On the edges

For the past week, the heathens have been out of school thanks to that b**** of a snow storm we got last week and her cousin Bertha whose coming to stay tonight.
While I love my children dearly, I'm ready for them to go back to school.
Now.
Really.
Goodbye.
But since the universe isn't listening (I guess she turned her hearing aids off, the old bat!), I've been forced to watch my children without much interruption for a week.
Through my liquor induced haze (really! How did you think I was surviving!) I have come to realize that my babies are turning into people.
And damn, they are interesting!
I learned that both Bug and Boo can read. Simple words, yes, but they have taken a very big step into my world, the world of books, and words, and creativity, and oh my! And while they aren't going to break open "War and Peace" any time soon, Boo has been carrying around books that ten year olds read and giving it a whirl.
Makes a mama's heart soar to hear him say he's reading a book and he has to take his book with him.
I even had to laugh when he chastized me for losing his place.
My daughter is running our house with the military effeciency unique to my midget girl.
When you call her, she asks, "What do you want me for?"
When she doesn't want to do something, she poliutely refuses, then lets lose a bloodcurdling scream if you insist. I don't know about you, but having my hair brushed at least once a day is kind of a good thing, but it evades my daughter. She would rather let it go ala natural, curls matted against her head, unable to see out of the rat's nest she calls hair.
She is corralling my boys where she wants them to be, using feminine wiles, threats, tears, and downright bullying until they submit.
And when she wants something? "I'm a big girl. I'm three, ya know?"
And when she doesn't? "I'm too little!"
This week, although exhausting, has been a fascinating social experiement between me and my chimps.
I have learned so much just by simple observation, by hanging at the edges (because it's safer there) and watching my offspring in their natural environment in an unnatural event.
Just call me Jane Goodall.