Something to SMILE about.

For the past month or so Hannah and I have been attending a mommy and me (+ third wheel baby brother) gymnastics class. It's actually a nutrition and exercise class. Hannah loves it! I tolerate it. Last week during the pre-healthy snack story time another mom snapped a candid photo of the kids. After class that picture was emailed to me. The first thing I noticed about the picture was....ME. There I was in the background wrangling the baby with a death stare/grimace on my face. I seriously looked like I was being held prisoner at this story time. And while the class is somewhat painful. It's not THAT bad! Which got me thinking, I need to smile more. Sure life can be daunting and downright tedious at times. BUT I've got a lot of reasons to smile and laugh even! 

This is a much cuter gymnastics picture. The group one shall never surface on the internet;-)

So here they are - for my own personal record - things my kids have said or done lately that made me smile. A collection of sorts to look back on when I need a smile. 

Like the other day when Charlotte very seriously studied my face and declared that I have FIVE freckles. 

Five? Hhhmm. More like five hundred!  I even asked her to recount. Still five. In her defense my face is becoming one big freckle. Kinda hard to count them. 

The other morning Levi was crying because I wouldn't/couldn't pick him up. Hannah heard him in his distress and came to his rescue. 

Hannah: You sad Bubba? Don't worry Bubba I have lipstick! 

Because clearly lipstick (i.e. Chapstick) is exactly what a sad baby needs! The funny thing is he actually stopped crying when she put the "lipstick" on him!

My phone of nearly four years died over the weekend. Joe kindly went to the store to replace it for me...because I really didn't want to drag all four kids there. However he bought me a BRIGHT purple case which is exactly what I chose four years ago with my first iPhone. However my style preferences have changed a tad over the years. Which means I ended up at the phone store with all the children for what in theory was a quick and easy exchange. It was neither. Thank goodness for display phones and tablets that were within my children's reach! We survived and had a lively conversation about phones on the drive home. 

Charlotte: Mom how old were you when you got your first phone?

Me: My first cell phone? I was in college. 

Charlotte: What?! I won't be that OLD when I get my first phone!

Me: Well they didn't have cell phones when I was a kid. We just had house phones. 

Isaiah: A what?

Me: You know a phone that plugs into the wall...that was used to call other houses and businesses. 

Charlotte: But you could still text, right?

Me: No. Just call. 

Isaiah: That's not fun!

Me: I know. It's just a telephone for making phone calls. 

Charlotte: No videos?

Isaiah: That's no fun!

Charlotte: But a phone is for taking pictures and texting too. 

Me: No it's for making calls. 

This conversation went in circles. Over and over I tried to convince my children that phones are technically just for making calls. Everything else is an extra feature. I gave up. They just couldn't comprehend. But I got a good laugh out of it!

On a five minute drive home (right before lunch) it got eerily quiet in the back of my van. 

Me: Is Levi asleep?

Hannah: Yep. 

Me: Oh no!

Hannah: It's ok. It's his job. 

Me: What?

Hannah: Sleeping. It's his job!

No my dear...sleeping in his crib is his job! 

Walking to Charlotte's school the other night for her kindergarten performance which was (not surprisingly) themed "Texas", Charlotte was galloping along proudly in her plaid shirt, jean skirt and cowgirl boots when she declared, "Now I'm a true Texan!" 

For the past two weeks Hannah has been planning her fourth birthday party....that is in August! She definitely knows what she wants. PONIES. Real ponies and her guests dressed like ponies. She will be dressed in a princess dress because she's the birthday girl. Oh and all the ponies will be inside our house. We will just "scootch over" and make room for the real ponies. I made the mistake of tryinh to tell her that IF real ponies came to her party they would be outside. She was not convinced. She was quite adamant that the ponies need to be inside because it is too cold outside for ponies! Texas in August is anything but cold! Trying to convince my three year old of this fact is proving futile. 

Then again Hannah's definition of cold is a little different than mine. The other day she came running into the house looking for her jacket because she was too cold to play in the back yard. It was 77 and sunny.