Yucko Mucko

"Yucko Mucko!!" This is my new favorite saying of the kids. It's not only the sheer cuteness of the words, but the intonation they use when saying it. Jenna applies this saying when she is cleaning her "dirty toes." She is in a zone with her toes and they must be free of every spec of dirt. Call it an obsession. I know it is only a phase. Jenna has also accomplished something last night that Alex has never done before. She fell asleep, on her own, and slept by herself, all night, in Alex's bed. She had an extreme scare three nights ago in her room. At 3am I was awakened to hysterical screams from Jenna because of a flying bug in her room. That night we slept together in Alex's bed because she did not want to stay in her room. The next night she said she wanted to sleep in Alex's bed again. I got her all set up, told her she had to go to sleep by herself, but that when it was time for me to go to bed, I would sleep with her. And that's how it went. Last night, again, she wanted to sleep in Alex's bed. When I started to sing songs, she looked at me and said "Mommy, I big girl. I no need you. I fall asleep my own." I asked her if she wanted to me to sleep with her later and she replied "Nah, I big girl. I do it my own." And with that she surpassed her brother, who, yes, still sleeps with Joe and I. My Mother's Day was great. We went for a nature walk at Lincoln Memorial Gardens and then out for lunch, which included an ice-cream dessert - yum!! We spent a quite afternoon playing in the back yard and then had a small dinner. The kids and Joe had made me my favorite healthy chocolate cake, so we enjoyed that afterwards. My presents were a day late, but they were worth the wait. I received two beautiful necklaces, one from the kids and one from Joe. I love them and love the look on the kids faces even more when they see me wearing their necklace. Alex has two days left of preschool. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by. I remember so clearly how hard it was to drop him off on that first day. How I cried the minute I left the building. How I could not bring myself to leave the park. How that 2 1/2 hours dragged on. How I kept imagining the worst. But I was greeted by a happy, smiling face. I was greeted by a little boy, beaming, saying that he knew he was going to have fun and he did, and he still does. Alex is excited that school is ending. That he has the summer off. But I have a feeling that after a week or two he will miss it. He will have a little "graduation" ceremony on Monday, and then the whole family will have a picnic lunch at his school. I know it will be a great time.