Vacation

We had a fantastic time. I have no time to post pictures tonight.

What happened to the weekend?

Oh, yeah, a party (C39 had to stay home with the girls, but I had fun!), Port Towns Day, a trip to the National Mall, and the beginnings of preparing to go to Cape Cod. And now it is almost Monday.

We went to Port Towns Day on Saturday ... so much fun! It even started off well ... we took a bus from the parking lot to the festival area. C4 & Q2 are seasoned bus riders now, and enjoyed it.



The first thing we did was hit the bouncy castle. Free, fun, freakin' awesome. C4 crawled in and was up and away, no looking back (and this is the girl who last year wouldn't go in until Q2 went in!). Q2 was able to hold her own, even though some of the kids were bigger and had a more forceful bounce trajectory.



Then we did some crafts involving fabric paint ... that stuff doesn't come out of clothes, y'know?

Then we headed to the ... face painting. The man who did C4 & Q2 was nice enough, but really didn't know his dogs ...

View the Daschund on C4. Those are not Daschund legs!:


And even worse ... I know that some people call Chihuahuas "rat dogs" but really, this thing looks like a cross between a chipmunk, a squirrel, an anteater, and a rat. Climbing a tree.



Q2 & C4 were happy enough with them, however, so that is good enough.

I can't resist, I have to post this picture. You can't have enough hug photos, so why not.


On other fronts, C4 & Q2 are demanding "I need you!" when they go to bed. This is a mite trying. In fact, I have to go check on C4 right now, since she seems to have woken and should be brought to the potty.

I'm trying

A bit ago I finished my purse ... and the girls both wanted one. Especially C4 who liked the dog word pattern I'd picked out and the dog button I used. But the bag was much too big for her (dragged on the ground). So I scaled down the pattern, omitted the button, and made them bags:

Here is all three ... C4's is inside out:


And here they are reversed:


And here is Q2 with hers to give you an idea of size:



I'm so proud!

Next stop: Fusible interface & stabilizers. Seriously. Expect a bag for Christmas.

well, it ain't a school bus

When C39 returned from Amsterdam he brought chocolate for me in the form of cocoa & jimmies & a chocolate bar, for the girls in the form of Smarties in large tubes shaped like crayons (with real crayon tips ... I have to say these are cool).

And, best of all, clogs for the girls. Foam clogs.

C4 took one look at the clogs and gave hers to Q2, but Q2 liked them and put them on and wore them out the very next day. Day-glow orange clogs.

Q2 in orange clogs

But the highlight of the morning for me was this: Nursing the stuffed animals.

Q3 decided to nurse a horse

And C4, of course, nursed a dog.



I think their tecnique leaves a little to be desired, but we do supplement the stuffed animals with cotton wool and sawdust, so they should have enough nourishment.

I don't like them, either

Q2 woke up this morning at a lovely lovely 6:45 saying "I don't like birds. I don't like birds." Her body was covered by her "old blankie" and her face was snuggled up and under "new blankie" so she was mostly asleep ... or certainly not awake.

I went in after the "I don't like birds" chorus continued. She didn't look up at all, but was happy when I told her I'd remove the stuffed bird (which I did) and assured her that there were no birds in her room. She said "OK" and went back to sleep.

So I headed to bed for another 10 minutes until C4 woke and climbed into bed with me.

Yay!

C39 is home!! He brought gifts and chocolate and himself!!

Stay Awake

Two nights ago C4 wanted to sleep with me when I went to bed. She's been quite actively demanding "I need you, mumma" (or daddy) lately, and this is just part of that theme. But she told me if I got lonely when I went to bed she'd sleep with me. I told her if she was still awake when I went to bed I'd let her sleep with me, knowing full well that she'd be long asleep by the time I got to bed. So when she woke the next day she awoke she was indignant that I hadn't gotten her.

Last night Q2 woke up in the middle of the night and came to her door and insisted something ... maybe that she hurt her eyes? I can't quite remember. Rather than trip over the gate to get her back to bed I just picked her up and brought her to bed with me. The sleep wasn't so relaxing for me, but Q2 fell right back to sleep, with a few tosses and turns, and woke at a brisk 5:56 AM.

