just tuesday.

"How can I love you better?" I asked Madeleine over her art work this morning.
"Because you love me so, so much, and think I'm the best Maddie in the whole wide world."
"That's true, I do. But what can I do to make you feel loved even better?"
"By giving me hugs and kisses."
"I can do that." Then, "Want me to give you hugs and kisses right now?"
"No thanks, I'm working on this right now... maybe in just a minute..."

I gave Trev the story behind it, told him it was going to be my quest for a while, and then asked him, "How can I love you better?"
Maddie came in, and I asked her again, too.
She had another answer for me.
"Well, you can love me by coming to get me, and saying 'hey, let's play a game' and taking me to Dinosaur Park sometimes. That makes me feel love."
"I can do that. Trev?"
"Let me think.... you can give me hugs and kisses every time you see me."
I'm totally willing. I'm always touching them and petting them as I pass by anyway, so it's only another four seconds or so.

We're off to a simple start. : ) Not because I have a desire to hang on to gloom, but I'm still expecting that to change.... (it's my guilty "never good enough" stuff that I evidently enjoy carrying around)

"Welp - I'm off to get dressed for the day!"
A few minutes later, "Butterflies and flowers match, right?"

Making books.

A new game was invented. It's called "Check the Lines".

But first we had to play with the puzzle. (My favorite puzzle that she has. So beautiful.)

Check the Lines, then.
I passed by Trev for the third or fourth time in an hour, giving him yet another big squeeze and a kiss.
Honestly, I supposed that it was getting to be an interruption, and possibly the tiniest bit annoying - though of course I was completely willing to hug him all the day long.
"I'm gonna like this," said he.
Well there you have it. : )

Mancala with Madd.
"Mom, can I have a bath?" asked Trev.
"Of course. After that, wanna play with me?"
"Mooooom, I wanna play ZooTycoon still after my bath."
"But I miss you and wanna play with you."
In a singsong, bribing voice, he says "I would feel better, and more lo-oved, if you let me have a few min-utes...."
Since I want my children to find value in speaking honestly and openly and we've been discussing tone (oof), I addressed it... "I would like it better if you just said so in an honest, forthright sort of way..."
"Mom... I would feel really loved if you let me have a few minutes after my bath."
"How many minutes would work for you?"
"Um.... fifteen!"
"Done! You get fifteen minutes to play your game after your bath, then we'll play together."
:) - As usual, we re-negotiated, and it was about another fifteen or twenty minutes (I don't mind waiting, I just don't want to be put off indefinitely)....

Hide-and-seek with Madd.

Castle play.

The Amazing Mammoth Hunt game.


Magic School Bus.
Ups and Downs
In a Beehive
Under Construction

Placed our order!
Should we share?
(I will since I'm so excited.)
Foam Magnetic Fraction Strips
Totally Tut Math Operations Game
Math Animals Board Game
Quiddler
Set Cubed
and The Fraction Whirl 1
yay! Hoping for the best...

MSB Spins a Web for Maddie,
and I, Carly and research for Trev.

Toddler School Time (JumpStart) for one
while two of us played Othello.

More dragon/medieval play (Trev, this time)

The babes had some end-of-the-day crazy energy, so it was off to the park we went.

With bike and scooter.

Making friends,
hide-and-seek,

Counting.

piling and jumping into leaves
freeze-tag
Ninja play (there was a ninja at the park)
climbing hills-and flying down them-


swinging,
running,

climbing trees....

Perfect.

Home to Dad
and supper
and rasslin' (and shouting) on the trampoline
(apparently we didn't get all that energy out at the park).

I, Carly
reading
writing and drawing (guess who?)

I dunno what else will be.
Hopefully soft, quiet things.
A mama can hope.