Magna Cum Grocer

With our move to Florida, many important decisions have been necessary. You know the ones I speak of:

• What Doctor should we use?
• What Dentist is kind and gentle?
• Where should I get my hair done?

BUT, one of the most important questions was:

• What school should we send Kaylea to?

In Tennessee, this wasn't really an issue because there was only one school in our small town; therefore, the county pretty much made the decision for us. But, down here it is totally different. We could send her to the nice little neighborhood school, for which we are zoned. We could choose to send her to one of the many magnet schools that cater to your child's academic interests. We could send her to one of the private schools. Or we could send her to an open enrollment, "school of choice."

All of these choices were quite mind numbing. We carefully weighed each option and tried to determine the best school for Kaylea. The neighborhood school, Dixieland Elementary, would normally be a very viable option, but we don't anticipate staying in this school district for the entire school year; therefore, Kaylea would have to change schools again mid-year. The magnet schools are fabulous, but we would have to apply for Kaylea to attend them, and people have been on waiting lists for 2 - 3 years to get in. The private schools are a nice option, also, but unfortunately we don't have an extra 7k to spend on tuition. So, we opted for the "school of choice." We feel we made the right decision because regardless of where we eventually buy a house, Kaylea will be able to remain at the same school.

One of the catches to sending her to the "school of choice" is that the school buses only pick up children that are zoned for the school. So, I am traveling 20 miles round trip, twice a day to take Kaylea to school and then pick her up. I don't really mind the drive because it gives Kaylea and me a little bit of time to talk and share all the important things that are going on.

I do have to say, living in a town with so many schools is hard for Kaylea to grasp. In the morning and afternoon when we are making our voyage across town, she sees many different school buses and always asks me, "Which school do those kids go to?" Of course there is no way of knowing, so I can only guess depending on which school we are close to. One morning as we were pulling out of our neighborhood, she saw a school bus and asked, "Mom, do those kids go to that Winn Dixie School that I was supposed to go to?" I was a little confused at first and then I realized, she meant Dixieland School. I couldn't help but laugh. I guess she was probably glad that we didn't send her there; after all, she wants to grow up and be a doctor not a grocer.

Daddy's Birthday Dinner

Tonight, Kaylea was finally able to make a birthday dinner for her Daddy. She had studied the latest edition of Taste of Home's Fun Food Magazine, and dog eared numerous pages, just trying to find the perfect meal. There were so many choices and she really had trouble deciding. She even gave the magazine to Bub, and had him look through it. After all, it was his birthday and she was going to allow him to have some say in his meal. After much contemplation, she decided to prepare the Meatball Pizza and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup S'mores.

Of course, I had to lend a hand with the oven, but other than that she made the entire meal all by herself. It was very tasty and she and I had a nice time in the kitchen. When I was growing up, these were the things I had always imagined doing with my daughter. So, I guess Bub wasn't the only one that received a gift from Kaylea this evening.

