But Mommy, you’re still in your pajamas!!!

(Comes back with 2 containers: 1 filled with Milano cookies and 1 filled with Froot by the Yard fruit rollups, and a Capri Sun falls out of her arms)
What if you need help with something?
(Runs away and comes back with a stool)
I’m sorry, you still can’t stay home alone. You have to go to school today.
Hmph.

Big Mochi: Hey!! You can’t smash them just to eat it!

Then this morning I’m driving to work with a thermos of hot tea and I can’t really recall what I did, but all I know is that my cup was empty and hot tea was spilt all over my shirt. Since I have 2 little active kids and stuff like this happens all the time, I keep spare clothes in my car. So I ripped off my shirt and as I reached to grab my sweater to replace it, Baby Mochi yells, “Rolls of fat! Rolls of fat!”

Aww, thanks for remembering, Sweetie! *sigh*

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just about died. 

I cleaned her up, and then took a second to contemplate not coming out of the bathroom for the rest of the evening but decided someone might have sent a search party after me and discovered my mortified body curled up in a ball rocking in the shower stall and that wouldn’t have been good. Let’s save this one for when she grows up and brings a boy home!

“Dear Tooth Fairy,

I left you my 2nd tooth.  Please sign this letter if you have time.  If you don’t, it’s okay.  Thank you.   Love, ‘Big Mochi’”

I asked her why she was asking for a signature and she said she wanted to make sure she came.  I mentioned that if she left a gift, that would mean she showed up, wouldn’t it?  “No, it might be one of her elves.”

Aaaahh!! I scrambled and came up with, “But Sweetie, you have to leave her a letter or she won’t know if you’re ready to part with it.” “Oh, nobody told me that. Will you help me write one tonight?” *hugs* “Absolutely.”

Whew! Dodged that one!

Big Mochi: I think I might make a good spy when I grow up.
Me: You want to be a spy?
Big Mochi: I’d make a good one. I’m asian.
Me: What does being asian have to do with anything?
Big Mochi (sighing at me): Hello? Secret Asians are spies!

Riiiight.

I’m reading my kindle on the couch minding my own business. Baby Mochi runs over and slams her Barbie laptop over my kindle and says, “Hmmph!” Translation: My fingers are in my mouth so I can’t talk but I want you to open this so I can play with it. I kindly remove her fingers out of her mouth and say, “Hi! Would you like me to open this for you?” I get a vigorous head nod. So I say, “Well say so!”

“So.”

This was Christmas Day, I think. We were in Vegas visiting Tutu and Papa and decided to check out Aria, the new hotel on the strip. It was pretty cool, very artsy, but the mochis had a much better time at the park later in the afternoon. Walking down the staircase, Baby Mochi was pretty enthralled with the decor UNDER the steps.

The other day she was lying in the middle of the livingroom floor, flinging her legs up over her head and pounding them back down, over and over, just laughing her head off. All by herself. Big Mochi and I sat there watching her and I said, “You know, we can learn something from that over there. Your little sister does whatever she wants, whenever she wants and doesn’t care the least bit what anyone thinks about her.” We watch Baby Mochi going crazy a few seconds more and Big Mochi looks up at me and says very seriously, “Is that a good thing?”

Good point.

She started off by mentioning how great a child she is overall – that other teachers have commented the same by watching her on the playground, interacting, etc.  She thanked me for being such a great parent because she believes the child is a reflection of us.  While I sat there, my grin started to fade when it popped into my head that meeting Baby Mochi would definitely elicit a complete opposite response.  Apparently Baby Mochi has a lot to live up to!

Anyway, she is passing all her tests with 100%s all over the place.  Her artwork has always been superb, but now it’s being recognized by others, which is a great confidence booster.   Not that she needs it; her confidence was clearly displayed in her self-portrait drawing.  It portrayed a giant planet earth in the center of the page, with her standing on top of it smiling widely in a purple dress accessorized by matching purple shoes and a matching purple bracelet.  Now THAT, my friends, is ONE FABULOUS MOCHI ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

Baby Mochi stops on the curb this morning before we walk into Kid’s Club and tells us, “No crying today, guys.”  Then after I do the seamless drop-off, we’re walking back to the car and she pats me and says, “Good job.”

Aaaah!!!!

First day of school… I meant to drop off Baby Mochi at Aunty’s house so I could focus on Big Mochi, but when we were all ready to go, it THEN occurred to me that I still had her with me.  Ha… lame. 

