"Hey mom, did you know that the Philippines are a group of islands off the coast of south east Asia?"

Bridget spouted that out to me from the other room yesterday. It was totally out of the blue. I peeked into the room to see if she was reading it out loud from a book but she didn't have one in her hand (not when I looked at least). She remembers things like that though. She sometimes can quote things from books she's read, short passages (a few sentences at most) that caught her interest for some reason. That must be where this was from because it sounds so "bookish".

My answer was something along the lines of "oh, ok". I don't know much about the Philippines.

We went to skating yesterday and now Bridget wants to do lessons with her friend in January. My step-mom gave us $100 for Bridget to do swimming lessons but Bridget isn't overly *interested* in swimming lessons. I've tried to tell Grandma L this but she just doesn't seem to want to hear it. Bridget can already swim by the way (she learned this past summer just by playing around in the pool), Grandma L just wants her to get better at it. So what do I do? Give back the money or use it for skating even though I know Grandma L wants it to be used for swimming? Those are the only two options because taking a class just because someone else wants us to is not going to happen. Ever. Grandma L is really nice by the way, this just seems to be a sticking point with her. Sigh.

Owen and I played with the shapes again today. I have fun with them. I will admit I'm not into all the games he wants to play. Pokemon Monopoly makes me start to drift off. Or when he wants to play checkers with "Owen rules". The pattern shapes are a lot of fun though.

I made an Executive Decision the other day. I will not play competitive games with both kids at the same time anymore. I calmly explained to them that it always (without fail) turns into crying and screaming (sometimes hitting) and I'm just not doing it. I'll play games with them one at a time but that's it. They get along great most of the time, they really do. They're sweet and huggy and get along MUCH better than I remember my sister and I getting along pretty much ever (we've sort of mellowed since we hit the 30's). Competitive games are a sticking point though. It also doesn't help that Bridget is very competitive and a rules lawyer to boot (ironic since she was big into "Bridget rules" when she was little). And Owen . . . Owen is 4. So I'll play Yoga Garden with them and I'm going to get another cooperative game for them for Christmas but the rest of the games we'll play one at a time. Maybe someday they'll be able to play competitive games together. Just not now.