Scarlett: super sassy, saucy, and spicy

With 4 kids (and housework, work work, extra curriculars, volunteering, not to mention stuff we DIDN'T plan for...), a semi annual update (at least for the older 3) is really all I have time for. Scarlett is halfway done being a 3 year old, and she has really embraced the "threenager" attitude. 2 was small dice compared to 3.

She is my tiniest, most shy in public, and least risk taker of all my kids. Then what's up with the title of my blog (I tried to be more creative this time around ha!)? When she is at home, or around people she is very familiar with she is all the title claims to be and more. I often refer to her as "miss sassy pants" or "the boss" because she makes at least 50% of her requests as demands ("give me miiiiilk!", until I give her the "excuse-me-you-better-try-that-again" look and then restates with manners.

She has a very loud voice cooped up in her tiny body, and often growls her demands or displeasure. She was a witch for Halloween and when we would walk by other trick or treaters she would cackle "hee hee hee!", which is pretty out of character for her. I think the costume made her feel braver. She also has the BEST evil laugh. Scarlett loves to sing at the top of her lungs and often makes up songs on the spot.

She has a weird obsession with dental floss. But she's not interested in actually using it for her teeth. She likes to wrap little dolls up in it, like she's entrapped them in a giant spider web, and suspend them from things. I'd find little barbies hanging from the handles on cupboards, or wedged in a drawer with only their heads sticking out. Sometimes she'd string a couple together and have a "mass hanging" (I couldn't find a less morbid way of putting it!). Then she'd want me to cut off the yards of floss, so she could play with them normally. Well after copious amounts of time spent freeing these barbies, I refused to do it anymore, and she has been more judicious about her use of floss. I might have also hidden all the good floss from her haha.

Some of the funniest things come out of her mouth-
Me: "I love you Scarlett." S (thinks for a few seconds): "Yeah, we can be friends".

S: "I don't want to be an adult when I grow up!" Me: "Well what do you want to be?" S: "A witch"

Mia was sharing a story about a girl named Jasmine in her class. S: "You have a friend Jasmine?! Her boyfriend is Aladdin?!"

Also a conversation with Mia- S: "Can we see Santa? Where does he live? At a hotel?"  *Me expecting Mia to set the record straight* Mia: "No. At the mall."

S: "Mum if I am hungry I don't have to worry, because I can just eat my boogers."

S (staring at my dad's arm): "Grampy, what are all those nipples on your arm?" (referring to his moles, and possibly my favourite thing she has ever said)

We have especially good driving conversations-

Driving in the car and Isaac says something to her. Without missing a beat she replies "Ok dumpy diapers!"

On the way home from church- Me: "Scarlett how was nursery?" S: "It was terrifying!"

Me explaining to her I couldn't give her any snacks, because I was driving- S (yells): "Stop the coach!" (apparently I'm a royal carriage driver)

We have had a hard time getting her to sleep in her own bed lately (as opposed to ours). She normally goes to sleep in ours, so the 3 girls aren't all trying to go to sleep in the same at at the same time. But we'd put her in her bed when we went to sleep. But Gordon went out of town for over a week and I was too tired to put her back in her bed, plus I didn't have to worry about her waking up B if she got up in the middle of the night. Well I was regretting that move after, because in her mind our bed is as good as hers now. One time she came into our bed in the middle of the night, then realized she forgot her stuffie. As she got up to get it she whispers back to me "Don't take my spot!" We started cracking down on it, and haven't had her in bed for the whole week so far. But last night when I was putting her to bed she said "Quick! We have to hurry before daddy gets home from judo so I can take his spot and sleep with you." She is also scared of the dark so that hasn't helped.

She loves slides, swings, and riding on things.

She has an amazing imagination and will often ask me to go away so she can play by herself. She loves to play barbies, princess dolls, and dollhouse.

 

She likes to cocoon herself when she is sleeping, or cover her whole face-especially if we're in the car. (Yes she's in her seat fast asleep).


Her favourite place in the world is probably the library, and we try and go every week when the weather isn't crazy and we're not plagued with some virus.

Her favourite thing to do is probably have a bath. She asks me to have a bath every single day, and if she's already had a bath in the morning, she'll ask me again in the evening. She can stay in the for upwards of an hour playing with her mermaid barbie. The bath is like my ultimate trump card for her.

She has a weird obsession with the grinch (of whom she is also terrified), and the hulk who she refers to as "the green funk". I don't think we'll ever correct her haha.