We packed up and went to Kid’s Club, which is the before- and after-school program at Big Mochi’s new school.  She walked in bravely and even though tears welled up, she was fine.  She sat at the table and colored while she periodically glanced around at her new digs. 

Later, we walked over to her new classroom across the playground where her teacher was absolutely awesome.  Oh wait, let me back up.  Outside, Big Mochi ran into 2 of her buddies from pre-school.  They reunited and were so happy and relieved to see friendly faces.  They are all placed in different classes, but met up during recess.  Talking to a mom, one buddy is going to Kid’s Club after school, too, so that worked out perfectly! 

The bell rings and the kids line up to go into their classrooms.  Big Mochi’s teacher had them line up and as they walked in, the kids were handed a card with a picture on it.  In the front of the classroom was a giant rug with giant circles on it.  Each circle had a corresponding picture that they had to match their cards with so they knew where to sit.  Isn’t that awesome?  Big Mochi goes in, finds her spot, and has a seat.  Then her teacher – let’s call her Mrs. C – is sitting in front of her new class with all of us parents crowded in the back and there are camera flashes going on like crazy while she announces, “Okay, it’s a big day for you all, and even though your moms would probably stay here all day if they could, they have places to be, so let’s all turn around and wave bye and blow kisses to them.”  That was our cue and Big Mochi’s face crumpled and I had to run out.  Out there, I was bawling and a bunch of moms came out to comfort me as they cried and the dads stood back with their arms crossed and their eyeballs rolling upwards mumbling, “Come on, guys.” 

And Baby Mochi in my arms, ever so nurturing, says, “Stop crying, Mommy.  You making my dwess all wet!”

I got a kick out of her asking me if had naptime already.  But the best was this morning when Baby Mochi told me her sister’s nose was dirty, that she had blood.  I said yeah, she ran into a wall, but she’s fine.  She stared at Big Mochi until she got yelled at and ran off.  Later on when I was dropping off Big Mochi at school, Baby Mochi’s yelling at her, “Don’t run into the wall!!!” 

Not funny, I know.  But yeah, it kinda is.

Walking to my parking structure after work, I call G.  I hear Big Mochi singing along to Gwen Stefani in the background.  They’re stuck in 5-mph hour traffic because they shut down the 15 at Baker (halfway point from home to Vegas).  What would normally take a little under 4 hours took him almost 8, but they made it safely.  He sounded so exhausted, I didn’t bother to ask how he entertained Big Mochi in the car for all that time.

Meanwhile back at the homefront, Baby Mochi is wondering where her sister and daddy went.  So I told her they went to Las Vegas to visit Tutu.  She repeats my answer in question form (I love that) to confirm and when I agree, she says, “Oh, no!  They forgot!”  So I ask, “What did they forget?”  And she says, “Me and Mommy!”  Awww…

But after the traffic G had to endure, I’m soooooo grateful we weren’t in that car.  I’ll save THAT story for another day…

One night I walked in the house and said, “Somebody yell out a letter!”  Big Mochi says “P!”  So everything we had for dinner that night had to start with P.  We started off with peas (you gotta start off with the veggies while they’re hungry), microwaved some pizza, drank some punch, and grabbed a handful of pretzels to go with it.  At the end, Big Mochi is giddy and scrounging around in the cupboard and yells, “Mommy!  Can we have some Papplesauce?!”   

Creativity will take you places!

So anyway, I was being grilled by Big Mochi, “Why are you putting those toys in a bag?  What are you going to do with it?  Where are they going?  Is it broken?”  I calmly explain that we’re donating it to charity.  That means giving them away to another kid who might not have toys like these.  Surprisingly, my response was totally acceptable and she went on her merry way. 

A couple of hours later in the car, she brings it up again.  When she’s 10 years old, will we give away her toys to charity that she played with when she was 8?  Yes, probably.  And when she’s 12 years old, will we give away her toys to charity that she played with when she was 10?  Yes, probably.  Do other kids give away toys to charity?  Yes.  Not all, but I would assume a lot do.  Again, satisfaction.

Then later that night while I was giving the mochis a bubble bath, we were talking about what we should do this weekend.  Big Mochi brightens up and asks her little sister, “Hey, do you want to go to Charity’s house?”

Happy Birthday, Baby Mochi!  And G, too! 

…though G is well aware that he gave up birthdays the second she was born!