When I found Q3 had blissfully fallen asleep during quiet time, I thought I was doing C4 a favor by telling her she could put her laundry away and then come downstairs.

She seemed excited, but half-way through putting her laundry away, she decided to see if Q3 had woken up (after she'd just asked me and I'd confirmed that Q3 had Conked OUT!). So she ran out into the hall and into Q3's room, me screaming up after her Don't Go In Q3's Room! Get Out! Don't Slam That Door!

Of course, Q3 woke up from her much needed nap. I'm p.o.'d and C4 lost the oppportunity to come downstairs for a while.

Hot Hot Hot

It was hot today, so in an effort to get them to play outside I pulled out the old sprinkler. Mission SUCCESS!

More things I wouldn't eat but C4 seems to think is grand.

Huge,delicious plateful of apples, cherry tomatos, and cucumber slices.

With a dipping sauce of catsup.

Um. Not yum.

Counting by 2s.

Attempting to make counting for hide and seek quicker the other day I counted by 2s. C4 said she could do that, too. And she did. Just not the way I did it.



PS
If you want to see Q3 and a worm, check out C39's blog.

Maryland Day

Long day.

It started with a run for me, then I went with some girlfriends to the National Arboretum for the annual plant sale (no lilacs).

When I returned home C39 & I took the girls to Maryland Day up at the university. Long walks, hot, long lines, as you can see from this photo:


But, still, we had some good times.

Paddling in the fountain the middle of the campus (Q loved this):


Somersaulting while waiting in line (again, Q loved this):


And finally getting to the front of the line and into the bouncy castle (Q & C4 loved this!)!


Then, of course, ice cream. Eveybody's favorite part of the day.

Then tonight we had the 5th annual Hyattsville Vine Crawl. Really crowded & busy this year. It starts with a potluck then the "teams" spilt up and go to a series of houses for wine.

As the potluck was winding down C4 (who probably walked a mile and a half in the sun today at the university) just broke down crying, saying "I'm so tired I want to go to bed" so C39 carried her home (so she got a second wind) and put her to bed. I took Q3 and went to the first stop. Q3 RAN the whole way there. I tried the white (Q3 had a fingertip of it, and said mmm, delicious) tried the red (again, Q3 said mmmm, delicious) and then she ran around just having a good time. Q3 ate some brie and grapes. We went to the second stop, really didn't stay long (just long enough for me to have a small glass of red) and came home just before some unexpected heat lighting & thunder.

I'm beat.

Bathtime

Since C4 & Q3's bathtime wouldn't be allowed on primetime TV, we decided to do audio instead of video.

They were making up songs to sing while cleaning their tubbie toys. When they realized the tape recorder was on they went crazy, of course, singing silly lyrics. But other than that? The songs were good! Q3's especially had a nice bath theme. C4's ... I can't make out all the words now, but it ends with "I love you every night" Awwww. Sweet.


Here's Q3's song:



And C4's:

Bush

C4 is obsessed with the word bush. She paints things and lables them "BUSH" in super-fancy girly lettering.

My first thought was how the heck did she hear that slang? C39 wondered why she was suddenly a republican? And C4? Just obsessed with bushes because puppies poop and peep and spit behind them.

Nice.

Midnight snacks (reprise)

C4 is up there trying to stay up til midnight. She has a stack of books about a mile high.

**Update**
8:15 rolled around and C4 came out to tell me it was midnight, and time for a midnight snack. I think she liked it!!

Just bought this

*In pink.*

Kent Super Scooter

Hope that C4 will use it. She says she will. But, truly, if she doesn't, I will.

Safeway ... er, Giant

Q3 today followed up on her "Go to Safeway and we'll be SAFE" comment ... she wanted to go to Giant so we could be GIANT.

Too clever. But then C4 spent an inordiate amount of time trying to explain to Q3 that the names of stores were just names, and houses didn't have names, and that stores were bigger than houses, and (again) that the names were just names.

Q3 ignored her, though, and insisted we go to Giant instead of Safeway.

Enjoying themselves

I like the second verse of this. I think Miss Audrey made it up??

Bedtime

Bedtime is always fun.

It started at 6 AM when Q3 woke up crying because C4 had taken/eaten her chocolate dipped chocolate cookies. I told her I'd get them back and miraculously ... she fell back asleep untl 7:50 AM! Latest morning ever! So, she redeemed herself.

This evening after she was yelling for me for a while I went up and found her up on the railing of her bed, looking out the window, unable to get down.