I had to wake C4 at 7:30, because both girls had check-ups at 8:30 AM. We made it there just 10 minutes late.

Both are healthy. C4 is 40" and 36# ... tracking 50th percentile for both. Q2 is 36.5" and 27# ... tracking at 25th percentile for both. Poor Q2 ... she's going to be a shorty like me. If she stays at 25th percentile she'll end up being ... just over 5'2" at age 20. Hmmmm. That number sounds very familiar for some reason. Oh, right, that's the height I like to SAY that I am (but I'm not quite).

Then C4 got four jabs. She had asked if she'd be getting shots; I had replied yes. She asked if they would hurt, and I told her yes, they would hurt, they weren't fun, but she could do it. Well, she was fine, although not happy about the shots, until they actually happened. Then there was a bit of crying after shot #1, but shot #2 was a doozy, I guess (the MMR?), and the crying intensified to screaming and wailing of "I don't like shots! They HURT!" Yes, they do. I'm not a fan of shots, myself.

Eventually we finished and I had to carry both girls out of the office and to the car because C4 was limp with pain and anger and Q2 was crying because (and I quote) "I didn't get my shot!"

Oh, the tragedy.

After lunch we decided to do quiet time in the stroller, and one of the girls suggested they could have honey sticks if they fell asleep. Sure, fine by me! Immediately they tried to convince me that 1) they were asleep and 2) since they were asleep shouldn't they get their honey stick RIGHT NOW? The conversations went something like this:

Q2: I'm asleep, mumma.
E38: No, you aren't.
Q2: I'm asleep. Can I have my honey stick?
E38: No, you may not have your honey stick. You aren't asleep. Close your eyes and go to sleep.
Q2: But I AM asleep.
E38: I don't think you understand the concept of sleep. Close your eyes.
Q2: But I can't seeeeee.
E38:
Q2: I'm asleep, mumma.
Q2: Can I have my honey stick?

Finally, at C4's request I sang a song, despite Q2's vehement objections. "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins is quite effective. Q2 fell asleep within 1 minute. And C4 within 5-10. I really ought to find the correct lyrics, even though my dull rendition did the trick.

C4 woke after about 45 minutes (and thus didn't fall asleep tonight until about 9:30 or 9:45. I let her keep the light on so she could read, because I knew she wasn't going to fall asleep after a nap. She only fell asleep after a visit to the bathroom.) when I got to our friend's house, and Q2 woke at about 1.5 hours, with help from B4 who kindly yelled "WAKE UP" at Q2 a few times to wake her up. Well, we'd have hated if she missed the playdate. No matter, she was still asleep around 7:45 pm.

Oh, and at I34s house C4 read Hop on Pop. Not a book of much difficulty, but we'd never read it before, and every page I asked her to read, she did. She got stuck on father, mother, sister, brother. But everything else ... she can read. At the doctor's office she read "This is not an exit. Don't open this door to leave" Or some version of that message. I'm starting to rethink my decision to not press to get her into kindegarten next year ... won't she be bored if she doesn't go to school early? She'll have been reading for 2 years by the time she gets to kindergarten if we wait until 2010.

Crafty me

I took the camera out today, but the batteries were dead. But no matter, we just did the regular stuff ... went to Watkins Park Farm, played at the playground, walked to the farm, fed the animals, walked to the carousel/train area and ate lunch, then went to the carousel, where neither girl wanted me to touch them. Q2 on a very large rabbit ("bun-bun") and C4 on a dappled horse in front of her. Then the train; G41 & J1 and I sat backwards in the last seat, the girls all sat in the seat just ahead of us facing front. C5, C4, and Q2 all in a seat, and they behaved great. I was very happy.

Of course, on the way home Q2 took a little snoozer. We took the long way home to avoid the redskins game, anyway, so that was good. I just left her in the car when we got home (doors open!), and C4 & I just sat on the stoop and talked and gave huggies and I avoided the game called "tounges" that C4 kept trying to force me to play.

