children

Wow, another Lexi-ism so soon!  I’m going to share some info and not because I’m trying to brag but so you can get the gist of this.  Through Compassion., we sponsor a boy in Hondorus, a girl in India and just yesterday the girls and I “picked out” a boy in Kenya thanks to the recent blogger trip there.

So I’m watching American Idol and Lexi comes out from her bedroom bumping her thumbs together, looking perplexed.

Lexi: Mommy, did we order a boy yesterday or did we adopt him?

Me (trying not to break down): We didn’t adopt.  That’s when someone comes to live with you.  We agreed to give this boy money so he can go to school and have food to eat.

Lexi: Well, can we order another girl so we have 2 boys and 2 girls?

First off, of course, the order bit was hilarious.  Secondly, she’s SO Scott’s child wanting things to be even.  She cracks me up!

I post this with caution because I’m going blog about a very serious topic with humor.  Divorce.  I don’t think it’s a funny thing.  I’ve said it before we don’t  use that in our conversations.  But Emma heard about a boy in her class today whose parents live in different houses and the conversation that ensued was, well, funny.

The girls aren’t really around anyone that’s divorced so I guess the concept was a bit foreign.  Emma brought it up at dinner tonight.  So I calmly explained that sometimes Mommy’s and Daddy’s decide not to be married anymore and then live in two different houses and that the kids would probably live with one of them.  Leave it to Lexi…

Lexi (talking brightly as if she had a great idea): Daddy, I would live with you here and Mommy you could live in the house next door and be our neighbor!  I want to live with Daddy because he knows how to build stuff!

Me (feigning hurt-sort of): Lexi, you would pick Daddyy??

Lexi: Yes!

Me: Emma, you would live with Mommy wouldn’t you?

Emma: Yes!  I was just going to say I would pick Mommy.

Well.  At least I know what to expect ahead of time.

Me: Lexi, is today your make-up day at school from Wednesday when you were out?

Lexi: What? I get to wear make-up at school today?!

We take Lexi to register for Kindergarten this fall at lunch today.  In true second-child fashion, I’m not nearly as emotional or worried.  Mostly because Lexi is not emotional or worried.  She got so excited yesterday when she found out she’d get to go to Emma’s school today.  She thought she’d be playing on the playground and eating lunch there.

Ok, got distracted writing this post.  We are back from registering.  All nearly a non-issue.  She’s excited to start.  She passed her tests with flying colors.  I remembered a mom last year at Emma’s meet-the-teacher.  She was relaxed and not asking a single question.  She had two older children at the school and it was old-hat.  I felt a little like her today.

Except when we walked out and Scott carried Lexi to the car.  She hid her face in his shoulder to keep from the cold and grasped her new hair ribbons whipping in the wind behind his back.

My baby’s going to Kindergarten, ya’ll.

So it finally happened.  Santa died.  Here’s how it went down.

The big topic of conversation around the house today has been buying the girls a power wheels Barbie jeep.  We even went to look at them at WalMart this afternoon just for them to see which they might be interested in getting.  Upon finding out they are $300 I explained that we would not be buying one there and we might find one that someone has for sale.  Lexi had a suggestion I would love to see work out: “I know!  We need to find somebody that’s rich that doesn’t want their money!”  If only!

So this evening, devoid of rich people throwing their money away, we searched craigslist and were able to find a few in the area available.  So the bedtime conversation consisted of WHEN they were going to get these.  I said it was still a little cold to be outside riding them so maybe Easter would be a great time to get a present like that.  And this is where we drop in.

Emma: Do you remember last Easter when you surprised me with my bike?

Me: Yep.

Emma: The Easter bunny isn’t real is he?

Me: No. (thankful to have that one off the list)

Emma: Santa’s not real either?

Me: No. *pause*  How did you know that? Was that a guess?

Emma: Yes.

(whoops!)

Me: Oh, well, I’m sorry but he’s not real.

Lexi: The tooth fairy either right?

Me: No, not the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny or Santa.

Lexi: So who does the presents?

Me: Me and Daddy.  We bought your Nintendo DS’s at Walmart.  And we ate the cookies and milk.

Lexi: And who puts the money under the pillow?

Me: Me and Daddy.

Emma: So how do you get under there without waking us up?

I demonstrate sneaking under the pillow which they find amusing.

Lexi, with her little mommy voice on, serious but joking all at the same time: You should be ashamed of yourself!

Me: Why? We were just pretending for a while.

Lexi: Because you were lying for too long!

Me: I’m sorry, I thought you would be mad if you knew Santa wasn’t real.

Lexi: It’s not nice. You lied!

More apologies and an explanation of course that God and Jesus WERE real which was met with basically a “Duh, Mom” reaction.

Emma seemed pretty unphased by all of it.  It surprises me Lexi was more mad that we lied versus that any mascots, as Emma calls them, are not real.  Kids surprise you sometimes.

So it’s done.  They’re all dead.  The lying’s done and I’m relieved.

Emma (yelling from the bathroom after school one day): There’s this boy in my class that likes me….and I like him back.

Me: What’s his name?

Emma: Drew.

Later I find on a piece of paper where one of Emma’s friends has written about them liking each other. I think Lexi mentions that Emma has a boyfriend.

Me: Is Drew your boyfriend?

Emma: Maybe it’s true.  Would you let me?

Me: I think you’re a little young for a boyfriend (Like TWENTY YEARS too young!)

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Emma and I are in the van on the way to pick Lexi up from school.

Emma: The TRUTH!  Is the tooth fairy real?

Me: *sigh* No, she’s not.

Emma: So you just take my tooth and put money there don’t you?

Me: Yep, Mommy and Daddy just pretend we are the tooth fairy.

Emma: I’m going to wake up and see you guys next time I lose a tooth!

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This seems to be just smidgen of all the little ways she’s growing up!  Make it stop!