I love FOUR.  I mentioned that I thought I would, and then I did.  I do.  I like this whole FOUR routine.  First, there’s a little thing called self-control.  It tastes like warm butterscotch.  When you say “stop”, and they ACTUALLY STOP…well, let’s just say on the “List Of Things I Would Find Amazing”, my children listening to me ranks right under the Second Coming of Christ.  Second is the ability to REASON, which means we can talk about “stuff” and get somewhere.  Cranky moods can be turned around when a little someone divulges that her feelings were hurt at school.  After a short conversation on sticks and stones how to handle mean words…Voila!  Bad mood squelched, hugs hugs, hello lovely afternoon.  GOD THANK YOU I LOVE FOUR.  But my favorite thing, well maybe after the daily “Mommy, you’re the best” (I wish I could freeze those moments and put them on trophies that I”ll use to knock their heads when they turn 13)…back to it, my favorite thing are the conversations.  Funny, ridiculous, silly, and everything in between:

Sara: Mommy, why do we say we are going to play in the WOODS, but Pooh lives in the Hundred Acre WOOD?  (Proper names…fun to explain to a 4 year old…)

While watching Sydney cough up a hair ball:

Sara: I wouldn’t do that if I were you Sydney.  You know what happens around here to cats who puke.

Here’s a complex one:

Sara: Mommy, at school today, I dressed up like a Princess, but it wasn’t, um, what am I trying to say?

Mommy: Was it a general Princess?  Meaning, not a Disney Princess?

Sara: YES!  It wasn’t Belle or Ariel or Snow White or anyone.  So who are the other Princesses?

Mommy: Well, it’s hard to say.  They could be anyone.  Maybe Barbie is a princess.

Sara: No, she’s just a girl.

Mommy: Some might say she is a princess.

Sara: Mommy, I don’t think anyone says that.

Mommy: Fine, then you tell me.  Who do you think the other Princesses are?

Sara: If I had to name the Not-Disney Princesses, I would call them Spooky, Gingya, Tree & Light.

That night at dinner:

Mommy: Daddy, Sara has named the General Princesses Spooky, Gingya, Tree & Light.

Sara: NOOO.  GINGLING.  I named her GINGLING, not Gingya!

Mommy: Well THAT clears up a lot.

And not to leave out the Kel-belle, who isn’t as articulate as her sister just yet, but can triple her on daily word count (if I only knew what she was SAYING):

Mommy (talking to a friend about Kelly’s recent fear of dinosaurs while Kelly’s face is firmly buried in my chest): Lately Kelly has been terrified at night that dinosaurs are going to get into the house.  I keep telling her there are no more dinosaurs.

Kelly (without lifting her head off my chest and in a muffled and emphatic voice): BUT THEY USED TO BE!