Much like the chicken-flu...

The girls have been going to the same sitter since they were each 8 weeks old. Ms. Dot is a no-nonsense, I'll-put-your-little-rear-in-time-out, and-then-I-will-smother-you-with-kisses kind of lady. She's a flippin matriarch. She has grown children of her own, grown grandchildren, then watches a handful of random kids each day ranging from the age of 5 months to 5 years. The woman is either the most patient woman in the world, or so certifiably insane that the government secretly watches her. And my kids stay with her---I am so lucky.

Ms. Dot is a Cajun. She admits it. I swear, the woman drives to Louisiana twice a month just to eat crawfish and soak up the swampy atmosphere. But we still love her. Every once in a while, she says something that makes me just want to keel over and die laughing.

Over the past two weeks, Ms. Dot has lost a lot of her little ragamuffins to a fever. One day, one kid was out; the next two were out; and before you know it, four are missing. Obviously, it's some kind of fun little virus that all the little urchins are sharing. They won't share their toys, but an annoying virus?! Sure! Pass it on! Lovely. I just found out, this very morning, that the wee Loco-boy has chicken pox. I actually haven't gotten confirmation from his mom, but if Ms. Dot says it, it's gospel. So, in my non-medical expertise, I'm thinking that chicken pox is going around, and the kids that have been vaccinated against it are just getting fevers. See? I'm not a doctor, and this is why. I'm not even sure that's possible, but I'm a mom, and there MUST be a reason. So anyways...where was I going with this? Oh yes...so, Ms. Dot and I are discussing this viral occurance, when she says:

"I don't care what they say, it's the foreigners that are bringing all these viruses in. It's the foreigners! It's just like that 'chicken-thing' that's going around. They're crossing the borders and bringing it all in."

I just nod and smile, and try not to give her an odd look. After all, she loves my kids.

Remember this...

Jenna and I were lying in my bed last night, just having some "Mommy & Jenna Time," as she calls it. I was doing a crossword puzzle, and she was helping by writing the letters in the boxes for me. While I was trying to come up with a reasonable (and correct) answer for one of the clues, her little hand covered mine. I looked at her, and she said, "Mommy, when I grow up, I don't want to go to college."
"What? Why?" I asked.
"Because, Mommy. I don't ever want to leave you."

:)

There's no place like home

Okay, I'm holed up in Cupertino, CA working my butt off. I'm ticked because (a)I have to be at work at 7am (b)I have to be at work at 7am (c) I have to be at work at 7am, and d) BECAUSE i have to be at work at 7am and work until 6 or 7, then work for my other clients after that, I have NO time to do anything fun. I have a nice friend that lives close by (Hi Sally!) and I can't even call and get together with her because I'm too busy working. :(

Plus, I miss my chicks!!

Conversations with Jenna

--This is from a while back, but it cracks me up everytime I hear her say it.--

Me: Okay, Jen, it's your night. Pick a movie.
Jen: I want the rest of the cats.
Me: Huh? What?
Jen: I want the rest of the cats.
Me: The rest of what cats?
Jen: NO! I want the rest of the cats.
Me: I have no idea what you're talking about.
Jen: Mooooom! The.Rest.Of.The.Cats.
Me: [blank look]
Jen: This, mom, THIS![holding up a movie]
Me: Ah, "The Aristocats."

She always asks for "The rest of the cats," no matter how many times I get her to say A-RIS-TO-CATS.

I scream, you scream...

then mommy screams because "What is that?! Is that ice cream?! Chocolate?! Oh.my.word. That's her NEW DRESS!!" and Jenna sits quietly, sucking out Spider-Man's gummy eyeballs.













This, this mess, was what I found when I went to go pick the chicks up from their dad's last night. Needless to say, there was a "hosing of the children" before they got into the car...