7 Quick Takes: Snippets and Snapshots

It's half term holiday here, so it's been me and the Sisters all week. This has been both positive and... not so much. I would have preferred advance warning for 4thSister to drop her nap at such a crucial time, for starters! As such my Quick Takes are random, homespun and simultaneously of profound importance. For even more important, Saintly blogging, however, you should instead head somewhere like here.

1.

Every so often a family dynamic shifts, subtly or otherwise. It's been a drastic one this holidays. 3rd and 4thSister, ages 5 and 2 and a half, decided they were best friends. They have melded into a unit. Even when 2ndSister, the Babysitter and Fun Instigator has been absent, I have been able to do jobs while they play. Which has had me saying Hallelujah! because - did I mention that 4thSister has dropped her nap, just like that, no word, no warning?!?! And twelve hours of her incessantly is pretty, um, incessant. The sensitive, mature 5 year old has intuitively worked out how to manage her little sister, and, obviously, if that doesn't work, resorts to shouting loudly at her (she learned from the best, or, possibly, me). The relationship is not without conditions, however. Although fully potty trained, 4thSister likes hanging out with 3rdSister so much it's sometimes too much fun to make it to the toilet. Or wipe. Or pull up her pants (panties, for those across the pond) afterwards. 3rdSister is wise to this:

3rdSister: Come and sit on my knee! Wait a minute - you have got pants on haven't you? Phew, that's OK then.

I have no idea what they are doing.

2.

They are busy, frustrating, messy, loud and startlingly cute at times. On Wednesday they ventured out into the night to collect 2ndSister from dance class. What with the clocks going back, it's stupidly dark stupidly early. The street was patterned with orange and red lights from the streetlamps and house alarms. They are used to venturing outside only in daylight, I now realise; they were awestruck.

3rdSister: Wow!
4thSister: Oh! Pitty! [Pretty, for those who require translation.]

3.

There has to be a food one with me. I tried the Pioneer Women's squash quesadillas this week. I didn't have Kale. Martha Stewart does hers with chicken so I tried that. I was not enamoured. Not my favourite way to eat squash. (Do even I have a favourite way to eat squash? Probably not. Just soup.)

4.

2ndSister's Graveyard Cake creation with Grandma was much more of a success. Looked and tasted good. Or evil, as we are talking about marshmallow tombstones dripping with blood.

Cake: A Guide

5.

1stSister (with money she has set aside) chose to get her hair dyed at the salon (by my hairdresser and church friend who was also cajoled into lopping 3rdSister's off because, you know, why should she be allowed a coffee break?) instead of letting me do my usual patchy job. (I've been with the kids all week, I am allowed stupidly long sentences with too many clauses.) What with her book of drawings and love of literature, it feels like she will be swanning off to university before too long when I look at her in snapshot. (She just turned eleven).

New hair. New era.

6.

I took two of the sisters to Holy Communion with me on Tuesday, because we stayed at home on Sunday. It was a beautiful service in so many ways. 1stSister listened to the priest talking about poverty in our twin church in Mutanga Nord, Burundi, and on the recent Diocesan trip to India - and got home and started googling to find out more. "I know, I'm such a nerd!" she said. (Refer to point 5.)

7.

It's been different and definitely less fun without FabDad around this holiday. Also 2ndSister went on her first two night sleepover to Grandma's. She's our full on extrovert so it was definitely quieter without her around. On her return I played 'Family Rules' Monopoly with her (= "her rules".) These rules included using only one dice meaning it was impossible for me to roll a double to get out of jail. Inexplicably, this induced five minutes of hysterical laughter in us both.

4thSister has this gift too. This morning as I wrestled slipped her into her pumpkin princess outfit she spoke about the yummy gingerbread pumpkin she decorated and ate yesterday, and then frowned. "I DON'T LIKE SPIDERS!" she insisted. I couldn't stop laughing. (Extra points if you can guess which of the pumpkins below was decorated by a 2 year old who couldn't wait to eat it before I had chance to photograph them.)



Happy All Hallow's Eve and All Saints' Day, wherever you are and however you spend them!

More Quick Takes infinitely more amusing than these will be found over at Kelly's this and every subsequent Friday. Enjoy!