I Won!

Without fail when our evening babysitter is over, Alanna is bound to say something noteworthy.

Last night was date night and sure enough, Andrea had a pretty cute quote from Alanna to share.

Alanna likes to play Pokemon, a LOT and often she'll actually play against herself to try out her decks.  Last night, she was playing and told Andrea, "I was playing against myself and guess what!!??" (pure excitement in her voice)  "I WON!"

Difficult Conversations

We had a couple difficult conversations yesterday with Alanna.

On the way out the door to Pokemon League she asked, "Is the Easter Bunny a person in a bunny costume?" Needless to say both Jeb and I looked at each other with our jaws dropped open.  After a momentary pause to quickly put together how I should respond I asked her why she was wondering and what she thought.  

She said she was just wondering.  I explained that yes, the bunny we go see at the Community Center or the mall is a person who is a "helper" and is dressed up in a costume.  I asked her though how she thought the eggs got delivered to Grandma Jackie's house.  She replied that they were put there by the real bunny, so I think we're still good through this year anyway.  

She followed this up with a question about Santa Claus which we answered in much the same fashion.  That both he and the Easter Bunny are as real as she believes they are and that they need lots and lots of helpers to make every child happy.  She seemed content with this.

This evening was even harder.  At bedtime she started crying and declared, "I don't want to die."

After about literally 2 hours of reassuring and answering questions between Jeb and I she finally calmed down and was ready to go to sleep.  We still don't know quite what brought that on, but I suppose eventually every child asks about death.

At one point in the discussion she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I think it's like a cocoon.  This is our old body and once we die we shed our cocoon and get our new body in heaven."

I was stunned and told her that was exactly right and a very nice way to describe it.  I also asked where she had heard that (I thought maybe at Sunday School). She said she had just decided that was what it was like and hadn't heard it before anywhere.  Very insightful.

Playdough

Our wonderful evening babysitter made playdough with Alanna the last time she was here. I had to get the recipe from her because it's such a good playdough! It keeps well either in the refrigerator or out and personally I think it's better than the commercial stuff.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 Cup Water

1/2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Food coloring as desired

1/2 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Salt

1 Tsp cream of tartar

Heat the water so it is hot, but not boiling. Add the food coloring and vegetable oil. Combine the dry ingredients, then add slowly to the water mixture keeping it at medium or low heat and stirring until it is a good texture (about when it starts to ball up and come away from the sides of the pot). Knead the dough on the counter as it cools.

This made a nice amount for each color that fits well within a snack sized ziplock bag. A couple notes: The water got a little too hot even on medium and the playdough mixture started to get crumbly in the pan pretty quickly. I simply dumped it out on the counter and kneaded it and it still turned out just fine. Also the dough is HOT when it comes out of the pan, so be prepared that your hands are going to be rather warm for the initial little while of kneading--I would not have a child knead the dough until it's cooled off to warmish.

The Furry Kids

It's a rare occasion that the furry kids in our family are in the same place at the same time and stay still enough for a photo. Here are my other kids, Frankie (blue tag) and Dippy (red tag). Frankie is short for Frankenstein and Dippy is short for Serendipity.

Magic Car

Last night on the way home, an interesting conversation with my inquisitive daughter took place:

Alanna: Mommy, are we in the Mazda?
Mommy: Yes
A: Does the Versa start the same way the Mazda does?
M: Yes.
A: But you don't have to put the key in the Versa.
M: Oh. No, you're right. The Versa doesn't need the key in the ignition to start, but you do have to have the key with you in order for it to start.
A: (Pause) How does it KNOW you have the key? (Serious tone) Can it see into your pocket?

Truth be told, I don't really know how the car recognizes that the key is in proximity. I resisted my urge to reply that it was simply "magic" and told her that it has something in it that recognizes the key is close. It is a good question though. I guess like many things that are way past my understanding technologically speaking, I just accept that they work without questioning how. I love that she questions the how.

Thank goodness for the power of google:
"Each key contains a chip with an ID code that the car must recognize. In addition, there is a random code that each key receives when the engine is shut off. The vehicle will read and match both codes. If the car cannot match the ID code to the last random code sent to the key in question, it won't start."

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/audio/articles/106651/article.html

See, I'm getting smarter too in this process!

Squishable

One of my very good friends, Zazzy, surprised us today with a package for Alanna.  When we opened the box, this HUGE squishy bunny literally popped out.  Alanna absolutely ADORES it and was having a lot of fun smooshing it and watching it regain its shape.

First Communion

Alanna had her first communion today.  In our church, the school-age children just sit with their parents through the whole service on communion Sundays and partake in the bread and juice.  Since Alanna started Kindergarten, for whatever reason it's never seemed to work out that she was at church on communion Sunday until today.

She asked several times in whispers if it was time to eat the bread yet and we told her repeatedly to "shhh" and that it would be soon.  In whispers I explained that the bread and juice represented Jesus' Last Supper with his Disciples and that we ate the bread and juice to remind ourselves that Jesus gave up his body and blood/life for us.  

When the time came, she smooshed her little piece of bread in her hands trying to wait patiently for the prayer to be said so she could eat it, then drank her little juice in three loud sips.

After church, we saw Pastor Richard and Alanna exclaimed, "That was a YUMMY snack!!!"