The "F" word - Now and Then

~~~NOW~~~

Yesterday Bub and I received quite a shock when we opened Kaylea's school agenda and found this note from her teacher, "Kaylea said the 'F' word 'f_ _k' today. A student heard her say it and then started telling the other students in the class. I asked Kaylea if she said it and she said, 'yes.' She said that her aunt and dad say this word a lot"

Bub and I were quite stunned and confused after reading the note. But before I go any further I must say that I am the last parent you will ever hear saying, "NOT MY CHILD -- SHE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" There have been very few things that Kaylea has done in her life that have truly shocked me, but I have to say, this was SO NOT Kaylea. She has always instictively known which words were "bad" and has never spoke one. Second, Bub does NOT say this word either. It is one that we do not use. Now Auntie, yes she has been known to drop the "F-Bomb" when she gets a little over passionate about her topic. But, Kaylea has always known that this word was totally inappropriate. Needless to say, we wanted to find out exactly what happened; what was said; when it was said; etc.

I immediately drove to the church and got Kaylea and brought her home for the formal inquisition. Upon receiving the third degree, this was Kaylea's side of the story, "The word was written in K's (her friend) locker. K pointed it out to me and I only read the word out loud. I didn't say it; I only READ it, and you know I always read out loud, Mom! Then when Mrs. T. asked me about it, she didn't let me explain. She even shushed K when she tried to explain. Then she asked me who in my family says this word."

Obviously, we had a pretty legitimate explanation from Kaylea, so I wrote a note to her teacher explaining Kaylea's side of the story (since, obviously she hadn't been given that opportunity yesterday). In my letter I asked Mrs. T to verify that the word was in fact written in K's locker because Bub and I wanted to make sure Kaylea was being honest before we decided what type of punishment would be appropriate. I, also, went on to explain that contrary to what Kaylea said yesterday, this word is not one that we use freely in our home.

When I picked up Kaylea from school today, I immediately asked her what happened when Mrs. T. read my letter. Kaylea said that Mrs. T. asked her and K if the word was written in K's locker. Both girls said, "yes!" Then Mrs. T. took the girls to K's locker and looked for herself. Of course there is was staring back at her, blinding her with its vulgarity. Mrs. T.'s only response was, "Well, I will notify the office and have this removed from your locker." Nothing else was said or done. I didn't get a response to my letter, nothing! I can't believe that she would take the time, as the kids were getting packed to go home yesterday, to write this note letting me know that my child dropped the "F-Bomb" and corrupted all of the kids in the class, yet she can't find the time in a whole entire school day to write me a quick note to let me know that my child was being honest in her explanation about what happened.

To say that I am a little miffed would be quite an understatement. For some reason I am thinking that this is going to be a LONG year.



~~~THEN~~~

Kaylea was in Kindergarten and her class was lining up for lunch. A little boy came running up to me and said, "Ms. J., Kaylea said the "F" word." Again, I was in shock, but the wide eyed little boy had me convinced that my little Kbug had spent one too many days with her Auntie. I immediately went up to Kaylea and asked, "What did you just say?" To which I got the typical 6 year old response, "Hugh? Idunno?" I got eye to eye with her and said, "Brady said you just said the 'F' word. What did you say?!?" Kaylea got a real confused look on her face and said, "Fart?" I swear I almost lost it and ya know I remember thinking at that moment, if "fart" is the worse "F" word that my child ever says, I will be pretty lucky!

Man, I wish we could go back to Kindergarten.

Futon, Tufon or Tofu???? Kaylea Was Confused

We decided to buy Kaylea a new bed with out BIG yard sale earnings. After much deliberation we decided that a trundle daybed would be the ideal bed for Kaylea's room. When she has friends over, she can wheel out the trundle and both girls will have a nice cozy bed of their own. When only Kaylea is sleeping in the room (which is how it is most of the time) the trundle will be out of sight and out of the way.

Today, we began our search and while we were browsing Kaylea pointed to a Futon and said, "Oh, that's one of those Tofu beds! I really like them!"

I swear I almost peed myself I laughed so hard.

Kaylea took a ride on the turnip truck and obviously fell off.

Saturday morning we were getting ready to open up the Yard Sale for the day and Kaylea was helping out. She told us she would carry the phone out to the garage and begin organizing a few things. When she came back inside she announced, "Grammy called and asked if I wanted breakfast from McDonalds." Bub and I just looked at each other rather perplexed because we had not heard the phone ring. When we questioned Kaylea she insisted that her grandmother had just called a few moments ago. We then asked her, "Are you sure you didn't call Grammy and ask her to go to McDonald's for you?" Kaylea again insisted, "No, Grammy called me." So, I simply walked to the phone and checked Caller ID where I found NO call from Grammy. When confronted with this information, the child confessed to calling her Grandmother and asking for a breakfast delivery from McDonald's.

Bub and I just looked at each other dumbfounded. First, why would she just make up a story out of the blue like that? Second, does she really think we are that stupid? We came to the conclusion that either Kaylea thinks we just fell off the turnip truck or Kaylea just fell off the turnip truck. I tend to believe it is the latter of the two.

Let's just hope that her lying doesn't get any better when she is a teenager. She is just ditsy enough for me to stay one step ahead of her.

