The Almost-Fours

They will be four on Tuesday.

They can't wait -- for ice cream birthday cake (Lightning McQueen for him, Ariel the Little Mermaid for her) and for their party.

I am getting the sense this is going to be a very fun age. Mostly, I like eavesdropping on them when they play without my immediate supervision. Yesterday I overheard this: "Where are my boots? Oh, there they are! I will go take a walk with them." "Where will you go?" "California.
 Actually, to a camping trip. I'm back now." Actually is his favorite word.

They found money on my desk a few weeks back and now ask "how many monies" we need to buy things.

She sings "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingles all da way." She insists I do the next line, then repeats the cycle incessantly.

They are convinced the dog from the Disney movie that's too scary to sit through is called "Balt," not "Bolt." They point him out on every bus or billboard we pass. They also point out "Desperaux," but insist his movie is for big kids because they watched a DVD screener of it and proclaimed it "too scary." They demand to watch the previews on every DVD. They want to know why Eve threw smoke and Wall-E, and why Wall-E wants to hold Eve's hand.

They ask why it's winter now, and we can't go to the beach in our bathing suits (even in Southern California, it's too cold for that). And where did all the snow go that was in the mountains?

Me, I want to know where the last four years went. Late Blooming Dad and I took the kids to lunch Friday at Souplantation and saw a baby in a high chair at the next table. Dad looked and me and said, "Do you remember that phase?" I drew a blank.

I know this: we survived it. I do wish I had blogged about it, though, so I could remember some of it now. I may try to jog my memory and write a mishmash of what I can recall of at least the first two, pre-blogging years. But for now, as I look over a year of blog posts, I'm glad I've got them. Not just to remember them by, but to prove to the kids, one day, when they whine to the contrary, that they DID have a happy childhood. The blog will be my evidence!

Happy New Year to all who visit this spot in cyberspace.