The honesty of a child.....

We had the opportunity last week to see the Body Worlds 3 exhibit last week. It was pretty incredible, most definitely worth going to see, IMO.

When we got to Science World and went to pay our admission, an employee took one look at the children and informed me they absolutely should not see it. I had already gone online and read the FAQ and decided to take them. We didn't tell them up front that these were cadavers, but rather, chose to take the "just answer what is asked" questions. Both the girls are interested in their bodies and what is happening INSIDE, so I thought this would be a perfect display for them to see.

Once we entered the exhibit, we checked out some bones, complete with cross-sections, ligaments, and musculature. It was AMAZING, and the girls seemed intrigued by it all, especially when I showed them what part of THEIR body we were looking at.

Moving along to an actual human body, I held my breath a little as I waited for comments from the girls. None were to be had, short of "wow". So we moved on.

The next exhibit was a man standing, holding his entire skin in one hand. A seemed particularly interested in this one and moved right up to the glass for a better look. I wondered briefly what she was thinking as she stared intently. I didn't wonder too long.

She stared intently and then piped up with "That's his penis hanging down!" before she walked away.

I love that kid.

I wish I could stay home and play all day....

Sometimes I wonder if parents know what their daycare providers really do in a day. All too often, I hear "Gee, I sure wish I could just play with the kids all day" when a child is dropped off.

If only they knew.

Today, for example. H won "Citizen of the Month" at school, which meant she got to go have pizza with the principal. So I had to take her to school early, at a time when C (my daycare boy) is normally dropped off by the bus at our house. To make things easy on everyone, I spoke to both his mom and dad AND send home a written note asking them to let the school and transportation know I would pick him up today. NO PROBLEM, they both told me.

I passed no bus on the way to school. There was no bus at the school either, so I figured we were in the clear.

So silly of me.

He wasn't outside, so I assumed he was waiting in the office. H asked me to walk her in, and I said sure. Problem #1 - I forgot to swap our single stroller out for the double stroller. That's okay, I'll put S in, carry B, and A, R, & L can all walk with H.

We do great... right up to the front door, where I set B down to open the door and he immediately collapsed into a little crumpled heap and begins bawling piteously.

R meanwhile takes one look at the school and literally freaks out, shrieking "NO NO NO" and slamming on the brakes.

I manage to wrangle everyone inside the door, where H spies the other kindy teacher and tells me bye as she takes off. A is convinced she too is having lunch with the principal, so she and L follow along behind H. I'm calling them back while trying to fight with a stroller that doesn't want to go, carrying a snotty 21mo child and more or less dragging the dead weight 2.5yo.

The girls come back and we head to the office. No C. So I tell the secretary I'm here to pick him up and I'm not sure where he is.

She asks if they know I'm coming for him. They should, I tell her. I told both his parents yesterday AND sent a written note home, and thy were supposed to call the school and transportation.

But naturally they didn't, and C is now on the bus and headed to my house.

The secretary gives ME hell and tells me his parents need to call and let them know. I nicely tell her (AGAIN) they were supposed to, and apologize. She calls the bus and says she's waiting for a call back.

So I get the brilliant idea to take 5 kids down to the kindergarten rooms to pick an angel off their angel tree of classroom wishes. Smart. Bloody brilliant, as a matter of fact.

I love hearing second graders saying "OH WOW, did you see her? She's got FIVE KIDS!".

"Seven," I told them. "I've got two in kindergarten."

Down at the angel tree, A is still freaking out about wanting to stay at school, so I let her choose the angel and carry it out. Except because she's 3, and 3yo's believe in laws of physics unknown to any other humans, she wants to stick the angel on her shirt. And when she keeps dropping it in the hallway, she flips out. Oh yeah, she's dragging her (empty) rolling Dora backpack along behind her, but putting the angel in there isn't good enough.

We make it back to the offive and I'm only missing two chunks of hair. R is still freaking out big time. L is being a gem and admiring all the pretty Christmas decorations in her squeaky 2yo voice. B is wiping his disgusting ropes of snot on the leg of my jeans and crying pitifully. S is sitting in the stroller, happy as can be, shrieking "HI!" in his big happy voice to anyone who will look at him. A is flipping out about the angel.

The secretary tells me the bus is turning around and bringing him back, and then chastises me again for them not calling. Whatever. I told the parents. Give THEM hell, not me.

The counsellor materializes out of nowhere and asks if she can help. This angel produces a safety pin that we use to pin the angel on A's shirt. I could have kissed the woman then and there!!

Managed to get everyone back out to the van and fastened into carseats before the bus arrives. When it did, I hopped out and ran over to apologize to the driver.

"No worries!", she tells me. "We had a great chat and I had to take someone to the 7th grade center anyways! Have a great day!"

Back home, it's another round of 4 diaper changes, followed by making sure everyone washed their hands WITH soap and water and getting lunch prepared, only to be told "I don't LIKE mac & cheese" or something else. Clean everyone up, put everyone down for naps, and survey my now totally trashed kitchen.

And silently curse the parents who say they wish they could stay home and play all day, yet can't remember to call the school and transportation.

Really though, I love my job. Well... I don't love the poopy diapers. But I love things like having my special needs kid come flying up with his folder to show me he had a Good Behavior Day and he learned to write his name!! Or having the stinker 2.5yo who has FINALLY decided to talk (and now never shuts up) saying "Hey K, Hey K!" all day and LAUGHING like a maniac when I say "Hey R!" right back to him. Or listening to the giggles from the backseat as B finally starts to come out of his shell a little bit and make new friends.

There's something about snow...

that makes kids go crazy. I'm not really sure what it is.

Despite living in a place that generally has ice storms followed by a dusting of snow, followed by warming back up, we were graced with an ice storm that preceded blizzard warnings. In the morning, there was a foot of snow on the ground and two most delighted little girls in the now-toasty kitchen.

They wanted to go outside NOW. Nevermind that it was 7F. Forget the fact that they really don't have proper snow clothes. They wanted out.

So I managed to deter them the better part of the morning while temps rose to near freezing, then gave in and bundled them up. We dug out the sled and headed up to the neighbor's (who had invited us for chili and hotdogs!), armed with a plate of freshly baked brownies. And the Canadian blood in my children truely came out - H was whizzing down the hill on the sled in no time! A, however, preferred her bottom, despite not having on waterproof pants.

Did you ever watch "A Christmas Story"? Remember the scene where the little boy in the snowsuit falls over and can't get up? That was poor A... and being the terrific mother I am, I couldn't stop laughing long enough to walk back DOWN the hill and pick her up.

I did, however, snap a picture. Which I may post later on.

Today, however, the girls are back at the neighbor's with their father, sliding with their little friend. S and I are home in the toasty warm kitchen. I've got a pan of brownies in the oven and they are just starting to smell divine. Christmas presents are wrapped and under the tree (as is the stupid cat, who believes it is wrong to lie ON the tree skirt and feels he must be under it at all times!).

I don't think it could get much better than this.