| Previous Week | Back Home | Next Week |

Journal Key:

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

5/14/09 (Thursday)

This was a very musical night. I was singing (a stunning rendition of) "My Girl" while I was making dinner, and Cara caught the tune and then she was singing it, too. I also sang the Sesame Street theme. A few days ago, I sang it while brushing Cara's teeth and she was very excited about dancing to it. I think she danced today, but she also explained that it was very silly because you couldn't walk to that street, you had to get a car and drive there. After dinner, I downloaded "My Girl" so that we could hear the real thing. Boy, did we dance! Then I also downloaded "Brown Eyed Girl" even though there's no hyphen in the name, and we liked that one, too. Steve put on a really cool song he had, and we liked it but eventually Cara decided that it was too long.

At bedtime, the book/magazine debate continued. I think Steve had better be glad he married me, because I had a great idea. We can take the magazines to my parents' house and forget them there! (did I say that out loud?) Actually, this evening Steve searched around and found a couple of issues he hasn't read a hundred times, and he offered them to Cara, who declined until he explained that there would be good stuff in them that she would like. Then she liked the idea.

I just tucked Cara back into bed. She was up getting herself a drink, and she readily admitted that it was because she was bored. Now she has Puma, which is possibly a bad idea because of how jumpy Puma gets, and she has music on, which may be a good idea. It was very windy this afternoon, and Cara's picture, which Susan had brought outside so that it would be ready when I came, was nowhere to be found. We have concluded that it blew away. Cara suggested then and just repeated now that maybe tomorrow, when it's a nice day, her picture will come back. We have agreed that maybe she should make another one tomorrow.

5/15/09 (Friday)

Cara was very happy to see that both grandpapa and her mommy came to pick her up from Susan's on this Friday afternoon. After a swing by Cara's future school ('Your kindergarten school," her mommy said), we arrived at the house and did a quick backpack packing with pajamas, changes of clothes and few books. Cara was wearing a cute summer dress over a pair of blue jeans. Her mommy claims Cara picked this outfit herself--no doubt in the dark of early morning.

'Any video?' her mommy asked. Nope.

Soon Cara and I were stuck in traffic on Route 287 as it enters the Parkway South. After a few minutes, we got to the toll plaza and a clear road. On this trip, there were a few times when I pointed something out to Cara, who sat buckled into her booster seat, and she actually craned herself forward or around to see.

"A pink building," I said.

"I like pink," Cara said.

"A red car," I said.

"I like red too," Cara said, who we all know is becoming more voluble than in this small exchange. It's just that she's four years old and it's difficult to recall a long focused conversation.

In Middletown, Cara was happy to see her grandmama Janet who was equally happy to see Cara. I led Cara to our garage where the solar panels which will be up on our roof in, oh maybe a week or two, are stacked up. The resulting photos will echo those of the ten year old Evelyn who, at the time, was very interested in the construction of the garage addition to our house done many years ago. Back in the house itself, Cara wriggled out of her blue jeans and then we three were on our way to the playground in Bodman Park.

From here until late evening, we performed our usual summer activities (for the first time this year): first the visit to the park and the running, sliding, climbing, teetering on the log fencing, skipping, jumping that every girl needs to do. Then a piggyback ride home (with grandmama as the willing camel) while claiming exhaustion. A hot dog or two, while admiring grandpapa's hot dog creations in wide-eyed awe. Then a couple of art sessions. Some crayons. Some watercolor. Cara actually read the words on a beautiful little book that grandmama is creating for her.

As it showed signs of becoming dark, Cara and grandmama went for a walk around the block while grandpapa dozed on his rocking chair. Soon they returned but all was not well: Cara had skinned both knees on the nasty sidewalk outside. Remarkably, Cara was not crying or upset. This was just a thing that happens and now it would be made well. Grandmama found suitable large band aids and I found some antiseptic cream.

The only change from our routine was we decided Cara would not have a bath on this night, because of her scraped knees.

Then Cara was in bed at 9:04 P.M., having been read to by both grandparents.

5/16/09 (Saturday)

On Saturday morning, Cara had her usual pancake breakfast. Grandmama changed the bandaids on her knees and soon Cara and I were on our way north while listening to the CD Flood from They Might Be Giants, which we are reminded was released in 1990 and much loved by Cara's mommy and aunt.

