My little girls have a friend who lives behind us. Her name is Mallory. Yesterday she said to me, "Whenever my mom is mad at me, she calls me both my names. She says, 'MalloryDanielle!' That's how I know she's mad, because 'Danielle' has the 'yell' in it."
Bikinis and Macaroni!
Yesterday, Karoline asked for "bikinis every day."
Since she doesn't have a bikini, I was a little perplexed.
"You mean you want to wear your bathing suit every day?"
"No, bikinis every day."
"You mean you want to go to the pool every day?"
"No, bikinis every day!"
Great. She's two years old and already we have a modesty and clothing issue.
"Karoline, I don't understand. You want bikinis every day?"
"Yes. I want bikinis and macaroni every day. It's my favorite food for summer, just like you."
Aha. She wants Zucchini and Macaroni! The ultimate summer comfort food. The mere smell of it transports me to my grandmother's kitchen or the kitchen of my Aunt Lisette, where I am being smothered with love. And pasta. And parmesan.
What could be a better choice for dinner, on this, the anniversary of the introduction of the bikini?
Karoline: Mama, can I make the house all bright and shiny today?
Me (with some surprise at the unsolicited offer): Of course! That would be very nice. I'll go get a spray bottle.
Armed with a spray bottle and some paper towels, I made my way back upstairs, where I heard Christian: Karoline! WHY are you shaking glitter all over the floor? What are you thinking?!
Karoline, stomping with authority: You go away! Mama said I could!
Karoline to Katie: Let's play "Babies." You be the mom and I'll be the girl. You drive me to soccer. Bring your checkbook.
Nicky: I wonder why Sam doesn't write me anymore? I haven't gotten any emails from anyone since March 20. Well, that's not totally true. My last three emails have been from myself, because I was getting so annoyed that no one was writing to me that I wrote myself to cheer myself up.
I think perhaps that middle children in big families have exceptional social coping skills.
I'm Elizabeth. I'm a happy wife and the mother of nine children. I grab grace with both hands and write to encourage myself and others to seize and nurture the joy of every day. I blog here with my daughter, Mary Beth, a wholehearted young lady on the brink of adulthood.
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