I'm Back!

I had this flash of genius this weekend -- I should start a blog! You know, to capture all the cute things Lulu and Boo say and do and my random thoughts and musings so one day I could embarrass them with a glossy coffee table book of their lives. So I logged on to Blogger and, um, well, it turns out I have a blog! Clearly, my memory is going.

Anyway ...

Lulu and Boo enjoy renaming themselves (and me) from time to time. A few months ago, out of nowhere, they informed me they would be known as Carlos and Daisy from now on. I still haven't figured out where they came up with those names, but they have stuck. Then just last week, Boo woke up early, crawled up into bed with me, and declared sleepily that he was a silver monster and I was a white monster (Lulu is a pink monster, of course). "Why am I a white monster?" I asked. "Because I wub you!" he cried. That is good enough for me.

Oh, please!

I try to teach my children manners, but it's tough. I am a pretty casual person -- I don't really notice whether someone says please or thank you, as long as they are nice about it. So I am not as strict with Lulu and Boo on this front as I probably should be, though now that Lulu has gone crazy and isn't all that nice much of the time, I have cracked down on please. She'll snap "Mama, I want to quit you" and I simply respond patiently with "Don't you mean, 'I want to quit you, please'?" That does not go over well.

Boo, who at 20 months misses nothing has noticed the power of please and adapted it for his own purposes. This weekend at nap time, I rocked him and gently said, "OK, Boo, time for nap!" He shook his little head no and said "play?" I said no and he thought for a moment and piped up "please?" He added in the baby sign for good measure. It's seriously cute, and Boo has me completely wrapped around his finger, but I resisted and plopped him in the crib anyway. He was not, um, pleased.

He persists with his new word, though. The kid is definitely determined. He tacks on an earnest "please?" to every little baby demand, from more cookies to more kisses, and at least for the latter, he is happily rewarded.

Things I Love This Week

1. The Wonder Pets, because Lulu and Boo LOVE the Wonder Pets, especially Ming Ming the duckling. It keeps them occupied during that crucial half-hour before bed when everyone, including me, is tired and cranky (and then Lulu gets one extra episode while I get Boo to sleep). And there is nothing cuter than when I sing "What's gonna work?" and baby Boo shouts out "Teamwork!"

2. The Twilight series, because I haven't gotten as completely absorbed in a book since Harry Potter. I read all four books in 8 days. Edward vs. Jacob. Vampires vs. Werewolves. What's not to love? It's an utterly fascinating world. Oh, and ignore the reviews that say Breaking Dawn is over the top. Who picks up a book about vampires and expects it to be realistic? It's fantasy!

3. My new iPhone, because it's neat. Yeah, I know everyone loves their iPhone, but so what? I never claimed to be original.