Kaylea? Rude? I Think NOT!!!!!

Yesterday, I surprised Kaylea by joining her at school for lunch and staying to volunteer in her classroom. As I was leaving the cafeteria a little boy that was in Kaylea's class last year approached me. He looked at me with his beautiful blue eyes sparkling and his gorgeous smile and said, "Kaylea was rude to me today!" I wasn't really shocked, because she can be a little "spunky" at times. I asked him what she did that was so rude. Well, he proceeds to tell me that he called her over to his locker to show her his new hat -- it says, "I'm Irish Want To Get Lucky?" then...........................she kicked him!

My only reply was, "and who was it that was being rude?"


You GO baby girl! Don't take anything off of those little boys!

More Cheese, Please!

Today, Kaylea and I were in Wally World doing a little shopping. We were walking through the dairy section and there was a worker emptying a center cooler case to change out the featured product. He was removing Kraft cheese packages and had filled an entire shopping cart and was bent over with his head and half his body inside the cooler to get the last few packages. Kaylea saw him tossing the cheese packages over his shoulder into the cart and replied, "Man, how much cheese does that guy need?"

Weird Pride!!!!

Last night Kaylea and I ate dinner at popular little local Mexican restaurant. For our meal we ordered our regular favorites. Kaylea got 2 soft tacos - meat and cheese ONLY, please, and I ordered the chicken chimichanga. And of course, we had to indulge in the chips, salsa and cheese dip while we were waiting for our meals. When our dinners arrived, I coaxed Kaylea into trying a bite of my chimi. She was less than impressed and I couldn't figure out why. She likes chicken; she likes cheese; she likes four tortillas; and she likes anything fried. So what was there not to like. She never could tell me exactly why she didn't like it; just that she didn't like it.

So the following conversation ensued:
Me: "Do you like it?"
Kaylea: "Yea, it's ok."
Me: "Then why aren't you eating it?"
Kaylea: "Well, it's not THAT good."
Me: "What don't you like about it?"
Kaylea: "I dunno."
Me: "There is nothing in there that you don't like. It should be a new favorite."
Kaylea: "Well, it's NOT."

Me: "You know, your weird!"

Kaylea: "Yea, I know! And I am proud of that!"
Me: "Well Baby, that's you, so own it!"

Memory Like An Elephant - or maybe like a Kaylea

As I was reading Jamie's latest post at Blonde Mom Blog I was reminded of classic Kaylea story. I am so sorry that I forgot to post this one sooner. It is an oldy but goody.

As you know, I play BUNCO. I have been very fortunate to meet such a great group of girls and have the opportunity to cut-up and laugh with them each month. We always have a blast on BUNCO night and I especially like it when it is my turn to play hostess. Being the hostess involves me planning a menu and choosing some type of cocktail that complements the food and/or theme of the evening. Well, last year as I was preparing for the big night I was feverishly running all of my last minute errands which included picking Angel up from the groomers and going by the liquor store to get the libations needed for the cocktail du jour. When I got to the liquor store I told Kaylea to stay in the car with Angel and I would run in and out very quickly. I made sure that I had parked right in front of the store and I locked the car doors and told her not to open them for anyone but me. As promised, I was in and out very quickly and I went home to finish preparing for the party. All of this was so uneventful that, honestly, I didn't give any of it a second thought.

Well, let's fast forward oh, say, 6 months or so. Auntie M took Kaylea with her to pick Lulu and Mabel up from the vet. On the way home, Auntie had to stop at the grocery store to get something for dinner. Because it was the middle of summer, Auntie didn't want to shut the car off for fear that the dogs would overheat. So she pulled into the fire lane and parked without turning off the vehicle. She told Kaylea she was going to leave the car running and lock all of the doors and for Kaylea to stay in the car with the dogs. She warned Kaylea not to open the doors for anyone but her. Then Kaylea replied in a "yeah, I've heard all of this before" tone in her voice and said, "It's ok Aunt Missy. Mom ALWAYS leaves me and Angel alone in the car when she goes to the liquor store."