I eventually, around the 45 minute mark, woke Q2 up, it was a grumpish wake up, but we got through it, and C4 really wanted to go over to C5's house to play in her kiddie pool. So I dialed, and C4 politely asked for C5, and asked if we could come over to play in the pool. C5 said yes. So we did.

And dinner, bath, blah blah blah, all went smoothly. Bedtime was a little rockier than the last few days, but again, by 7:45 both were asleep. And I came downstairs and made my new bag ... that C4 thinks is for her because it has a dog-words print for the outside and a bumblebee liner. C4 keeps telling me the dog print bag will be hers, and the bee print will be my bag ... so, we'll see if I get to keep this bag. It doesn't matter, I'm very happy with the way it turned out, even if I don't get to keep it!! I could do this again with no problems.

I got to do a few new things with this bag ... make a bias strip for a button loop (although I don't think I did it correctly), and squaring off corners. My curves look good, too. Or, I should say, the curves on the bag.

I'm so proud of myself. I want to make another!

Third time's the charm

When C4 & Q2 are playing calmly, coloring, or cutting, or playing some variation of "dogs," I often take a few minutes to do dishes, laundry, whatever. Today it was drawing and cutting, so I went downstairs to do laundry (which also has not diminished since C39 is out of town. Perhaps it has but now I'm the only one here to fold it). From above I heard a little kerfuffle, some NO!s and then giggles and quiet. So, I didn't rush up too much.

But I should have.

Back in March, C4's hair was in her eyes. So she cut it. Quite short. Just in time for a wedding. She looked ... well, I got used to it.

Today, she got another haircut. From her sister, Q2. Who just wanted to cut hair, I guess. I returned upstairs to see her just clipping away at the top, and a rather large chunk taken out of her bangs.

This is what they thought of the situation:



(The bandaid is from C4 falling out of bed twice last night and right on her head. She must have been tired)

I didn't think it was quite as amusing, since there was hair everywhere. And really, C4's hair didn't need further thinning. A huge amount was cut off, considering it is not immediately noticable that C4 has a chunk of bangs missing.

The rest of the morning went well, quiet time was quiet, and then we headed out to Chillum Splash Pool. A favorite place of Q2 & C4. But, despite the fact that I called and listened to the hours on the machine, the place was closed for annual maintenance. So we were advised to head to Lane Manor Splash Pool, although I thought it would be closed since it is post Labor Day (foolish traditions). So then we headed over to Greenbelt Pool. We had to. Each time we got to a pool that was closed C4 started crying.

They loved it. Loved it. C4 just walked right in, and started doing her own thing, walking across the pool (the small 2-3 foot pool), back and forth, back and forth. By the end of the time we were there she had gone underwater holding her nose at least 10 times, and had begun jumping off the edge of the pool, first into my friend E's arms, then by herself into the pool while holding her nose. Over and over again. And then it was time to go. I got her out, went for our bag, and she just walked right back in. She didn't want to go. She was very upset to have to leave; we might go back tomorrow or Monday.

Q2 had a period of transition. She was so excited to go, but when we got there ... well, reality isn't always the same as anticipation. For the first 10 minutes she had what seemed to be a "belly button alarm" ... We walked down the ramp into the pool, and the water would reach her belly button and her mouth would open and she'd scream and turn around and walk back up. I tried holding her in the pool, and bouncing he in the water, but again, if she went over her belly button she'd scream.

But Q2 got used to it and soon we had a route ... down the 15 foot ramp (or, as she called it, the bridge), turn, walk next to the ramp, up the stairs, and back down the ramp and into the water. The water at the bottom of the ramp was up to her neck, but we did this at least 20 times. She occassionally wanted to walk further in, but once it got up to her chin, or lips, she'd freak out and I'd have to hold her hands and lead her to the shallower waters.

