Without going in to lots of details, suffice it to say that yesterday was not an exemplary day for Elise's behavior. School supply shopping quickly disintegrated into "Mom, I want...", "Mom, will you buy me...", "Mom, can I have...", and then escalated into a screaming match in the car between Nina and her. Then, in the afternoon, Nina narrowly avoided an ER trip when Elise threw a stick at her that missed her eye by less than an inch. Nina has a lovely scrape and bruise on her cheek to show for it but thankfully, her eye was spared. Clearly, Elise was not in my good graces most of the day, but it is hard to stay mad when I see these notes.
After shopping:
(You can click on it to see it full-size, or read the text below.)
Dear Mom,
I am vary sorey we were so noty today. I fell like I shud not be aloud to have deset [dessert] for a week or go out to eat.
Love your doter, Elise
Then, after injuring Nina:
Dear Mom,
"I am tarible soory that hapend"
I leraned a good lesen NEVER thero stecks.
Here are 2 dolers.
Love, Elise
Gotta love how she is terribly sorry "that hapend", and doesn't go so far as to say she is sorry for throwing the stick. My guess is that she is sorry Nina got hurt and that she got caught! Regardless, how cute is it that she gave me two dollars? Love that!
The letter to Nina didn't photograph well, but it said:
Der Nina,
I am taribile sory I acidentile bumed [bumped?] you. Here is a nuther marble.
Love Elise
and it had a marble taped to it!
I swear I think this is how children live to adulthood. They drive their parents to the brink of insanity and then do something so incredibly cute that their parents can't help but let them move back in! It is like the toddler who makes you wonder why you ever had children when she throws her cup on the floor 50 times during the meal but then blows you a kiss and says "love you" for the first time just as you are dialing the number to an adoption agency to give her away. It must be some sort of survival instinct... understanding when you've pushed your parent too far, and then making yourself unabashedly cute to save yourself.
Outside my window... a bright, sunny day - a good day to hit the pool.
I am thinking... that school supply lists have gotten out of control! I spent $80 at Target this weekend and was still missing a few things. I bet $20 of that was the kindergarten supply list, so the remaining $60 was the third grade list. Isn't that ridiculous?
I am thankful for... my happy, cheery toddler! It is amazing what a difference tubes make! She is like a new child. I'm loving it!
From the kitchen... pizza delivered to the pool tonight... not good for the waistline, but the kids love it, and it sure is easy!
I am wearing... my usual Old Navy tank/tee combo, denim shorts, and flip flops.
I am creating... a tidier playroom. That place is killing me. J.C. let the girls bring a bunch of stuff down from the attic without making them trade out with things currently in the playroom. The room is truly overflowing. I think I'm going to remove everything except the doll house, the dress up clothes, some books, and a few toys for Addie. The rest needs to GO!
I am going... to take the kids to the pool tonight for a swim. Addie is really loving the pool now, and swimming has clicked for Nina in just the past couple of weeks, so she is thrilled! Also, Elise was punished yesterday (that's a whole 'nother post) and didn't get to go to the pool when the rest of us went, so I know she wants to go.
I am reading... The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I had started it a while back, read about half and then set it down to read a book for book club. It was really interesting though, so I want to finish it. I finished Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption, by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo last night. That was a very good book... definitely opens your eyes to some of the flaws in our judicial system. Try taking the "eyewitness test" at the bottom of this page: Picking Cotton website. Interesting, huh?
I am hoping... that my dad recovers quickly from his recent fall and skull fracture.
I am hearing... J.C. putzing around in the garage.
Around the house... folded and put away laundry! That's got to be a first for me!
One of my favorite things... chips and salsa which completely sabotage any chance I have at weight loss.
A few plans for the rest of the week.... swimming this afternoon/evening, Nina's "Rising Kindergartener" neighborhood party after dinner tonight, "Meet the Teacher" for Nina, selling spiritwear at "Meet the Teacher" for me, last day of second grade for Elise, ENT appointments for Nina and Addie, tumbling for Elise, Girl Scout day camp for Elise, swim lessons, our neighborhood Fourth of July parade, and a Fourth of July cook-out with my inlaws.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing... bedtime stories with Grandmamma.
Side note: Peggy of Simple Woman's Daybook is taking the summer off, so if you would like to read more Simple Woman's Daybook posts, head on over to Grandmother Wren. She is linking to daybook posts there for the summer.
You are a full-fledged walking, talking, tantruming, inquisitive, fun, sweet, aggravating, wonderful little toddler now. You definitely keep us on our toes. If we set you down with an open bathroom door in sight, you race to it as fast as you can, stop at the doorway to see if we are watching, and then dash inside to start your mayhem. If a gate at the bottom of the stairs is left open, you are up the stairs in a flash. You clearly know what is off limits and like to test us. You'll pick up a small choking hazard sized toy off the floor, look right at us as if to say, "Check it out! I'm going to put this in my mouth. You gonna try to stop me? Cuz I'm doing it right now. Here I go. You can't get here fast enough!", and then pop it in your mouth, with great anticipation to see what we'll do.
