M-A-D-E-I-N-C-H-I-N-A

Yesterday I decided to grant Evelyn's wish to shop with some Grandpa Tom and Grandma Jane birthday money for clothes for her American Girl doll. I picked her up from school, we exchanged her check for dollar bills at the bank, then we headed a bit of a distance to a doll shop. On our way Henry noticed a building painted with a mural of fish, dogs, and other pets. He said, "I want to go see the fishies!!!!" I told him, "Not right now. We are going to the doll shop for Evelyn." This didn't go over well, because the large pets painted all over the building beckoned to my young son. By the time we got to the shop he was really mad. He was so upset that he refused to get out of the van. I decided to carry Vivian and let Henry walk, since the place was small and we were parked directly in front of the main door. Not using my stroller was a mistake. I physically overpowered him to get him out of his carseat and into the store while carrying the baby. At that point he pretty much lost it. He went limp, collapsed to the floor, wailed, and kicked his feet. I stepped around him, asked the saleslady to please excuse my crying son, and told Evelyn to shop. He was so loud. I was embarrassed. Ev was embarrassed. The two workers just ignored him and one later told me she'd been there before. I apologized and told her we were too far from home to turn around and leave because of his tantrum. "He'll stop," I said. He cried for 60 minutes. No, I know it felt that long, but my guess is six minutes. He then got up and found the Bitty Baby in a baseball uniform. From there he noticed a clown doll to which he said, "That doll scares me." Evelyn picked skinny pink jeans, a retro shirt, and sequined flip flops for Julie. She was thrilled with her purchase, and she counted out the money to pay the cashier. The lady gave Ev a birthday gift in a sack. She unwrapped it in the van, and I said, "What does it say?" I thought the little mug had words wrapping around it. I laughed when she spelled M-A-D-E-I-N-C-H-I-N-A. I told her what it spelled, and she said, "Oh, is this a China cup?" She's heard me talk about my china dishes. After school I took Olivia to see her orthodontist. The doctor learned about Olivia's intentions to donate her hair to Locks of Love, and he looked genuinely impressed. Right before we left his office, a receptionist handed Olivia an envelope. "Doctor wanted you to have this, Olivia." Inside was a handwritten note commending Olivia for her big heart. He offered many kind words, and he included a Sonic gift card. She was over the moon with excitement. Her hair is nearly to her waist, and it is quite lovely. I keep telling myself that I am so fortunate to have a little girl who wants to give up a little part of herself for the good of another child. I love her long hair, and it will be strange once it is short. She misunderstood my hesitation when she first shared her wish with us, and she said, "Mommy, Vivian doesn't have any hair, and she's still beautiful." "Oh, honey. It isn't your hair that makes you beautiful. Your hair is very, very pretty, but your heart is what makes you beautiful. Your goodness makes you beautiful." Vivian tries to bite the kids' toes. If she notices bare feet hanging off the couch, then she'll hurry over and try to sink her teeth into them. She does this while standing up in her Pack-n-Play while I read to Ev and Henry in the glider too. She wants to bite toes. We laugh really hard every time a child narrowly misses the wrath of Vivian. Today we enjoyed playgroup outdoors at a friend's house. The mom has boy-girl twins Henry's age, and this group allows him to play with several other 2-year-old boys. Vivian has two baby boy friends just her age. They've been walking for months. Today she pushed a little cart all over the driveway while using a really wide walking stance. Her short skirt showed off her super fat baby thighs, and the other mamas ooohed and aahed over Vivian's fatness. We had fun. Getting together with a diverse group of intelligent moms in my same life stage is a source of mental health. Give me a fair amount of sleep, some exercise, one cup of coffee in the morning, my amazing husband, some affection, understanding friends, and I can handle this mommy job pretty well. Laughter brightens my days, and I love how it comes in unexpected moments. Today Henry had on...you guessed it, CARS PJs. He slipped out the back door for some reason or another, and when he came back into the house I saw that he had on Olivia's silver ballet flats. He quickly kicked them off before I could capture the moment on film. What a boy!