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Journal Key:

Green = Steve | George = navy | Janet = Purple | Evelyn = Black

8/30/07 (Thursday)

The topic of study at Susan's house for a couple of weeks now has been camping out. Today was s'mores day! The project was two pieces of cardboard graham cracker with some paper chocolate and some cotton marshmallow. There were also s'mores to eat! The older kids liked theirs put together, but Cara and PJ both ate the elements separately. Everyone was very happy.

We had a few minutes of playtime. I had to spread out the "water' blanket. I put my feet in. "Mommy, move your body! Move your body!" I took my feet out. Then we went over to PJ's house. Cara brought along a clear plastic pouch with toys in it, and she also brought her horsie pull-toy. I asked her whether she wanted to share it with PJ. No. Maybe we shouldn't bring it. No, we would bring it. Could PJ play with it? No. Were we really going to bring it? Yes, PJ would be happy! Well, I foresaw trouble, but she brought it. As soon as we got there, she dropped it and PJ picked it up and played with it and was happy and Cara was fine. I think it's still over there.

As soon as we were done with our pizza, we got into our car and headed to Metuchen. Em had found a free children's concert starring Mr. Ray! Mr. Ray is PJ's favorite. We found the outdoor concert in a parking lot and grabbed some chairs. PJ and Cara both danced, jumping up and down during the canned music. Finally an opening band came on and Em and I danced with them, spinning around and around and also jumping. Holding our hands, they would make us swing them around. A lot. We finished, and Cara asked Em to dance with her and made her swing her, too.

Cara soon discovered the open municipal building behind us. She went inside to run. And run. PJ joined us, and we went through the building and out another door and around the other side of the concert, where the kids found a nice parking meter to run around and around. We did that whole process several times. Basically, for most of the time we were there, the kids were either running or jumping. Aside from that, they were being swung or demanding to be swung. Soon, it was late and they were exhausted. We were determined to see Mr. Ray, just a little bit. When his first song came on, Cara needed little encouragement to get out of my lap and resume jumping. Some elderly people quite enjoyed it. Really, though, we were done. We swung her back to the car. She remained slightly hyper through the bedtime routine, but it was nothing we haven't seen!

8/31/07 (Friday)

It was our last Mommy-daughter day of the summer! We played a lot in the morning, getting out the girls, the Playmobil, and the bears! I was startled when Cara went to her little stroller, in which I thought Daddy George was sitting. It turns out that he is now Mommy George. Nothing has happened or changed except for his name.

We went down to Linwood to drop off some things, and Cara rode in her stroller and behaved well and looked cute. She brought her baby giraffe and showed it to several people. She was disappointed that I could not take down for her the beaded cord used to raise and lower the curtains.

After that, we headed for Middletown, where we picked up Grandmama and went out for soup! Cara, to my astonishment, did not remove the napkin Grandmama tucked into her shirt. She ate her soup pretty neatly, though the napkin did catch a few drops.

Back at the house, Cara was starting to get into things she shouldn't really play with. To distract, her Aunt Claire tried a bribe. She gave Cara a toy kitty from her own room. Cara received it with delight and cried, "I need nother kitty!" Well, the distraction worked. She also got another kitty.

She really likes to play with her dress-up princess, who has many beautiful dresses. Naturally, she wears the pink one. Cara likes to line up the others, but they are never worn.

9/1/07 (Saturday)

Cara was perfectly happy to be back home this morning, but not specifically happy to see us; neither Evelyn nor I received a welcoming hug. She was wearing a big string of wooden beads and wanted to play--no Disney was necessary this morning. We very soon explained to her that we were going to her other Grandpa's house that day to celebrate his birthday. This was very exciting. I asked Cara if she wanted to come out with me to get a card for Grandpa. "I get a card," she said, and went to our game room and made me open the storage closet to get out our playing cards. She was almost immediately distracted by a jigsaw puzzle box she found there, and I had to convince her all over again to come outside with me.

I was a little deceptive and the first thing we actually did was go to our local post office. Cara was in the back seat looking at a book about Corduroy the Bear--she was so engrossed with her "reading" that she cried "No, no!" when we arrived at the post office after a very short car trip, and we had to take the book into the post office with us, where Cara sat on the floor to look at it while I mailed some things.

Next it was off to the supermarket to get Grandpa's card. Our perseverance with not picking Cara up and carrying her everywhere may be paying off: she was perfectly happy to walk around the supermarket, and to walk through the parking lot just holding my hand. The first birthday card Cara found was a pink one with a little kitten on the front who was wearing a tiara. We both decided that it was perfect (or, as the card put it, "purr-fect") card for Grandpa.

Then we were off again to buy gas for the car, which, I explained, was thirsty. Cara suggested that the car was drinking water.

Back in the house, we put Grandpa's presents together. Cara very thoroughly colored the card she had chosen with markers--more thoroughly and actively than I can remember her coloring anything, except perhaps for some of the projects she's done at Susan's. She made an attempt at drawing a happy face, and scribbled color after color on the outside of the envelope. Cara was very geared up to give Grandpa his presents, and wanted us to leave immediately. When I said I had to go to the bathroom first, she fell down on the floor crying. Needless to say, we departed as soon as possible. Cara stayed awake for the car trip, and as usual in that situation got into some rather loud playacting in the back seat. Someone back there was very happy about being able to eat their soup all up, and she deformed a softback book she had by slapping it repeatedly against something. Evie and I still managed to be reading Dickens aloud in the front seat without being particularly distracted.

At the house, Cara determinedly carried the pink kitty card inside and handed it directly to Grandpa--it had become sealed in a ziplock bag. (The reason for this is as follows: while I was in the bathroom, Evie attempted to distract Cara by getting her to pack some of her toys in a bag. The only thing Cara wanted to pack was the card for her grandpa.) Cara also gave her grandpa a nice plaster cast of her handprint. Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jim, and Floyd the dog were also there! Cara is a little put off by the dogs, who want to sniff her inquisitively, but when Rusty was finally laying down later in the afternoon, she came over to pat him on the head. Cara had some nice play time with her Aunt Sarah, who helped make some things with Play-doh.

Today Cara discovered Yoo-hoo. I had gotten a little juice box of it for myself and she saw it, so we put it in a cup for her. The next time I looked over, the cup was empty, and Cara had a rather glazed look on her face. Eventually another juice box worth disappeared in similar fashion. Fortunately we don't have any at home--it might become addictive!

Cara was a good and very active girl all day. She went out back multiple times to run around, and played with her many toys, and fell in love with a "pink" dinosaur that she found among her usual bucket of critters. She helped her grandma arrange the candles on Grandpa's cake, and was very excited for everyone to sing to him, but when it came time she got shy. Later in the afternoon, when it was time for Jim and Sarah and Floyd to leave, Grandpa went outside to carry out some of their things and Cara was very distressed. We assured her that he would return.

Cara did not want to leave; when we asked her if she wanted to go home, she clearly said "no." But it had to happen, so we got her into the car, looking very tired, and she soon fell asleep.

We had our usual evening return home, where Cara got cranky and was appeased with George episodes. We had some snacks and skipped bath time--Mommy read her three (one, two, three) books and then to bed.

9/2/07 (Sunday)

Cara ate only Mickey Mouse pancakes this morning, until she saw her daddy roll one up and eat it that way. Then she ate some regular ones rolled up. I do not remember why that happened, and now it seems a little odd. At the time, it seemed quite natural.

Cara and I played inside while Daddy mowed the lawn. I was impressed that she requested by name a book she has been pulling out for me to read lately, A Cache of Jewels. It rhymes, there's no plot; it's about collective nouns. I couldn't understand what she was talking about until I saw the book in her hands! She seems fond of the title. It would be pretty impressive, I think, if we can ascertain that she understands the word "cache" before "cash." However, I see no evidence that she really knows either. My most impressive feat of the day was making a tunnel when I stripped our bed. I left a blanket tucked in at the foot, and I stuck most of it into Steve's top dresser drawers. Cara loved crawling under it, but she also really wanted to sit on top. That didn't work out.

We went down to see Grandmama and Grandpapa today--and Aunt Claire! When we arrived, we mentioned her grandparents, and Cara instantly added her idol. Miraculously, Steve got to dress Cara's princess in outfits other than her pink dress. We were all jealous. We played with lots of indoor toys and even got to see Cara dress up. She wears a big red hat and a pair of grown-up high heels, which are gold. She carries a handbag and toddles around. She generally puts a toy horse in the handbag.

We went outside, with GiGi, and the three of us managed to keep Cara from heading off to the playground. It was tough. We had brought out a ball and we kicked and threw it around. We blew bubbles. We watched Schmutz chasing something in the garden. He was jumping straight up in the air! Cara had said she did not want a hot dog, but when Grandpapa called her to come in for dinner, to our relief, she followed him enthusiastically. She sat in a big girl chair for dinner, showing no interest whatsoever in her high chair. Ironically, she wore a bib.