You are communicating more and more which is just a delight to witness. You are most efficient when signing, and regularly use signs for "food", "more", "all done", "want a diaper change", and "want to go to bed", along with the sweet kisses blown at anyone and everyone. Your verbal skills are coming along slowly. You have mastered the names of most of the family - Dada, Mama, and Nana, but Elise's name was elusive until yesterday. You finally said "sis" which absolutely thrilled your oldest sister! We had told Elise that perhaps your verbal skills would improve once you got tubes in your ears since you would be able to hear better. She had high hopes that you would come right out of surgery saying, "Sissy" or "Leecy". We had to temper her expectations, but little did we know that just one day after surgery you would say her name. I have no idea if that is coincidence or whether you are actually hearing the 'S' sound for the first time. Regardless, Elise ate it up!
Most of your other words are a bit multi-purpose. "Meh" seems to mean "milk" or "more". "Bah" is ball or balloon. "Bop" is "WOMAN! WOULD YOU GET ME THAT BOP THAT I DESPERATELY WANT RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND???? NO! NOT THAT ONE! NO! NOT THAT ONE! WHY AREN'T YOU GETTING ME THE BOP THAT I'M SO CLEARLY ASKING FOR???? HELLO!!! I NEED THAT BOP RIGHT NOW!!" Occassionally "bop" is something easy like "blanket" or "bottle", but often I fail miserably when it refers to "the tiny pink pig up on that high shelf hidden behind the stuffed elephant" or "the green block, not the red one, not the yellow one, not the orange one, in that ginormous pile of blocks." I'll be glad when not quite so many things are so affectionately known as "bop".
Your dad has decided you are old enough for chores, so he has you helping empty the dishwasher on a regular basis. That is a hoot! You have learned exactly where the kids' cups and plates go and where the tupperware cabinet is located. He hands you things to put away and you set off about your task. It cracks me up. You do a good job though, so I guess he is on to something. Maybe he can teach you to cut the grass next, and we can quit paying the kid next door to do it.
We've had several rough months of ear infections involving lots of screaming. That and, uh… more screaming. Did I mention the screaming? Just when I thought I might have to ship you off to live with a grandmother for a while, your doctor finally referred you for tubes, so we're hoping for smoother sailing from here on out.
You are still a Daddy's girl and take great delight at sitting in your carseat pointing at him in the seat in front of you, squealing, "Dada!! Dada!! Dada!! and laughing uproariously if he responds or turns around. When I try to get you to say "Mama" instead, you look at me with a bit of disgust like, "Where's the fun in that?", then humor me with a simple "Mama" and then go back to shouting "Dada" and laughing hysterically. Ahhh… feeling the love!
You can throw a tantrum with the best of them and have mastered the art of making your body completely limp, heavy, and almost impossible to pick up. Where do toddlers learn that? You are tipping the scales at just over 30 pounds now, so when you don't want to be picked up or protest being buckled in the carseat, you are remarkably successful.
Most of all, your sweet, smiling face, and excitement about life are just infectious! The hugs, kisses, giggles, and light in your eye far outweigh toddler tantrums and ear-infection-induced screaming. You make my heart smile.
This was the week of end-of-the-school-year parties. Elise's party was a big outdoor pizza bash to mark the end of second grade. Nina's was a slideshow send-off for the kids graduating preschool and moving on to kindergarten. Both parties were fun and a great way to end the year, but endings are hard too. It blows my mind that in less than two weeks, Elise will be a third grader. She is halfway through elementary school! Didn't she just start kindergarten last week? Where has the time gone?
Here is a picture of Elise on her first day of second grade.
And here she is at the end of the year with her wonderful teacher, Mrs. O., and with a close friend, E.
Nina's teachers put together one of those slideshows that brings all the mothers to tears... you know the type... the retrospective of pictures of your child from the last two years, set to music like Sarah Maclachlan's "I Will Remember You." I think preschool teachers must get training in how to tug on the heartstrings of parents! I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the room, but the slide show was really sweet, and it just brings it home that Nina will be a kindergartener soon! Wow! I'm so excited for her, but I know I'll probably be a big puddle of tears when the day actually arrives. These milestones are tough on a mamma!
Here is a picture of Nina two years ago when she started preschool.
And here she is today... graduating preschool and moving on to kindergarten in less than two weeks!
