I will wait...

I'm currently eating a salad of mixed greens and arugula, topped with cheese, croutons, and Caesar dressing. It is the best thing I have had all day. It's nice when I can sit down to a meal and actually think about what I'm putting into my mouth. ...makes me wonder just how much of my life I live on auto pilot.

Not that I have peace and quiet at the moment. Quite the contrary, actually. Thirty minutes after laying down for bed, Ava has decided that she is not content with her pajamas. She wants her gown. More specifically, she wants her red gown. Above Ava's wails, I hear Emily chiding, “Don't cry (after Mommy says no)...because that's not showing respect (for her decision).” In its original form, that speech was intended for Emily, but she never took it to heart as it pertained to herself. At least I know she was listening.

Ava has been having the funniest conversations with herself (and everyone else) lately. In the car on the way home from church, she vehemently yelled, “They will NOT like my birthday.” No further explanation. When I later declared that I hated ants, Ava asked why. I explained, “Because (despite my best efforts), they keep trying to get into our honey.” She responded with, “I hate ants, too...you can't eat them.”

I wish my mind was a video recorder. I would record David's incessant chatter at the grocery store, and I would capture the hugs that he's still willing to give me. I would record Emily bouncing around like a ray of sunshine, grinning and quacking like a duck with a cold. I would record the way Ava dances and sings to herself when she thinks no one is looking.

I would not record moments like the one I'm stuck in now. Despite my warnings, Emily and Ava have chosen to steal into David's room to play Pokemon. Please note that they should have been alseep an hour ago. The bizarre thing is that they don't even TRY to lower their voices. I know they know how to be sneaky (Emily especially), so their voice level comes across as rather brazen. Sigh... Off to fight yet another battle in which I am severely out-numbered and too tired to care.