After dinner, she and Grandmama played chase. Around and around they went; Cara found it VERY funny. It was hard to convince her to stop to have dessert, but then she liked the ice cream and cookie sandwich Grandmama had made. I put two on my plate and she stole the one made of chocolate cookies and chocolate ice cream, a good choice on her part. She ate half of it!

Assuming we'd have a late night, I had brought Cara's pajamas with us. I thought we'd bathe her and pop her into the car, where she would fall asleep. At home, we'd transfer her and she'd probably wake up a little but not all the way. So, we put her into the bath. I bathed her, which was great fun. I love the scrubby puppet; we need one! Grandpapa came in and conducted a veritable soap opera between Mickey, Donald, and Minnie, which so fascinated Cara that she tilted her head up to watch it and let me rinse her hair more thoroughly than I have ever done.

After Grandpapa read Cara several books, we popped her into the car. We hit traffic and spent a long time sitting on the Parkway. Cara, because I was so prepared for her to go to sleep, stayed awake the whole time. (Which I had predicted before we left my mom's house, so I'm still a winner.) She had a fun ride. I wish I had a recording of what went on back there. As it is, I have only snatches.

"I know what! I sing 'dive, dive'! Dive, dive, dive the car! Dive, dive, dive," and so on. There was something about a steering wheel eventually.

Then there was a bunny behind her and then a bunny on her head and then something about bunnies eating carrots and "No, no, no! No carrots for you, bunny!" She did have her tiny baby who is dressed in a bunny suit. It still doesn't make much sense.

"Don't worry, cars. Don't worry." They felt much better.

We also heard several renditions of such popular hits as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

9/3/07 (Monday)

It was our last lazy day! We took our time getting dressed this morning, and Cara stole half of Steve's breakfast. After I showered, I asked her whether she wanted to play with Lina and Sarah. "Oh! Yes! I look for them!" She climbed up into the bay window and reported that they were not here. We convinced her to come upstairs and get dressed in order to go and see them. What color did she want to wear? Pink!

The girls were all happy to see each other, though Cara as usual was a little overwhelmed by the twins. They are very affectionate and almost pet her. She had a really good time anyway and did not want to leave. She got to play with their princesses, who are basically the same as her girls. She also played with their dollhouse, Diego, the Littlest Pet Shop, and some astonishing elephants who have girls who ride on their backs. The centerpiece, of course, was the new train table. I had fun playing, too.

On Friday, Cara did not nap because we went to Middletown. On Saturday, she did not nap because we went to south Jersey. On Sunday, she got half a nap because we popped her into the car after only an hour. Today, I popped her in around one. At three thirty, I went in and let her get up. She did sleep until almost eight this morning, but I still bet Susan will have an interesting day tomorrow.

We went for a long walk this afternoon and went to the park. We met two children who seemed younger than Cara and turned out to be several months older. The boy, though, was able to jump down small steps without holding onto things, which Cara hesitates to do (thank goodness). When Cara, on top of the playground, saw an airplane and started pointing it out to him, the little boy came over and jumped up and down with her. It was nice. I was proud of Cara when she went to the top of a slide an older boy was sitting in the middle of. He didn't hear her or anything, but she asked him nicely whether she could slide down. He moved soon, anyway.

Cara ate all the cherry tomatoes (baby ones!) we could find in my garden while Steve grilled hot dogs. We added corn on the cob for a nice, low-pressure dinner. Cara considered trying my sauerkraut and chickened out at the last minute. She and Daddy had chocolate milk, which she absolutely guzzles.

We had to make another tunnel in our bedroom today. When it was time to get ready for her bath, Cara instead decided to play chase through it. We did a lot of hilarious screaming at each other, and it was a long time before she was finally caught. In the tub, she and Daddy helped the toys to play Ring Around a Rosy, after which they all fell into the water to shrieks of delight. As soon as I got her out, Cara was ready to read her My Little Pony book, which is astonishingly bad. I was pleased that Steve finally got to hear part of it, because it really is outstanding.

9/4/07 (Tuesday)

Today was my first day back to school! Of course, Cara, who never wakes in the night anymore, celebrated the event by waking in the night. She got put right back down and soon settled. Daddy did a great job getting her to daycare, and he remembered to warn Susan about the dearth of naps. Contrary to expectations, Cara had a wonderful day. She even remembered what their project had been: an owl. It's a cutout on a "hat"; it has feathers and it's really cute.