Imagine my shock when my sister came home and asked me to explain that one!

????? ADHD - XYZ - HDTV - LMNOP ?????

I know the title of our Blog is Curiously Kaylea and all of the posts are normally about Kaylea. However, today I am going to share with you a cute little story that, miraculously, Kaylea had no part in. You see this story is about Kaylea's cousin, P Man, and it was told to me by my sister-in-law, JillyBean.

One day last summer, JillyBean had the P Man out at the pool at their condo. There were a lot of other kids at the pool that day, so P Man didn't have a hard time finding someone to play with. JillyBean found a chair and laid back to catch some rays. She was rather enjoying the relaxing afternoon, listening to the kids play in the pool. Then she heard a conversation that almost made her wet her suit.

You see P Man and his new found friend had been playing for a while in the pool. Then the friend asked the P Man, "So, do you have ADD or ADHD?" P Man replied very matter of factly, "No, we have Comcast."

How funny is that? I wish I could claim that one as a Kaylea story, but that just wouldn't be right, now would it?

Kaylea Being........Well, Kaylea

Kaylea's Grammy had a humorous story about Kaylea that she shared with me yesterday. It was so good, I thought I would pass it along.

Last weekend, Kaylea was over at her Grammy's and Pappy's house getting in some quality time with the grandparents. They all worked in the yard planting flowers and spent a lot of time outside enjoying the pretty spring day. Kaylea decided that it was so pretty outside that she wanted to go swimming. Well, she has a little inflatable pool at their house so they told her she could go swimming if she would inflate the pool. Kaylea decided to accept the challenge and inflated the pool all by herself and then she filled it with water from the garden hose. While all of this was going on, Grammy and Pappy were continuing to do their outside chores. Not long after Kaylea got the pool filled and took her first dip, Grammy saw Kaylea get out of the pool and go into the house. Then she sees Kaylea come back outside with two large plastic cups. Kaylea walked over to the pool and poured the water from the cups into her pool. Then she went back into the house and repeated the process. Grammy watched Kaylea for awhile as Kaylea continued her go inside and return with the water filled cups. Finally, curiosity got the best of Grammy and she asked Kaylea what she was doing. Kaylea replied, "Well, Grammy, the water in the pool was really cold so I am adding hot water to warm it up."

Kaylea is probably the only kid in town with a heated inflatable pool. That's my girl - always using her noodle.

Another Story From Our Little Blondy

Bub and Kaylea had some bonding time last week while I was feeling a little under the weather. Bub was going to fix dinner for Kaylea and asked her what she would like. Well, of course, she wanted his famous chicken noodle soup. He makes it by using Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup mix and then adding spaghetti so there are lots of extra noodles. This is their little thing that they love to make and eat - me not so much, though - but to each his own.

After Bub made the soup and fixed a bowl for Kaylea she told him she needed some hot sauce for her soup. Apparently, she had watched her cousin add hot sauce to chicken noodle soup and wanted to try it, also. This was rather shocking to Bub because Kaylea won't even eat black pepper (or anything that looks like it might have black pepper in it). He told Kaylea that hot sauce is hot (thus, the name) but she was insistent. So, he got the Texas Pete and gave it to her. He just stood back and watched her give her soup several drops of the stuff. When she put the first bite in her mouth she started waving her hand in front of her face and blowing air out of her mouth. She finally swallowed the soup and then ran to the kitchen and got an ice cube. She came back and put the ice cube in her soup. After the ice cube had melted she tried another bite of her soup. She had the same reaction, then went into the kitchen and got another ice cube. She came back and put the second ice cube in her soup. After it melted, she repeated her taste test, again. Then she looked up at Bub and said, "Wow, Daddy that soup sure it hot. This is the second ice cube I have put in it and it is still too hot for me to eat." Barry just shook his head and said, "Kaylea, the soup is hot from the Hot Sauce you put in it. Ice cubes won't cool it off!"

Bless her heart!

Kaylea is Trilingual!