Then I was called back up ... thinking that I was right to go up the last time I went up. And found Q3 reading a lift-the-flap book that she wanted me to finish lifting the flaps for her. Because she was too tired. And she was fine with me saying I'd do it downstairs. What? The flaps can't wait until tomorrow, apparently. I wasn't prepared to babysit for a lift-the-flap book.

Then I was called up again ... and Q3 had something so important to tell me that I could not for the life of me understand. Something to do with the lift the flap book? Swiper? C4? The windshield wipers? I don't know.

Then I was called up again by C4, reading Tessa Snaps Snakes. she showed me the page where they are eating Midnight Snacks, and asked me why I never made her midnight snacks. Because, my dear, you are never up at midnight. That made her smile and almost giggle.

1, 2, 3 .... 100

I asked a friend's daughter K2 to count to 100 today. But, she didn't, and I didn't expect her to. It really was to keep her busy for a minute while we got to where we were headed and I could pull out the crackers safely.

But C4 surprised me and without being asked counted right up from 1 to 100.

C4 wanted you to know ...

Visits

Another day at the Arboretum, this time with friends K38, T37, and J3.



They way my children shamelessly go up to anybody with food you'd think we didn't feed them. They way they hug strangers you'd think we didn't love them. They way they try to get in other people's photos you'd think we didn't take enough photos.

But I digress. Here they are, looking cute. This was just after the indicent of sitting in on a photo of strangers. And then hugging them both. Lucky she was a pre-school teacher. And both were wanna-be grandparents.



And, C4 alone,


And my fav from this batch:

Birthday

Introducing ... Q3! (the cake looks less than appetizing, but it was a strawberry cake ... delish!)



and ... gifts!

Easter scavenger hunt.

The Easter Egg hunt at the assisted living home was a disaster.



Looks all good, doesn't it? K5 is with the giant bunny who has no mittens on. Q32was in my sister's arms, and C4 & I were upstairs looking down on everybody to be far away from the giant furry creature.



C4 was freaked by the bunny, and Q2 was freaked because she was tired and doing everything she could to be like C4. There was screaming and crying trying to escape from the giant bunny. At one point we thought we were safe upstairs ... only to find the bunny had found us and I had to walk down the stairwell with one girl in my arms, the other hanging for dear life onto my neck, legs wrapped around my waist, screaming.

But, other than that, I think they had fun.

Walden Pond

We visited Walden Pond while in MA. Lots of May flies. But they walked half-way around. It was a bit muddy, a little chilly (then very hot). We got to see somebody catch a fish. And the walk back was a tiny bit whiney. But I enjoyed it a lot.

Onion Gum

The scene: Eating Burritos.
The situation: Q2 wants a piece of purple gum.
The challenge: Mumma says we have no berry gum.
The resolution from Q2: "I want ONION gum!"

Sounds delish!

Grandma Lu & a museum

Visited Grandma Lu, and the girls were very good. A little over enthusiastic, perhaps (my mother thought that Q2 was going to hurt Grandma Lu, as she kept running into her knees. Luckily that didn't happen), but good.



Hugs all around, no rude behavior, and Grandma Lu was at her best, too. We visited Walter, and C4 asked him about who his wife was. He thought for a minute, nearly said Lucille, but remembered that "She was a nice girl, Violet."

After that, we visited the Worcester Art Museum ... a bit difficult for me, herding the two girls.

They did not like the Chapter House so much, but I really like it. And they talked a good game about mosaics, but wouldn't stand still long enough to look at the beautiful one on the floor at the WAM. And a the floors in a few gallerys must have been stained or waxed or something because we walked in and instantly it was "My nose smells something!" It did, so we left.

But they did enjoy the discovery zone where they played with sand, looked at a computer and we read a book about Van Gogh. We also enjoyed the stairs and the planetary landscapes exhibit. C4 walked around the exhibit and read the names/lables of each picture. She had trouble with Io and Uranus and Interplanetary.

Temper temper

C4 seems to have taken over the temper tantrums, just as Q2 is growing out of them.

Last night at my aunt's house she didn't like the looks of dinner and insisted she would "Never Never Never!" try any of it.

I removed her and told her she had to try everything (roast chicken, broccoli, and squash ... the rice was late) and she could have a PB&J. She continued to tantrum, I left her on the stairs, and told her to come with us when she was ready.

A few minutes later she was ready, apologized to my aunt and uncle for her rude behavior, and tried everything. At the very small piece of chicken I gave her, ate her broccoli, and tasted the most miniscule piece of squash ever. And had a PB&J.

