Salami and school lunch

The girls have been extra cute lately. After a wild day at work, I arrived home late last night to jumping up and down, screaming little girls at the door, and so Steve joined in jumping up and down and screaming too. He's awesome like that. So this started a giggle war which resulted in a sandwich hug, so we squeezed the monkeys in between us and they laughed and squirmed. Then we let go and Sophie screamed, (literally...we call this her eagle scream), "I'M THE SALAMI, AND LIVY'S THE CHEESE AND AND AND MOM AND DAD ARE BUNS! DO IT AGAIN!" So we did. "NOW TAKE A BITE!!!!" she screeched, so we did...right out of her belly, which resulted in multiple belly laughs, then wrestling. The beginning of our nightly routine....

This morning, Olivia told me a very exciting story about how Mrs. Jones, her Kindergarten teacher, let her sharpen pencils last week. "The sharpener isn't like ours with the crank, Mom. It's rematic and does it by magic!!!" I corrected her with the word automatic but other than that, that was the most exciting story ever! Especially to her!

On our way back from swimming at the Y tonight, we stopped to get gas in Polk City before heading up the hill to home. The girls and sat in the car while Steve filled up the car and then went overboard scrubbing all the windows and checking things. So we were bored. Sophie and Olivia started whining incessantly about candy in the store and how they needed a treat and how good they were. When all of their efforts failed, Sophie threatened me saying, "Mom! If you don't give me food, I will starve and then not love you anymore!" I said sadly, "Aww...Soph, you didn't mean that. Those are just things and we are people. Things go away and people are here with you and love you. Don't say that to mom." She was quiet and then said adamantly, "FINE! I LOVE YOU! Now giiive me a TWEAT!!!!!" Even Olivia laughed at her antics. Then Sophie joined in and decided she was being silly. Sometimes, I think she might become an actress...someplace that fully appreciates her outbursts and eagle screeches.

Another funny thing I found last night after work was the girls' room an organized mess. All of the buckets from their toy organizer were dumped out in one big pile, and each bucket was lined up on the floor in rows. Then, in each bucket, there was one animal, each a different specie. Sophie came barreling down the stairs and screeched, "SEE OUR ZOO MOM?!" She then showed me a special cage she made for her plastic lizard. She built a special home out of these magnet shapes you can put together to build anything. Pretty cool. But she had not only made the structure, but put a bale of hay next to it, a rock for the lizard to sit on, complete with a Barbie fireplace, and a litter box.....for the lizard. Impressed, I asked if the lizard had a name. Sophie said, "Yep. Sella."

OK. Sella it is. Sella is living large.

This week, Olivia has a special Thanksgiving dinner at school. The school lunch ladies put together an extra special meal with Thanksgiving type food, and the kids get to invite their parents to join them. Even though I work the night before, and the meal is at noon, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Olivia was so excited to invite me. I could not fail her. So, on Thursday, I'll not take Benedryl to go to sleep that morning after work, and I'll get up in time to dress to meet her for our date, in the school cafeteria. I can't wait.