laughing to myself.

i had a very normal day, but for some reason a few things just struck my funny bone.

 I had a syrian friend call me and tell me that she as going to go home and eat lunch and then after a couple hours come see me. I thought to myself  "noted" . i looked around my house...baking project 1/2 way done... valentine day craft project evidence still out...toys strewn about from 1 year old...and i thought i should start cleaning up, in case she should stop by sooner.

  45 minutes later...i buzz her into our little home. i am so thankful that i had picked up and looked 1/2 way decent. She sits for all-of 5 minutes and then begs me to come to her work with her. She works at a beauty salon. All the reasons why it will be a bad idea race through my head to tell her...but i look in her eyes and i see it. i see that i will not convince her no matter what i say. so i pick up Sophia, i put shoes on Layla and we walk to the salon she works at.

  When we arrive, the owner is not there, and the girls gasp at how girly it feels- pink and purple everything. they start running around. at first it is cute and hilarious to see their faces, and then it turns slightly out-of-control in an environment that everything is new...up the old, unsteady staircase, smudging all the mirrors with their cute hands, open paint cans pushed to the side. i try and smile, chat, and corral.

  when Sophia throws a fit because she wants to go up the stairs, and my sweet friend just does not understand why she would get so upset, i just smile. When the owner arrives, the atmosphere shifts. He clearly is thinking " why is this woman here with her two little babes?" i try and act non-chalent as i re-direct and stifle tantrums. i try to act natural. i try to act like this is fun. but inside i am smiling. there was no way to convince my friend that taking my two little girls to her workplace would be somewhat "trying" but the owner is doing all the enforcing.

  i gather our things to go, and Layla throws a fit. She loves this place, she says. So i walked the block home, avoiding puddles with my tired toddler and baby, while Layla wailed. oh sweet motherhood.

but perhaps the highlight of my day. I bought princess pull-ups for sweet Claire layla. and then what should happen that 1/2 the pull ups are minnie mouse and 1/2 are cinderella. She was stubbornly refusing to wear the minnie mouse one tonight. i tried to convince her by talking to the minnie mouse on the pull up.

 i was doing minnie mouse's voice and telling Layla how i was so sad that she would not choose me here was Layla's response

 " but Minnie, i am so sorry but i really love cinderella. she is a princess, like me. and you are a mouse. and i don't really like a mouse in my house. and you are not a people. i like people. and cinderella is like my mama and baba and she is so beautiful and  i love her and i don't love you. you are just a girl, but she is a princess. I have a movie of cinderella and i love it, and you- i don't love a mouse. "

   if i could only inject her how serious she was talking to this little picture of minnie on her pull up and how big her eyes were and how expressive she was. kill me.

   happy monday!