some cute kids

This post is more for me than for anyone else, but you're all welcome to skim it anyway... My kids are at a suuuuuuper cute stage right now. All of them. Entertaining and sweet and maddening and crazy and giggly.

Carson loves/hates playing with Charlie. He (Carson) gets all crazy and dances in front of Charlie, but then when (not if, but when) Chuck jumps up on him, Carson gets mad. "Charlie, leave me!"

The kids had a super good laugh when I replaced the words to the classic hit "Every party has a pooper" (don't tell me that's not a classic) with "Every Charlie is a chewer." They laughed for a long time and kept singing it amongst themselves. Is it weird that I get a little mommish-warm-fuzzy-proud when I do something silly that they love? Maybe because I know that someday they'll be mature and will only roll their eyes at my lameness. But that day isn't today, and I'm going to maximize my opportunities o' lameness. (See what I mean?)

Layla is adorable, with all her dolls and barbies and stuff. Her imagination is fairy-tale-driven, and every playtime situation that I'm fortunate to overhear involves a girl with (a) a crush on a boy, or (and preferably) (b) a boy who has a crush on the girl but she's too good for him. (???) I sense some broken hearts in her future...and not necessarily other boys'...

The other night, Layla was giving Addie "ballet lessons" which involved holding both arms straight out and galloping sideways from the fireplace to the stairs railing. Over and over again. Layla performed like a champ (not a gracefully light-footed champ, mind you, but a champ nonetheless). Addie got the arms-out motion right, but spent the duration of the lesson in a full-out sprint to the railing or fireplace. Layla was very patient. Addie was very tired afterward.

Addie is fiercely independent. Except lately at mealtimes, when she carries all her food items to either Paul's or my setting and demands to sit in our laps and eat. Which is fine (not really...I just try to tell myself that. It's actually a bit annoying), but have you ever tried to eat salad with a tall toddler on your lap? Not the easiest of feats, and more than a few pieces of stray lettuce and spinach have ended up in her hair.

My favorite thing about Addie lately is how she'll push some button on some toy that makes music and immediately start dancing. Dancing that resembles a small elephant trying to go poop. Sorry, too graphic for you? Well, then just come on over to watch my daughter dance and see what images are conjured up for YOU. You'll see what I'm talking about. But, I must say, it's the most endearing little elephant-poop dance you'll ever see, if that's good for anything.

Carson and Layla have locked themselves in a room lately and played for hours. Pure, unadulturated, laughing, tv-free play. It.Is.Glorious. And endearing. And I pretty much throw candy at them afterward when they ask to have a snack because they're just so cute and nice and happy. (And, lately, I've been loving candy, and that's usually what's within arm's reach when they come ask me...heh...)

Anyway. That's us lately. It's a pretty stinking fun time of life, if you ask me. Which you didn't, but I told you anyways. I'm nice like that.