Pops

Hugo loves pops.  Suckers, lollipops, pops.  We here in this house call them pops.  I bought a big bag of the Dum Dum kind to help make up Hugo's class Valentine's, we have a lot left over.  Every day after school, Hugo asks for a pop.  Every night during dinner, Hugo will ask if he finishes all the food on his plate, will he get a pop?  He is also quick to survey his sisters plates and decide who has, or has not, earned a pop.  The girls have learned that pops are treats and they now say the word treat.  The girls will also pull you by the hand into the kitchen and point to where I keep the pops above the fridge and say, "I want treat."

Happiness

Hugo could not wait to get out of bed today, we had a playdate scheduled with his favorite Miss Thing 3. He was not interested in preschool. Did not want to go. Wanted me to drive him straight to Thing 3's house. Like now. Somehow or other, I convinced him to leave the house with Ms Ruth Ann and go to school. The girls and I tidied up the house, packed lunch items, dressed, nursed, got tucked into car seats and out the door we went to retrieve Master Hugo from school. Have I mentioned that I carry the two girls, in their car seats, up the stairs into the church where preschool is held, and then down the stairs to where the classrooms are, to fetch the dear little one? I was the last mom to pick up today so I took advantage of free time with Mrs Newton to ask how Hugo has been doing. She exhaled a deep sigh, then described him as a little ant. Into everything at all the wrong times. Sounded about right. I thanked her for her time and we headed back up the stairs and down the stairs to our awaiting van and playdate rendezvous.

We need a trampoline. That's all I'm saying.

Thing 3 finally convinced Hugo to come indoors and watch a dinosaur movie with her. Hugo loves all things dinosaur, so not much convincing was needed. He would not look at me while the movie played. Fine, I was busy anyway learning how to make caramels. I was also busy juggling girls who were supposed to be sleeping but were not. Shaka helped by holding and bouncing one wiggly girl or the other. We traded off whoever was the crabbiest. Finally they passed out and we were able to eat our lunch and finish up the caramels.

When it was time to leave, meltdown city occurred. Shaka offered to keep Hugo a few hours more. I was temped, but not sure... Then we spied Thing #4 climbing into Hugo's car seat in the back of our van and realized the situation had been decided for us. We swapped kids for the late afternoon/dinner hour and it was fun! It felt like old times when Hugo was small and wanted to never leave the Thing's van. Good times. When Hugo returned home tonight, I was upstairs preparing the girls for bed. Cheyenne opened the door for him and as Hugo crossed the threshold he hollered, "Hey MoOOOooommm! I'm hoooome!" I loved it.

Trouble

Early this morning we rose and down the stairs we went. We hurried and opened the door for Rodrigo and Bella, they quickly raced outside. They barked themselves silly at who knows what. Hugo and I ate our Cheerios, fruit and chocolate milk. Normally I would turn on cartoons for him to watch but not today. I don't know why I didn't. I was busy. We had a playdate scheduled and I had volunteered to help with lunch plans. So, I was boiling eggs, for egg salad, and mixing up biscuits for shortcake when I spied Hugo out the corner of my eye. Something blue was smeared from ear to ear. At first I thought he had found some magic markers. I dropped my wooden spoon and took a closer look. He had found his Easter basket, hidden away and forgotten about by me, in a kitchen cabinet. I hadn't worried when he wanted to play with it because I believed it to be empty. It did hold grass and plastic eggs. I think there were even a few glitter insects left inside but no candy. Well, of course,
Hugo discovered a few malted robbin eggs hidden away amongst the grass in the basket. He was quite pleased with himself! His impish grin reminded me of Max from the cartoon Max & Ruby which Hugo loves so much.