Random bits

I woke up Saturday to a kissing noise. X X X X X X over and over again. and then I felt Charlie's grubby toddler hands on my head, trying to turn it. So I rolled over and kissed him. He kissed me twice, smiled and clapped, climbed down, and went along his merry way.

This morning, I woke up to Dixie shoving a paper in my face saying, "Mommy, see the pretty picture I painted?" I realized that Dowlan was still asleep too, and began to panic, expecting full-scale chaos in the dining room. I was happily shocked to discover that she had woken up, gotten out paper, laid down a place mat, got out her paints, filled a mug with water, and sat down and painted without spilling or splattering or splashing.

Wow.

So this afternoon, after Bible Class and a trip to the local produce market, the girls wanted to paint some more. Encouraged by the morning, I told them they could, and left them at the table while I did a few things.

Just know that when I claim to have 'caught them red handed,' it is not meant figuratively.

At the local produce place, we had a great time. The kids were sweet and helped me pick out some fantastic fruits and veggies. They *gasp* behaved. Melody had requested that we have more 'money and chocolate' and at first I thought, 'Sure, who wouldn't love an entire budget line specifically for chocolate?' but then I realized that she meant she wanted more of the chocolate discs wrapped in gold foil to look like coins. I thought they might have them in the bulk goods section.

We didn't find them, but we found these little chocolate balls wrapped in foil printed to look like the earth. It was organic, natural sugar, hand made by free peoples with fair trade, good enough for Jesus chocolate and they were clearly quite proud of it, demanding a whopping 12.99 a pound. I could have bought freaking lobster at that rate. (hmm . . . I wonder what the going rate is of the actual earth is, on per pound terms. It probably isn't 12.99.) I got seven tiny balls. Two per child, one for me. It weighed .09 of a pound and still cost me 1.19.

We get in the van and I distribute the first round of tiny planets. Dixie takes one taste and says, "Mommy, this chocolate tasteses like God."

I couldn't argue.