mrs. cake

There's a calico cat who likes to roam our yard. We think maybe she belongs to our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Cake, so we started calling it "Mrs. Cake's Cat," but now it's just "Mrs. Cake" for short.

Well, this morning the girls saw Mrs. Cake in the backyard and she wasn't strolling, lounging or napping. She was stalking. The girls enjoyed watching her on the prowl, right up until the moment she sprung into the ivy that covers what seems to be a maze of tiny trails and tunnels. Ella and Lauren came running upstairs. "MOM!" Lauren yelled breathlessly, "Do cats eat chickmunks?" She froze awaiting my response.
"Probably."
"WHAT?" She was frantic.
"Maybe, Lauren. Why? What is this about?"
Ella explained, "We just saw Mrs. Cake jump into the place where we think the chipmunks live."
"Mom." Lauren was serious. "Do you think she ate a chickmunk?"
"I don't know, Lauren. Sometimes cats just like to chase things. Please try not to worry about it." She sighed and followed my instructions to get ready for school.

This afternoon I picked up the girls from Taylor on my way home from running errands. As Lauren and Ella climbed into the back seat I called to them, "How was your day, girls?"
"Lauren is worried," Ella explained. "She's still thinking about Mrs. Cake."
"What?" I looked at Lauren in my rear view. "Lauren, honey. Really?" She had puppy dog eyes and her mouth was pouty. I could barely hear her reply.
"Yes."
"Did you tell Olivia about it?" Ella wanted to know.
"No!" Lauren yelled, then added quietly, "It would make her devastated if she knew that cats eat chickmunks."
"Honey," I said, "I have no idea if Mrs. Cake really would eat a chipmunk, but one thing I do know, and we've been over this a few times now. . . . It's CHIPmunk, with a P, like chocolate CHIP. Remember?"
"Yeah," Ella said, "As in, CHIPmunks are like chocolate chips for cats!"

It was a strange thing to hear Ella's belly laugh at the exact same time as the "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" that came out of Lauren in her horror. But I have to admit, Ella wasn't the only one who found it funny. Bless Lauren's heart.

yeehaw

Lindsay

Begin forwarded message:

From: Kim Moore <kimmoore@gmail.com>
Date: November 17, 2012 9:41:33 AM EST
To: Lindsay Moore <moorelindsay@gmail.com>
Subject: Video for blog

missing

Bob the Elf is missing. He came to pick up the girls' letters to Santa yesterday, but he didn't come right back as usual. I suggested that the letters were probably really heavy and the trip took longer, that's all. He'll be here soon, for sure! (In completely unrelated news, I've been emptying and re-emptying Christmas storage tubs for two days.)

As I tucked in the girls, Lauren said, "I wonder if Bob will come tonight." She looked at me, "If you find him."
"If I find him?"
"I mean . . . if he finds us . . ." I held her in a steady gaze, until she said, "Ummm, bye bye!" I narrowed my eyes a little and hers got bigger. "Awkward silence?"

I wonder how she and the other girls will feel about the email I just received from bobtheelf.northpole@gmail.com:

Mom Moore, 

Hi. This is Bob the Elf. Sorry I'm late. I know the girls have probably been looking for me. I delivered their letters to the North Pole, drank some hot chocolate with maple syrup, then went right back out to fly to your house. But on the way I lost my GPS! I ended up in Anchorage instead of Arlington! But good news, I went through the doggy door of a house that looked nice and warm, and the family who lives there has an elf I know. His name is George, and he is so nice. He showed me how to make a gmail account so that I could send you a message, and he gave me a map to follow to your house. The trip will take longer, but please tell Ella, Lauren, Audrey and Kate that I'll be there soon! I think that instead of flying back and forth all the time I'll just stay at your house until Christmas. I hope that's okay! 

See you soon. Love, 

Bob

just not the same

triorama

Remember when you were in 2nd grade and made a diorama? Kids today make TRIoramas. Lauren and Olivia made a particularly impressive one, I think. Check out that umbrella! 

the layered look

Our furnace went out Sunday and, thanks to a cold snap, the house was about 65 degrees. When the girls woke up Monday morning complaining about the cold I suggested, "Dress warm and you'll be just fine." They came out of their room like this: 

A photo can't do real justice to the number of layers involved here. Lauren is wearing another pair of pants under her jeans, and a pair of denim shorts (look closely) over them! Silly girls. 

has anyone seen kate?

compwiments

When it comes to original compliments, Audrey can't be beat.

