Toughen up Cupcake

When Q2 was crying everyday, C38 suggested to C3 that she needs to help her feel better, be friendly, and keep her from crying at summer camp.

C3 said, eh, no, I don't think so daddy.

But she took it to heart. The teachers have told me that it is difficult to get them to do things separately. They play together, read together, eat together. Today, for example, everybody in their class sat at one table for an activity ... and C3 & Q2 sat together at the other table. C3 wanted Q2 to have a good time at the pool ... so pushed her in the water. If C3 has to go potty, she takes Q2 with her.

In fact, C3 cried today because Q2 went to the potty without her.

Wish I had a cutie photo to add here!

Kenilworth huh?

This morning we went to Keniworth Aquatic Gardens. The girls complained virtually the whole time because although it wasn't too hot, it was about 96% humid. Which was just yuck. So we ended up carrying them a lot.

But we did see a lot of lilies, lotus flowers, the backs of departing turtles, and some good wildelife.

Ducks

Juvenile Yellow Crested Night Heron. Maybe.

A Snowy Egret


We ended up walking all the way down the boardwalk to the end, had a snack and walked back. The thing they enjoyed the most about Kenilworth? The sprinkler by the exit. We spent 25 minutes playing in the sprinkler.

Later, after "quiet time" (bwahahahaha!) We went out again, to the US National Arboretum -- I love taking the girls here.

We fed the fish. Q2 and C3 love doing this ... it is great when there is food left, it is such fun to see all the fish swarming to the food!


And walked in the herb gardens. I love the herb gardens!
Q2 liked the ponds


And she liked walking on walls


C3 liked going up the stairs, and through the arbor, down the ramp, and all over again!

Why do butterflies freak kids out?

Yesterday I took C3 & Q2 to "Wings of Fancy" a live butterfly exhibit in Brookside gardens with my friend J37. We'd been trying to get together for a while; finally, yesterday we did.


We walked around the gardens first, actually, it was lovely. Both girls enjoyed the fountains and the flowers. We walked to a gazebo and had our picnic lunch. After lunch we took some photos, and Q2 started flipping out on me.



She didn't want to sit next to me. She didn't want me sitting next to her. So this is what I did:




And you can see she is still not keen on me being anywhere near her!

Once done there we strolled down the hill, circled the fountains about 7 times .... me trailing Q2 in case she fell in ... when she falls, she falls head first, and she'd just sink right into the pond!

We stopped at a cool bench for a photo



We then went and bought our tickets for the exhibit. You buy them in the giftshop, which was tempting for the girls ... toys. They both picked some up, but I had them put the toys back, we weren't buying any, blah blah blah. And we started walking to the exhibit. But then about 50 feet away, I noticed C3 had a new dodad in her hand ... a stolen toy. We walked back, I made her return it with an apology to the storekeeper, and then we finally got on our way.

You are forbidden to touch any butterfly in the exhibit, and both C3 & Q2 got a big warning about it ... enough so that they were very good inside. I was trailing them closely for a while to make sure they wouldn't touch a butterfly, but they were freaked out enough by the insects that they made no move toward them. In fact, there was some screaching when some flitted by.

I did a horrible job taking photos of the butterflies. All turned out fuzzy because I didn't turn the setting on the camera and ended up focusing on rocks and flowers behind the butterflies. And, too, they were moving. And I'm just a fuzzy photo taker.

The exhibit was nice, and when we were done, we walked back up through the gardens, rested on benches, and had J37s delicious yummy incredible chocolate cream-cheese filled cupcakes.

These are the before photos ... after was chocolate lips and dresses!





On the ride home Q2 fell asleep within minutes of hitting the car. She was knackered. When she woke it was time for my birthday party ... cake and mojitos and drinks for the kids. My neighborhood friends came over and we had a great time! It was lovely.

This is what bedtime looked like. Well, almost. Q2 took off her diaper, but for modesty's sake (and so she wouldn't wet the bed) I put it back on.

How do you spell ...

C3 loves typing on the computer ... she spells what she can, and then asks us the rest. Her favorite topics? you guessed it ... dogs and puppies! But she likes to spell out all our names, too. And make up words. Fun. Today she was spelling her sister's name.

