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.