In his free time, my son also plays basketball.  A couple of weekends ago we were at one of his games.  I was sitting right behind the basket, so that I could get a picture of Connor making a shot.  My husband, and the rest of the kids were some distance away, on the sidelines.  At one point during the game Collin decided he was going to get a drink from the water fountain.  The water fountain was located with the restrooms down a very short hall right next to where my husband was sitting with the kids.  I see the two of them talking and then Collin wander off alone down the hallway toward the water fountain.  At this point my husband forgets all about Collin and begins watching the game. I am trying to watch the game and watch for Collin to return.  I notice it is taking a bit longer than I am comfortable with.  Just as I am about to get up and go off in search Collin saunters back in.  He very casually walks back into the gym, and climbs up into his seat beside my husband.  Completely naked.  No pants, no shoes, no socks, NOTHING.  And begins to watch the game.  At this point I am gesturing frantically to my husband.  He finally turns and notices his naked child next to him and, in the nature of fathers everywhere, loses his mind.  

Can you believe I was sitting right there with my camera, and didn't get a picture?  What was I thinking? (It's hard to see, but in the photo above, he is in white, #42- he has just thrown the ball toward the net- toward, but not in!  :)

I went over to a neighbor's house tonight and heard the nicest thing about my daughter.  (The dress twirler, who is part monkey).  This neighbor substitutes in my daughter's school.  Today she was subbing in the special ed classroom.  One of her students goes to PE with my daughter's class one day a week for mainstreaming.  Her name is Olivia.  My neighbor told me that Olivia was having a very bad day today.  She had to restrain her several times, and there were a lot of tantrums and other behaviors going on.  When she brought Olivia to the gym she was having some trouble.  Apparently, most of the first graders were very wide-eyed and staring, not knowing how to respond to this.  But Lauren stood up (they were seated on the floor) and flung her arms open and said "Olivia!  Come on over here! "  And Olivia calmed down and walked over to Lauren, and Lauren gave her a big hug, and then sat her down right next to her on the mat, and told her, "I'm so glad you're here, I was waiting for you to come!"  And then Lauren held her hand, and rubbed her back throughout the class whenever she was getting nervous or upset.  But Olivia made it all the way through the class, participated and had a good time, with Lauren.  My neighbor told me she and the PE teacher were both amazed that Olivia was so successful, and that Lauren had totally jumped right up and made Olivia her friend in that way.  I am really proud of her, but not so very surprised.  She's like a little walking heart- with her shoes on the wrong feet :) 

Lauren recently discovered that our computer has a camera built into it.  And it takes all sorts of wacky photos.  I came in one day and discovered we had over 100 pictures in our "photobooth".  90 of them were Lauren!!!

So today I am on my way to a parent teacher conference and dropping off my 9-and-three-quarters daughter at a friend's house on the way.  As we are driving to the friend's house we drove past something that smelled truly awful.  Awful like 157 Don's Johns. All piled on top of one another.  On a hot day in August.  On the sun.  I finally made some comment like, "Oh my gosh what is that smell??!!" to which my daughter replied, "Oh, I thought that was you mom."

Kind of reminds me of the birthday card my sister got from my nephew.  He worked for an hour on it, drawing the picture, getting the letters done perfectly.  The message reads "Happy 100th birthday mom".    

Someone sent me a picture of her son and nephew today that reminded me of something that happened a few years ago.  I love remembering stuff I had forgotten!  My daughter Devin, when she was about 2 and a half, liked to pretend that she was a dog.  She'd get under the table with her plate, cozy up on the floor with blankets... you get the idea.  One day my mom was visiting and dragged her in from the backyard, half dressed and wholly indignant.  Nudity was nothing new here.    Apparently, however, Devin had decided to take the doggy game to the next level.  Yep.  She was outside pooping in the backyard.  And furious at my mom for stopping her.  My mom said she was even lifting up her leg over a bush at one point.  I said we had to give her credit for authenticity.  My mom said I should lock my doors more.  My older daughter said, "Wow, Nannie really freaked out today!"  Kind of makes me wish I had a fence some days.  It's okay though, those neighbors have moved.  On both sides of us.  And across from us.  I'm sure it's totally unrelated :)

Here is Fido, asleep in her dog house.

Regret

I was in the grocery store today, and the line was held up for a minute because the checker had to go get another checker who could speak Spanish.  I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on because I was trying to unload my stuff quickly and get home before the school bus.  When I finally did start noticing what was going on I realized the people- presumably a mom and daughter in front of me- were being told that the store could not accept their WIC check.  The check was issued from NY, and the store can only take checks from VA.  I glanced at the total on their order, it was only 24 dollars.  The woman told the checker she was not able to pay for the groceries without the WIC check, and asked her to put the things back.  Milk, orange juice, cheese and some dry beans.  I was about to tell the cashier to just add it to my stuff, but I hesitated. Was it too weird?  Would the woman be offended?  Was it stupid?  And in that moment of debate, the cashier cleared the items, and the people left.  They just walked out with no milk, and no food.  I really wish I had spoken up.  

The other day I took my two littlest boys to our Weekly 'Toddlin' Time' class.  As I went to the back seat to unbuckle my son Declan I noticed he was staring at me.  He looked at me intensely, and then his face got all sort of soft and lovey looking.  Wow, I thought.  This is it!  Look at the look of complete love on his face. This is what it is all about.  What a deeply rewarding and wonderful moment.  I stood there for a while, in the freezing January cold, just looking back at him, not wanting this magical moment of mother-son bonding to come to an end.  Then he says, "Mom, I can see myself in you's glasses." Zonk!

You know though, that was not our most exciting and memorable Christmas play with the 4Rs. When my daughters were 3 we decided to make a big celebration out of the evening.  We loaded everyone up in the car, invited the grandparents, and headed out to dinner and then the play.  During our dinner at Ruby Tuesday Lauren had a small accident.  Well.  No time to go home, no time to stop somewhere.  So, the solution was to take off the tights and underpants under her dress.  You can totally see where I am headed, can't you?  

I told her to be careful, and leave her dress DOWN all evening.  Well, of course she didn't.  The first time, my lovely daughter - front and center- accidentally twirled her dress up.  When she realized she was getting a big reaction from the audience she kept doing it, until the teacher grabbed her, and made her stand in the back.  I'd like to say that I can't imagine a Christmas play being more memorable than that one, but I don't want to jinx myself.  We still have one more play to get through. I am starting to think that preschool is going to be glad to see the last of us!  

Here they are- dresses down!  

Lauren,  the infamous dress-twirler (The blond in the waaay back, singing)

Her partner in crimes and misdemeanors, Devin (also singing)

The pretty blond girl to your left is their life-long buddy and best pal Katie.