Meet Miriam and Moses...

Have you ever tried to dress your child as a bible character on short notice? (Ok, it really shouldn't have been short notice considering her AWANA teachers sent home a note the week before, and oh yeah, I volunteer with AWANA every week...) But despite that, Wednesday October 25th rolled around, and I suddenly remembered that Alexa was supposed to be a Bible character that evening! We flipped through one of her Bible story books and found the story of Miriam and Moses. Alexa loved the story (especially since she was also a big sister) and was particularly excited about the fact that Mommy would let her take a baby doll with her. Baby Moses (who by the way has kept that name since that fateful evening) was easy to costume; it was his big sister who proved problematic. Inspiration finally struck when I remembered I had a wrap skirt, sent from my dear friend in Malaysia, hanging in my closet! A few tugs, ties, and binder clips later (I couldn't find my safety pins), we had a dress! The headpiece was fashioned from a scarf Billy had sent Alexa when he was in Kuwait, and since it was pink, I heard no complaints from my typically opinionated daughter! We found her brown sandals (now only referred to as 'her Miriam shoes') and crisis was averted! It has been two weeks, and not only is her baby still called Moses but he also still resides in the basket, wrapped in his blanket. We also now alternate between requests to be Minnie Mouse and requests to be Miriam. She loves dressing up so much we've debated buying her more costumes, but as it is she changes personas so many times throughout the day, I'm never quite sure who I'm talking to!

Speaking of dressing up, Alexa got plenty of wear out of her Minnie Mouse costume - on October 28th, we went to a Halloween party, on the 30th she wore it for her school's story book dress up parade, and on the 31st we went trick or treating. She did well on Halloween, remembering to be polite and tell everyone thank you...although she did also tell one kind woman who handed her M&Ms that "she liked beans but she didn't like chocolate." (try explaining that one to a complete stranger!)

Since Halloween, we've asked for candy every single day. She understands the concept of no candy until after we eat pretty well, as evidenced this morning when she finished her breakfast and announced, "I ate all my cereal! I so happy, now I can have CANDY!" We're still working on the concept of not being able to eat candy after EVERY meal...

Due to the increase in our sugar intake, brushing our teeth has become an even greater priority. Tonight, she was protesting bedtime and told me she didn't want to brush her teeth. I explained that brushing our teeth keeps them clean and healthy and if we don't take good care of our teeth by brushing them, they could get really yucky and fall out. She apparently took this to heart because when I suggested again that she brush her teeth, I heard no objections, and upon reaching the bathroom, she handed me my toothbrush and asked if I would like to brush my teeth. I explained that I would brush my teeth later, and in horror, she said, "no mommy, you have to brush them now so they don't fall out!"

Other adventures over the past few weeks included visiting the state fair on October 15th. Alexa loved the cotton candy and the carousel - not a shocker considering her infatuation with horses. Brody, as you can see from the photo below, enjoyed his thumb.

On October 27th, Aunt Misty kept the kids while Billy and I attended a Dining Out (formal dinner). Last Saturday, I kept the kids so she and John could attend a dinner. Keeping both the boys at the same time has left both Misty and me in awe of our friends who have twins. The boys were good, but two babies are still two babies!

Add a chatty three-year-old to the mix and you're guaranteed a night to remember!

The boys seem to enjoy being together, or at least Brody does. We'll lay them side by side, and typically, Brody will grin and grab John's hands or clothes, which in turn causes John to cry, which then causes Brody to laugh. (I hope this isn't an indication of their future relationship)

Anyway, thanks for reading my ramblings...and if for some reason I don't make it back to the blog before then, have a Happy Thanksgiving!