Wedesday nights at the fountain

Wednesday nights we try to go to the University Town Center fountain for live music, paddling in the fountain, and dinner (sometimes brought, sometimes bought). Last week the girls hit a random child (C3 did it first ... Q2 copied her right down to the wrist flick) so we packed up and left.

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So tonight, we tried again. No hitting. We did lose 2 balloons (on inside, one out), ate soy yogurt for the first time ever (enjoyed), and got wet wet wet.

But the best thing must have been C3. Before we left the house this afternoon, we were playing in our backyard, and C3 & Q2 had collected leaves from some plant that I used to know the name of but no longer do, and money plant or silver dollar dried seedpods.

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At the fountain C3 went around to most of the people there ... hm, about 80 or 100 people? ... and gave them each a leaf or a silver dollar. Everybody thanked her (and some just tossed the gift as she moved on). And one mom told me it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen.

This is typical C3. Going into an airplane in March she greeted everybody we passed (all those grumpies in first class!). Distributing paper cuttings. When she was a new walker she'd touch and tap everybody she walked by. And now foliage. She can be very generous. Provided it does not involve sharing dogs. Or dog paraphernalia.

Birthdays

In honor of C39's grandmother's birthday (we shall call her G89 ....) we took some photos! The girls are in their party hats and waving balloons in front of their faces and above their heads. It was fun. Except we had no cake. Q2 demanded turtle cake.



But we didn't have any.

In any case, you won't get to see any of the festivities, because I can't hold a camera straight, apparently ... everything came out fuzzy. Frizzy. Fluffy. Out of focus.

Since those photos are so bad, I'm going to post some we should have used for G89's birthday card instead.



Q2's face is dirty, but, she is a 2 year old, so I'm leaving it at that.

She likes it.

Mayonnaise and cinnamon-sugar toast.

Pink on Pink

They just like dressing alike. I don't encourage it. Well, maybe a little. I do let the grandmothers buy matching outfits. Erm. Maybe I even suggested. Yes, OK, I admit it, I think it's cute, too!

Day 7 of summer camp

Day 1 - no crying
Day 2 - no crying
(5 days off because of 4th of July Holiday)
Day 3 - Crying for an hour
Day 4 - Crying for 35 minutes
Day 5 - Crying for 5 minutes
Day 6 - Crying & clinging until pried off of me and I left the room (BOTH children)
Day 7 - No crying, nada, nothing!

I am ridiculously happy that Q2 finally decided leaving me wasn't so bad ... yes, crying fussies at home before we got there, but no scene, no kicking, biting, screaming, tantruming.

When you ask she still says she had no fun ... but she comes home with marker all over her face so it can't be all THAT bad, eh?

Things I hate

I hate to see the stupid horrible stories about parents (dare I say dads, most often) who forget their child is in the car and forget to drop the child at day care and leave them in the hot hot car for hours and come back and the results are a dead child. I just can't fathom forgetting my child in the car.

And it makes me outrageously mad that somebody could forget their child. It never really sounds like an accident.

Tonight it was a 21 month old child, recently adopted from Russia, forgotten by his dad and left in the car for hours. That is when it really got me. These parents worked so hard so hard so so so hard to finally get a child and then this ... That reminds me that it could be me. It isn't just the parents who don't care as much as I do. It isn't just careless parents. Young parents. Inexperienced parents (whatever that is ...or whomever that isn't). It is me. Or, it could be.

And it is kicked back home that parents are so freaking flawed and it was just an accident and it could happen to me, too.

Crafty

I'm trying to be crafty, so I've found some free patterns online and made them, one for a bunny made from some girls courderoys and a jumper that I loved that both C3 & Q2 wore. AND I embroidered (if you can call it that) the eyelashes, nose, and little mouth!



And a pattern for a small scottie, also made from a jumper (the blue version of the pink one used above; the pink flower is from the pink version and I think I must have tossed the blue flower ....). I'm very happy about this guys nose. The stuffing seems to be shifting as my girls bite this guy, but whatever. They like him/her. They call him/her Scotty Scott Scott 2, or Little Scotty Scott Scott.



Not to be confused with the original Scotty Scott Scott, who I made early this spring and only recently found that there was a free pattern and instructions to this guy! I could have used those!!



