Black Friday at the MALL

Not the shopping mall, the National Mall, of course.

We spent some time at the National Museum of the American Indian. C4 told us to head to the 3rd floor ... when we got there the artifacts in the display case were not -- deep breath -- dogs. And the exhibit ("Our Lives") that they used to adore ... wasn't the correct one. C4 told me we must have gotten off at 2 and we needed to go up one.

As it turns out, we were on 3, but we should have gone to the 4th floor. Where the dogs were and the correct exibit ("Our Universe") were.



We separated from my parents, as they headed to meet a friend over at newly reopened and wonderful National Museum of American History. So we walked over to the National Gallery. We didn't see anything in the National Gallery of Art. We didn't visit either the West Wing or East Wing, but spent our time in the café and the moving sidewalk and (me) the store.

THEN ... we went upstairs, outside and played in the reflective pyramids. The girls LOVED that. We spent maybe 30-40 minutes playing around the refelctive pyramids.





While we were up there I got a phone call. It was my mom, calling to say she could see us. Where where, my head swivelling. Downstairs in the food court, of course! We looked through the pyramids and there she was waving at us!

Overheard in DC

I mean Maryland.
I mean Hyattsville.
Oh, heck, I mean our living room.

E38 [upon seeing a spontaneously cleaned up room. No mention to Q2 was made]: Great job cleaning up, C4!
C4: Yeah, 2-year-olds aren't perfect like 4-year-olds.

Postal Museum

Much has happened, but most of it without a camera. Boring.

But I remembered to bring the camera to the National Postal Museum.

First video: C4 with Owney, the postal dog. Stuffed. She loves that dog. You can see her petting it through the glass. She really wanted me to take his picture. I love the ending of this video. C4 looks very cute. Despite the spit bubbling at her lips.





And, Q2 at the large Q. I was trying to get her to sing her ABCs. She is very good at singing the ABCs, she has rhythm, bla blah she sounds great. Except she never sings the letter J. I have a thing against the letters S & G, maybe Q2 has something agains the letter J. I don't know. But anyway, mostly you hear me & MEME in the video. Here it is.

Potentially last speech therapy session

We've been provisionally released ... The teacher will call us in about 3 weeks to see how C4 is doing.

Yippee!!

Last night

9:00 pm - C39 is asleep on the chair. Q2 asleep in her bed. E38 is writing. C4 ... bang bang bang.

C38 [run upstairs]: You OK? Did you fall out of bed?
C4 [sitting up in bed]: Mumma I need you.

So, we use the potty, I tell her a silly story, and get into the toddler bed with her. She falls back asleep pretty quickly.

1:00 AM - C39 asleep in bed, E38 asleep in bed, C4 asleep in bed, Q4 ... asleep and dreaming

Q2 [From bed]: Waaaaaaaahhhhh.
E38 [running to Q2's bedroom]: Hey, hey, it's ok
Q2 [eyes closed]: Don't take my cheese!
E38 [rubbing Q2's tummy]: Nobody is taking your cheese, it's ok
Q2 [rubbing eyes]: Noooo! Celesté is taking my cheese!
E38: Here, have some more.
Q2: zzzzzz.

4:00 AM - C39 asleep in bed, Q2 asleep in bed, E38 alseep in bed, C4 ... stuffed up.

C4: Mumma I need you!
E38 [running to C4's room]: What's wrong?
C4 [stuffed up and having a difficult time breathing]: I need a tissue.
E38 [gets a pair of C4's underwear out of the drawer]: Here, blow.
C4: It is on my FINGERS!
E38 [Wipes up fingers]: I love you. Good night.

5:15 AM - C39 asleep in bed, E38 asleep in bed, C4 asleep in bed, Q2 ... is now awake but still in bed.

Q2: Mumma I need you!
E38 [Running into Q2's room]: It's still nighttime, go back to sleep.
Q2: Where's Tucker?
E38 [Searching for Tucker]: Here, he, no ...
Q2: That's Tucker's friend, Pippo.
E38: [Finds Tucker]: Here he is.
Q2: TUUCKEER!
E38: Close your eyes and go back to sleep.
Q2: Sit in my chair.
E38: OK. Can I go get a blanket?
Q2: Yes.
E38: Stay in bed.
E38 [returned from getting blanket, sits on chair and throws blanket over her]: Close your eyes and go to sleep.
Q2: Why you have flowers on your blankie?
E38: It is my quilt. Lay down.
Silence. Some movement. Silence. 5 minutes go by.
E38: Can I go back to bed and you stay quietly in bed so you can earn a video for staying in be all night?
Q2: Yes. Goodbye Mumma.

Just before 6:00 AM. C39 asleep, E38 waking, C4 asleep, Q2 ... ?

E38 [Hearing something that sounds like "I need you mumma"][to C39]: I think I heard "I need you daddy"
C39: urrnnngss.
E38: I think it is Q2.
C39 [Gets up, gets some clothes on, walks to Q2's room]: Urrnnssaagggggaaaa.
C39 [Returning]: She's asleep.
E38: I really thought she was asking for you.


Later that morning ...