Anybody know an ENT who gives a bulk discount rate on tubes surgeries? I really think we qualify. Today was tubes surgery number six for the House of Estrogen girls, and it was Addie's first trip to the OR. She did great in pre-op even though the doc was about a half hour late to arrive. She stayed entertained by nurses blowing bubbles, giving her crayons, and blowing up rubber glove balloons. When it came time to wheel her away, we had hoped for an easy separation since she had been given Versed to make her a little drunk prior to surgery, but the small dose had been given 20 minutes before the scheduled surgery time, not 20 minutes before the doctor's arrival. I think it had lost its efficacy by the time the nurses walked off with my screaming baby. Oh well... not much we could do at that point. After five minutes in the waiting room, the doctor came out to tell us he was done, that her ears were full of fluid, and tubes were definitely needed. It is always nice to have a decision confirmed like that.
Post-op did not go so well. We were prepared for a "cranky" baby. We've experienced that before, and that was what the nurse told us to expect. We were not expecting an all-out, throw-down, screaming, back-arching, inconsolable frenzy of epic proportions. We never did get her calmed down. We finally just left, hysterical baby in tow. JC said to the nurses on the way out, "She's blowing kisses on the inside!" (Somehow I doubt that... more like giving them the finger!) She screamed half the drive home and then finally managed to calm herself down. She slept for three hours when we got home, was up for a couple, and is now down again. Hopefully by tomorrow, the anesthesia will be totally out of her system. It clearly didn't agree with her! Despite a rotten day, we're thrilled to have the tubes in! I just hope they stay in a long time, so we don't have to do this again with her any time soon.
The youngest sister of my best friend M is a singer-songwriter named Annie Clark. She goes by the moniker St. Vincent when performing, and she is really making strides right now in the music world. You can read a recent article about her in the NY Times here. She is appearing tonight on David Letterman! How cool is that? If you are up late tonight, check her out. Letterman is on at 11:30 Eastern, 10:30 Central on CBS.
I am thinking... that I hope Nina doesn't back out of fall soccer which I registered her for today. I had registered her for spring T-ball, and she changed her mind about wanting to play, so I had to cancel that. I'm hoping she'll stick with the soccer plan.
I am thankful for... healthy children who are ALL BACK AT SCHOOL TODAY! (Doing the happy dance as I type this!)
From the kitchen... southwestern chicken, Farmer's market squash, zucchini, and corn all on the grill. This is why I need a bigger grill. That's a lot to cook all at one time. I've been grill shopping for at least two months now and haven't found the perfect grill. I need to just stop shopping and choose one.
I am wearing... an ancient T-shirt because I desperately need to do laundry, denim shorts, and flip flops.
I am creating... maybe this will be my week for a peach cobbler. I never got to it last week, but we went to the Farmer's Market again yesterday, so I'm well stocked in fresh peaches.
I am going... to Sam's Club to load up on stuff for Elise's class party.
I am reading...Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption, by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo. I started reading this last night. Even though I knew the basic story behind the book, I got really upset while reading the first chapter, had trouble sleeping, and I'm honestly not sure if I can continue reading it. I'll give it another shot tonight, but this may just have to go back to the library.
I am hoping... that Addie stays well for two more days, so that she can have her rescheduled surgery and that the surgery goes well.
I am hearing... ahhh... quiet. No screaming baby!
Around the house... Elise's camping gear. She came home from camp and just dumped every piece of dirty, stinky, tick-ridden clothing in the middle of the hallway. Nice.
One of my favorite things... Sogno Di Cioccolata dessert at Carrabba's! We went there last night for Father's Day and can never pass up that dessert. Addie had actually been really patient through dinner (remarkably so), and we didn't want to push our luck with her. We just got it to go. Yum!
A few plans for the rest of the week.... I thought last week was insanity, but this week tops it. We have end-of-the-year parties for both Nina's class and Elise's class (and I somehow got roped into organizing the one for Elise's class which has been a nightmare), Addie's surgery (rescheduled from last week), volunteering at field day at Elise's school (also rescheduled from last week), mystery reader in Elise's class, and the usual tumbling, swim lessons, and a birthday party to attend (and parents are *required* to attend this one! Ugh. All birthday parties for 8 year olds should be drop-off parties. Period. Birthday parties are usually my one brief chance at an hour on my own to relax in Starbuck's or run an errand on the weekends!)
Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Addie in a sweet little dress my mom made.
Side note: Peggy of Simple Woman's Daybook is taking the summer off, so if you would like to read more Simple Woman's Daybook posts, head on over to Grandmother Wren. She is linking to daybook posts there for the summer.
I owe you an 18 month "Letter to Addison". You turned 18 months 3 days ago, but your week of ear and throat infections have made you miserable. Quite frankly, you have radiated misery to everyone around you. I'm exhausted, worn out, and while I love you dearly, I don't like being around you much these days. I am so sorry that you have been feeling so rotten, but I'm just really done with the screaming. I desperately want you to feel better, and I think you'll see a marked change in the disposition of your parents once you do. I promise, your letter has not been forgotten. It just needs to be written when we're both in a better place. Feel better soon!
Recent Comments