weekly random tidbits: RIP spiderman

1. my dear friend tressa came over last night and cleaned the fish bowl for me! love that girl. and fortunately, before she left, i happened to notice spiderman floating lifelessly. so she also transported him to the toilet for me. i thought the kids might be pretty upset. i was wrong. ella said, with an edge of excitement, "maybe sleeping beauty will die before daddy comes home!" yeah, probably a pretty good chance of that... its kinda what happens when you invest in 12 cent pets.
2. ella asked, "why don't i have skinny cheeks." WHAT? you are 4! how can you notice these body image issues already? "what do you mean?" i ask her. "like the girl in my sunday school class. it was her birthday. and she has skinny, shiny cheeks. i don't have skinny cheeks." i just want to know, how do you keep your child convinced of the fact that God made each of us exactly the way we are and we are special to him, when the competition in our society to that very fact is so intensely fierce?
3. mason has been sleeping really well at night. (although NOT last night) but thank you, God! because yes, there is more to life than sleep, but sleep sure makes things SO much more enjoyable.
4. ella now calls me "teacher" more often than she calls me "mommy." sometimes its cute. sometimes its annoying.
5. we saw the boy in the striped pajamas. and i must say, getcher self down and pick that movie up. its moving, compelling, and real good. (notice i said "real good" and not "feel good.")
6. mason decided to choose the week daddy is gone to stand in his crib. the only problem is that anthony of course does all the crib-lowering-type-things around here. i mean, i'm sure i could figure it out, but i just don't have the time or energy to actually apply myself to that right now. i'd rather just blog about it.
7. and every day, numerous times a day, bennett looks around and says, "where's daddy?" he misses his favorite parent. we all do. love you, honey!