Watch out Ladies

Declan can seriously work the lip. 

I mean it's dangerous, folks.

You may go into cuteness overload. 

My Little Entrepreneur!

Last week Claire went with my mom to the flea market on Saturday.  My mom goes every weekend during the season and sells fresh cooked pork skins, homemade salves deodorant and tooth powder, etc.  Claire has been asking to go and try to sell her little rubber band bracelets and since it was Labor Day weekend and should be busy and she had built up a good little inventory we decided to let her.  She walked in the door late that afternoon with $65 in her hand!

She was apparently quite the salesperson. Lots of people gave her extra money and told her to keep the change, etc. One lady just walked up and put a few bills in her hand and said she just wanted to support her enterprise and when she walked away Claire realized it was $10. She was a big hit!

I'm so proud of her. She had taken $20 of the money she made to buy more bands to make bracelets and the rest she split in half to spend and to save.  (She bought herself a Lego set with her spend money.)  Yesterday we went to open a savings account for her at the credit union. She pulled just the bills out of her piggy bank and was able to open her first bank account with $55! We plan on working on the coins this week to add to her account. 

And now this morning she got up extremely early to head to the flea market with my mom again. She has been working on bracelets all week and wants to learn how to make bead bracelets to expand her inventory. I'm just so impressed with her. I did not have that kind of drive and entrepreneurial spirit at 9 years old!

She ate meat!

Claire is a very picky eater.  I don't make her special meals or cater to her, but that is just how she is.  She has to try one bite and if she doesn't like it she doesn't have to eat it, but she doesn't get anything else.  We have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day so she doesn't starve, she just waits for the next mealtime. She especially doesn't care for meat.  She will eat chicken nuggets or bacon, but that's about it.  I think she doesn't like the texture. 

Tonight, dinner was roast chicken, potato pancakes, biscuits and mixed veggies.  She ATE the chicken!!  AND said it was good!  I'm in shock. 

Excuse me while I go get some smelling salts ...

My Children

I've debated about what to call my children on here. For some reason I don't want to use their names, but just saying "son" and "daughter" is boring. I think I've narrowed down on nicknames for them, but I think I need to tell you a little more about them for it to make sense.

Have you ever read the O. Henry story "Kidnapping of Red Chief"? That is my daughter. She's 3 years old and knows everything. Her favorite response when I ask her to do something she doesn't want to is, "I don't think so." She wants to go somewhere and see something new everyday. She can drive me crazy. But the things that drive me crazy about her are also the things I love about her. She's smart, active, opinionated (I have no idea where she gets that!), and can talk your ear off. She's never met a stranger and is at home everywhere she goes (which can be embarrassing for mama!) She's funny and affectionate and knows what she wants to do and when. She loves going to my mother's coffee shop and meeting and greeting the customers. When at home she is either spreading her craft box all over the coffee table or is in her room "reading" her books. She's growing into such an interesting little person and I can really appreciate that when I'm trying not to lose my temper with her! In honor of Mr. O. Henry (my daughter gets her bookworm tendencies from me!) I dub her Miss Red Chief! Or Miss Red for short.

My son will be 6 months old next week and we are just starting to see glimpses of his personality. He's a very happy little boy, loves to cuddle and is happiest on my hip. Not so happy in a swing or bouncer. He wants Mama or Daddy all the time. He had a rough start at birth and had his first helicopter ride at 2 hours old when they airlifted him to the nearest NICU. He spent 6 days there, but does not seem to have any major long term effects. Last week he started being able to sit up on his own for extended periods and he was so proud of himself as evidenced by his big, gummy grins. He just started solid food and has had brown rice, avocado and sweet potato so far - all homemade by mama. I had a hard time deciding what to call him since most of his little pet names would sound pretty stupid in a year or two. I've settled on Monkey for now. He clings to me like a little monkey and loves when Daddy plays adventurously with him.

I love my children and being home with them even when they run me ragged . Most days if I'm lucky I get a nap overlap in the afternoon and I usually do some quick housework, but I have to sit done and have some "Mama Time" and this seems to becoming part of it. I usually leave it quiet in the house and read or go on the internet to "see" my mommy friends. But I need that time to preserve my sanity and all mothers do. Some get it in different ways, but we all have to have time to use for ourselves. We will always have naptime/quiet time in this house!