Holiday

Today was Mother Teresa day in Albania; although she was born and raised in Macedonian, she was ethnically Albanian and so Albanians feel like she belongs to "us." It was a national holiday and Terry didn't have to go to work! I kept feeling like it must be Saturday and thinking tomorrow is Sunday rather than Thursday.

It was a gorgeous, cold, crisp day.

The kids have been doing all kinds of hilarious cute things but they're such little things, it's hard to remember when I sit down to write exactly what they were. After watching Terry cut his hair with the electric clippers, Gabriel grabbed a tube of chapstick and pushed it across his head going "bzzzzzz." He has also begun sitting on Valerie's potty, then taking it and pretend-dumping the pretend-pee into the toilet. I also found a plastic toy dolphin and a dirty diaper taking a swim in said toilet, so... G and I need to sit down and have a little talk about that, I think.

Speaking of little talks - one day in nursery at church Valerie screamed at another child who wanted the toy she was playing with. Instead of making a scene I said "let's go have a little talk in the bathroom" and took her into the ladies' room which is quiet and private (often she just needs a break from the chaos of nursery) where we discussed sharing and taking turns. So now anytime she's misbehaving and I verbally correct her, she'll jump up and say "Go have a little talk!" and run to her room or to the bathroom ahead of me.

Her alter egos have expanded - Terry is usually Owl now, and Gabriel is usually Piglet or Tigger. I'm usually "the other Dada." Terry is never the "other Mama" though - go figure!