New blankie

Yesterday, while I was making the lunch bags, Q4 wanted to sew, too. She pulled out some fabric C5 had picked up at the store (American flag fabric, because she is all into red, white, & blue right now), some bamboo batting, and asked for a needle and thread. I didn't do anything except put the thread in the needle and tie a knot in it. In fact, there are no knots in the finished blankie, so I'm sure it will unravel soon.

She laid out the fabric, making sure he edges lined up and the bamboo batting was on the inside


She cut off the extra fabric that was hanging over


And then she sewed it


She was very proud of herself, and happy to have made it. She left one end open as a "pocket" to put her hand in when she got cold, even.

New things

I've finally made new lunch bags for the girls. Why did I want to do this? I'm not sure. But they are super cute; so cute that I want one. AND next I'm going to make some resusable wraps for their sandwiches in matching fabric, too. Soon.

Bugger

Q4 had a monster fever today. I put her to bed last night thinking she was a little warm (and she was irrational and had some melt-downs yesterday, but she is 4) and she woke at 2:30 needing some attention. I tried helping her to sleep and eventually got her a sip of water which she promptly vomited. So off to a bath, which helped cool her down. And then outside, with a nice facecloth on her head. C41 held her all night, and I went back to sleep so I could spend the day with her. We couldn't get a temp, but she felt around 102+ but I couldn't give her medicine because she'd just vomit it back at us. Yuck. So sleep, bath, movie, sleep, sleep, sip of water, sleep, wake, 1/2 a banana for lunch, tylenol, more sleep and this afternoon she was much better. She's warm again at bedtime, but not crazy hot and lethargic.

Mississippi

I mentioned the new licence plate obsession, and as a result we've been trying to spell Mississippi. I tuneful M-i-s-s-I-s-s-I-p-p-I; C41 tried to get them to spell it M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-humpback-humpback-i but it didn't stick.

Q4 has got it, she doesn't overspell. The tunefulness of it makes it easier for her than C5, I think. C5 often adds a third s in the second s-set.

But today in the car after spelling Mississippi a number of times and saying the words a number of times Q said what I'd been thinking, "I want to meet Mr. Sippi"

First day of First Grade

And ... here it is.

I love their little uniforms. And ... nary a fuss about a uniform this week. Granted we bought 4 stone/khaki jumpers (and one skort) to go along with 4 older blue ones (her old stone jumper is trashed) ... and those khaki ones are her favorite.

Mrs. K. has a reputation for order, which is also a good thing for C5. Yippee!

Q4, instead of being excited for the first day of school, has been worried for about a week about going to camp without C5. She was feeling sad that C5 was at school, but her school friends were not yet back at school with her. So when C41 dropped her off she clung and cried. Once pried off C41 she asked for a hug and kiss. I would have questioned his daddy-quotient if he hadn't fallen for that one. But it started another round of clinging and crying.

So, while I knew she probably was fine within minutes of C41's departure (independent sources say it was so) I decided to take Q4 to lunch as a welcome back-to-school treat. She is easy to go to lunch with. Pleasant to be with, good conversationalist. Well, sort of on that score. But happy, polite, good. She had mac -n- cheese (and she ordered herself, both her drink and her food) and I had a BLT & A. That is a Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, & Avocado. So delicious! On Thick, delicious rye bread! Yum! I managed to even save half for tomorrow, despite the fact that it was the best sandwich I've had in a long time.

Then I let Q4 pick out a treat for her and C5 (lollipops for both) and off we went to pick up C5.

I was there early. First ones there. Q4 and I played on the playground for at least 20 minutes before kids started pouring out. But once they poured out ... I couldnt' find C5. She didn't come out the door she did last year. I didn't know what her teacher looked like. I didn't know parents from the classroom. Uggg. Finally, I saw a girl with a S---- nametag ... I recognized her name from the classlist that C41 had checked out over the weekend. I asked the parent and indeed, she was in Mrs. K's class. She waved us in the right direction, and a few minutes later we found C5, holding onto her teacher's hand, looking around for us. She didn't want to be the last picked up, and had been looking all around for us. Phew. We got her.

That was the first time I'd met C5's teacher, she seems together and wonderful (so far). She came with glowing reviews from a girlfriend of mine. Plus, she is working on national certification which impresses me, and I think she's probably a better teacher for it, whether or not she makes it.

C5 said she woke up bright and early on Monday because she was excited for school (indeed, she had a hard time falling asleep because she was excited for school!) and she was going to wake up bright and early on Tuesday because she is excited about school! Crazy, right? Even crazier? She sat at a table for 4 ... and she was the only girl. And she made two friends. S and A. A is a boy. Whaaa???? My world is spinning.

Praire Girl Picnic

It wasn't the party I envisioned. For one it wasn't outside. But the humidity was about 94%. So it was a sweaty mess. For two, the girls were very sedate. I don't know, did they have a good time? Who knows. It was an odd mix of girls. I think C5 had a good time, and since it was her party for her birthday, that is what matters.

We did crafts: decorated waist aprons, made necklaces & bracelets, and made friendship bracelets. We ate lunch on the floor on a praire girl picnic blanket made by my great-grandmother. During lunch there was some competetive storytelling, with some oneupmanship.

