Best Compliment Ever

My parents came to town last weekend... and I've been meaning to post this ever since. However, it's been a little crazy around here -- Daddy's been out of town going on almost a full 2 weeks, our dryer D I E D and I had to get the new one ordered and delivered, our garage door is thinking about imitating the dryer, and I couldn't get the DVD player to play a CD.

Happy 10 years in the house -- the appliances are starting to turn against you.

Anyway, my parents were in town to have some quality Molly time. Molly conned Grandma into having a jammie day with her on Saturday -- so Grandma wore her jammies all day too! (I was able to get a pass with my comfy clothes - a.k.a. sweats.)

So we're making lunch, and Molly decides to use her "fancy manners" voice (which is a British accent picked up from "Charlie and Lola" - the cutest cartoon EVER). And out of nowhere, as I'm making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, my mom looks at me and says, "You're doing a beautiful job with her."

Wow.

I love you too, Mom.

You Want a Little What?

One night earlier this week, we were getting ready for bathtime. I said, "Ok, let's go sit on the potty." Molly looks up at me as earnestly as she can and says:

"Mommy, I think I'd like to have a little privacy." Then she shuts the door.

Huh? What just happened? When did my 3 year old turn into a 13 year old?

I stood in the hallway, staring at the closed bathroom door, not really knowing what to do when I hear the toilet flush. Molly then opened the door and said, "Ok, Mommy - you can come in now."

Well, at least she let me back in, right?

McGruff the Crime... Huh?

Yesterday at school, McGruff the Crime Dog came to talk to the kids about safety. So, I asked Molly about this on the way home.

Me: "So, Molly, what did McGruff talk to you about today?"
Molly: "McGruff wasn't there... the man was there."
Me: "What man?"
Molly: "THE man. McGruff was walking around the neighborhood."
Me: "What did the man tell you?"
Molly: "What McGruff was going to say."
Me: "Yes, but what did he tell you?"
Molly: "What McGruff was going to say."

(After another 5 minutes of this "Waiting for Godot" moment, I moved on.)

Me: "So did the man give you any safety tips?"
Molly: "Yes."
Me: "What kind of tips did he give you?"
Molly: "He taught us how to be safe from sharks."
Me: "Sharks?"
Molly: "Uh-huh, sharks."

So, while we still need to learn about Stranger Danger, we are covered on safety with sharks. I guess you really can never be too careful...

Cue Rickey Minor and the Band!

So, it was "American Idol" night at our house... Molly was thrilled. She liked David Archuletta, tolerated Carly and Syesha, started playing when Kristy Lee came on -- then completely came around when Brooke White and David Cook came on. Both were great. Yeah, David Cook!

Molly's pick: Kristy Lee is going home. Trust me - except for the Michael John's shocker last week, she's been right the past three weeks running.

Things Molly Loves: Elephants

Molly - I don't remember quite how this great love of yours started. You really liked the elephants every time we went to the zoo. But the tipping point came last September 1st, when I picked you up from day care. You announced, "Mommy, do you know what I want to be for Halloween? An elephant." It was only September 1st - I figured you'd change your mind a few dozen times before Halloween.

I was wrong.

As we crept closer and closer to Halloween, you held on tight to your one and only costume choice. I crafted your costume myself, thanks to these instructions and a little ingenuity on my part. So while your friends at school were princesses, a bride, and other very girlie things, you were an elephant. And it was awesome.

So it's just taken off since there -- elephant books, elephant towels, a small herd of stuffed elephant friends (named after all the elephants at our zoo). And your first movie was (of course) about an elephant -- "Horton Hears a Who!" And what did you wear to the movie? Your elephant ears and your own Horton t-shirt Daddy and I made you. And over the weekend, you even made an elephant at Build-a-Bear (which they now conveniently have.) And for your birthday, you want to make a donation to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee to help feed the elephants.

Why elephants? Who knows. How long will this last? I don't know. But you love your elephants. And we love you.

Why American Idol Rules Our House

To say Molly loves "American Idol" is like saying that Angelina Jolie loves adopting babies... or that Barry Bonds loves taking steriods. (Which is to say, a whole heck of a lot.)



This all started in 2006 - Season 5. Molly was 18 months old and we'd watch it passively. She loved music as a baby. In fact, that was when Apple iPod had the commercial with Eminem -- and she would stop whatever she was doing when it came on and would bounce to it. Exactly to the beat.