Yesterday when I finished getting ready for church she said, "Mom, you look really cute, and (she paused as she searched for just the right word and then said it with great emphasis) . . . styling.

Tonight at dinner when I asked if she liked her chicken stew, she said it was, "Really good. Kind of . . .    Grandma."

Thanks, Audrey!

eskimo

This is Audrey, prepped and waiting for her Eskimo kiss. 

Why are her eyes so tiny?

                                                                   

wish you were here

Lauren was a little weepy today about Kim being out of town. When I went into the girls' room to check on them I found her like this . . . 

She'd gone into our armoire, picked out one of Kim's golf shirts, put it on, stuffed it with her blankie and, apparently, found a way to feel much better. 

Sweet dreams, Snuggle Bug. 

two hoop circus

Ella and Lauren did a hula hoop show tonight. The cash register was set up at the top of the stairs. I chose my seating -- floor or sofa -- and was given the appropriate Memory tile, along with a ticket with a number and letter, and a tape name tag.

I took my seat and the announcer (Ella) informed the audience (me): "Welcome to the Hula Hoop Show! Please turn off all of your automatic devices." She glared at me, then shifted her eyes to my phone.
"Let's pretend I did."
"Okay . . . Also, babies must be on your lap at all times, for their safety." I pulled Kate onto the sofa. "And, please, do not try any of these tricks at home. We're trained experts."

Ella performed the right-handed lasso twirl, followed by the left-handed lasso twirl, then the double-handed variety and several quick switches from hand to hand. Very impressive. While she performed she gave step-by-step instructions, which were actually very good, and occasionally added, "FEAST your EYES upon ME!" It was awesome.

When she finished her routine she announced, "And NOW, Lauren is preparing her A-MA-ZING stunt!" She leaned toward me and whispered, "Don't worry, it's not dangerous." Lauren fearlessly took the stage and performed her daring feat -- hula hooping bareback.

It was all so classic. I love these girls and their shows. I wonder how long they'll go on, and hope I'll use every one of my season tickets.

singing time (out)

Ella made some crafts after school today -- a leafy crown and flaming crepe paper scepter for an "Autumn King" costume for Lauren's giant bear, if you're curious -- and Audrey destroyed them. Tore them up for no apparent reason. After a serious talking to, offering an apology, and being put in time out, she sat on the stairs and cried. After several minutes I heard her belting out a familiar tune (I'll try to do justice to her pronunciation):

"I am a chiwod of God/and he has sent me hee-yah/Has given me an oothwy home/ with pawents kind and dee-yah." She yelled, "DO YOU KNOW THE WOODS TO DAT SONG?!"

I called back, "Yes, I do. Why are you singing it right now?"

"So that you can REMEMBA the woods and REMEMBA that you supposed to be NICE to me."

fhe

We decided to take the girls to the driving range for FHE. It was warm and a little buggy, but we were all having a nice time. While one girl had her turn at the tee with dad, two others sat on overturned buckets and watched or played games on Kim's phone, and Kate sat happily in her stroller enjoying a cool bottle of diluted Gatorade.

As we reached the bottom of our bucket of balls, a gray-haired gentleman poked his head into our stall. "I just have to tell you, from where I was standing over there," he pointed over his shoulder to a nearby window," this is a beautiful, little scene." As I thanked him, he rapped his knuckles twice on the doorway, nodded and walked away. 

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded.

BFFs

Lauren are Olivia are such sweet friends with so many adorable qualities in common. They're both thoughtful; they write each other sweet notes with detailed illustrations that usually feature cute little girls labeled "you" and "me" surrounded by lots of hearts. They're loving; even if they haven't seen each other for just a few hours, they give each other a huge hug like it's been years. They adore animals and collect stuffed animals; they give them funny names, treat them like they're real, and take them everywhere possible. They're funny; hearing these two laugh is contagious. And they even look alike! Every little girl should have a BFF, and I'm happy these two have each other. 

