Style Is...

When you can't decide which dress to wear on a playdate (the one with stripes or the one with ruffly sleeves?), but you get dressed anyway.

And you come downstairs, and Mommy asks "Anna, are you wearing two dresses?"
And you say: "Yes, I couldn't decide which one so I just decided to wear them both."

How Do You Know You're About To Hear Ancient Wisdom?

Well, that's easy.
When Anna begins her reply to you with: "Like horsie's grandmother always says..."
Then you know you're about to hear some ancient wisdom.

Au Salon

Tutu Day: Some Common Misconceptions

So. Ballet.
3- and 4- year old ballet at Discovery Programs in New York City, in particular. In 3- and 4- year old ballet you do not get to wear your tutu every day. No, no, no.
You save the tutu for two performances each semester. For the Fall 2007 semester, one of those performances was today.

Given that she is not allowed to wear her tutu every Wednesday morning with the rest of her outfit, you can imagine how excited Anna gets about these days.

And so it was that she appeared naked and in a tutu at the bottom of the stairs this morning, all ready to throw on her winter coat and hat and head out to the studio.
Thomas, on the other hand, was incredibly disappointed to realize that "tutu day" had absolutely nothing to do with trains. Or the sound they make.

Did I mention that brothers attended this recital, too?
Here they are, flat on their backs.
Jack's comment: "I must dance! I must dance!"
Thomas' impression: "Snack! Snack!"

Until today, I had never considered the the usefulness of the camera bag strap as a restraining device.

When Not To Go Into A Toy Store With Kids

That would be right after Christmas.
When, after reviewing both their 'take' and that of their friends, they finally are aware of all the things they didn't get but really need.
That are available for purchase.

I had to go into a toy store to buy a baby gift. Anna was with me.
She immediately saw the paint-it-yourself horse model kit. (Imagine: A pink coat! A purple mane! Wow!) She really wanted this.

I told her that we weren't going to buy anything; we just had Christmas and she got lots of presents. Her response:
[teenage exasperated explanation voice] "Mommy! Christmas isn't about presents..."

Jack's Ting-Ting

Here it is! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

As I was writing this post the Halloween season was upon us. Which of course obligated us to celebrate by making sugar cookies (and no small mess) in our buddies' grandmother's kitchen.

Throwing flour? Eating raw dough? Not Jack's thing.
He liked the rolling pin.