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Journal Key:

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

5/1/08 (Thursday)

Evie had a nice talk with Susan about Cara today. Susan is trying to teach Cara the subtle lesson of standing up for oneself without hitting too many people. She reports being impressed with Cara's vocabulary. We agree, and are proud.

Breakfasts have been weird for Cara and me lately. She can be very indecisive about what she wants, often changing her mind after I've committed to making something. The other day instead of eating the breakfast I'd made she decided she wanted to get dressed, and even suggested going to Susan's rather than eating. Today she was upset when I told her there were no more leftover pancakes. We did settle on eggs, and she stole some of the toast I made as a backup. Cara has seemed uninterested in eggs for a while, but they are coming back lately. I talked to her this morning about her Grandpapa, who used to dutifully make scrambled eggs for her every morning when he was taking care of her.

She is getting very good at undressing and dressing herself, and other than picking some things out I didn't have to do much dressing this morning. She still pretty consistently puts her shoes on the wrong feet, but the fact that she wants to put them on herself is a huge step forward. I guess I was feeling rather nostalgic today because I was also remembering mornings when I had to fight her to get her into her shoes and coat--now that we have such a solid routine, she is ready and willing to go through all the steps. Our only problem is breakfast, but maybe that's because she is slow to wake up in the mornings and needs time before she can be agreeable.

Our evening was spent at the mall, where we were picking up a new watch for me. Cara and Evie did a few other chores and got to the mall before me--I walked in and just happened to come across them in the perfume section, where Cara was happily working on a giant blue lollipop that the person working at the counter had given her. We walked off to find a place to eat and ended up at The Cheesecake Factory. None of us had ever been there before, but we did okay. Cara got a nice little plate right off with some sliced up banana and pieces of bread on it, which she liked very much. When her meal (macaroni and cheese--what else?) came, she seemed uncomfortable and eventually I decided to take her to the potty. Turned out she had already gone, so it was a good thing Evie gave me a fresh pull-up!

Cara was a little disappointed to have gone into the men's room, but soon enough Mommy indulged her and took her to the ladies' room as well--she was probably one of the few patrons to visit both.

We went up and down several escalators and up and down in the glass elevator--on our last trip in the elevator, we met a young boy and (presumably) his father who were really living it up, riding up and down and up and down. Cara had to move on. I parted from my two girls to get in my car and go home; on the way to Mommy's car, Cara got sidetracked by the arcade. She went in and got on a lot of the games, including a motorcycle which she apparently liked very much.

5/2/08 (Friday)

Lina and Sarah came over today! Cara jumped for joy when they arrived. We went outside and played with the sand table for a long time. Mostly they played with it while Cara ran around and did other things; their attention span was impressive! Cara and I played hide-and-seek a little, with her telling me where to hide. Sarah joined in a little. Cara got me and Shannon to draw her some princesses with chalk. Then she got me to draw tiny ones, only a couple of inches tall. In chalk, those are basically triangles with heads. She loved them. Lina wandered over when we weren't watching and drew legs and feet for them. I had assumed their legs and feet were under their dresses.

PJ and Casey, with Em, joined us, and we all went inside and the kids shared dinner. The kids drifted downstairs to play while we sat. I heard Cara calling me once in a while, but it didn't seem urgent. Finally PJ came upstairs and called, "Diane! Cara needs you!" I went. Poor Cara was in the bathroom, with her pants down. She had used the potty on her own, wiped, and flushed, but she couldn't handle getting her dry diaper back on! I had put a diaper on her earlier just because I hadn't taken her shoes and pants off while I changed her, and it was more convenient. Then the poor kid was stuck! If she had had a pull-up on, we might never have known she had gone. I thought that was pretty cool, so I got out some gummy bears to celebrate. We divided them into five bowls and all the kids got some. Only a few fights broke out.

We all played together for a while, until poor Em went home to find something to eat! (I know, I was a terrible impromptu hostess!) We all just did our own things until it was quite late. While the twins were getting ready to go, Cara announced, "I have to take a bath!" and headed upstairs, not to be seen again.

5/4/08 (Sunday)

Last night Steve and I went down to Atlantic City to see The Musical Box; we stayed overnight there, and Cara stayed overnight in Middletown. There was no journal last night!

Yesterday was nice. Cara wasn't interested in breakfast, but she was interested in going to gymnastics. We'd just gotten there and gotten her shoes off when she told me she was hungry! I was waiting for her to melt down in the middle of class, but she did fine and had fun. On the way home, I asked her what she wanted to eat. She thought about it for a moment: "big gummy bears and little gummy bears!" That covered all of her bases. We had a talk about things helping you grow up big and strong. When we got home, she decided to have some star soup. For lunch, among other things, she had more star soup. "This will help me grow up strong!" she told me.

