The Pea

This morning we headed back to our favorite little theater for a cute rendition of

The Princess and the Pea.

The Prince was into comic books and his mother, an overbearing and overprotective woman, wanted him to mature and grow up. He just wanted to play Super Dude. He met a girl in the forest. She wore a cape and mask and was called Super Chick. She liked comic books, too. And turned out to be the girl chosen for him by his mother. They had the same favorite color: rainbow; liked to dance freestyle; and neither cared much for peas.

Princess Super Chick got tipped off about the pea under the mattresses by the royal cat. The queen was thrilled that the test was passed. The princess was tremendously guilty about cheating and confessed. Which was the real test after all. Everyone was thrilled. And they all lived happily ever after.

It was quirky and quick and funny. Roo laughed all the way through it. Em watched it as though she might be quizzed upon completion. Seriously invested.

Then, we went to lunch with our fun friends that attended the play with us. Yum.

After that? Cupcakes and ice cream!

A busy day that gave way to another nice surprise. Cuddly, sleepy girls wanting a story.

Christmas comes but twice a year

J and I had a system worked out for Thanksgiving morning. The parade was top priority for me and not so much for him. There was a lot of cooking and meal prep to be done. And, of course, Rowdy Girl wrangling. The plan was for me to take first shift in the kitchen while J watched the girls and kept them out of mischief. Then, we would swap duties and the girls and I could watch the Macy's parade together.

What really happened is that the girls wanted to be everywhere I was. And everywhere that Mammaw was. J used the long-time coping strategy that is channel 42. The Disney channel.

So, they settled down with him, in the master bedroom, watching The Mouse and I scrambled to meet my parade deadline.

Finishing up, I came back to our bedroom to find J fast asleep, Em playing with office supplies in his desk and Roo quietly occupied in our closet.

With. Her. Christmas. Presents.

Yep, she found the dollhouse I'd hidden and was blissfully playing house.

No going back.

We pulled it all out and handed it over to 2 very happy little girls.

At least it was gifted on a major holiday.

over the hedge

Em escaped.

Yesterday morning we woke to her cheerful, "Hi, Mama!" as she climbed into our bed.
J's first reaction was to look at me and say, "Did you let her out?"
Most certainly not.

She also has a black eye.


I think she hit the corner of her crib while going over. Not that she cried about it. It was much too exhilarating an experience to cry over.

By nap time Em was exhausted. Thanks to getting up an hour early and abrakadoodling. She crashed hard and never tried to climb out.

We held out hope that the shiner on her face was lesson enough. That she would settle in and that would be the end of it.

Ten minutes after goodnight kisses and closing the door, she opened it. Her face was radiant.
Her glowing expression said,
"I'm baaa-ack! How awesome is this? We can play all night now!"

Immediately, Em was hustled back to her room. J popped open her PeaPod travel bed and we zipped her inside.

She cried like her heart was broken.

I felt awful.

And then I remembered that a friend's child spent months in a cast after breaking his leg during a crib dive. And her black eye is still fresh. Not to mention the scabbing so close to her eye that could have meant stitches or worse.

Guilt-be-gone.

*Crib tent has been purchased and will be arriving soon. I wonder if the nice lady and compliant toddler come with it and if she cooks and does laundry? What a deal!