Sugar and Spice

Relationships are so easy when you're three.  Honestly, everything (or at some very important things) I need to know about relationships I could learn from my girls, if I'd only listen. First, always let people know what you want (or don't want).  My girls never hold back on what they want - whether it be the dreaded-by-all-adults question of "what should we have for supper" or a simple Saturday afternoon question of what should we do - they tell it like it is (or at least Pumpkin does, though Bug makes her opinions known in her own way).  Sometimes it stings a little, when for whatever reason they don't want to participate in whatever great idea I had planned for them or they just aren't in the mood for tickles or kisses, but I never wonder whether there are ulterior motives or if their actions are motivated by guilt.  There aren't and they aren't. Second, and in the same vein, always let people know how you feel.  Emotions get complicated and

Sometimes, like this morning, I realize my conversations with Pumpkin have gotten out of control.   She is such a great conversationalist that sometimes I find I get myself in over my head with an explanation that is just a little more than a three-year old can handle.   For example, this morning I started discussing the 4 th of July with Pumpkin.   Simple enough – it was on the agenda for summer camp this week so I figured if they can talk about it so can I. It started out simple enough – America’s birthday; red, white, and blue; fireworks; parade; grilling out; cake.   Well, cake turned into a question of who was going to blow out the candles, which led to my attempted explanation of America as a country and not a person.   Despite the obscurity, Pumpkin resolved that one fairly easily – “I will blow out the candles for ‘merica.”   Okay, good enough. Then the talk turns back to cake and I start explaining how we will make a red, white, and blue cake but we won’t use blue

We have had all sorts of crazy new adventures in the Brown house since last we met; the most obvious of which is the Brown house is now in a new location!  As of Friday we are the proud owners of our dream home which we have been trying to buy since before Bug was born.  For now, we are the proud owners of that home AND the owners of our River House but in 30-days (barring anymore unforeseen realty drama) we will be back to owning only ONE home.  Other than the typical stresses associated with moving and owning two homes, life has been mostly grand.  The girls love the new house, per Pumpkin, who has declared that it doesn't "stink like the other house".  Despite her love of the new digs, she refuses to sleep at night in her own room and has taken up residence on the floor next to my bed instead.  It sounds awful to relegate your child to the floor, but I thought if I made sleeping in my room unappealing maybe she would opt back into her nice comfy princess bed.  I go