well i never

From upstairs I could hear Audrey in the basement shouting, "Oh my G-d! Oh my G-d!" repeatedly. It was an obvious cry for attention, and she was going to get it. I called to her, "Audrey. Come up here." As she reached the top of the stairs, her big brown eyes looked up at me, appearing bigger than normal.
"Why were you saying that?"
"You mean what I was saying on the stairs?"
"Yes."
"I don't know."
"Well, we don't say it. Do you know why?"
"Because it's rude?"
"Yes. And because Heavenly Father is special to us and we don't say his name unless we're talking about him reverently."
"Okay."
"And," I warned her gently, "If you say that again, next time I have to wash out your mouth with soap." She pondered that for a moment and then said, quite matter-of-factly,
"Mom, do you know that Heavenly Father doesn't like for you to wash out my mouth with soap?"
"Really?" I tried to keep a straight face. "Why is that?"
"It's rude."

choir of angel

Audrey was singing in the back seat. Loudly. And she wouldn't stop. "Please," I begged her. "Please stop the singing, Audrey."
"I'm not singing!" she protested. "That's my spirit."
Fair enough.

christmas poem

I found this in Lauren's school portfolio: 

swim team

Ella and Lauren had a great first season on our local swim team as members of the Thunderbolts and Thunder Squad, respectively. They both strengthened their swimming dramatically, improved their personal best times consistently, and enjoyed being part of a team. I think they liked having matching suits, too.

Way to go, girls!

heart to heart

Well, here we go.

When we got home from church on Sunday, Ella came into our bedroom and handed me a heart-shaped paper with the word "Love" scrawled on it.

"That's nice," I told her. "Who gave it to you?"
"Alex Clark," she said soberly. "With a box of raisinettes and a white chocolate granola bar. What am I supposed to do?"
"You don't have to do anything," I told her. "He just wanted a little extra attention from you, that's all."
"What?" She was confused. "He always tries to annoy me!"
I explained, "He gets a little extra attention from you that way, too."

Just then Kim walked in, loosening his tie.
"What's that?" he asked.
"A heart," Ella explained again. "It came with a box of raisinettes and a white chocolate granola bar."
"From whom?" He was serious.
"Alex Clark."
And then, to no one in particular Kim said, "Well. That's pretty silly, Alex Clark."

He stooped down to be eye-level with the Ella and Lauren. "Is there any guy out there better than me? NO. Do we date before we're 16? NO. Do we single-date before we're 18? NO. High fives." They slapped hands and he stood up, slid off his tie and turned toward the closet. The girls glanced at me with raised eyebrows and ran out of the room.

Somehow, I have a feeling we may see that scene play out again. And again. And again.

have a nice day

Kim said goodbye to Audrey and me as he walked out the door and blew us kisses on the way down the stairs to his cab. It's "Casual Thursday" for some reason, so he was wearing his jeans and a button down-shirt. I thought to myself that he looked nice, and just as we turned to go inside Audrey said, "Dada looks very handsome today, don't you think so?"

Yes, I do.

applause

Coincidence that Kate had her first real bath with lots of splashing and clapped for the first time immediately afterward? I think not.

my apologies, ella

This just couldn't go un-posted. Today at swim team Ella accidentally scraped her lip and chin on the side of the pool. After practice I was in the process of gathering our things when I looked over at her and saw this:

In a low, slightly embarrassed voice she asked, "Do I look ridiculous?" 

Guess I need to start carrying less conspicuous bandaids in my first aid kit. 

katesan

The girls and I had sushi for dinner while Kate enjoyed a more mundane meal of turkey with rice and vegetables. When we'd finished I lifted the plates from the table and returned to find that Kate had somehow pulled the entire tray of California rolls I'd saved for Kim onto the tray of her highchair. She looked comical, a 9-month-old sitting expectantly in front of all that sushi, and I was reaching for my camera when I noticed. She'd already grabbed a nice, big fistful of what was closest to her and put it in her mouth. Unfortunately for her, it was wasabi.

In that moment I thought she should be screaming, or at least crying, but she sat silent and motionless, her brows furrowed. Before I could get her out of her chair I watched as her entire face turned red and she groaned through clenched teeth, like she was trying to lift something heavy. I rushed her to the sink and rinsed her mouth, face, and hands with lots of cool water. Within a minute or two she'd made a full recovery.

Still, maybe not a sushi fan.

(Note: This post would have been much more fun with a photo! If the entirely red face hadn't been so alarming there would be one. Right here.)

cut to the chase

I'm not proud of it, but I'll publish it here: All but one of the Moore girls have lice. Lauren brought them home from school, and only Kim and Kate have been spared so far. It's been three weeks, but we're not completely rid of them yet. After countless comb outs, I decided it was time to make things a little easier on Ella and me by cutting her hair. I can't take her to the hair cutter, on account of the lice, so I had to do it myself. We decide on a little longer than shoulder length, and I made the first cut. After that it was easy -- though not pretty. At one point Lauren came in and cheerfully mused, 

"Ah, you went for short in the front and long in the back. Nice choice." 

