Because life is flying right on by, and I refuse to forget these days… and because today calls for bullet points…

• When did Kindergarten get so legit?  I mean, I have vivid memories of kindergarten, and yet I can’t recall a single thing beyond circle time and centers and hunting down discarded Lisa Frank stickers on the playground.  These days, they’re having spelling tests and are learning three (three!) languages.  Yes, my five year old is learning (sorta) Spanish, Mandarin, and…. wait for it… Deutsch!!  Let’s face it.  I was a straight-up German nerd back in the day, so my nerdy, verb-conjugating soul is so stinkin happy about this.

• Elizabeth has officially potty trained herself.  I was beginning to feel a small bit guilty about the fact that everyone else was taking her potty (school, church…) while her own mother still insisted on sticking her in diapers.  So, about two weeks ago, something came upon me and I asked, “Elizabeth, do you want to potty train tomorrow?”  She happily obliged, and the rest was history.  There has been nary a bribe or sticker chart or anything else of the like in sight.  No, my friends, my two year old has potty trained herself.  I have done nothing.  Zilch.  We’re still averaging about an accident every two days, but that’s still SO AMAZING.  Potty training might just be my most dreaded parental task, so I have been absolutely giddy excited over this.  Y’all have no clue.

• Currently, this beauty is sitting on my kitchen counter having just arrived via Target.com:

…for those of you who aren’t in-the-know on all things Disney Jr., these are Jake pajamas.  BOY Jake pajamas.  For my darling, four year old huge-hairbow-wearing girl.  Mary Grace was needing new footie pajamas, and Matt insisted she’d freeeak over these.  She will, but I kindly reminded him that “good gosh, have you even seen them?  they’re hideous! and they’re BOY pj’s!”  Matt pulled the “oh but she’s only four once, and they’re to sleep in forcryingoutloud” line… and won.

• I lovelovelove Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with this kid.  After work, I trudge through his forever-long carpool line at school and spend the next hour having some one on one time with him before we get the girls from their school.  We do homework and eat snacks and chat.  He talks about kindergarten drama, and, though I’m typically spent after work, I try so hard to listen intently.  It’s pretty simple, but it’s such a sweet time with just the two of us.

• We randomly happened upon Santa this weekend.  We drove out to the mall (pause.  I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d live 25 minutes away from the nearest mall.  never. ever.  and yet, here we are.) in an attempt to scope out new glasses for me (FAIL).  Since it was TWO WEEKS before Thanksgiving, I was floored to see Santa already on his throne and in action.  So were my kids.  Who, might I add, were not wearing a shred of Christmasey clothing.  Not a shred.  BECAUSE IT ISN’T EVEN THANKSGIVING YET.  And yet I just couldn’t pass up the chance at a line-free Santa visit.  So we did it.  And this is the only photo evidence I have.  Certainly a far, farrrr cry from my childhood of wearing smocked dresses and patent leather shoes to see the Miller and Rhoads Santa.  I’m pretty sure my kids will survive though.

• Interestingly, Santa was quite interested in orphan care.  While Matt was wrangling the kids, thus allowing me to take illegal iPhone pictures of the Santa experience, Santa started drilling us with questions.  “Uh, so do you live in Wake Forest?  I thought I saw you at the recent orphan care meeting there.  No?  Where do you live then?  What church do you go to?  Ohh Summit.  Yes, I know Summit.”  Dude.  Santa.  I love you.  And I love that you love orphans.  But what about that reallykindacreepy line “he sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake…”?  How are you gonna spy on us if you don’t even know we live forty minutes from Wake Forest?!  Oh Santa, I really hope you make it through the Christmas season without getting the pink slip.

• I really don’t have much to say about this picture below.  Apparently she was throwing her cupcake remains to the “moose” (i.e. deer) in the woods.  Topless.  With Elizabeth just steps behind.  I just don’t know.

• I wish there were leaf piles all year long.  I rake and re-rake nearly every day just because the kids love it so much.  And because this happens.  They play together nicely and independently. Get this, you guys- I even sat on the sidewalk with a magazine the other day while they played in the leaves.  A magazine!  Alone!  And the kids didn’t kill each other.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow because, people, you just gotta know.  This doesn’t happen every day.