Warning:  I will now be bragging about my child.  You have been warned.
Okay, so I know that all Mom's think their kids are geniuses.  And clearly I am not, because I don't even know the correct way to spell "geniuses" and whether there needs to be an apostrophe somewhere.  Let me fill you in on a little secret.  I think I missed the week in school when apostrophes were explained, because I am still totally confused with all of it.  Either that, or I am just not that smart. 
Anyway, I am pretty sure Chloe is going to be smarter than me, because I don't remember ever having the types of inquisitive questions, or observations that she makes. 
As we were doing our story time tonight, she read me the entire "Pinkalicious" book from memory.
And then she started asking me a bunch of random questions and wanted me to "tell her more."
These were her questions:

How does a boat float?

What is inside paper?

How does glass stick together? (then she clarified, she meant how does glass take on different shapes)

How do the people at the library make the books?

I will not tell you the answers that I gave, because to tell you the truth, I am not sure I got all my facts straight.  I think I will show her some you tube videos tomorrow on the subjects.

Anyway, unbridled child boasting is now complete.

A Luau and Pajamas

(and an old one of Miss Macie)


So last night Chloe got it into her head that she wanted to wear her "black polka dot pajamas.  The ones that are black with long leeves  (no, that is not a typo) and white polka dots.  The ones that I wore when I was 3 years old."

I had no idea what she was talking about.  I asked her if she was sure she hadn't just dreamed them up.  She was sure.  And since I was very curious, I took her out to the clothes storage unit (also known as the laundry room) and we went through all the old clothes.  And what she found, is pictured above.  First of all, the shirt is brown with pink spots.  The pants are brown with white spots.  Second of all, these were never worn as pajamas.  Third of all, they were never worn together.  Fourth of all, they are a size 2T.  She is a 5T+.  But, she managed to squeeze into them and she was very excited to have "new" pajamas.  Also, she pulled out another 2T shirt with a hole, and has decided to integrate that into her wardrobe as well. 
I am so glad I bought her a new wardrobe that actually fits last month. I give up.  Have  I mentioned that she also will not let me style her hair?  She likes the part "Straight. In the middle." She puts the part in the middle.  Then flattens it down with water.  And then she puts a bow in the very, very front so she can see it.  And I think I have already written this down, because it seems vaguely familiar.  Mom brain. Strikes again.

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This weekend I took Chelsey to a Luau for a girl that was graduating High School.  My Dad went out of town, so he asked me to take her.  I agreed, even though I knew it would be slightly awkward since I didn't know the girl graduating.  It seems a little tacky to go to a party and eat someone's food when they don't even know who you are.  And we took a picture with her, because her parents told her she had to get a picture with all the arriving guests.  So for years to come she can look at that picture and still wonder who in the world we were. 
On the way home Chelsey was a little disgruntled (not unusual)
Chelsey: "Man.  I wish I could have taken dance lessons.  But it is too late.  I will never be a great dancer.  My disabilities are ruining my life."
Me:  Chelsey, it's never too late. You can take dance lessons.  Would you like me to sign you up for some?
Chloe:  Ya Chelsey.  It's not too late!
Chelsey: No....no, no, no....I don't want to talk about it.
Pause.....
Chelsey: I was just thinking about how much I miss Mom.
Pause....(I was confused where this train of thought came from.  She never talks about our Mom in a sentimental way.  I think it is part of her mental disability.  There is an emotional disconnect there, which has been a blessing really.  So whens she says something like this, I take note.)
Me: Are you thinking about Mom because you wish she were here to watch you dance?
Chelsey: No.....no, no, no.  I was just thinking about how she would have loved to come to this Luau.
Me: Oh.  (silent tear!)
Chelsey: I'm always going to miss Mom a little.  It is going to be a long time until we see Mom again.
Chloe:  Your Mom is my Mom's mom! She's in heaven! She went to heaven, then I came to earth!
Chelsey: Ya. ya, ya.  Your Grandma was a really good singer.
Chloe: She was??!!
Chelsey: Ya.  Only, she just sang in a choir.  She didn't sing Rock and Roll like me.
Chloe: Oh.

The whole interchange was sad and hilarious at the same time. 

One more thing....
Chloe always says the funniest things when she wakes up in the morning.  She is exceptionally cheerful and usually coming off of a great dream.
This morning she comes in and says, "Hi Mom!  Aunt Lizzy spent the night here last night, right?
(she didn't, by the way).  I had a dream that she did!!"

The other day she told me that she had a great dream that she was a fairy and that she could fly.  And it has been a few times that she has asked me to help her find something that she really doesn't own, and then she will say, "Oh, I guess I must have just dreamed it."

Last Friday Chloe turned 5.  It is hard to believe I am the Mother of a full fledged kid.  I felt old enough to be the Mother of a baby, and a toddler.  But not a kid.  When she stands next to me and I realize how big she is, I think to myself, when did this happen? wasn't she just a baby?  And aren't I like, 22?  

Chloe has been anxiously looking forward to her birthday for a long time.  She has been so excited to turn 5 like her other friends who have gone before her.  She had been checking off the days with a black marker on the calendar.  So I was pretty excited to make her special day special.  She told me she wanted a Princess Tea Party.  I searched online for ideas for about 5 minutes, but it made me very tired, and somewhat depressed. so I quit that and just decided that I was going to focus on what Chloe would think would be a great Princess Tea Party.  And luckily, she has pretty low expectations.  I was happy with how it turned out and Chloe had a great birthday.  She was giddy all day.

The bounce house we got off of Craigslist 2 years ago was an awesome purchase. You get that thing out, and you have a real party on your hands.

The girls loved the Kiss The Frog game.

I read "Pinkalicious" before we had our cupcakes.

I love this picture.  It encapsulates childhood, doesn't it?

Chloe triumphantly holds up her gifts.

They cornered Chelsey, and gave her a makeover.  It is a little scary that these girls already know what a makeover is.

Macie woke up from her nap and found herself a cupcake.

She was pretty happy about it.

She has the best smile.

I could just squeeze her all the day long.

And she also found the chocolate.

I wish I got a picture of all the food.  We had heart shaped PB and honey sandwiches, heart shaped egg salad sandwiches,  carrots and ranch, olives, cheese cubes, cheetos,  pink lemonade, pinkalicious cupcakes, strawberries and bananas and a chocolate fountain.  Chloe "helped" me with all the preparations.  She helped me cut the sandwiches, set the table, put up streamers, shop for all the supplies, blow up balloons, frost the cupcakes, made the invitations...she was very excited to help me with her party.

They had little tea cups for their pink lemonade, which just disappear on the table.

I found out that 5 year olds are not as excited about chocolate fountains as adults are.  I am still pondering how that could be.

I had to wear my prom dress to fit in with all the other princesses.  I looked almost as beautiful as I did when  I went to Prom.  That is a joke. On both accounts.

Pinkalicious Cupcakes.

We also played Poison Apple, which is basically a game of Hot Potato. But instead of being out, the girls would have to do a silly dance if the apple landed on them.  The girls were very conflicted with this game.  One minute they were loving it, the next minute they were hiding their head in embarrassment or crying.  A taste of what is to come.

All in all, it was a great day. She didn't want to go to bed (well she never does, but she REALLY didn't want to go to bed), because she knew her birthday would be over.
 I love you Chloe.  It was a pleasure making your Princess Tea Party dreams come true.  You make my dreams come true.  I am so privileged to be your Mommy.