Who Needs TV.....

When I have these three monkeys to entertain me?? Last night, I had a very enjoyable evening with my children. Not that I don't usually have enjoyable evenings with my kids, but last night, they were in rare form. Hubby was out and about last night paying on his new drum set (yes, he got it), and helping my brother with his DVD player, so I was at home with the rugrats. (I say that in love). Care Bear (as usual) wanted mac n cheese for dinner. It has gotten to the point where whenever they want mac and cheese, I have to get two boxes so that each girl can put in their own noodles, their own butter, their own milk and their own cheese. Since each box is maybe an entire $.60, I don't typically have a problem with this; it saves me the pain of enduring a temper tantrum on either girls' part because the other got to put in the cheese this time. Anyhoo, those two little girls made their own mac and cheese last night from start to finish. All the way down to serving up their own bowls. A few cheesy noodles were sacrificed to the floor or to my freshly cleaned stove, but they were proud of themselves.

After the five star cuisine was complete, Anakin got to work on his homework, and Care Bear got out her drawing board and proceeded to make a very detailed picture of a tree with apples on it (complete with branches), a girl sitting next to the tree which was surrounded with flowers and grass. In the sky were clouds, birds and a sun with a smiley face. When she completed her picture, I was tempted to hide the magna-doodle board from her forever to keep it from getting erased. Anakin (the resident artist in the house) even managed to give her a half-hearted compliment on the drawing.

While Care Bear was working on the masterpiece, Feisty was busily scrubbing the table with a water soaked napkin and then made her way over to me and informed me that she had to wash my face (with the napkin that she had been using to wash the very dirty table). She lovingly and carefully washed my eyes, my nose, my mouth and my hair with that napkin. Anytime I tried to move my face in another direction, she would take her fingers on my face and move it back to her. Anakin informed me that she's going to be a stylist; I told him I believe she's going to be a very good mom.

Shortly, Anakin informed me that he wanted to perform a song for us all. We went downstairs and sat on the couch and he used the bricks in front of our fireplace as a stage and proceeded to sing (in all seriousness) a very butchered version of "Do You Hear What I Hear" (bless his heart). It was very sweet and that child can sing! The other two then had to get in on the action and get up on stage and sing various songs and tell stories. All three of them got up there at one point and did a comedy act, which literally had me in tears and clutching my stomach. I wished I had been taping it because it's one of those "you had to be there" moments to appreciate it and there is no way to describe it in a way to serve it justice. I wasn't politely or obligingly laughing; it was hilarious. They proceeded to entertain me for about a half hour after which time it was time for bed; and it was very difficult to get them calmed down after all that.

Care Bear is always the first to go to bed. She's the easiest one to get there and gives the least amount of complaints, so I always take her up before the other two. As always, we did our good night prayer to Jesus. Lately, she seems to be stuck on what to say so always asks me mid-prayer, "Now what should I say?". I tell her to just say whatever she wants to Jesus; he just loves for us to talk to him. She always wants me to pray first, and almost every night, she interrupts me while I'm praying and interjects her little comments. Here is last night's Care Bear Prayer/Conversation:


Me: Dear Jesus,
Thank you for this wonderful day. And thank you for my sweet Care Bear...

Care Bear: And help me to not have bad dreams and help Micah to get better...

Me: And thank you that Care Bear had a good day at school and that she gets to get new glasses. And thank you that Care Bear and Feisty were such good girls at the eye doctor. And help Care Bear to sleep good and not have bad dreams, and please help Micah to feel better....

Care Bear: I already said that!!

Me: And we love you, Jesus. Amen.

Care Bear: My turn!! Dear Jesus, thank you for this day and I loved all the things we did today. And thank you for Christmas and help Micah to have a good Christmas. ....Hey Mommy! Christmas is a Holy Day because it's Jesus' Birthday, right? Thank you for your Birthday Jesus because that's why we have Christmas. I love you, Jesus. Amen.