To Everything there is a Season

Spring is here, which means maintenance and cleaning around these parts.  It was a rainy day here.  Calla spent time watching movies and I spent the day holding India and categorizing hundreds of job and family photos from 2009.  Still not done.  As I was looking back at the past year I started to think about the song Turn Turn Turn.  Hope you enjoy!

To everything there is a season

and a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born

A time to die

A time to plant

A time to reap

A time to kill (well.....we kill time)

A time to heal

A time to laugh

A time to weap

To everything there is a season

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up

A time to break down

A time to dance

A time to mourn

A time to cast away stones

A time to gather stones together

To everything there is a season

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time of love

A time of hate

A time of war

A time of peace

A time you may embrace

A time to refrain from embracing

To everything there is a season

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain

A time to lose

A time to rend

A time to sew

A time for love

A time for hate

A time for peace

I swear its not too late

xoxo, me :)

Questions Questions and More Questions

Let me start off by stating that I love that I have an inquisitive child.  She is a very perceptive one too.  However, lately she has failed to ask me the questions I can easily answer.  Or lets be real here Google on the phone.  Like "Mommy why is the sky blue?" or  "Mommy how does the chicken lay an egg?"  "Huh Mommy why why why Mommy why why why"  No I get the real doozies and the things that come out of her mouth never cease to amaze me.  Take for example our conversations throughout the course of the day on Friday. 

Calla: Mommy how old are you? Are you 23 or 33?
Me: I'm 33
Calla: Ok, do you look like you did when you were 23?
Me: Um yeah no baby, when I was 23 I had really blond hair and was dancing my tushie off, so I looked really good actually.  I hadn't had 2 kids either and lived on peas, rice and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and not Little Debbies and Starbucks why?
Calla: Oh....Well that makes sense why your pants don't fit right.

Sometimes they are just statements and not questions

Calla: Mommy, I'm just pretending ok?
Me: Ok, what are you pretending?
Calla: I'm pretending to be Tinkerbell.
Me: Very good baby can I pretend to be someone too?
Calla: Like who Mommy?
Me: Well I was thinking I could pretend to be Kim Kardashian today, and maybe I will be pretend to be Brooke Burke tomorrow.  Daddy would like that wouldn't he?
Calla:  Actually Mommy..... I was thinking you could be the mean old ugly witch who chases me around. 
Me: Um Gee Thanks
Calla:  Well Mommy if you chased me around maybe you could get some exercise too. 

Then there are the ones I am not ready to answer yet

Calla: Mommy?
Me: Yes Calla?
Calla: Why do you have a string hanging down in between your legs?
Me: Because.
Calla: Because why?
Me: Because.
Calla: Because why?
Me: For the love because I have to.
Calla: Mommy?
Me: What?
Calla: Can I have a string in between my legs too?
Me: No! Now can I please use the bathroom in peace? 
Calla: Oh, alright!

Then there are the questions that are just way too much for a 4 yr old brain to handle, so I just make up the answers. 

Let me set the scene:  Driving to school in the morning.  NPR on the radio.  India: crying in her car seat bucket thingy, Calla: peacefully reading a book, Me: zoning out the world and India's crying.  Attempting not to get pulled over by the State Patrol as I try and get Calla to school before circle time.  Cause God forbid, ya can't be late to circle time.

Calla:  Mommy what's a pedophile?
Me: Excuse me what did you just ask?
Calla:  I said what's a pedophile?
Me: Yeah I heard you.  Um, where did you hear that word baby?
Calla: On the radio just now, the man was asking if the pedophile was at church.  We went to church for Easter, were there pedophiles there?
Me: (Internally dying and thinking now "great I can't tell her what a pedophile is, WTF am I supposed to say?"  Nor can I say yes to the church question either because next time we go to church she will ask everyone if they are pedophiles.  By the way, thank you very much wholesome educational NPR)
Me:  Well.....let me see how do I answer this.....I know, a pedophile is someone who paints and files toenails at a spa. 
Calla:  Oh, ok.  So yeah they wouldn't be at church that would be silly.  You don't get your toes painted at church. 
Me: That's right.  How about we listen to something else on the radio this morning.
Calla:  You mean like those goofy guys John Jay and Rich?
Me: Um no, I was thinking something milder like KBCO.
Calla: How about the Jesus Loves Me cd Rachie sent us. 
Me: Sold!!!!!!