When we picked Cara up from Susan's yesterday, she had two bandaids on one of her fingertips. When she came home this morning, Steve and I were startled to see that the kid, who explained that she had scraped her finger on the driveway, had lost half of her fingernail! Between that and her knees, she's awfully banged up. Strangely, she was not wearing any bandage on her finger, having decided that she didn't need one. All day, though, she's been using both her hand and her knees perfectly normally, so apparently things are better than they look. I have to admit, I think that if those boo-boos were on me, I'd be treating myself a little more delicately. She's kneeling down on floors and everything.

Today was an exciting day. Aunt Claire came, and, after that Uncle John and Aunt Theresa came. Cara very cleverly thought things through towards the end of the meal and asked, "Mommy, since you're still eating, can Aunt Claire take me to the bathroom?" What wonderful rationalization!

You'll be shocked to hear that the little girl really is growing up. It has now become okay for me to call her "goofball" or "snuggle-bug" or "kitty-cat." Before, she was far too literal and objected strenuously that she was none of those things. I had to call her my "snuggle-girl." Also, Cara has agreed that tomorrow she will take a bath in the middle of the day, so that she'll be nice and clean for her recital. I didn't want to try a bath tonight, because of those poor knees, but I think they'll be better then.

5/17/09 (Sunday)

Cara's dance recital was really worth (most of) the money we spent on it. We spent a quiet day at home, gave her a bath around two, ate around three, and then Cara and I got to the theater at quarter to five. We navigated our way through the crowds and each got a plastic bracelet; Cara later (inaccurately but logically) claimed that hers had words on it that said what dances she did. We headed up the stairs in the State Theater to the balcony lobby, a men-free zone, and found the other moms and girls we knew from class. Everybody was getting dressed up and doing their makeup and hair. I did put makeup on Cara for the first time. We did lipstick and blush, which tickled, and then I smudged on some eyeliner. Cara isn't able to close her eyes without scrunching them up.

Haley came over; she's Cara's best friend because Cara knows her name. Also, she's nice.

Haley: Cara, I like your hair.

Cara: Thank you!

Me: Haley, yours is pretty, too! Did someone do it for you?

Haley: Yes, the barber!

Cara: (thoughtfully) Sometimes, when I go to the mall, someone cuts my hair for me! The mall barber.

Pretty soon, all the girls got lined up and taken away. They take them six numbers before their time to go on. We moms wonder what they do with them for all that time, but, mostly, we're just glad it's not us in charge of them anymore. Once they were off, we were all able to sneak into the theater to our seats and say hi to the family. Jim and Sarah were there, with Jim and Janet, and so were my folks, who had brought my grandma. Claire got there just after I sat down; Brookdale's graduation was that same afternoon!

We all may have been a little nervous about what Cara would do up there on stage. "Enter Princess" was the ballet number, and it was first. I am sure I was the only one of our party who was singing along. One interesting thing that I learned, having seen the dance from the back in rehearsals, is that the girls really only know the words for the chorus. They're pretty loud on that, though. Cara did a wonderful job! As soon as they were offstage, I headed upstairs. When Cara came up, she was absolutely glowing. She loved being on stage!

Now it was time to change into the tap costume for "Mini Rockettes." This costume is kind of astonishingly ugly, but it has a lot of sequins, so, as the director predicted, onstage it did "pop." Sequins, though, are very, very itchy. Cara is not a fan of this costume. We got her dressed up, though, and after a few minutes of running around the girls got lined up again and taken away.

The ballet number was cute, but I think that "Mini Rockettes" may have been a bigger hit. The girls all worked hard at shaking their little ruffles, and then when they all came together and held on for the big kick line at the finale, people did applaud. They all got to kick, too, though they do it sporadically and in sort of a random order.

