Olivia's quirks

We were in the van yesterday and Even Flow by Pearl Jam came on the radio. Immediately Olivia perks up and says "This is from Bitar Hero. And it comes with 2 Bitars". I thought it was funny...and it proves my point about music ed. in our house.

Olivia is so cute and so high maintenance. She really has a strong personality (a euphanisms for multiple-tantrums-a-day). She is also a talker...just like her dad! She always seems to ask endless questions as we are driving. Its a constant balancing act, I find, between how much she can understand and how much I can lie to her and get away with it. Sometimes I think (or rationalize is a better word), well - she won't really understand the answer to a certain question, it will just lead to more confusion and questions, and if I make up an incorrect answer that sounds good, she'll be happy. I also figure (or hope) that she won't remember these answers when she's older anyway. Here's an approximate transcript of our most memorable conversation:

Olivia: Where do you go when you die? In a box?
Mom: No, your body goes in the box, but the real you lives in heaven with Jesus
Olivia: Where is heaven and Jesus
Mom: In the sky
Olivia: I can't see it. Is it that cloud over there?
Mom: No, it's so far away you can't see it.
Olivia: I think actually that it is that cloud over there. That's Jesus' cloud.
Mom: Yes, you're right, I forgot. That is the cloud where Jesus lives.

Long pause while I listen to the radio/concentrate more fully on driving

Olivia: Does Jesus fly?
Mom (with visions of Nathan Petrelli in my head): No. (Micro pause while I think about how I want her to know that Jesus can visit people here etc...) Jesus can't fly. He just moves REALLY fast.

Probably not my most shining moment of doctrinal teaching. Often you hear the apostles telling of how they learned the gospel from their moms at an early - not happening here.

To finish this post, I'd like to list some of Olivia's quirks:

1. She is obsessed with lipgloss. She applies it constantly (usually over most of the lower part of her face). Once she was offered something to eat, and she first had to check with me if it would wreck her lipstick.

2. She draws on herself with pen and marker at every chance she gets. We've tried everything to get her to stop. Now we just try to hide all the markers and pens.

3. She changes clothes several times a day. Her latest craze is to go commando. If I'm not right on top of her at every "costume change", there are no panties on her little bum! It also isn't unusual to see her walking around in a bathing suit and high heels.

4. She loves to stand in front of the mirror and wet her hair down and comb it until it is flat and sraight. Then she thinks she looks beautiful (a requirement most days before doing anything else). The funny thing is that she's very happy to ignore the back of her hair that she can't see - even though it is one gigantic tangle.

Reading over those points again makes me very, very worried for her teenage years. I'm not sure I'll be up to the challange.