We'll have it all evened out by a professional in a few days. In the meantime, Ella doesn't seem to mind.

bless her heart

Warmer weather means skirts, shorts, and scraped knees for our sweet Audrey. It's been a rough week. She's agreed to wear pants for awhile to let these heal. And I think she's learning to listen when I call out, "Au-drey! Slow down!"

peepers

As I tucked Audrey in for her nap I said, as I so often do, "Close your peepers." Audrey cheerfully replied,
"You want me to close my peepers because sometimes I wet the bed, right?"

I stopped to take in what she'd said. I thought of all the times I've told her to close her peepers, and all the times she's said, "Okay, Mom! I will!" and it broke my heart a little.

We had a chat to clear up her confusion and had a good giggle about it. Then she snuggled down, her eyes shut tight.

needs vs. wants

As part of Lauren's economics unit in "soshle stodeys," she was asked to make a list of needs and wants. This is what she came up with:

aunt jan

Kim's Aunt Jan was a big fan of this simple, little blog. So it seems fitting to record a conversation we had around the dining room table this afternoon.

While the older girls did homework, Audrey played with a gospel-themed felt activity board Aunt Jan gave the girls years ago. I mentioned to Audrey, "Aunt Jan gave that to us, but now she lives with Heavenly Father." She gasped, then smiled, and her huge eyes grew even larger than usual as she exclaimed,
"That's nice!"
"Actually," Lauren explained, "It's not really nice because she's dead."
"She's not dead!" Audrey was quick to correct her. "She's still alive. She just lives with Heavenly Father."

So, this post is for you, Aunt Jan! I knew you would appreciate it.

sine of the times

Lauren was asked by her first grade teacher to draw and explain her favorite part of Spring Break. One thing outranked a visit from cousins, the Air & Space Museum, Pierre DuPont's Longwood Gardens, and Independence Hall, birthplace of the Constitution.

It reads: "Wen I went to Pilidelpea and saw a fuzzy butts sine." She also drew an accurate depiction of the very tall and unusual sign (for a dog day care) that we saw along the highway on our way to Philadelphia.

She's so funny, that girl. Her teacher seems to think so, too.

thank you, J. K. Rowling . . .

. . . for writing a story so magical that my 3rd-grade muggle created a special place to read it.

busy body

As Kim read aloud during family scripture study Audrey flipped through the pictures at the back of her Book of Mormon. She pointed to Samuel the Lamanite high on the wall and whispered to me, "That would be really busy with so many people throwing arrows at you."

rockwell

The 26th Annual Taylor Elementary Dance Festival was held tonight. Ella and her fellow third graders presented 17 folk dances from around the world. I have to say, it was pretty impressive. I wasn't sure what to expect after hearing Ella's complaints for so many weeks, but it seems things improved dramatically (you may remember) after the wart on her dance partner's hand fell off. And here they are, the lovely dance couple, Ella Moore and Ben Maldonatti. As I snapped their photo, I thought, this is the stuff Norman Rockwells are made of.

sweet & sour

Last night Ella spent 10 minutes trying to convince me to let her quit piano. At the end of it she left the room and said, "I'm writing poetry! That's what I do when I'm upset."

Today I found a piece of paper in her room that reads:

What kind of mom is mine
If she doesn't let me choose what I do with my time.
I might be as sour as a lime.
So leave me alone.
And let me go home.

Whatever helps her feel better for tonight's practice is fine with me!

all out of . . .

post-it tabs, apparently. Walked away from my cookbook and grocery list for 60 seconds and this is what happened. Bless Audrey's little heart. It was just too much to resist.

cocao kudos

Ella's palate has surprised me before, like the time she asked, "Mom, did you put more vanilla in the cookies this time?" after I accidentally poured an extra teaspoon into the dough. She surprised me again tonight.

She spotted my stash of Ghirardelli's dark chocolate squares and asked if she could have one. I let her try a "Twilight Delight," imagining she wouldn't appreciate the bitter 72% cacao variety. She nibbled it and immediately said, "Hmmmm, it has something like raspberry to it." Sure enough, the package describes the flavor as having "mocha, blackberry and dark cherry notes throughout."

I just thought it was bitter.