Cara was somewhat disappointed when I explained that she had to keep the itchy costume on until the finale. We went with some other girls and a mom to sit on the balcony and watch the show. Cara sat on my lap for part of it, and she barely stopped bouncing and just responding to the music; she loved watching the show. The first row wasn't a great place for her to sit, though, and we eventually climbed much higher. That was fun, even though Cara completely disregards any possible fears of heights that I may have. Very soon, though, after we climbed high, it was time to go for the finale. I had, on one of my trips down, gotten a giant bouquet of pink roses from Claire, and Cara got to carry it out with her for the last trip to the stage.

At the end, it was probably nine o'clock. Everyone congratulated Cara and gave her lots of flowers, and she was very, very happy that so many people had come to see her. The south Jersey crowd had to hit the long road home, but the rest of us threw caution to the wind and went to a diner (where two or three other tables were also from the recital). We got Cara home, and Steve got her ready for bed while I got her flowers into vases. Her room looks like a greenhouse! She was down by eleven.

5/18/09 (Monday)

The tired girl got up before seven, which was good, because she and poor tired Steve had to drive poor tired Mommy to work. When she wakes up and I'm upstairs, I sit on the floor and she just cuddles up in my lap for a bit. Today, it was a full five minutes, and then I had to carry her and Puma around with me. It was nice. After they dropped me, though, they were able to return to routine.

Grandpapa picked me up and we picked Cara up. By a quarter to five, we were in Johnson Park. Cara spent most of the time running ahead. We made a thorough investigation of the animals, and then we went to both playgrounds, where Cara ran and climbed and posed and generally performed. She thoroughly enjoyed herself. The only disappointment was that both of the times when Cara asked whether Grandpapa would take her home with him, he explained that tomorrow was a working day.

5/19/09 (Tuesday)

I did groceries today, and on the way home from Susan's, Cara noticed that the bag contained a box with a picture of strawberries on it. I explained that what was in that box was a yogurt treat for her and PJ and Casey to have when they came over tomorrow. This led Cara to say several things like, "That's my favorite! . . . What is it?" and "I love it so much! I don't know what it is." It kept her occupied for a good portion of the trip home. She did get to try one after dinner and liked it very much.

We went outside to husk corn. Cara loves husking corn. She just loves corn. She wishes she could have a corn drink. (I elected not to explain about corn syrup.)

Cinderella and Snow White came in the bath with Cara and all of the mermaids. Cinderella got to wear Ariel's tail, because Ariel didn't want to use it just then, and she was the queen of the mermaids. "I am the queen. Ahh, all you little mermaids! You are all hungry, and I know what to do." Steve suggested that she find some clams. No, mermaids like fish. I got very scared because the little toy Flounder, Ariel's companion, was in there. Cinderella found plenty of nice imaginary fish, though, and hand-fed it to each of the other mermaids and to Flounder.

5/20/09 (Wednesday)

Today, since it was the first ballet class after the recital, was a party day. The little girls came out to the big girls' classroom, and they all got to dance together. They danced to YMCA; they did the macarena. They did the hokey-pokey, and they did the chicken dance. No one explained how to do any of this; they just went ahead and did it and the ones who didn't know how just kind of followed along. It was pretty cool. Cara managed the macarena, seemed awfully talented at the chicken dance, did something with YMCA, and generally made out pretty well.

Some things were easier to pick up on than others. "Hot Potato," for instance, was one thing that, though she has now played it, I'm pretty sure Cara couldn't possibly explain. I'm pretty sure she did some daydreaming while that beanbag went around, because it took her an awfully long time to pass it. Even so, it also took her a long time to get "out." When you got out, you got to press the button to stop the music to get the next person out, so it was pretty okay to get out.

The limbo was funny. The girls all made a circle and went around and around; the younger teacher can really limbo. The girls can't. Most of the younger ones, most of the time, just ducked under as any sane person would do.

There was also a "freeze dance" portion. Some of the girls got into groups and made circles, and some of them, mainly the younger ones, bounced around by themselves. Cara bounced around by herself for a while, but then she went over to another little girl and took her hands; they bounced around together! In a few minutes, though, for some reason the other girl still wanted to hold hands and Cara seemed to think it was the most ludicrous idea she'd ever heard. They compromised by playing follow-the-leader.

At the end, everyone got a medal. Cara is very, very happy because she now has gold medals for gymnastics and dance. She's very happy because she wins things sometimes.

| Previous Week | Back Home | Next Week |