I might just have a heart attck by the time she is 12 if this keeps up.  Hope y'all have a week filled without questions!!!!

XOXO, Cara:)

Adventures in Shopping

As I write this I have a little friend in my lap.  She has decided to be a total pain in the ass today. We don't want to be put down, we don't want to be in the front pack, and we sure as hell don't want to sit in the stinkin bucket called a carseat.  I am getting really good at typing one handed, doing a landscaping plant design, and breastfeeding all at the same time. Not to mention getting a great arm workout lugging around a 10 lb chunk 12 hrs a day.  On the plus side we are all getting a little bit more sleep at night.

 I have officially become that mom.  You know the one with a screaming toddler and newborn in a department store that everyone is looking at and taking pity on.  I never wanted to be that mom, but you know some things just are inevitable.  For example, let me explain my experience last week.  

I figured it would be fun to take Calla on a field trip.  So last week, we packed up all of the crap needed for an outing for 2 children and headed down to the Butterfly Pavillion.  After stopping for Nuggets at Old McDonalds, gas and napkins at the gas station for the the car and the orange drink spilled all over the floor of the backseat, and 2 fake out "Mommy I have to poop" stops we finally made it.   When we got there we noticed about 1/2 of all of the school children in Denver were visting at the same time. The Estes Park Senior Center was there on a field trip too.  Their short bus was clearly labeled and parked behind all of the many long busses.  Needless to say it was a wee bit crowded with screaming children waiting in line to touch a tarantula who hadn't had their ADD meds for the day, and grumpy old people who were pissed off that they were there with a couple hundred screaming children who hadn't had their ADD meds.

So after we decided we had had enough, we packed it up and headed next door to the Shane Co. so I could get my jewelry cleaned and checked out.  All was well till I caught Calla licking the glass cases filled with jewelry.  She claimed she was just looking at all of the pretty stuff, and said she could help by cleaning the cases with the antibacterial wet wipe I gave her for her hands after we left the Butterfly Pavillion.  By the time the guy came out with my clean jewelry the cases were smeared to high heaven.  We left quickly after that. 

Now what I should have done was put everyone in the car and head home.  No, of course not.  That wouldn't be like me.  We schlepped it over to the mall next.  But hey look at it on the bright side, I did have enough sense not to push it and go to The Rack to try on shoes, and dig for some jeans.

It was at the mall my sweet preschooler turned into one of those children.  At the Coach store she rearranged all of the handbags and wallets at her level.    At J Crew she removed all of the flip flops from the bottom display and lined up all 10 pairs in a row on the floor while I looked through the sale rack.  She attempted to poop again at Pottery Barn Kids, Gap Kids and Crate and Barrel.  I did finally get some pee out of her at Williams Sonoma.  Just when I thought I was in the clear, India decided she would poop after 4 days in the next store.  This time in the Pottery Barn.  They did have a bathroom, but no changing table.  Good thing the countertop was pretty big.  At this point I was so done and fried.  All we needed was a bow from Dillards for Calla's hair  (the whole point of going to the mall by the way) and we were out of there.  So we trekked down to Dillards bypassing the Disney store on purpose and found the kids department.  We quickly grabbed the bow and went over to the bra department so I could look at the new Spanx and pay for the bow on the way out.  Next thing I knew Calla had on a size DD leopard print bra over her clothes and was asking for help to snap it in the back.  I offically lost it.  I threw the bra on the closest table and grabbed my two screaming children and left. It wasn't until we were back at Nordstroms on the other side of the mall ready to head out to the parking lot, did I notice the bow buried in the stroller not paid for.  Now what do you think I did?  Head back with the two fussy children to Dillards and pay $7.00 for the stupid bow?  HELL NO!!!!  I got out of there as quickly as possible and went home.  For the love, that was exhausting.  I guess my days of taking 2 children by myself shopping at the mall are over. 

Calla however did draw a really good picture of her Daddy on her easel when we got home.   She did such a good job and even gave him a brown beard and belly button.  Look at what else she gave him:

Lucky mommy!  Perhaps it is time for Dave to start showering with the door closed.  :)

Peace :)