C39: Q2, did you have good dreams last night?
Q2: Unha, about puppies and ponies and kitties and turtles.
C39: Did you dream about cheese?
Q2: No! Cheese no an animal!

crafty me

FINALLY, I finished Q2's fabric birdcage. Whew. My favorite part isn't in this picture:



My favorite part is the leftover bird we had, I put legs on, and put up on a bookshelf. I think I want to use it as a pin cushion.

On another note, our house is a wee bit too cold. I figured that out becase my toes feel as if I've been skiing for about two hours.

Nothing real special going on. Just thought I'd share a quickie video of Q2 drumming. I cut it off early because she was headed toward me asking to see the picture.

Ambulance chaser

We just spent nigh 90 minutes discussing visits to the hospital, starting with C4's birth, her returns to the hospital (jaundice, dislocated elbow), Q2's birth (well, at the birthing center), the multiple drops on her head that resulted in hospital visits, C39's visits to the hospital as a child, my visits to the hospital as a child (apparently I had the most, more than the rest put together. Probably the multiple steps on rusty nails).

C4 could not get enough of the discussions of how we got hurt and had to go to the hospital. So we had to replay the scenes over and over. On a positive note, it put Q2 to sleep and she had a mini nap in the car.

Best sleep song

Q2 rolls over, claps 5 time, and sings: "B-I-N-G-O!"

Kids are fine

But I seem to have some inner-ear imbalance, because I feel as though I am slightly drunk or have a hangover. This is very unpleasant.

Where does the brain reside?

We were at the doctor's office today and the girls were looking at images of the body with another mother, one that I heard them talking about was the brain, and the fact that it is where your thinking happens, and it is encased in your head.

So, imagine C39's surprise when Q2, playing doctor, took her flashlight and came up to C39 and said:

Q2: OK, now I check your brain.

Too bad she was checking out where a misandrist might say that a man's brain resides.

Live action

You can't hear it, but they are dancing to the Hokey Pokey. You can hear when C4 falls off screen and runs into the furniture. And you can see Q2 is pretending to be a dog, holding her dog toy in her mouth.

Christmas List

OK Parents/Grandparents

Here is a Christmas Suggestion List for the kids:

C4 & Q2 have both expressed an interest in:
UPDATE: Yorkshire & Sharpei are already bought!!
Poodle & Chihuahua are taken!
German Shepherd and Siberian Huskey are accounted for!!


http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=1885&cmvalue=HS|0|Normal%20Search%20Result|P1


http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=2543&cmvalue=HS|0|Normal%20Search%20Result|P1



http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=1364&cmvalue=HS|0|Normal%20Search%20Result|P1

Only Q2 wants (but I'm not keen on getting this ride-on horse):

http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=2206&cmvalue=HS|0|Normal%20Search%20Result|P1

C4 has indicated that she would like:


http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=138&cmvalue=MCD|0|Normal%20Search%20Result|P1


http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=97&cmvalue=MCD|0|Normal%20Search%20Result|P1

Big girl - eek

Sometimes at the Park Q2 has to go to the toilet. Most of the time C4 comes with us. But sometimes she absolutely positively refuse. Which is fine if I know somebody and can ask if they'll keep an eye on her. But for the second time, today, C4 refused.

So instead of dragging her into the ladies room by force (and, sometimes with Q2 we've got to get there fast), I agreed with her. She could stay in the park by herself.

Of course, Q2 wasn't speedy. She had a LOT of stuff to do. A lot of it. And then some more.

Finally, we made it back to the playground. And C4 was still there, right where I left her (although ... she had left her perch to throw out her plastic bag, because she doesn't litter).

Whew.

More Philosophical Thoughts

C4 would not enjoy the park with the rest of us today. Instead, she told my friend G., she wanted to sit on the bench in the perfect spot and watch the leaves change color.

There I was hoping she'd run around and burn off some energy. And all she wanted to do was meditate.

So, I left her to do her thing.

Old

While C4 & Q2 were in the bath tonight, Carter told them that Obama had won the election. C4 was very excited, and then asked ... "Last time did you vote for George Washington?"

Big questions:

They say kids ask the big questions in the car, when you are trapped and can't get away.

C4 came up with a doozy today.

C4: Was God built, or did He build Himself, or was He always there?
E38: (ah, er, what! the! hell! should! I! Say!!!) That's a question we can't really answer, but some faiths believe that God always was. [And so forth ... ]

I was mighty impressed with her question. I'm sure she was less than impressed by my answer. But she forged on.

C4: What about God's house?
E38: What about it?
C4: Did he build it or was it always there?
E38: What do you think?
C4:
E38: Where do you think he lives?
C4: Maybe we should get out the big map when we get home.

Which we will do tomorrow.

Winterthur

We visited Winterthur today with friends who have a 3.5 year old daughter. Everybody got along wonderfully!

We visited the fairy ring ... and the kids did a meditation maze.



Then I wanted to do it, and then J38 started to chase me. Or, at least I thought he was chasing so I had to go as fast as I could ... So

C4 sped up, too:


Q2 met a turtle:


And enjoyed throwing Osage Oranges:


C4 enjoyed the swinging benches. Note the band-aid on her nose. Looks lovely, eh?



And finally, Q2 got us to swing her about a thousand times. She LOVED it: