Magic or The Temple of Mary

Some days, I feel like I'm doing everything wrong, but then some days it all just clicks.  I've been having more click days lately than not and I owe it all to play.  Francesca is moving into a more independent phase and doesn't always listen to me.  I try the less dictatorial ways of getting her to do something, like begging or the "may" trick, but it doesn't work.  What works like a charm is singing and pretending like she is Luke.  I can say, "Francesca let's put away these blocks before we move on to the instruments," and she either acts like I just said that in french, or she says, "You put them away."  But if I say, "Luke, let's put away these blocks."  CLICK!  She is suddenly putting away the blocks with a goofy grin on her face, like its the most fun she's had all day.  I can't help humming Mary Poppins tunes in my head all day long.  Right!

"It depends on your point of view.  You see . . . 

There is an element of fun

You find the fun and snap!

The job's a game

And every task you take

Becomes a piece of cake

A lark!  A spree!

Its very clear to see that . . .  

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

The medicine go down

Medicine go down

Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

In the most delightful way

(Robin starts to whistle)

A robin feathering his nest, has very little time to rest

While gathering his bits of twine and twig.

Thought quite intent in his pursuit

He has a merry tune to toot

He knows a song, will move the job along!

Dinnertime is always a crap shoot with the girls.  My sister gets frustrated with the whole deal, but I've read somewhere, that its just how it is with toddlers, so I don't feel too badly about it. Andrew works late, so dinner is usually just the girls and I and most the time I spend a large part of it trying to coax them into eating.  I made green beans and potatoes with bacon and steamed sweet potatoes and sweet potato pie for desert (Francesca's specialty is whipped cream.)  They were just eating the sweet potatoes so I started singing:

(To the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot) 

Don't forget to eat your green beans too, 

Because I made you green bean stew.  

Here let me show you what to do . . . 

Open your mouth and put one through.  

It was so awesome - they giggled through their dinner and ate it all . . . I am so channeling Mary Poppins over here!  Whenever I feel like I'm being not so fun . . . I'm just going to think - What would Mary do?

OH - and speaking of Mary's . . . Why do I love Palisade?  Let me count the ways . . . MARY LINCOLN . . . I LOVE YOU!  The day after Obama won the election and the entire world was singing praises and doing dances of love and hope and joy . . . Mesa County goes out and stocks up on its assault weapons.  Mary was so appalled that she decided to make fun of those jack*sses and sell hand gun shaped sugar cookies with a sign that said, "JOIN THE CROWD!  No background checks, no waiting lines . . ."  Oh - I love it.  And when a reporter tried to punk her about Sam's criminal history and selling hand gun cookies, she said, "Oh, we sell to felons, too.  And we don't check i.d.'s."