Then one day, when I dropped her off at school, her teacher said, "Good morning, Molly! What did you do last night?" Out of nowhere, Molly replied, "Merican idol."



Oh crap.



Luckily, we had TiVo... every night for a year, Taylor won at our house.



So last season, we watched. She picked Blake Lewis early on as her favorite.



This year, she picked David Cook during Hollywood week. Next year, I'm placing bets.

Toddler Logic - There's No Fish in Fish Sticks

Scene: Outside on our deck, looking at our backyard and the flooded lake behind it (thanks to the freakish amount of rain we've gotten in the past three weeks)

Players: Molly and her Daddy, hanging out before dinner

Molly: "Daddy, why did the beaver dam up the lake?"

Daddy: "He dams up the lake so he can trap the fish -- then he can catch them and eat them."

Molly: "Ewwwww! I don't like fish."

Daddy: "Um, you had fish sticks for lunch at school today. And you ate all of them."

Molly: "I like fish sticks. I don't like fish. There's no fish in fish sticks."

And scene.

Home Depot - 1; Pottery Barn Kids - 0

Part of my mommy life is I work outside the home. (Not a judgement... just a statement of my reality.) Since I work four days a week, I try to be a present parent and make the most of what I do with Molly when we're together.

So, that's why I was really annoyed to get this invitation from Pottery Barn Kids. Book club at my favorite store in the whole entire universe? Brilliant idea. Getting me to spend quality time with my daughter amidst the Hannah quilts and monogrammed Anywhere chairs? Wow -marketing genius. Doing this at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday??? Really? Really???

Strike 1 - Pottery Barn.

On the more positive front, a big woo-hoo to Home Depot for its monthly Kids Workshop. We accidentally happened upon this last month when Molly's Daddy was in need of some wiring, a new tool, or some fuse box, or something. Molly and I tagged along when a very nice woman named Tina invited us to build a race car. For free. Oh - and Molly got her own mini-sized Home Depot apron to keep! (Daddy was jealous that he didn't get one too. I said he could have his own... but he'd have to clean up Aisle 7.) So, how did it go?

As so can see, so well that we went back last week to make a flower box/crib for one of our elephants, Humphrey. (Photos coming soon.)

So thanks, Home Depot, for giving families a fun, FREE activity on a day and time that is convenient for most everyone. We'll see you next month for the flower pencil holder.

Meet the Peanut

So, Molly - here you are at 3-1/2. You have crazy curly hair -- which you actually get from your Daddy at that age. (We have matching hair now - but I had peach fuzz until I was 4.)

What do you like? You love elephants, America Idol, ballet, and reading books. You're sweet and loving. And you're our little safety officer - always making sure the basement and shower doors are shut, reminding Daddy not to rock in his chair or talk with food in his mouth, and asking me if I have the van lights turned on when we're driving. (In fact, your favorite cartoon vignette on Playhouse Disney is Lou and Lou Safety Patrol!)

Your Daddy and I have LOTS of nicknames for you -- Peanut, Princess, Pumpkin, Molly Balloon, Boo. In fact, I call you "darling" and "sweetie" so much that the other day, when you were pretending to be the mommy, you called, "Come on, darling! It's time to go!"

Love you, Peanut!

It Was Easier to Name My Daughter...

At long last, I have a blog. I finally can turn all those mental posts into real posts. I can finally stop joking about all my fake blogs... ok, well maybe not. Blog jokes always get a laugh. So, what took me so long? Finding a brilliant blog name... and one that wasn't taken! (I was really bummed to learn that Tsu-mami was already a roller derbry queen. Oh well.) My poor friend Jilt (http://www.parentville.blogspot.com) humored me as I kept brainstorming -- then discarding -- names over the past year. And how could I ever top www.mamalogues.com -- brilliant name, brilliantly written. I was paralyzed by blog envy.

Anyway, now that Tete a Tot hit me, why am I starting it? The primary reason is to capture all the crazy, wacky, endearing, and interesting converstations I have with my daughter, Molly. She's 3-1/2 going on 32. And the stuff that comes out of her mouth makes me laugh, makes me proud, and (sometimes) makes me cry. She is such a neat little person -- and I want to capture all of her special moments in any way that I can. Also, I love the thought of becoming a member of the mommy blogger world - and the amazing support and power that represents.

So Molly -- this blog is for you. But it's for me, too. And for those of you who happen upon this, welcome!