Girl 1: We had a really big scary thunderstorm! [Elaborates for 5 minute]
Girl 2: I have a scary story. We were at the pool and we had 9 seconds in the pool and then KABOOM! And we lost power for two days and had to sleep in the basement!
Girl 1: You lost power for two days? You had to sleep in the basement? I lost power for a week! And a tree almost fell!
Girl 2: The tree almost fell? A tree by us really did fall!
Girl 1: Your tree fell? But was it a BIG tree?
Girl 2: A really big tree. And you know what. There was a tree that fell on a child and died.
All other girls[SHOCKED]: Oh my!





I enjoyed them.

Park.

Yes, the park again. But this park got a new, improved ground covering ... the grated tires. Squashy! Squishy! Bouncy! I love it.

So the girls were willing to try some new things ... like jumping off some high up things:







I think they climbed up and jumped off those 20 times.

New obsession

Dogs. Princesses. Fairies ... the obsession are coming fast and furious. The newest is one we can approve of. The states & license plates.

C5 likes to read her atlas that talks about the state flowers, trees, flags, size, people, industries, largest city, the capital, etc. We also turned her onto license plates on our way home from Maine in June. Since then she has been "collecting" license plates. And of course Q4 is all into it, too.

When they see a car without a license plate in the front they notice, and say to each other, "let's be happy about it" ... I guess because the alternative is being downright mad about the car not having a front license plate.

Q4 saw a car driving ON OUR STREET with a Virginia license plate. The excitement was unbridled!

In this area you see nearly everything ... We saw Hawaii a week or so ago, which you don't see so many of!

C5 loves the license plate game, and learning about the states. This picture looks set up, but it isn't. She fell asleep reading her atlas. And it wasn't the first time.

Rainy day

We have a lovely rainy day today, I'm so pleased. It has actually overflowed the banks of the northeast branch (of the Anacostia), right over the banks and on the walking path.

But yesterday was very sunshiney. We went to the pool, got a little swim in (it was a little swim because it took the girls 90 minutes to pick up 10 minutues worth of Legos. But I'm just saying) and then came home for dinner in the back yard.

I love to eat outside, and so do the girls. The watermelon was the biggest hit of the evening for the girls.



But what I liked the best was looking at our garden.

I think this is a Clear Winged Hummingbird Moth on one of our butterfly bushes.


This is obviously a butterfly, I think tiger swallowtail, on another of our butterfly bushes.


And this is a sunflower with some small bug in it.


And last but not least, Q4 watering the lima beans using the hose hooked up to our awesome rainbarrel. I planted the beans only a couple of weeks ago, hoping to have a fall crop. I seem to be most successful with beans. No brainer beans.

Alone no longer

The first thing the kids wanted to tell me about when I picked them up at the airport was about the peppermints that Ninoo gave them, and the chocolates that CC gave them. That was their FAVORITE part of the trip. The treats. And following close behind was beignets.

But then they calmed down about the delicious food and told me about the trip to the Mississippi coast and the little "island" they saw and stood on.







They also loved the Mississippi River, the ferry over the river, and eating spaghetti nearly every meal while there.

I don't know what this is, but cute.


C5 gushed about her new clothes and all the great things they did, and then Q4 echoed every sentiment.

I'm not there but

C41 and the girls are in Louisiana. You may ask questions such as: In the summer??? Are you Crazy?? Yes, and maybe. But it is just for a weekend, since I was working.

First photos have come in for viewing.





Do you see how C5 has powdered sugar on her SHOULDER??? The beignets were that good.

Dutch Wonderland

I've been waiting for these photos for a week. Yes, yes, they are digital, but they came off of Carter's camera.

I'm not sure, now, that they are representative of the visit we had to Dutch Wonderland, but how can you really represent a visit to an amusement park in still photos?

You need ACTION! SMELLS! The time spent in LINES! The NOISE!

None of which you can adequately represent in a static photo.

But no matter. The girls had a grand time, I had a great time, and Carter got to ride all the crazy rides he wanted!

Favorite ride for Q4: Sky ride.

Favorite ride for C5: Roller Coaster.
But I don't have a photo of that, so swings it is.


C5 was with C41 on the little boats



Q4 was quite daring on the carousel. She prefers a slow ride to a fast one (she did not even try the kiddie coaster. And we stood in line for a frogger ride, which she subsequently told me was her favorite ride, but she must have imagined how great the ride was, becase we didn't actually make it on. But on the carousel she was riding with one hand. Then no hands! Then turning around with no hands!


We spent all day there, from 10:30 am to about 6:30 pm. Long day, nobody wanted to go home, nobody fell asleep in the car (well, maybe me). Q4 complained that it was difficult to fall asleep sitting up. Just tell that to Pep, Q, I think he'll beg to differ.

Fire alarm - priorities

When the toast alarm, I mean FIRE ALARM, goes off, we use that as an opportunity to practice fire drills. So, when the alarm went off during lunch, Q4 jumped up ran out, and headed to our meeting spot. And C5 jumped up, grabbed her plate, and headed to our meeting spot.

She didn't spare a second glance for me, but she did save her lunch.

Q4 trying on sunglasses?

Q4 put this item of clothing on her face and said, "Sunglasses!"

Napkin heads

I have no idea.
Napkin bonnets? Cute, though, so I wanted to save the image for posterity.

Pesto

We topped all the basil and made a batch of pesto. Yum!