C is for Cookie

Cookies (cause who can ever eat just one cookie? Must make plural) (I've eaten an entire box of Girl Scout Lemonades since Sunday)

Cars (you know you spend too much time driving when the driver's seat of your car has two indentations the exact shape of your tailbone) (not the tailbone, like the coccyx, but the two on the sides that are hips, except not the hips, the part that you sit on) (we always used to call them "sitz bones" for lack of a better term) (I want to say that "iliac crest" is really the right term. whatever)

Coming down with the Creeping Crud (I woke up this morning with an unfortunate sore throat and plugged ears)

Cats (my delightfully feisty little one has recently become much more affectionate toward me. Yay!) (heretofore she has always preferred my husband, god knows why)

Cocktease (but I'll cover this one tomorrow, when we explore the letter S again)

Cute Children (this one is really just an excuse to share all the cuteness, because the lady next door at work is getting tired of hearing about it) (she is to be forgiven. after all, she has kids of her own. boys.)

So, without further ado, a complete non-sequitur into the cuteness:

The Bear, wandering into my room at 3 am to see what her sister was doing up and about: "Mommy, I was sleeping in my bed, and I heard the Tank talking loudly in your room, and I said to myself, 'That is not a soothing noise!' so I came to see what she was doing." Not a "soothing noise." A very polite euphemism for what Tank was doing at 3 am.

Lately, when I tuck them in at night, the girls have taken to requesting kisses in specific places. It started with "Hug!" in the dark. But if you hug one, you have to hug both. Two hugs. Then, "Kiss!" Two kisses, naturally. Then, "Forehead!" "Me too!" Then, "Mouth!" And then, of course, they want to kiss me in the same spots. It's pretty sweet.

The Bear is turning into the most amazing big sister. She takes care of her sister, she helps her learn to do things, she helps me with the Tank, she is kind and loving and always wanting to help. She sings her lullabies in bed at night. She reads her stories and holds her hand and hugs her when she cries. Sure, she's bossy, but aren't all big sisters? She's also sweet and caring and protective.

I realize this is all about the cute things that the Bear is doing, but to be totally honest, the Tank is something of a trial to me at the moment. She is... two. She is purposely defiant. She ignores me. She does the opposite of what I ask. Her favorite word is "no." She doesn't listen, doesn't heed, doesn't care. She knows she's cute and she uses it to manipulate. She flirts with strangers. She runs away in public. It's a damn good thing that she's also incredibly loving and sweet and affectionate - way more physically affectionate than the Bear. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to sell her to Gypsies (who would, of course, bring her back within about five minutes, because the only thing she ever wants is Mom).