When we got home we went to see Juliana, who had brought home a toy for Cara. She excuses herself by claiming that it's not a toy, it's educational. It's cute; it's a beetle that spins around when you push a button on his back, and he gives instructions, Simon-Says style. Cara isn't really ready to follow them, but probably soon. In between pulling all of the curtains off of the chair, picking up flower petals, and looking for the tiny fake butterflies that are stuck in one of the plants, Cara came over to pat him. "I wuv him," she said. "He's my favowite toy."

We were home and playing in our ball pit when there was a knock at the door. It was PJ, wearing an owl hat. "Cara," I said, "an owl has come over to play!" The kids took turns jumping into the balls, which always sends them into paroxysms of glee, and then Ron hauled PJ home. "Mommy," Cara told me, " the owl left!"

I've forgotten several things lately: At the playground yesterday, Cara wanted me and Steve to follow her. "Come on, my friends!" she cried, gesturing confidently. Also, at PJ's last pediatrician appointment, Em got to count his teeth. Of course, I now needed to count Cara's. How would I do it? Well, last night I asked her whether I could. She opened wide, and I used a Q-tip to count them. She has twenty, which is all the baby teeth she will ever have. I think. We can't blame anything else on teething. For the past week or so, Cara's been doing something really cute. When she says "very tiny" about anything, she says it in a very high-pitched voice, to emphasize her point. It's adorable.

Steve got to read A Cache of Jewels to Cara today. Sadly, they got stuck. There was a page with pictures of seven or eight girls, all very different, wearing brightly colored leotards: "a bevy of beauties of all different shapes." Cara was unable to face going beyond that page. She spent at least five minutes looking at it and talking about it. I took a turn, and after a while we were able to go on. "A muster of peacocks," I read. "Say it again?" I did. "Say it louder?" I did, but not with a straight face.

9/5/07 (Wednesday)

Another great day at Susan's. I hung around a while and got to see PJ and Cara and Avery playing, which was great. They played in the toy house; one of the would be stuck inside and the others would try to get him out while he held the door shut. Cara also liked going down the slide. I saw her sitting at the top, thinking hard, while Avery, who is older, stood halfway up the slide with one foot on either side. This was clearly not going to work. I asked Susan whether it was okay, and she quickly coached Cara, reminding her that she needed to lie down. That went better. Apparently Avery just started doing this today. I didn't know the kids were in circus training.

Now that the "school year" has started, Susan's curriculum has restarted, too. Today, they studied the letter A. They traced it and practiced writing it and looked at words that start with it. The hardest picture for the kids to recognize was the apron. When Susan asked her whether Mommy wears one to cook, Cara said yes. Perhaps I ought to, if only for vocabulary development.

On our way home, we saw a boy riding his bike. When we got home, Cara went for a ride on her bike. We haven't used it lately, because the handle part on the back has fallen down, but it's fine as long as I hold it up. She's better than she used to be! She went farther and faster. I had to hurry, sometimes, to hold that handle. We saw Em's neighbor Joanne, who asked me about school. "This my mommy," Cara told her. We ended up in front of PJ's house when Em got home with the kids. PJ had a toy helicopter. He and Cara traded and she got to play with that while he rode the bike.

Soon they switched back. Em went to the doctor, and Ron and the kids and I headed back to our house. Soon Ron ran back for batteries for the helicopter, and then Steve called to say he'd be quite late. Well. It was an interesting playdate! We called for pizza and played with the kids. Casey burst two balloons in her mouth with great equanimity. Cara and PJ got some chocolate milk, which they came upstairs to see me make. When I closed the sippy cups and shook them over the sink, they were both wide-eyed. I also got to sit with both of them in my lap to look at a book. PJ had to get up to get more goldfish crackers, and Cara would move over and claim to be on her side. They really weren't bad, though.

Ron got to be somewhat more involved in the action than he has been of late. Cara, for instance, giving up on me, asked him to read her a book. He got to read Clifford's Kitten. I'm sure he enjoyed it. When she was done with dinner, Cara asked us (Steve had gotten home) to let her out. We did not comply quickly enough, so she called, "Uncle Ron, will you let me out?" He did. PJ came upstairs while the adults were still eating, and said, "Diane, I pooped!" I would have taken care of it, but Ron got up and did it himself! Em got there a while afterwards and had a happy reunion with her children, who had gone into Mommy-withdrawal.

I'm generally a pretty good mommy, but I do make mistakes. Cara did not want to get out of her bath. This is usual; we have trouble sometimes getting her in, and we have trouble often getting her out again. Do you want to be a duckie, I asked her, thinking of her pajamas. No. A butterfly? No. A kitty? No. A lion? Yes! Well, we don't have lion pajamas. We got her to just wear yellow ones, like a lion, but it was tough!

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