It was cool that she had mentioned gummy bears, because that was one of the things we brought her from our mini-vacation. In the casino, there was a bulk candy shop. I was disappointed when I saw only one size of gummy bear, but Steve pointed out the colors. We got a small bag that has bears in two shades of blue, a nice purple, and a very light pink. We haven't shown her yet.

She was happy to see us when we got to Grandmama's house around noon today. That was nice. We brought her two cheap little toys, and we got them out. One is a balancing game with a several-tiered thing that can tip over easily and 16 little boys, in purple and yellow plastic, whom you're supposed to try to put on the platforms. It's not hard at all, on carpet or grass! The boys are all called Bob, apparently, according to Cara. (Aunt Claire, are you reading this? Does it sound familiar?) The other toy is a tiny plastic spin art device. You have a lever that manually makes the little card spin, and there are three tiny bottles of paint with dropper tops. It works! We've used all the cards they gave us already. I'll bring home index cards, I think.

Grandpapa made us French toast for lunch, and then we hit the road.

About the time we left with Cara was her usual nap time. (Cara had two tiny white bunnies that her Grandmama had given her--the bunnies were calling their Mommy and Daddy from the back seat of the car.) She did not fall asleep in the car, and it seemed wrong to put her down right after getting her back, so she went napless. I had to run off to have some small repairs done to my car--I believe Mommy and Cara played outside, because the day had become sunny and bright. The sand table was definitely in use. Cara also saw her wagon down in the basement and became determined to get a ride. She was unreasonably upset when we proposed taking it out the back door (she wanted it out front, and it was very hard for us to convince her that the easiest way to get it out of the house was the back), a symptom of naplessness. She got some extended rides around the block. We did some yard work, including preparing the soil for our tiny garden, and Cara was excited when we dug up some worms (she having learned all about worms at Susan's just recently). We had to take her "Bobs" outside for some reason.

There was also a lot of playing inside, which consisted of Cara desperately trying to get one or the other of us to play with her (we were both exhausted). Appropriately, the two fairy girls did a lot of gardening, which I think consisted of their growing flowers and then giving the flowers to their mommies. Eventually she was coaxed upstairs for some dinner. Evie suggested that if we stayed at home for the evening, Cara would be in a house with two asleep parents. She proprosed a visit to the park. I decided to give Cara a choice: did she want to watch television or go to the park? Her first answer was unequivocal: "Watch TV!" She fetched some toys we had been messing with, gave them back to us, walked into the living room, and said: "Let's go to the park!"

So we went to the park. Cara had a fine time--lots of swinging as usual, but also some climbing on the playground equipment. She did not want to leave but we were firm and eventually she climbed back into the stroller. Now she is finally in bed and her two tired parents are looking forward to heading there, too.

5/5/08 (Monday)

Cara got to wear her sea dress again today, with tights because it was chilly in the morning. Susan put her bangs back in her barrettes, and it looked really nice. I do think we should grow out her bangs. Susan told me that I'd see Cara's project later in the week; it would be a surprise. Of course, then Cara wanted her picture. She wanted it with great enthusiasm, but we talked her down. Susan reminded her that it was a secret. I told her Susan would hold it for her so it would be a surprise. In the car, I got to hear a little more. Cara wrote my name, for instance.

We were going to the pediatrician, so we had to stop for a quick dinner. Unfortunately, the pizzeria was closed for renovations! We had to go to Panera, where Cara got soup. She sat at the table we always get, near the counter, so I can leave her there while I get the food. I poured her drink and headed off. While I was getting my own drink, she called, "Mommy, I really like pink soda!" I had gotten her the pink "soda" she likes there. She actually has kind of been off of pink lately, and told me she wanted a green soda. Cara sat patiently while her soup cooled. She ate some of it off of bread I tore for her to dip. I gave her the pickle from my sandwich. That took her a few minutes. She did not try dipping it, which I thought was wise. A mommy walked by with her little girl, saying "You see that little girl sitting nicely and eating? I want you to do just like that." Cara asked for things nicely and ate neatly and wiped up condensation from her cup with a napkin.

Halfway through the soup, Cara decided it was time to go on the potty. We did, and we washed our hands, and then I had to tell her I'd get her a treat afterwards, but it was time to go to the doctor! Soup just takes too long to cool. Cara had another couple of bites and then was ready to go. On our way out, we got to have a talk about why we don't say people are fat. I'm sure we'll have to have that talk again. (No one heard her. This time.)

The waiting room at the doctor had a television with Sponge Bob on. Cara was mesmerized. She let me read a couple of books, but she mostly just stared. That's never happened before. Pretty soon, though, back we went! Cara is 39.5 inches tall, which puts her in the 90th percentile. I was surprised last time, when she was only in the 70th! She weighs 33.5 pounds, which puts her in the 50th percentile. She got her blood pressure taken for the first time. It's 70 over 38. She was a little shy with the doctor, though she did fine. She got no shots this time, and she won't be back for another year!

When I told Cara I'd get her a treat, I had had nothing specific in mind. She mentioned a donut right away, so when we were done at the pediatrician we went to get a donut. She asked whether I would get one. I thought I'd share one with Daddy. "I'll get a little one, and you'll get a big one! I'll get a big one! Daddy needs a big one, too. Daddy needs his own." I bowed to the inevitable and bought three. Cara carried the bag and held it all the way home.

After donuts, we went outside to see the plants I'd picked up earlier. Cara wanted a ride in her wagon, so we headed out. We didn't get far. Cara wanted to see Juliana, so we let her out of the wagon (she straps herself in every time) and she ran up to bang on Juliana's door. When Juliana came out, of course, Cara got shy. She had Daddy take her for a ride while I chatted, but, when we all went home again, she blew Juliana a kiss.

5/6/08 (Tuesday)

For a while now, PJ has had a real bicycle with training wheels. Once in a while they get it out and he gets on and kind of jerks the pedals back and forth. When he got home from Susan's today, PJ begged Ron to take it out for him. Ron complied, with all of the internal grumbling parents do when they know they're doing something pointless. Then PJ climbed onto the bike and rode off down the street.

He rode down the sidewalk across from our house, where Cara, Juliana, and I all saw him. It was great! We were outside planting ivy by the front fence. For the first time since I've known her, Juliana really did just supervise. She must really have been tired! Cara was a good helper. I had gotten a big bucket of water and brought out her little watering can, and she was dutifully watering, well, everything. She watered plants I'd planted, she watered plants I hadn't planted yet, and she watered other plants. She watered dirt. She watered grass. She was fully occupied. When PJ came riding by, though, she was thrilled. She handed me the watering can and ran to him, stopped only by having to cross the street.

My hands were dirty, so we did not hold hands while we crossed. We went with PJ and Ron back to their house; PJ was still riding. He can go all the way up and down the street, and he can get off and on all by himself! He did end up going off the curb and falling over once, but that was because he was trying to turn around to come back. He knows he's not allowed to go past Gene's yard. Em came out with the camera, and she got to record his first ever big-boy bike ride!

Before Cara's bath this evening, she made a surprising discovery. She opened a low cabinet in the wall of the game room, and before she closed it again I noticed a big box. I had assumed for years that that cabinet just had access to pipes in it, but really it was where we had stuck a box of our old toys when we moved in! There, finally, were Steve's boxing puppets! I sent Cara up to tell Daddy we had a surprise for him; for the first time, she actually surprised someone. She couldn't tell him, because she didn't know what the surprise was herself. She did get into the spirit of things and whisper a lot, even when she came back down ahead of him.

We found a lot of good toys. There were quite a few puppets, some pugilistic and some not. There were wind-up toys that jumped and vehicles that are self-propelled. There were dinosaurs and robots. Cara's favorites seem to be the big poseable Bugs Bunny and his pink twin. "We're two bunnies!" she kept making them tell everyone. "We have carrots!" The only one we kept out was a bright orange and black plastic frog, slightly larger than the ones she has in her bath. It's the mommy. After her bath, Cara told me she wants to play with those bunnies again tomorrow when she gets home.

5/7/08 (Wednesday)

Cara had a really tough morning, but apparently she had a good day. After our big hello hug, she told me she had played with Avery. "He had a red shirt." On the way to the car and on our trip home, I learned that Susan had had a green shirt on and PJ a shirt with a dump truck. It's pet week at Susan's, and today's project was a collar. It's the rim of a paper plate, colored blue and decorated with stickers, and it has a little tag tied on with string that says Cara.

At home we got out all of our equipment again for gardening. We inspected and watered our ivy, which is doing well. Next, we planted our vegetable garden. Cara got to help sow some seeds Juliana gave me for bush beans. She helped put the other plants into their holes, and she helped cover them up. Suddenly, though, today she decided she did not like worms. Just yesterday they were a big attraction. We had just about gotten everything planted when Steve got home.

Cara went to PJ's house for dinner, while Steve and I went out; we had an appointment. Cara had a great time. She got to ride PJ's bike, though according to Em he stood nearby whenever it was her turn, counting to ten and then announcing that it was his turn again. We need to get her her own bike, I think! When we got back she was not interested in riding anymore, because she was ready to go home, so we didn't get to see her try it. She was very distracted by our return. "The beans are growing!" she told me.

The highlight of the evening for Em was teaching Cara to sing the refrain from the old Queen song "Bicycle Race." They spent most of their time outside and went around the block several times, and Em kept inciting Cara to sing her bicycle song. Apparently she had a cute little dance, too. We have not been able to elicit a repeat performance.

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