Welcome to 2012!

A few days before Christmas, our family was watching Elf, and Ben's wheels started turning at the part where Santa tells Buddy that some people don't believe in Santa, and that "There's a rumor going around that it's the parents."

Buddy: "That's impossible- parents couldn't do all that in one night!"

Shortly after, he said, "Mom, is it really the parents?"
I asked, "Well, do YOU think Dad and I could do all that in one night?"
Ben's response was, "No. I think Santa really is real." And that was the end of the conversation.

Last week, Ben lost a tooth. I told him that if his tooth wasn't under his pillow, the Tooth Fairy couldn't come and give him money for it.

Ben: "Mom, are you the tooth fairy?"
Me: "Ben, why would I want your lost teeth?"
Ben: "Well, it just doesn't make sense. How does she get under my pillow?"
Me: (thinking fast) "She has a force field. That way she doesn't get squished!"

Ben caught Josh in a secret yesterday, after the Easter Bunny came.

Josh: "Wow, these are really great squirt guns!! Daddy did a good job. . . I mean, the Easter Bunny did a good job on them, didn't he?"

Ben: "I caught you, Dad! You just told the secret!"

Then, this morning, Claire asked if she could go see the Easter Bunny. I told her she could when she is ten. Ben got all sorts of excited, and asked if he could meet the Easter Bunny too, and Santa too, when he is ten. . . It makes me a little sad that Ben's already starting to question things like this. The good thing is he's got a very active imagination, and he's sharp as a tack!

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Claire's animals have started marrying each other. And she's pretty worried about who she's going to marry, too.

Claire: "Mom, my Dottie is a boy, and Ben's Blackie is a girl, and they are married. And my Cookie is a girl, and my Tiger (side note: Tiger is actually a lion) is a girl, and they are married."

Claire: "Mom, I'm gonna marry Dad when I get big."
Me: "I already married Dad, so you'll have to find someone like Dad instead." :)

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Mitchell has learned to use leverage to get himself where he wants to be. Whether it's a fist full of carpet and a push from his foot, or grabbing the couch or laundry basket that's close by to pull him around- he is now officially mobile! And so stinkin' cute, I just can't stand it!!