She takes a long time (generally) to warm up to new people and situations. She isn't a risk taker and will often play it safe. She is doing swimming and gymnastics right now, and I was nervous she would need me to stay with her. But she has been brave and doing great. I think it's going a long way to help her confidence in trying new things. However, when it comes to food, she is my biggest adventurer.

She has a sense of style that is all her own. She loves wearing dress up dresses and bathing suits all day, and really only wears "normal clothes" when we have to leave the house. Below is her "library" outfit

When Scarlett is upset, she tends to get anxious about a million unrelated other things.
The other night she was upset it was bedtime and then it was "I don't want to be an adult! I don't want my teeth to fall out! I don't want to move! I don't want my fingernails to grooooow!"

She was drinking hot chocolate and got a smear of it on her cheek. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror before she got cleaned up, and came over to me almost in tears. I asked her what was wrong and she asked me "Mum, am I turning into the beast?" It took every ounce of restraint to not burst out laughing.

She is my girl through and through and always has been. Never has a child been so thoroughly attached to me since birth more than her. She is my best errand buddy, and is happy to tag along pretty much anywhere with me.

Don't let her size fool you. This girl is fierce and knows what she wants out of life!

Had ourselves a very merry Christmas

Oh my was I happy for today to come. We thoroughly indulged and overindulged in goodies, late nights, and Netflix/Disney+, but it did make for some grumpy children when 7am rolled around today (and probably a few days before that...)

December started off rocky. We had been battling all kinds of illnesses over the past month, and then a week into the month norovirus hit. It took 10 days, but successfully swept through the entire house (8 people). I disinfected everything "touchable", twice a day, and made the kids wash their hands like a fanatic to make sure no one coming to stay with us would be in danger of getting it (because that virus lasts forever, is super contagious, and takes the motherload to kill).

We were lucky enough to have my parents stay with us for just over a week, and also had my sister, brother-in-law and sweet nephew for a few days including Christmas day. Thankfully, they left norovirus free.

Christmas day was certainly an affair. Our children were far too spoiled (not by us), and there seemed to be no end to gifts. In fact, every closet, storage space, and under beds were exploding with gifts waiting to get set out under the tree. I did not repeat last year's mistake of waiting until Christmas eve to wrap the presents, so I was actually able to go to bed before midnight.

I asked the kids to go in front of the tree for a picture, and Scarlett insisted on doing "tree pose"

I first heard Isaac stirring at 6am, and promptly texted my mum (sleeping in his room with him, but who I knew would be awake), to tell him to go back to bed haha. The girls didn't wake up until close to 730, which is so much later than I could have hoped for.

Gordon and I decided that we wanted to take the kids on a trip to Disneyland earlier last year. Neither of us have ever been, and it's something we have been talking about since Isaac and Mia were toddlers. This year would be a rare space where we were both working, had no babies on the way or newborns to worry about, and our kids are still young enough to enjoy all the magic. So we decided to start saving and make it happen.

We only bought the kids a few small gifts, and decided to make the trip a surprise until Christmas day. It made planning the trip a mite more difficult since we couldn't leave plans out, browsers open, or speak about it while certain perceptive children were awake. And I may have shed a tear when I told them. There was a stunned silence for about 30 seconds, and then I think Scarlett or Mia may have said "what's that?" or something like that, that made us all burst into laughter.

The living room was overflowing with boxes and paper, and thankfully my parents are just as type A as me, and started to make quick work of all the extra clutter.

I also nixed turkey dinner this year, in favour of something I wanted to eat-prime rib. Since I also hosted Thanksgiving dinner, I didn't want turkey for both-much to my father's chagrin. But he was a good sport about it, and hardly uttered a complaint (which if you knew him, you would know how that showed the depths of his love for me).

We were all too full and tired to do much of anything else but veg before bed.

Other Christmas fun!
-Gordon finally got to live out his dream of picking and chopping down his own Christmas tree

                                          
 -our gingerbread house was minimalist this year, since the kids decided to eat more candy than was used for decorating the house

-seeing the legislature lights ( I took all 4 kids by myself and Scarlett cried half the time, but the rest had fun)

-going to the live nativity pageant out in Spruce Grove
-our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of frankfurters and potato salad, just like my Gran used to do
-crepe breakfast on boxing day
-sledding and skating

 

-family Wii party to ring in the New Year. The older kids made it until midnight (barely). Scarlett crashed on the floor at 1030 and B was partying away with us until 11. We gave her an old remote so she could "play" with us. Next year we're celebrating with Easter Canada.

-boys night out at Star Wars, and girls movie night in

-tons of origami, impromptu dance parties, and barbie playdates

There is something so magical about Christmas as a parent and I am so grateful it comes every year for me to experience.