The Amazing Threes

For the girls' birthday, our friends Phyl and Albie sent Clara and Margaret magnetic paper dolls. One doll is a modern girl, Maggie Leigh, and the other is Princess Elissa. I had no idea how these young ladies would be received into our family, but if Clara and Margaret could throw rose petals, they would. Each doll is adored, if not worshipped. Clara insisted on taking Maggie Leigh (use both names, please) to bed when she napped. Margaret likes to arrange the Princess's head gear. And neither will let her sister even touch her own special new friend.
I heard Clara talking to Maggie Leigh. "What's your name?" she said. "Why did you come to my house? How you doing?" I asked Clara if she was going to be Maggie Leigh's friend. Clara folded up her hands and said, "I don't know, Mommy. I'm so busy with her clothes and shoes, I don't have time." She wanted to bring Maggie Leigh to the duck park, aka, Memorial Park, an established park near our house with a walking area, a lake with ducks and gesse, picnic tables and playground equipment. We go there often. I had to nix the idea of taking this doll, and her millions of little accessories and wardrobe items to the park.
"But, Mommy, she can sit on my lap. She wants to see the slide! She's a big girl with Big Girl undies," Clara said. She wanted her new friend to enjoy a well-loved destination. Despite this logic, I didn't relent.
I've been having a wonderful time with Clara and Margaret since I left the paper. We are reading a lot, playing a lot and hanging out a lot. Roxy is cleaning the house more often, because when I am around, neither girl wants to be with Roxy. It's WMOM all day, every day. It's been good because I've been able to help Margaret with her speech skills; it's bad because in this economy, who doesn't want a job? At least we have money from the paper coming in until next year.
It's funny how much busier I am without a job than I was with a job. I don't really understand this situation, but there it is.
We've had a breakthrough on the Mommy Separation front. Clara and Margaret will now go to the church nursery by themselves. Mama doesn't have to stay with them. It's good for them to be with peers, and to learn to play independently. I actually like all the people who work in the nursery. We go to the Wednesday suppers at church (good food for peanuts) and they hit the nursery and the playground again And I have a little break and time with other adults..

Turning Three