The child-related post

The following picture is Charlee attempting a wink, while dressed as a princess. Second picture is Charlee: The Princess. Note the backwards hair band, ridiculously large ring (i think there's actually two there) and butterfly dress...head tilt included. Every princess's dream attire.

These kids that I live with just make me smile. To be single and living with a family is a blessing that I count over and over again. I keep forgetting to post some of my favourite day-to-day stories...so here's a catch-up.

My two favourite stories from the past few months:

1. Gary came home from work one day and as usual, started playing with the kids...lots of kissing and wrestling involved. Carleigh and I were in the kitchen making dinner...let's clarify...Carleigh was making dinner and I was probably stirring or chopping something (she's the genius, and I'm grateful).

And then we heard Charlee, giggling away to the point of breathlessness, saying "stop Daddy, stop!"...and the kisses continued...and then we heard a giggle and "Stop Daddy! I'm not a mommy, I don't need kisses!"
(I'm trying that on the next guy I meet...we'll see how it goes).

2. My friend Alicia came out from Coquitlam for a movie night, which she arrived for after the kids were all in bed. Finishing late, we decided Alicia would stay the night, and so we set her up with the couch in the basement, which has had many family/friends test out.

All was good, until about 3am, when Alicia opened her eyes and found Bodhi's little face peering into hers. Shocked, she gave a little yell...to which Bodhi, perhaps even more shocked, stood silent for a second, until his delayed yell followed. He then rushed up the stairs: "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" with Alicia calling after him, "Bodhi, it's okay!"

Alicia was able to fall back asleep, and told us the story in the morning, to which Carleigh replied, "OH, that makes more sense now." Bodhi had come to her, post-finding-stranger-sleeping-on-couch, gushing: "Mommy, I scared; Mommy, I scared..." She thought it had just been a bad dream.

Guaranteed: Bodhi will not be attempting 3am visits to the basement any time soon.

And my favourite part of tonight:
I was reading books to the kids while Carleigh tidied (Gary is away)...and Bodhi brought me a counting book. So, I made the kids practice their Spanish (which Dora the Explorer taught them).

Charlee's rendition of one through five:

"Uno, Blose, Blaise, Buatro, Cinco!"

We'll have to work on that a little bit. The gist is there...and I think any of my Costa Rican friends would understand. And smile.

Jane is our next story:
The biter, as we affectionately call her, is now walking...at 10 1/2 months. She's the vitamin-C boosted child (Carleigh drank vitamin C packs when she was pregnant with her). Her bites are almost lethal though...we need to file down those teeth of hers. She's all over the place...and she does these funny faces that kill me.

Goal for next child-related post: get video of said funny faces.

This pic was taken at approximately, um, 5 months? 6? Carleigh will have to clarify. Just so you know, this isn't recent...she isn't THAT small and walking. That would have required two vitamin C packs a day.

This has been the most random/scattered blog entry.

Hope you enjoyed the view into my right-sided brain.