We eventually did leave, and to the fountain we went for dinner. I've found a meal I don't mind feeding them there: wraps from Wild Onion, with a side of fruit. The food is fresh and organic; the meat is organic and treated well (so they say). Q & C would have prefered PB&J tonight, but it is good to know whey will eat good food. It is expensive, but it isn't pizza or plain spaghetti.

C39, we miss you and love you; I hope you like the updates!

Stuff to do

I've been opening the fridge to this scene lately:



While it might look to you that I'm trying to show you how messy & dirty that fridge is, I'm not. Please note the open Rice Dream containor.

Q2 have been going into the fridge and opening the Rice Dream, pounding a bit, and walking off.

She didn't learn it from me. C39?

Nursery School, day 2

I didn't actually see day 1, but day 2 went off fairly smoothly. C4 ran right in, left me the second the car was parked. In fact, she ran across the street to get in as fast as she could do so. So, no problems there. Q2, however, once she realized she was going back to school starting talking to me about me staying. I kept talking about how I'd drop her off, she'd have fun doing painting, play dough, playing with Mrs. T & Mrs. B. And C4 encouraged Q2 by saying that Mrs. T was so nice, etc. And then of course I would pick her up.

She didn't go for it.

She wouldn't walk in herself. She wouldn't let go of me. She clung to me and wasn't full out crying, and not a noise exactly like whining, but I'm not quite willing to call it that.

I pried her off me and handed her over to Mrs. T. She continued to protest, but it wasn't too loud or strong. When I returned later I was told that she'd done OK. Better than yesterday. She'd done some drawing, she responded to the teachers, and been engaged in class (if not very actively).

What I like about our nursery school is that the children go x days in a row (2 for 2 year olds, 3 for 3 year olds, and 4 for 4 year olds) instead of going MWF or TTh. But at the same time, the one problem with our nursery school is that Q2 is going to school Thursday and Friday ... but the wait Saturday through Wednesday is a long one ... and I wonder if the 5-day interim will make her backslide a bit. So, more crying next week, I suppose.

So, after school we stopped at the park. Q especially wanted to go, and considering her rough two days in school, I thought we should go.



They took off and everytime they saw a new play structure they got so excited and headed toward it. Most of my pictures didn't come out ... I don't know what happened, but here are a couple:



and these things. There are three of them at three heights ... we couldn't get them onto this before ... today I couldn't get them off!



After lunch "quiet time" ... I made my friend a birthday cake, a delicious "Orange Glow Chiffon Cake." Thank you Rose Levy Beranbaum! I made candied orange peel to top it ... which the 5 year old son of my friend loved ... he kept nabbing pieces off the cake.

Which I know because E40 invited us to stay for dinner. Which we did. Yum yum. Pasta with Endamame and a wee bit of cheese. Yum yum yum! And I didn't cook it! Even better.

Plus we did get to eat the cake. Which was incredible. Yum.

I'm not in Amsterdam

But C39 is. Or he will be in a few hours. So, today I went to work in the morning, and spent the afternoon with the girls, which I don't usually do with them on Thursdays.

Thursdays are farmer's market day. We walked over, and first thing bought two HUGE cups of sorbet. Banana & Pineapple. The owner of that stall has a racket going on. Her "small" portions were huge! they looked about 2 cups of sorbet. And $4! The kids each needed about 1/3 of that portion, tops. So about 2/3 of the sorbet melted. But, they enjoyed it, as you can see:



Then we played a bit up at the park, when we weren't playing hide and seek, toddler style (they stand off to the side but 100% in view, I count and when I get to 10 I ask where are my girls and they run back), they were practicing and rolling their tounges:



After seeing 3 MARC trains and one empty freight train, and petting a miniature red poodle (adorable, even if it was a toy poodle), a white and black puppy, and a large dog of some sort, we walked home. Q2 had an accident on the way (oops, we had been out for a while), stripping her down and putting her back in the stroller naked. Her choice, not mine. Well, it was my choice to have her strapped down rather than running down the street nakie. But her choice to be naked. Until C4 got out of the stroller to walk. Then Q2 decided she wanted to get out. And that getting dressed would be an acceptable situation if it got her out of the stroller.

