No such thing as Santa

A - You know Santa isn't real Mommy.
M - What? Who told you that?
A - He is just fun to pretend.

I informed Matt of this in the car as we are all riding together.
Matt is shocked! When we come to a stop at the traffic light, he turns around and asks her if Santa is real.

We just happened to have stopped at a light where a huge, very life-like Santa is climbing the side of a jewelry store.

Ashlyn points out her window and says (in a very sarcastic voice)"Well yeah, look he is right there climbing that building."

Our child, the literal one. You can't fool her with anything!

Too much

Lots of our family members take turns picking up and taking care of Ashlyn for me as I work.

Maggie, our 17 year old cousin, was driving Ashlyn home the other day.

A - Maggie, sometimes you come get me, sometimes its popa and Nana, sometimes Aunt Donna, Aunt Jane or Nana Shirley.
Maggie - That's right, Ashlyn. We all come to take care of you.
A - Yeah, I think that is just too much family!

I don't mind, I forgive you

So as soon as I get to school yesterday morning, my husband gives me a call. He tells me that my girl has something to tell me.

A - Hey Mommy.
M - Hey baby. What are you doing?
A - Mommy, I got the Tinkerbell movie for Christmas! And a princess puzzle!
M - What do you mean you got a movie? How do you know that?
(Matt in the background: Tell Mommy what you did while I was in the shower.)
A - I unwrapped the presents Mommy!

I couldn't help but laugh. I know I probably should have been sad that she now knows some of the things she is getting, but I wasn't. The funny part is that I don't know how she knew which gifts to open. I had wrapped everything in the same paper, and I had purposefully not shown her which gifts were hers. Yet, somehow, she knew right where hers were under the tree.

Ashlyn must have been thinking all day of her actions and felt a lot of remorse, because when she finally came home last night, the 1st thing she did was go to the tree.
A- I'm sorry for unwrapping them Mommy.
M - That's ok baby.
A - Please don't give me a spanking.
M - I'm not going to honey. I hadn't told you to leave them alone. I'll just wrap them again, I don't mind.
A - (A big smile on her face) Oh Mommy, I don't mind for you to wrap them again. I forgive you Mommy!

Had a what?

Ashlyn was in the middle of singing a song when Matt walks into the room...

A - (In a sing-song voice) "...had a Aunt Amy, Uncle Brad, Aunt Donna, Uncle Roger, Popa, Nana, Granna, Popa Dave, Mommmyyyy and Dadddddyyyy , e, i, e, i, ohhhhhh! And on that farm he had a Jake, Maggie..." Apparently we are a bunch of farm animals:)

So proud

Ashlyn was helping me make dinner last night. She likes to get out all of the ingredients for me, and usually has a comment about each one of them.

M - Ashlyn, get the blue packet of rice please.
A - Did you buy rice?
M - Yes, honey. Just grab that packet right there (as a motion to the rice).
(Ashlyn's eyes lit up and a huge smile emerged on her face)
A - Oh Mommy! You bought rice! I am SOOOO proud of you!

Oh the little things that make a daughter proud :)

Decaf

As I was giving Ashlyn a bath last night, she was pretending to drink something out of her bath cup. Now, I really don't like her to do this, because too often, she actually gets some in her mouth. This is pure nastiness to me, seeing as how it is dirty bath water.

I turned around to grab her towel and when I looked back, Ashlyn was drinking the water.

M - Ashlyn! That is disgusting! Don't you know there are germs in that water?
A - Sorry Mommy. I was just pretending.
M - You need to stop. If you drink that you'll get sick.
A - Oh don't worry Mommy. It's just decaf water!

Addelyn Kate

We are so excited that our new baby is another sweet little girl, Addelyn Kate.

When Ashlyn got home from 'school' (MDO) yesterday, I gave her a big hug.

A - Mommy, did you know I have Addelyn Kate in my tummy too?
M - No I didn't. I thought it was still Mary or the skunk. (Oh yeah, she told me last week that she was no longer having a Mary, but rather a skunk!)
A - No, just Addelyn Kate. Mommy, you need to be careful hugging me so tight.
M - Why is that?
A - I'm afraid you are going to squish her.