Simone, the Stylist

Simone is very creative.  One afternoon, while we were waiting for our food at a restaurant,  Simone took the napkins and gave her Daddy another one of her famous makeovers.

Karate

While I was sweeping the driveway, Max took a 6' x 1/2" strip of wood and started whacking the solar lights on the yard edge.  They're delicate lights and Max's force was dislodging them from their post.  I asked Max to stop doing it and he looked at me with all seriousness,

"But Mom!  I have to do my karate!"

A New Pair of Max Sayings

Max's favorite phrase lately is "young lady."  Last night Max and Simone were fighting over a Hot Wheels track and Max did something inappropriate, which my poor memory seems to think it was an act of swiping.  Simone cried foul (figuratively) and Max immediately yelled, "I'm S O R R Y!" in a rather insincere manner.  Simone accused him of not really being sorry, to which Max responded,

"Yes, I AM sorry, young lady!"



Max has a word for people who are not nice.  We were watching a cartoon that had a bad wolf scientist using a gigantic fan to blow down the pigs' brick house.  Max commented that the antagonist was a "meanie-ac."  I said, "You're right Max.  He's not very nice.  But did you mean to say he's a 'meanie' or a 'maniac."  Max said,

"He's a meanie and a maniac.  He's a meanie-ac!"

Simone's Mini-Me Shirt

Simone got a Christmas present from Auntie Bobot and it is so adorable.  On the shirt is a picture of a little girl and it looks just like Simone!

I asked her to smile like the picture

A Mechanic's vs. Our Own Sweat and Tears

I called up the local Mercedes Benz service shop and asked them to quote the services we had done on our car in July.  I compared it to the money we spent on the parts, accessories and fluids we needed.  The difference was phenomenal.

Mechanic's Quote:  $3,046

Our DIY Cost:  $1149

That is almost a whopping 300% increase if you take your car to the mechanic!  And part of our DIY costs were for tools like a dipstick, a rolling chair, and those mechanic-lying-down-roller,  things we can use over and over again!

Pretty ... Pretty ... Pretty Good.

My influence is working!  I asked Max what he wanted to watch today and he said,

"My Big Big Friend, Bo on the Go, and Larry David!"  

He's already a fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm!

I know Max doesn't get most of the jokes so maybe his desire to watch it comes from hearing his dad say, "I love watching this show.  (Larry David) says all the things I'm thinking."

Uh-oh.  I hope we're not creating our own little social assassin in Max!

The Fight Against No-TV

We have a rule in our house that the kids cannot watch TV on the weekends.  It was tough at first - for me!  Why would it be tough on the parent, you ask?  Because the whining increased that first weekend when they couldn't watch TV.  We urged them to go outside where Michael and I were hanging out and ... what do you know, they did!

Now it's a normal thing in our house that on weekends there are no cartoons, the toys get strewn about the house, and we all interact more.  Michael and I do watch  TV at this time but it's on when we're eating a meal - and it's an adult-chosen show.

This is how Max feel's about what I watch.  During the week when I picked a non-cartoon show for lunch, he told me, "Your choices are ugly!  My choices are fantastic!"

This Saturday morning, I groggily woke up to Max asking me to check out his forehead.  Taped to it was an ovular shape that had squiggly lines rising from it.

I gave him sleepy praise, ("Wow, Max.  That's cool") and tried to catch more ZZZs (it was the weekend after all and that's what parents do - sleep in).  I was immediately interrupted by Simone who barged in the room and said, "Mommy! Mommy!  Feel Max's forehead!  It's hot!"  I decided I couldn't sleep at this point, got up, and played along with their game.  "Wow Max, you have a fever!  You better go to bed."

On my way to the living room, Simone follows me and exclaims, "Aw man!  It didn't work!"  I quizzically looked at her and asked, "What are you talking about?"  Simone smirked and explained, "I wanted you to think Max was sick so that we could watch TV!"

Oh, these kids.  I love their attempts to circumvent the system.

Max the Songwriter

On a drive home one afternoon, I heard a little angelic voice behind me ...

Max loves to sing and make up songs!  He also tries to learn the words to songs that he doesn't quite have memorized completely.  One of his favorite songs on the Cars Soundtrack is "Life is a Highway."  I'll hear humming and then an occasional word that he does know.

More Rockin' the Glasses

*clap*clap*clap*

Goofy Max

Max loves to make faces ... What else is there to say?

Max asked me if I wanted to see his "Kuya Brandon" face.  This is what he interprets to be what his cousin looks like.

I think it comes from when we spent time together last December and Brandon was very much into showing the whites of his eyes.  