Not a whole lot going on in our little corner of East TN. Just getting back into the swing of things after the Winter Break. The third six weeks ended Monday, and currently we are anxiously awaiting Kaylea's report card. School has always been easy for Kaylea (until this year, that is). Now, she is really starting to realize what it means to have to work and study to get those A's that she likes so much. Last six weeks she made her first B. I was kinda hoping she would be a little upset by the grade. (not totally devastated, but a little bit upset would be OK) But of course, she was neither! She thought there was nothing wrong with a B; she thought they were really good. I told her she was correct, but A's were better!

Of course, Mom would have been thrilled if my sister and I had been A / B students when we were in school. Unfortunately, though, I made my fair share of C's over the years (and we won't even talk about Auntie M's report cards ;) I remember Mom and me arguing about the abundance of C's on one of my report cards and me trying to convince her that the mediocrity of a C was just fine. After all, a C is described as "average" which is what she should want for her child. Subsequently, if I wasn't average, then I was some kind of freak (I think I was in 8th grade, which would explain the thought process, hugh?) I continued my argument by explaining that "average" meant that most kids were making them and I was normal for making them, too. Mom didn't really buy my argument, though.

One of the subjects that has given Kaylea the most challenges is English. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised by this. You see, when Kaylea was in 1st grade she argued with me and was adamant that she didn't even speak English. If I remember correctly, Kaylea was telling me about learning a Spanish word while watching Dora the Explorer. I was very impressed and asked her how to say the word in English. She was quick to tell me she didn't speak English. I was rather confused and corrected her. She continued to argue with me saying she DIDN'T speak English. I finally got tired of the arguing and said, "Fine, Kaylea, if you don't speak English then what do you speak?" Her response was, "American!" DOINK!!!

Now, I wouldn't argue with her if she told me she didn't speak English, but she speaks Hillbilly, instead. That is the truth. The child can't say crayon to save her life; she says crown. She doesn't call me "Mommy" or even "Mom"; she calls me "Mama" (Bub and I find ourselves quite frequently breaking out into the Judd's rendition of Mama He's Crazy after she calls for me). She doesn't say "pants"; she says "britches." And yesterday while standing in Coldwater Creek she was quick to tell me she needed to go to the bathroom because she "had the gut ache." What a proud moment!!!!

Now that I think about it, we should be thrilled if she gets a B in English, seeing as, they don't give grades in American Hillbilly. Bless her heart!

The Magic of Christmas

With each passing day, I watch the excitement grow in my daughter. She can hardly wait for Christmas to get here. I remember when I was little and how the days before Christmas seemed to be the longest days of the entire year.

I think this is probably our last Christmas for Kaylea to be able to see Christmas through a child's eyes (if you know what I mean). She has asked a lot of questions, which I am answering with total honesty. I refuse to lie to my daughter, but she will have to ask the "right" question to get the answer she is really looking for.

Kaylea keeps telling me about the kids in her 3rd grade class that don't believe in Santa. So far she has argued with each one of them and been able to hold on to her belief. You see, Kaylea has had some pretty BIG requests of Santa in the past, and he has always pulled through for her, even when Mommy and Daddy weren't 100% in support of the gift ;) Let's see, there was the year that she asked Santa for a puppy - and she got Angel (even though Mommy and Daddy are allergic to dogs and didn't think she was old enough to take care of a puppy). Then, there was the year that she asked Santa for a trampoline - and she got one (even though Mommy and Daddy thought they were dangerous and she would get hurt). Because of these Christmas "miracles" Kaylea stands steadfast in her belief.

When the kids try to burst her bubble and say, "Santa isn't real; it's just your Mom and Day." Kaylea is quick to argue, "Oh yeah, then how did I get Angel? All of the pet stores are closed on Christmas Eve after I go to bed, and my Mom and Dad can't hide a puppy in a closet or under the bed. Anyway, they are allergic to dogs and would never get one for me. AND where did my trampoline come from? It was all put together and everything; they couldn't hide something that big in a closet or under the bed, either."

I do have to agree, she has some pretty strong arguments. (And then there is the whole thing about her Auntie M working at Santa's doll factory at Disney World, but that is a whole other post for a different time).

