Chicken soup has nothing on this...

I caught some bug and am still not up to speed. The vertigo is gone and I can function, but I'm exhausted. Which is why I'll take medicine in any form, including love and laughter.

Monkey has been supplying both to me - it's better than chicken soup for what ails me!

I wasn't able to bring to girls into school Friday morning, so M did the duty (thanks love, I needed your help) and dropped them off at school.

When I picked the girls up that afternoon, I felt better but still pretty wretched. Just wrung-out and beat-up. But I got to tell you, when I went into the gym to grab Monkey she FLEW across the room, running into my arms and asking "mommy, do you feel better now?" It was awesome. Just pure love.

Then, on the way home, we were walking a bit slower than usual and I declined Monkey's offer to run with her (as I was carrying Jellybean in the ergo, plus all their stuff and my purse - the normal sherpa-mommy routine). She asked why and I explained that I wasn't feeling great.

She wanted to know why. So, I told her that I'd caught a bug.

"Hmmm. Well, I've caught a bug, too!" she declared. I confess, I thought that this conversation was not going to end well.

But, then she turned to me and brightly chirped "my bug is a ladybug - what's yours?"

I about fell over laughing. Thanks kid, that was exactly what I needed.

There's a bathroom on the right*

Monkey has been introduced to The Sound of Music, and she's in love.

"Is is a school night?" is the introductory question (since no TV or movies is allowed on a school night). As soon as she verifies that it isn't, she will ask to watch the "singing movie."

And, as we walk through the streets of the city on our commute to and from school, more often than not we're belting out "Doe a Deer" at the top of our lungs (to the amusement of most, the annoyance of some....).

The part that always makes me laugh is her mangled lyrics:

"Tea, a drink with jam and bread" has become "tea, a lick of garlic bread." It cracks me up every single time!

*sorry Creedence Clearwater Revival, but everyone gets your lyrics wrong!

Here she is, the tiniest toddler in the world

She is a walking fiend! And her big sister couldn't be prouder!

Creative breakthrough

Monkey is a creative child. Her imagination knows no bounds, her dressing skills befits a teenager that scours the September issue of Vogue....but until recently, art hasn't been her thing.

Maybe because we haven't been doing much of it at home...or maybe, just maybe, because Monkey's a lot like both her mom and dad in that we tend to like to do the things we're good at (and not the things we aren't...). No surprises there.

But artwork (and penmanship) is something that is important, so school has really been encouraging Monkey to take chances and put pen to paper (so to speak).

Yesterday, she drew a self-portrait in charcoal, and then signed her name to it.

This is the single most amazing piece of artwork I have ever seen. And yes, I'm slightly proud of my girl.

See? MOMA watch out, Monkey's an artiste!

Road Runner

Jellybean's not thinking about jail breaks anymore - she's OUT! She's FAST!

SHE'S WALKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photos to come.