At the suburban mall

Monday afternoon we headed out in the pouring rain to the petstore to pet the pets, and also, for me, with a glimmer of hope that Q2 would get a little car nap in. She did. She started to fall asleep about a mile from the petstore, and C4 so thoughtfully (and LOUDLY) noted "Q2 is conking out!"

Q2 did not like that, so she rightly protested, "I am not conking out!" and a block later ... conked out.

So while C4 toured the petstore with MeMe, I did a Soduku, and Q2 slept. She woke when we started driving home, so we diverted to the mall to take advantage of a small but fun play area.

The play equipment was sort of a soft vinal plasticy something. They were jumping and running on it for ages. But to get to it ... we had to walk the length of the mall, and pass the Easter display.

In sight of the Easter display, C4 stopped and demanded that she be carried on MeMe's shoulders and pulled her down to the ground. C4 jumped on her. Jumped on her. MeMe valiently tried, but since C4 is about 2/5 of her weight, she couldn't get up from the position she was in.

So ... C4 rolled on the floor kicking and screaming demanding to be carried on shoulders. MeMe offered arms, but not good enough. While we just waited for this to be over, the guy from the Sports Authority came over and said to me and mum, "You just go, I'll take care of her, you can do your thing, don't worry" and C4 jumped up (still crying) and grabbed MeMe's legs and allowed herself to be picked up in arms and walk past the Easter display to the play area.

During which time I (carrying Q2, still slightly groggy, head buried in shoulder saying "no bunny!") realized the Easter display contained a giant human being in a giant, ugly, furry, bunny suit.

Well, no wonder.

On the way back up the mall ... we all walked hand-in-hand, the girls with their eyes closed, the long way around the giant bunny-suited man.

Another great bedtime

Because once again, Q4 has a chat-chat-chat problem and a I-don't-want-to-sleep problem and a get-up-and-play problem. I found her behind the windowshade standig on the windowsill looking out at ... the grass & trees when I finally removed her, C4 fell asleep quickly. But she took until ... 8:45? Late.

Long car ride on Sunday

But amazingly good. Both girls were very good. Only a few stops in NJ before C4 decided she could hold it til our friend's house in Massachusetts.

We spent the night with J3, K38, and T??? I have no idea how old T is. Well, I have some idea, but I don't want to put a guess down in writing.

Just like last time at their house (XMass 2007), C4 was ready to go to sleep, but Q2 kept everybody up. Finally, I took Q2 out of the room and C4 fell asleep within minutes. Q2 stayed on the couch, but whiny, crying, unhappy until I put her on the other couch with the dog. Then she too fell asleep within minutes. Minutes of 9:00, that is.

Waking up, C4 was ready to go to MeMe & Pep's house almost instantaneously. When we did finally leave we 1) forgot toothbrushes (and turned around to get them) and 2) forgot Pippo, and just got the call about that tonight. Dang it. But I'm not telling C4 until I have to that Pippo is in the care of J3, C38, and T?? who are trying to ensure that their dog doesn't make it HER plaything.

HI!

Some time back I taught C4 to say "Hi, my name is C4, what's your name?" and now, with here and with Q2 we've been able to take it a step further.

The girls now say "Hi! My name is C4/Q2, what's your name?"
and the accosted will answer: "Hi! My name is Mary!"
and the girls will say "Hi, Mary, nice to meet you!"

Today Q2 accosted two adults this way, and the first, the owner at the ice-cream parlor, just went bonkers over her manners, thinking she was the most precocious thing. The second, a random woman walking down our street told me she'd just returned from 2 years in China, and nobody there every said "Nice to meet you" and it was precious to hear it from a child.

Well, I suppose it is. But I was just tired of them yelling "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" at strangers and turning to run away before they got an answer.

The wind is coming

It was windy today. So C4 made up a new song. It goes like this:


The wind is coming today.
The wind is coming today.
The wind is coming
the wind is coming
The wind is coming
The wind is coming
The wind is coming
The wind is coming today.
[repeat]

See:





Did you notice what Q2 was doing? Her undies were on backwards. So she took them off and put them back on during the show. Lovely!

Umbrellas

This morning C4 and Q2 decided to make umbrellas. Normally, they make umbrellas out of little J magnets topped by an O or a Q magnet and hold that over their head. But today they decided to go for something more absorbant.



Not wanting to discourage such ...creativity ... but also not wanting to encourage the wanton use of diapers, I decided they'd have to pay me 50¢ for each diaper they wanted to play with.

I left their bedrooms $1 richer, and Q2 happily had a diaper on her head.