Now, this year, she is asking Santa for a Wii, which she knows is the impossible gift to get a hold of. If Santa can pull through again this year, her faith will not falter, at least until she gets back to school after Christmas break and the kids start at her again. But, just so you know, the rumor around town is that Santa was seen standing in a real long line at Best Buy with a Wii voucher in hand way back before Thanksgiving. And to quote Kaylea's Pappy, "I think he caught his death of foolishness! " ;)

Well, let's just hope that we can make it through another 3 days without a slip of tongue on our part or any sneaky peeky spying on her part. If all goes as planned, Kaylea will experience the "Magic" of Christmas, once again.

Where O Where Has My Little Girl Gone?

This time of year is so busy for our family as I am sure it is with yours. Kaylea sings in the children's' choir and plays the hand bells at church. She is also a member of Chorus at school. All of these activities have involved Christmas concerts over the past couple of weeks. As I helped Kaylea get ready for her performances, I was reminded of when she was little. Kaylea always thought is was a big deal when she was able to wear "panty toes" with her dresses. And she especially loved trying on my dress shoes and walking around the house. She would always say, just to make sure I was aware, "Look Mommy, I am wearing your 'knocking shoes'" You see, we had wood floors in the dining area and linoleum in the kitchen and she just loved the sound the shoes made as she walked across the floor.



While thinking back on these moments I realized that my little girl wasn't so little anymore. She has become a very grown-up and independent young lady. I no longer have to help her get dressed; she can now put on her own "panty toes" and "knocking shoes." Though she has grown up a lot, she still thinks it's a big deal to get dressed up and still loves the sound of her heels clumping across the floor, as do I.

Kaylea in her "panty toes"

Kaylea in my "knocking shoes"

Kaylea all grown up (well, almost)!

"Hey Kool Aid!" "Oh, yea!"

Yesterday, Kaylea brought home the proofs of her school pictures and they were great. I am very excited about receiving the prints! Many of you are probably thinking, "Wow, they are getting their school pictures awfully late in the year." Well, we had to have retakes this year. And yes, of course, there is a humorous story to explain why.

You see, this year is the first year that Kaylea has been able to take a morning snack to school and keep a water bottle on her desk all day. WHOOT!! WHOOT!! (She thinks she is a BIG kid, now) Anyway, on the first picture day, Kaylea asked, for the first time, if she could take a Cherry Kool Aid Mix Stick to add to her water at snack time. I was trying to be a super cool Mom and I didn't see any harm in it, so I said, "of course." (See where this is going?)

Well, that afternoon when I picked up by beautiful daughter from school, imagine my surprise (you will hear me say that a lot when referring to Kaylea) when she got into the car and had a lovely red Kool Aid mustache. Oh, but it wasn't the typical Kool Aid mustache; you know, the kind that peaks out the corners of their mouth and makes their smile a little more exaggerated. OH NO, you see Kaylea sticks almost her entire upper lip inside a water bottle when she drinks, so her Kool Aid mustaches kinda resemble Hitler's. They stretch from her upper lip to right under the tip of her nose.

I very calmly asked Kaylea (with all of my fingers and toes crossed), "So, did you have your picture taken before snack or after snack. She replied, "Oh, way after." I just kinda sunk into the seat and said, "Well, you are going to have a really pretty Kool Aid mustache in your school picture, then." At that time Kaylea proceeded to argue with me and tell me "No, I won't." I was very insistent in saying, "YES, you will, because you still do." Apparently they have no mirrors at her school, or she is the least vain person I know, because she had no clue that she had walked around all day with her upper lip stained cherry red. To my surprise, she was only minorly embarrassed when I brought this to her attention. So, to stress the importance of GOOD school pictures, I pointed out to her that this picture was going to be in the yearbook and everyone in the school was going to see her Kool Aid mustache. Of course my message fell on deaf ears because she just rolled her eyes and said, "Mom, the mustache isn't going to show because the yearbooks are in black and white." (DOINK!!!!!)

