doesn't like kisses, he runs away. But can I hug him mummy? You think that would be ok?" Ha! So Maddie is chasing boys to try and kiss them already! Yeesh! What will the pre-teens and teens be like?

5 more sleeps until they are 4!

The girls are very excited about their upcoming birthday party. Whenever it is mentioned they say "we are going to make pizza and decorate a happy birthday cake!" I have heard great things about the place we are going to, so I hope it turns out well. Emma has been so consistent with what she wants for her birthday: Queen Clarion and a purple barbie with a purple horse. After finally successfully completing Operation Queen Clarion (only available for purchase in the states. I had it shipped to a friend's friend in Chicago, who my friend was visiting last week so she picked it up and will deliver it to me this weekend) I managed to track down purple barbie with her purple horse. Miss Maddie on the other hand changes her mind all the time. If she sees a commercial for Strawberry Shortcake she wants that. If we are watching a movie, she wants whatever character is in the movie. I can't keep up and she is so inconsistent. I finally got her Barbie mermaid, which she has asked for a few more times than any other item, and Buzz Lightyear. Let's hope those gifts go over well!

6 more sleeps!

My babies will be 4 in 6 more sleeps. I find it so hard to believe! Sometimes I look at them and marvel at how grown up they are. They get dressed themselves, and understand and respond to so much. And yet when they are tired, curled up and cuddling on my lap, or want to be carried up to bed and tucked in, I remember that they are still my precious babies, and I hold on to them literally and figurtively. I know that one day in the not-so-distant future, they will be too big to sit on my lap, or they won't want to. So every time my Emma or my Maddie want to snuggle up on the couch I drop anything and everything and cherish every second!

Maddie has a crush

My cousin Dan is in town from Madison, and our own Madison is quite smitten! She followed him around the entire visit and this morning she asked if he would be coming with them when their dad takes them out for pancakes. I told her yes. 5 minutes later she came to me and asked:

"mum, is the funny guy who sleeps in grandma and grandpa's room going to sit beside me?" and I said "his name is Dan and you will have to ask him." So cute! We got a great picture of them snuggling together on the couch. She will for sure throw a fit when he leaves tomorrow!

I ran in a 10 km race today and I came in first. There were only 20 or so people running, but still, I will claim that first place! I ran it in 54:45 which I was ecstatic about as I just wanted to break 60 min. I can definately improve in the next race because this was a fun run and I wasn't implementing my true race style (faster in the beginning for example). I told John to go for pancakes with the girls as is their usual Sunday routine, but I regretted not having them there to cheer me on at the finish line. Oh well, next time.

When John took them to the mall today they ran into Old Navy and Emma hugged the mannequin family that is on display in the front of the store. So cute! She also said she would marry John (it's always grandpa) when she is older, after her Happy Birthday.

Interesting bedtime conversations!

During tonight's tuck-in at bedtime Maddie says "mummy, do all humans get dead?" Not quite what I was expecting considering our normal routine consists of stories about princesses, cuddles and kisses. I asked her what she meant and then she went on some strange tangent about Tarzan and subsequently forgot her original question, so I've dodged that one indefinately. John and I are very honest with the girls but we keep things age appropriate so as not to scare them and so they understand what we are telling them. Yesterday at a friend's house Emma asked him about the tattoo on his arm. He hesitated as he did not know if he should tell her it's a tattoo (he doesn't have kids yet but his wife is expecting a girl). I told him to tell her the truth. Kids absorb a lot and are aware of a lot, no point in lying to them. But I wasn't about to have Maddie worry that all humans get dead! That's a conversation for another time.

Emma and I were watching the cross country 50 km marathon during the Olympics. There was a skiier way out front ahead of the rest of the pack. I guess she couldn't tell if he was in front or behind because she says to me "I think that fella is lost!" So cute. She also asked if dad (John) was my husband and I replied that he was. She then says "did you get married in the marrying castle with the kiss of true love?" to which I responded "um, yes, I suppose we did!" lol