Anyway, I'm not even near perfect, or even particularly good, but since my audience includes a two year old, and three year old and a husband who always thinks what I do is great ... I get lots of accolades! I like that!!!

Personal Hygiene

Do not leave personal hygiene items (read: tampons) within reach of a 3-year old on the toilet.

Tyke van Dyke

Recently I've been trying sorbet recipes in the Donvier.

Cantaloupe sorbet is a favorite of my girls. And of course ... chocolate.



Sweet.

Why haven't we done this sooner?

We woke up and Q2 suggested we go to the beach. Wow. What a great idea from a girl who only likes being in the water for about 5 minutes!

So we packed up and went to Sandy Point State Park with a gorgeous view of the Bay Bridge. Stopping along the way to get bagels for breakfast. Bagels and cream cheese for 3 of us, and a bagel with mayonnaise for Q2. It gave the cashier and the lady behind me pause to hear that I wanted a blueberry bagel with mayo. But whatever, I choose strange looks over crusty arms for Q2, since she doesn't tolerate milk protein well.

After that, we were on our way. Q2 she didn't go into the water, really, she loved the giant sandbox that was the beach.



She even loved being buried in the sand. We made "mermaid legs" for her, which cracked both C3 & Q2 up a bit.*



C3 enjoyed the water with C38, but also enjoyed the sand a lot ... she made sand dogs, and rolled around and generally just like running around in it. Although this photo makes it look like she ready to go home (she is), she really did have a great time.



*normally, we call "mermaid legs" the situation when both legs get stuck in one leg of an item of clothing ...

Check her temp, already!

We must remember: Cranky Q2 = Sick Q2
We must remember: Wild mood swings = Sick Q2
We must remember: Waking up in the middle of the night and staying up for 2 hours = Sick Q2
We must remember: Meltdowns over things like how mumma opens the trashcan = Sick Q2
We must remember: Clingy, crying, crazy Q2 = Sick Q2

102.4 F last night. A dose of ibuprophen or acetaminophen and BOOM, 20 minutes later life was good again.

And then the rest of the week

I can't say the rest of the week went quite so smoothly.

Well, actually, it did for C3. She kept comparing how summer camp and nursery school were different. Starting with the important stuff: Snack time.

C3: Snack time comes AFTER playing outside!
C3: And summer camp has no circle time!
C3: And no show and tell.

So, C3 has settled in and is doing fine. She enjoyed the 2 days of camp, and then the 2 days of babysitting. No problems. She came home covered in teal marker and about 1,000 drawings of teal things. Dogs, words, dogs, words.

Q2, however, isn't adjusting quite as smoothly, which isn't a surprise, considering this is her first time at any care opportunity.

Q2's teacher told me a few things:

Miss A: She's really difficult to handle when she's upset, difficult to calm down.
Me thinking but not saying out loud: Ya think? She kinda flails ... I wonder if she kicked her?
Miss A: Kicking around.
Me still thinking: Oh, she got kicked.
Miss A: She peed on Miss S while sitting outside.
Me: I'm sorry. Haha. No, that's not nice.
Miss A: Is there anyway to help her adjust?
Me (still thinking about the pee): I have her go to the potty during any transition time ... so before she goes out, when she comes in ... etc. I don't know if she really can hold it all morning.
Miss A: I mean, does she have a lovey or blankie or anything you could bring in?
Me: Oh, maybe not her blankie, but a stuffed animal we can bring in.
C38's response to this later was: She'll just throw it if she's mad! (So true)

And then the two days of being babysat ... crying happened. The first day she cried on and off the whole time (1.5 hours) and the second day she did OK until the end before C38 picked her up. But she was good because I offered her a chocolate if she didn't cry when I left. So, she didn't cry and she got the chocolate!!! Whew.

I like the whole day care concept. I'm thinking next summer we get them into day care or camp for the mornings, I work, then we do the pool in the afternoon, or something. But I feel very free without them. Lovely.

I just read in Newsweek that children make their parents less happy. I agree to an extent; you can't focus on your own needs and desires when you have a child to look after. And no, picking up after them doesn't make me happy. Their laundry sure doesn't make me happy. But they themselves do. On the whole, I think children are a good deal.

But, I still did relish the freedom!!