Looking at the End of an Era

  The school year is almost over and that means Summer fun. It also means next year J will be in kindergarten and E will be in her last year of preschool. We're near the end of a time where we do everything together. Next year will be the first time the girls will be in separate schools with different schedules. I don't know how it will go.

For almost four years the girls have done everything together: birthdays, doctor's appointments, sleeping, quiet times, meals. They play, they fight, they giggle together. And next year it will change. 

It will be interesting to see how the girls adapt. J has always been fairly independent--she taught herself how to get dressed at about 18 months--while E has been more shy and a follower. I'm hoping the time apart will temper J's bossy boots tendencies and increase E's confidence and independence. 

On the other hand, it will be nice to have some individual time with each girl. J doesn't remember any time before E and E has always had to go along with everything J wanted to do.  I'm hoping for a chance to get to know each of them a bit better before they really start to grow up.

Yes, it will be crazy. But I'm sure it will be totally worth it.

Sometimes You Do Something Right

  We just came back from a birthday party that was a lot of fun until the last 10 minutes. Even before all the kids were done with their cake, J was asking if she could take a balloon home. And she wanted to play more. And she wanted to get a toy. And on and on. 

When it was finally time to leave, some other kid got the purple balloon J wanted. No other would do. E picked a purple balloon but it didn't have the right color ribbon. Cue the screaming and crying. I picked up an extra balloon as insurance, gathered up my one screaming child and one happy child, and went home. J threw a hissy fit the entire 20-minute ride home. It continued for another 10 minutes inside the house.

J eventually changed her screaming request to ask for "the last purple balloon", i.e. E's balloon. E, much to my surprise, said calmly, "J, you're screaming and crying. If you stop, you can have it." Lo and behold, J did stop and E did give her the balloon. I told E that I was so proud of her, she could have the other balloon all for herself. She was incredibly happy.

That was not how I was expecting this whole thing to end, but I'm very glad it did.

Thoughts on Curious George

We have a few Curious George books, as do many parents, and, having read them more times I can count, I have a few things to talk about.

I get that George is impulsive and curious and doesn't think about consequences just the same way little kids don't. I get that little kids will identify with him. I get the lesson of learning from mistakes and how to turn a situation around and help others. I know.

However.

The Man with the Yellow Hat is seriously the worst parent ever. He constantly leaves George alone, especially in dangerous situations, seems to have no clue what is going on, never disciplines or corrects and even gives George a cigar to smoke in the first book. Really? 

Yes, I'm over-thinking this. But there are only so many times I can read these books and not start to analyze and view it through a grownup's eyes.

Movies by the Numbers

We have a decent collection of kids' movies and shows, many of which I had before I had kids. When you watch them multiple times, you start to notice things, like voices, similar names and storylines.

Here are a few I've seen:

David Cross is a jerk: 4

David Cross is a decent guy: 1

Characters named Ellie/Elinor/Eleanor: 4

Take place in a museum: 3

Female characters named "Alice": 2

Male characters named "Alice": 1

Red-haired princesses: 4

Riffs on old Hollywood musicals: 3

With Scottish accents: 4

With Scottish accents but doesn't take place anywhere in the U.K.: 1

With Tina Fey: 2

With Will Farrell: 2

With Craig Ferguson: 2

With Michael Caine: 2

With Jonah Hill: 3

With Timothy Dalton: 2

With Bonnie Hunt: 6

With Bonnie Hunt, non-Pixar: 1

Characters use things discarded/lost by humans: 4

Characters defeat a criminal mastermind: 3

Girls defy their fathers: 4

Based on literature: 24

That wouldn't get made today: 3

Why We Tell Birth Stories

  At a party a little while ago, I was standing in the kitchen with some mom friends, one of whom is pregnant, and we somehow got on the topic of birth stories. I wouldn't say it comes up all the time, but when a bunch of moms get together, the arrival of your new family member, whether by birth or adoption, is bound to come up.

I remember being at my dad's house one Christmas. My brother, his wife and 3-month-old baby were there, too. Some friends of theirs, who also had a newborn, were in town and they came over for dinner. At some point in the evening, my sister-in-law and her friend went into another room to feed/change/put down for bed the babies. My dad says something like, "You know they're back there talking about giving birth and stuff like that." I replied, "Dad, you and (friend's husband) just spent 20 minutes discussing your kidney stone problems!"

My point is that moms discussing birth stories or teething problems or potty training isn't necessarily about sharing war stories and battle scars. A lot of times, these women are people you don't know very well and being a mom is the one thing you know you have in common. It's like co-workers talking shop at the Christmas party or runners comparing notes on a big race. 

So next time you hear a group of moms telling war stories, cut us some slack. You probably do it too. (But your story probably didn't involve a huge needle being poked in your spine.)

Question of the Day: Easter Edition

"How does the Easter Bunny get into our house to fill our baskets?"

Um... Magic?

A Clean House is Like Camelot

A clean house is like Camelot.

It exists for one, brief, shining moment then it's gone.

I guess my house is never really white-glove-test clean, but I do like it to be tidy so you actually walk on the floors and see the table top. Crazy, I know.

Right now, the girls are in preschool three days a week, for a few hours. It's enough time for me to go to the grocery, clean up the house a little and even take a breath or two. It's the one time I can get into the girls' room, pick up all the toys and rocks, throw random trash away and even, gasp, vacuum. One day, I sent a picture of the clean room to my husband because I was so proud. And also because I knew it wouldn't last the day.

I cleaned up our front room (which should technically be a formal living room but we don't have furniture for it yet) which had been strewn with fake coins, pieces of paper and beaded necklaces in no certain pattern. When they got home, they took the bins I'd out everything in and literally dumped them back on the floor. For no good reason, as far as I can tell.

I don't want to interfere with their creative play and I know kids need room to play and explore. I just wish it didn't involve  quite so many small pieces spread all over the house.