We approached a sign ... and C4 read it, just like that!



I had no idea she knew how to read 3 of those 4 words! I was impressed.

The rest of the walk was unimpressive. One minor fall. A little crying. But we got home, ate dinner, watched Mary Poppins for a few moments and then ... putting them to bed alone.

Bath was smooth. C4 got out first, dressed, and read in her bed, while I took Q2 out of bed, dressed her, and put her to bed. I stayed with Q2 for a bit, visited C4 and told her I'd be back, returned to Q4, stayed for a few minutes and told her I had to lock the door and she asked if I'd be back, I said yes, but kept going ... C4 was already asleep, and I think Q2 was asleep before I got downstairs.

Tea

Today we had a tea party at C4's request. Decaff black tea with a boatload of soymilk to cool and sweeten and load them up with calcium. It doesn't taste so bad.

While drinking tea and eating a PB & J sandwhich, C4 told me she was having CT (see-tea). Sure! And, oh, Q2 was having QT. I agreed, Q is a cutie. And oh, what was I having?

Turns out a mumma has MT. Nice.

The actual retail birthday

Cupcakes and presents were the order of the day.

Q2 gave C4 a dalmation that yips and jumps, we gave her some dog clothes, her maternal grandparents gave her some dog clothes and a dog lunchbox, all well loved. The dog has been in near constant use (partly by Q2) and the clothes went right on.

But in the afternoon she got a camera from her paternal grandparents.



And since then over 400 photos have been taken. Some of my favorites of each of us:

Happy Birthday C4

Happy Birthday C4! At this time on Saturday, September 4, 2004 I was laboring away, almost ready to deliver you (8:14 AM)!

What a wonderful gift you were. And still are.

Happy birthday, my puppy dog, and that's all.

Tender Thoughts

I have a new-found appreciation for greeting card companies. C3 soon to be C4 got a birthday card today, the inside of which read thus:

Hoping lots
of birthday fun
and nice surprises, too,
Will make the day
you're 4 years old
a happy one for you!

Happy Birthday.

C3 read all of the words except "Hoping" and "Will" (and she knows Will!)

They obviously know their audience.

If you are nervous

Walking home from the park tonight the girls got on a giggle fest. Just near constant giggles the whole way home. It could have been because they snookered us into letting them ride on our shoulders instead of walking. Or it could have been the light tickle of the breeze on their legs.

But it wasn't.

As a tall, normal looking guy walked toward us, C39 asked was was so funny. And he got a response: "Because we are imagining that guy is naked."

And I didn't think that was going to be an issue for a while.

Better than I expected

Some years ago my dear husband C39 and I ran across "The Land of Little Horses" in Gettysburg, PA. I can't say that I was entirely interested in going. In fact, I was probably not interested at all. By C39 was VERY interested. But he couldn't bring himself to go until we had one or two children to look respectable and not so pervy-like.

Although I personally never had the overwhelming urge to go, the idea did grow on me over the years. So, five years and two children later we loaded up the car and headed to The Land of Little Horses.

After getting through the gift shop chock-a-block with all types of horses to cuddle and bring home, we made it out to the paddock.

We'd bought feed, which was great fun ... horses, llamas, sheep, goats ... they all like this stuff.


Cats, however, do not. Q2 tried to feed a barn cat the feed and got two scratches and a story to tell the next 20 people she saw.

Two favorite things for the girls to do 1) ride the bouncy horses on the playground



and 2) Ride the tire swing fashioned like a horse. Pure joy.



Riding a statue horse wasn't too bad, either.



The highlight of the day was supposed to be the "show" ... but that was a dud. Too much talking, too little action. 40 minutes of dull. Except for the dog races, which I found extremely amusing for the 30 seconds they were on stage. So we cut out early, causing both girls to cry hysterically at the fact that we were leaving. I guess it was just perfect for small children even though C39 & I were in agony watching a horse trying to subtract 4 from 6 and telling us over and over again that the answer was 3.