Packing, Again

Every time we decide to go somewhere I have my children pack their own outfits (seven is old enough!). This is how we do it:

I tell them how many days we will be gone and therefore how many outfits they will need. One outfit consists of a top, a bottom, underwear and socks.

One pair of jammies for every two or three nights.

Shoes, usually one tennis-type and one something else.

Bathing suit and other one-off items as well as an extra change of underwear and socks or two.

This works out well for everyone because they decide on the outfits to wear, I just bat clean up by making sure that everything is in each set, that each outfit matches (at least to some degree), and then load it all into the suitcase.

Well, usually what happens is that we do all this work and in the suitcase the outfits get remixed and at the end of each trip the children end up with outfits made up of what they have not yet worn and usually there are some really mismatched (read "glaring") outfits.

So, this time after inspection I had them load each outfit into a little baggie so each outfit will stay together and they can just pull the baggie out, get dressed and then we can reuse the baggie for the next trip. Of course, Sissy's are all labeled and divided into categories and Max's well, his are packed!

Happy travels!

What Do you Want to Get?

I told my twins they could each pick a gift for the other for Christmas. I gave them each the catalog that has so many choices circled that it is almost impossible to tell who circled what.

Max sat down with the catalog and managed to find something that was not circled. He came running over to me and said, "This is what I want to get for Sissy." It's funny, it was something she had showed me at the store and I'm not sure how she missed it in the catalog but she did. Max is so loving and sensitive and really pays attention to what people like.

Sissy, on the other hand, sits down and picks the first thing she sees that Max circled. I asked her if she was sure and she said, "Yes!" It was something small, so I asked her if she wanted to get something else and she said, "No, I just want to get him three of those." I had a hard time not laughing and just saying, "All right, I'll let you pick them then."

It's funny, they both went about the choice completely differently but I'm sure they will each be most appreciative of the other's choice. They do know each other well, must be that special twin bond.

Is the Tooth Fairy Too Busy?

My seven-year-old son lost another tooth a couple nights ago. Of course, I did not arrive home until after he was in bed so I had no knowledge of it until the next morning. This is how I found out:



I went into Max's room to wake him as usual and we followed our usual routine of a little quiet wake-up time, he gets out of bed on his own or I help (his choice) we fool around a couple minutes then I leave him to get dressed and ready for school while I complete my morning routine. So, yesterday we are fooling around on the floor of his room and all of the sudden he bolts to his feet, sprints across the room, and makes a diving leap onto his bed. I say, "Oh, no you don't!" Because I thought we was getting back in bed, which he sometimes does.



He eagerly lifts his pillow and his face melts. I look on as he lifts the little baggie with his tooth inside and says, "Awww, no tooth fairy." I was so sad. I had no idea that the tooth fairy was supposed to make a visit or I might have been able to plant a little reminder in her ear. I reply, "Well, Boo, a lot of children must have lost teeth last night and so she was really busy." That did not make him feel any better but it maybe provided an explanation for him to mull about.



So, last night when I tucked him in he lifted his pillow to check for his tooth with a hopeful gesture that the tooth fairy might not forget. Well, guess what? When I woke him this morning, the first thing he did was lift his pillow and check. The tooth fairy is so awesome, she remembered! Max had two brand new $1 bills under his pillow and he was so excited.



I know how busy parents are so the tooth fairy must be swamped. But it's the little things that mean so much to our children. Sometimes I forget that and it takes these little lessons to reinforce.

The F-Bomb

Last week after I awoke the children Max comes in and asks me what the F-word is. I reply, "I don't know, what is the F-word?"

"I don't know. Come on, just tell me."

"Where did you hear that word?" I ask

"No where."

"Well, then why are you asking what the F-word is if you never heard it? I would like to know who you heard it from."

"Umm, well...ummm. So, at school Alex said that Nick said the F-word. So, I'm asking what the F-word is."

"I'm not going to tell you what the F-word is because it is an inappropriate word to say at any age. And I don't want to say it and I certainly do not want you to say it." While thinking to myself, are seven year olds really supposed to be exposed to this stuff, they grow up so fast these days. I'm pretty sure I had no idea that the "F-word" existed when I was seven. Meanwhile, Sissy is sitting there taking it all in, as usual.

"Okay."

Wow, the questions are only getting tougher.

The Season of Receiving

Or...this is how Max sees it.

Yesterday Max and Sissy were in the hall or their bathroom or somewhere having a serious discussion about something, per usual. Then Max comes running in and says, "Sissy says that she is not going to get me a Christmas gift even if I get her one. If I get her one then she HAS to get me one."

I reply, "Christmas is the season of GIVING, not the season of RECEIVING."

Then, I stop and think for a moment and Max says, "Why is it the season of giving? Christmas is Jesus' birthday so he received gifts."

"Hmmm, you are right." Then I continue to I explain about the wise men and all the GIVING that occurred, the meaning of Christmas, etc.

"Well, then Sissy would be mean if she did not give ME a gift."

"That will be Sissy's choice. My guess is that she will decide to give you a gift. But, if she doesn't that's her choice."

All the while I know it will all work out. My twins are like an old married couple except that they use a lot of empty threats with each other. It can be quite painful to watch but the always kiss and make up before too much time passes. The twin bond is a lovely and unexplainable phenomenon.

You Know, Christmas Is Coming.

Max has been more than hinting for the last month or so that he would like to have a skateboard for Christmas. So, yesterday morning he wanders into my bathroom where I stand applying my make up to perfection and says, "Mommy, I would like to have a skateboard for Christmas."

I wonder to myself, "Did he think I did not hear that the twenty thousand times he has already said that?" He even showed me exactly which one he wants.

He continues, "Pleeeeeeaaaaaase, will you get me a skateboard for Christmas? Will you get me a skateboard? Why won't you get me a skateboard?" And so many more questions about a skateboard that I thought I might start to daydream about skateboards. Finally, I explained that presents are a surprise and if, only if, I was going to get a skateboard for him, I would not tell him because then it would not be a surprise.

Max takes a moment to digest this tidbit then says, "Well, if you do get me a skateboard then, you know which one I want, it's the one with the skulls and the black tires with the fire on them." (I am reminiscent to the Red Rider BB Gun In A Christmas Story here.)

I think to myself, I really should start deciding what I am going to do for Christmas as it is not that far away.

Can I Watch the Election?

Max woke up this morning, dressed right away, and came in to my bathroom where I was finishing up my make up masterpiece. He asks, "Is today the election?" To which I reply, "Yes, honey." He then starts talking about the elections in general. I thought to myself that they must be talking about it a lot in school. We talked about the presidential candidates, and then I challenged him with a math problem. "If you can vote when you are eighteen, how long until you can vote?" He calculated correctly, he is seven so he has to wait 11 years. Then, "If we only elect a president every four years, when will the next presidential election be that you will be able to vote in?"

"Four years, I thought we got to do this all again next year! That's no fair!" Then he calculated the right answer again, in three more presidential elections he will be able to vote.

As I complete my routine and start heading toward the kitchen, Max asks me again if he can "watch the election." I found this a little surprising because there is really not a lot to watch. He was asking as if he thought he would be able to watch a ball game.

I never allow TV in the morning but, for this particular special occasion, I acquiesced. He turned on the TV and then asked what channel he might be able to watch the election. I told him any of the news channels might have something on but, it just was too early to really see anything. Then, "Since I cannot watch the election right now, can I watch a kid's show?"

Now, there I draw the line. I told him that was not allowed. He peacefully turned the TV off, got his backpack and other items together and lined up at the door to leave. Given the ease of that entire encounter, I would try that again. See, elections can be peaceful.