College

Rachel keeps asking me if she can go to college and what they will teach her when she goes. Of course I am tickled to death that she is already contemplating college, and have tried to encourage her. Yesterday she asked me if when she grows up she can be Santa Clause. I told her I was not sure how one becomes Santa Clause, but that it was a possibility. She thought about this for a moment and asked me "Is it they teach you how at college?"

One other big thing to Rachel right now is commercials. Anything she sees on TV, she tells me about and asks if we can get it. She is especially susceptible to the marketing techniques of infomercials. In truth she is an absolute sucker. I was boiling eggs the other day when she told me she had a better way to cook eggs. She proceeded to tell me step by step how to go about it using a new gadget on TV. I pretended to think it sounded really cool.  At the end of the conversation she paused for a few seconds and said "So, can we get it?"

All Lilly has been able to talk about for the last two months is her birthday party. We are still a couple of weeks away, but had a family birthday party for her, Brock, Owen, and Lidia on Sunday. She told me all she wanted for her birthday was a dress and a doll. Nonna covered the dress, and all the aunts and uncles went in on the doll. It was newborn looking doll complete with baby carrier. She named it Allison Wonderland. Lilly loves the doll, but she is generous to a fault, and her big sister takes advantage of this any chance she gets. No sooner did everyone leave than Rachel talked Lilly into letting the doll sleep in her room so Lilly can "get some rest." I put a stop to that and sent the doll back to Lilly, but Lilly stuck up for her sister. "No, no, mom! She is going to keep her so I can rest!" I guess Rachel was very convincing.

Having the baby doll around has been fun for Carson too. He carries it around every chance he gets, and if it is lying alone somewhere he makes a point of picking it up and giving it to Lilly. Carson has also officially added the word "baby" to his growing list. As tender as Carson can be, he can also be pretty rough. If there are big boys around he alternates between staring at them adoringly and punching them in the face. Oh, and he thinks that anything an older boy does is hilarious. I am so thankful for the big boys in my life who set good examples (shout out to my nephews)!