Anyway, we have beautiful pictures, now. We will just keep those fingers and toes crossed that the yearbook staff will take mercy on her and put in the retake.


Once again, you might wonder what lesson I, as Kaylea's mother, have learned from all of this. Well, once again, there are a few:

1. Kaylea does not take Kool Aid Mix Sticks to school anymore.
2. I have a lot more vanity that my daughter.
3. In Kaylea's future, I think she will hear the following saying quite a lot, "bless her heart."

The First Post

Well, here I am, doing what I have talked about for awhile. I am making a written record of all of the silly, crazy, frustrating and hilarious things that my daughter does. I will be honest, though; I am feeling a little bit of pressure with this being the first post and all. I have 9 years worth of material and don't quite know where to begin. I guess since it is the holiday season, I will begin with our latest Kaylea story.

You see, in our family, holiday cookie baking is a tradition. We make several different kinds of treats and prepare trays to go to Dad's office, to the neighbors and to the school. Well, the crowning jewels on the cookie trays have always been the hand decorated sugar cookies that have obviously been made with much love and given the utmost attention. Yesterday, Auntie M and I began the bake-a-thon and immediately Kaylea wanted to make her sugar cookies. I told her she would have to wait for a little while. After about the 50th time of her asking, we finally agreed to let her choose her cookie cutters and begin the process. Well, Auntie and I had already thought through this task at the grocery store, thus deciding to buy the sheets of cookie dough that merely get unrolled and cut. It sounded, to us, like the simplest way to approach this chore, since we would be preoccupied and wouldn't be able to stand over Kaylea to make sure things were done correctly. And after all, she is 9; how hard could it be to press a cookie cutter into cookie dough??? We let Kaylea and her cousin, Miss C, spread out on the dining room table, each armed with cookie cutters, their own sheet of sugar cookie dough and their own baking sheet (you know, we can't get their cookies mixed up). After awhile Miss C was through and had rejoined the fellas in the living room for the Christmas movie marathon, but Kaylea remained in the dining room working feverishly on her cookies. I didn't know what was taking her so long, but thought I would let her do it her way. I was feeling a bit of pride that she was showing such attention to detail (not a trait she demonstrates very often.) Imagine my surprise when I walked into the dining room to find Kaylea with her cooking dough in a ball and her Playdough rolling pin in hand. Apparently, she didn't like the number of cookies that she cut the first time ("there weren't enough, Mom"), so she took them up, smooshed the dough into a ball and traded in her large cookie cutters for smaller ones. Finally, Daddy had to go into the dining room to help her finish. We noticed that Miss C's baking sheet had A LOT more cookies on it than Kaylea's, but we just assumed it was due to placement of cookie cutters and the fact that Kaylea's were a little bit thicker. Later on in the afternoon, after the two sheets of cookies had baked and cooled, the girls began the decorating process. They had Christmas sprinkles along with various shades of frosting and sugars. We thought we had ensured that we would have lots of gorgeous sugar cookies. Well, Auntie and I were quite surprised when we overheard a conversation between Kaylea and Miss C. Kaylea was complaining that she didn't have as many cookies to decorate. Miss C responded frankly, "well, if you hadn't eaten all of your dough when you were cutting out your cookies, you would have more cookies to decorate."

Auntie M and I just looked at each other and nodded saying in unison "ah ha". You probably could have seen the little light bulb light up over our heads at that time. Our synopsis of the afternoon was that Kaylea decided it would be a lot quicker and easier to eat the cookies before they were baked instead of wasting all that time waiting for them to bake and then decorating them.

At the end of the day, we only had about 10 sugar cookies that survived. Oh well, I guess the jewels in the crown on our trays will be a little more sparse this year.

You might wonder what lesson I, as Kaylea's mom, have learned from all of this. Well, there are a few:

1. Nine is not old enough for Kaylea to be trusted with raw cookie dough.
2. When Kaylea is really anxious to do something, she probably has an alterial motive.
3. Once again, Kaylea has shown she doesn't share her mom's great attention to detail.

Tune in again tomorrow and I'm sure I will have a new story for you. If I don't, I will gladly pull one from the archives.