How to Rock Glasses

The other day, we were at Barnes and Nobles and I spotted this book in the Young Adult section:

"How to Rock Braces and Glasses"

Where was this book when I was a preteen with thick glasses and a neck brace?  I think the kids will need braces in the future, but so far they don't need glasses.  If they do, I don't think they'll have a problem making 4-eyes look cool.  

This is Simone looking as nerdy as she can get.
This would have been me on a good day.  I never looked this cute.

Simone's confidence oozes past her frames.

She'll even fit in with the Emo crowd.

Simone, the Poet

Simone had been asking for a journal and we happily obliged.  Our first stop was Barnes and Noble, but we only found expensive options.  Office Depot next door had our budget in mind, and once Michael saw the aisle of Trapper Keepers, he had more presents for Simone in mind too!

I think he fondly remembers his Trapper Keeper from middle school and wanted to give Simone the same joy.  He got her lined and graphed paper, stencils, pencils, pens, a calculator, post-its, and a ruler.  The picture above shows how excitedly they put it all together as soon as we got home.

As for the original request of a journal, Simone got a pretty one with an attached tassel bookmark and a magnetic cover.

I wondered what she would write in it.  She has seen this blog before, but she hasn't been exposed to the practice of writing with an instrument onto pieces of paper bound together to acknowledge one's thoughts.  Well, I didn't have to wonder very long.  She has been quite prolific in writing poems!  Here are some that she wrote all by herself.

(Little cat. Little cat.  Do you fly?  Do you eat eggs?
Little cat do you play?  Yes, you play.)

(Daddy Daddy Daddy.  Daddy, do you eat eggs?
Daddy Daddy, do you run?  Daddy Daddy do you pay? No.
You play with Simone and Max.)

(One crayon jumped out.  Where did it go?
It went down the drain.)

There is a similar rhythm to the poems and I think she got her inspiration from all the poems she heard in Kindergarten.  

Max, the Sailor Man

Michael and Max had their own Daddy and Me time when Simone and I went to tea.  Michael chose an excellent activity for them - canoeing!

Michael took Max to the military base nearby and rented a little canoe.  After watching a video, they launched their boat off a rather tall (3-foot) pier.  Michael got in first and then Max, who bravely and cautiously scooted to the front and eagerly paddled.

I'm ready to go, Daddy!

Max is truly a water baby, he didn't have a seat belt on and was rather fearless about being so close to the water!  They two were only rowing for about 30 minutes, but in that span of time they were able to visit two beaches!

Land ahoy!

Argh!  Where are my gold doubloons?!

Michael taught Max how to rest by placing his oar across and in front of him.  Apparently, he thought it was so fun to rest that he did it about every 30 seconds.

Whew!  I'm taking a breather.

Back to the grind.

Max did so well out there and Michael came home beaming about the bravery of his son.  Simone was very impressed too and asked when her turn would be.  Frankly, I'm excited myself to try one of these little boats.  

Good job, little sailor!

Tea Time for Two!

Simone and I found a few hours this weekend to do another Mommy and Simi Time at a tea room.  I have recently started wearing heels again when I go out for dinner and knew that this occasion would be no exception.  To let Simone feel extra special this outing, I let her wear her little high heels too!

Her feet are finally as long as the shoe!  Time has flown!

Gingerly stepping down the stairs ...

Simone knew that I was letting her wear the heels since we would be on our feet for a short time.  She has seen other girls wear heels at her school and urges me to let her.  Sure I don't want her to grow up too quickly, but I also don't want her to get bunions in the midst of her growth!  

We tried going to a local tea room but they are on vacation for 2 weeks.  We went farther out, but it was worth it!

The host offered Simone a hat and boa!

Simone got the Princess Tea and I got the regular High Tea.  Simone has had herbal tea before and was interested in trying it again.  Their peach tea however smelled oddly pungent and she was not impressed.  Simone did like the soup they gave for their first course.

Don't let her frown fool you - she was just suspicious of soup she had never had before

I thought Simone would prefer their chicken and wild rice soup rather than their tomato basil so she got the smaller version of the former while I got the adult portion of the latter.  I ended up loving my tomato basil that I almost forgot to offer her some.  I had a bit left and when she refused my offer, I happily slurped the rest up.  Victorian Grace's soups were so savory!  While we waited for the rest of our food, we snapped photos.

Simone's food came first and she was so excited to eat her teddy bear grilled cheese sandwich, PB & J donut, chicken nuggets and teeny tiny cupcake.

I unfortunately didn't take pictures of my food but it was deliiiicious!  I later asked Simone what she liked about her experience and I thought that for sure she would mention her cupcake or my truffle bar that we split.  Here's what she professed.

"My favorite part of tea was taking pictures"