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Journal Key:

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

7/16/09 (Thursday)

Today the twins came over to play! I went early to pick Cara up; she was on a big caterpillar thing in the play yard and, though she waved, showed no interest in coming over. Eventually she did and I told her the big news about our evening. She was instantly ready to go!

The kids really can all talk to each other like real people; it's funny to listen to them. It's also cool that they can just go off and all play on their own. Cara did draw a nice picture of herself and her sister for Shannon. Besides that they played with the My Little Pony sets, the Polly Pocket girls, the fairies, and eventually the doctor kit. They all did some art. Cara told me before they arrived that she was going to show them how to follow the marching parade, and she did. Sarah immediately wanted to join the parade, as a clown. It lasted a good two minutes.

Shannon mentioned that she's been reading books to them like Bunnicula and that they've been listening to a kid version of The Tale of Desperaux in the car. We talked a lot about what books might be good. I'd been wondering whether Cara's ready for something like this, and we'd been discussing getting something on tape for our big drive later in the summer. After everyone left, I pulled out The Mouse and the Motorcycle, the only thing I have that seems to be the right level. Cara and I sat down with the book and a clementine. Right now she's off getting ready for bed; I'm going to have to read at least chapters three and four!

7/17/09 (Friday)

This evening, instead of Family Fun Night, we had Nice Neighbor Night . . . Nifty Neighbor Night? Anyway, we went to the Loefflers' and all went in the pool. The kids were all nervous at first and gradually warmed up to it; it makes me wish we had longer to spend in the water. It got cold, though. The kids all wear their swim vests, of course. Em, Steve and I got in and the kids took turns going with us, basically making the rounds. we spun them and helped them "swim."

Casey can float on a noodle. By the end of the evening, so could Cara. The turning point for her came when Ron pointed out that she could probably stand at the shallow end of the shallow end. It took a minute for me to believe that it was possible, but then I had her put her feet down. She can. She bounced and bounced and her confidence quadrupled; she could get around by herself. She was glowing. In five minutes she was leaping up and down announcing to Ron, "I'm a big girl now!" She also remembered that she could jump in if we caught her. With me and with Steve, first she went holding our arms and then on her own, leaping to us. She liked to throw in a water toy first, with the idea that she'd swim to it. This sometimes worked. PJ is able, on his own, to climb out of the pool. He is the only one to master this.

It got cold fast, though! We went home to change into warm clothes, went back for dinner, and watched some Toy Story II. Cara and I had walked to the park earlier, so I know we're both tired. Time to read some more Mouse and the Motorcycle (chapter 11, I believe) and get to sleep.

7/18/09 (Saturday)

Actually, Cara and I finished The Mouse and the Motorcycle last night. We stayed up until almost ten; it's her first time staying up late to finish a book! I admit, it might not have happened, had there been a clock I could have seen! Though it still might. I have promised her more books about Ralph and his various modes of transportation.

Incidentally, yesterday morning we were somewhat surprised to find a picture by Sarah neatly taped to our fridge.

Today was a Man Day for Daddy; we dropped him off at Uncle Jim's house and went on to see Grandmom and Grandpop. They had the wonderful idea of taking us to the Please Touch Museum, which is near the Philadelphia Zoo. Car rides today were all very exciting because we got to see and point out about a dozen motorcycles, though none of them were ridden by mice. Cara even told us some interesting details about the drivers, such as " one of them had a moustache, but the other one didn't."

The Please Touch Museum was wonderful. Cara did a lot of skipping and jumping and bouncing and running. There were vehicles to climb on and in, cranks to turn, toys to play with, water to splash, and music to be made. There was a room in which you could stick foam rubber parts together to make an "airplane" which you then put on a hook. You turned a crank to raise the hook almost to the ceiling, where it released your plane and you got to see how it flew. Cara's went around and around! In an arts and crafts section, we got to snap together little figures who would then slide down zip lines, just like Diego. I'm not sure Cara made that connection. Cara rode on the carousel with Grandmom, and we had a snack. We were very tired. We used a machine to make a penny into a little souvenir medallion, and Cara almost managed to do all of the cranking herself. It was time to head out, but Cara still wanted to do "one more cool thing," so she played in the water part some more. Finally, we got back into the car and went to pick up Daddy.

I was surprised Cara didn't fall asleep in the car. We got Steve and we all went out to dinner, though we weren't sure Cara would make it. Miraculously, lemonade revived her and she had a wonderful time. I was very surprised she didn't fall asleep on the way home.

7/19/09 (Sunday)

Happy birthday, Grandmama!

Cara made Grandmama a big beautiful card for her birthday, and we drove through beach traffic to get it to her today. We stopped to pick up a birthday cake and also got a chocolate cupcake with an astonishing lion in icing on top. Cara got to hold him in the car in his plastic container. She and Grandmama agreed to split him. I predicted that Cara would just eat the icing, but instead she just ate the cake. I'm not sure whether she changed or I had things backwards. I think I may be backwards.

For presents from us, Grandmama got things we had painted at the pottery place in Red Bank last week. Claire painted a beautiful murloc in a bowl, and Cara and I collaborated on a trivet. It's a square tile in a wire bracket, and we painted both sides because we could. On one side, Cara painted herself. On the other, we painted flowers. Cara also painted a porcelain kitten playing with a ball. It's very colorful.

After the party, we went back to Aunt Claire's house and Cara and Daddy watched The Jungle Book. We all walked to the diner for dinner. Cara discovered many, many interesting things on the way there. We stopped to look at every place in which someone had written something in wet cement. We stopped to investigate and ruin anthills, which I have suggested that Cara might want to do with her feet from now on. We stopped to look at every piece of spray paint on the sidewalk. It was not our swiftest walk ever.

Earlier, I had mentioned in Cara's hearing that I had put on a few pounds. Later, in the car:

Cara: Mommy, I love you when you're skinny!

Me: Oh. What about when I'm fat?

Cara: (thinks about it) Not so much.

Casey, by the way, rode in a space shuttle when she was a tiny baby. It was pink.

7/20/09 (Monday)

Cara went to preschool today because we'll be in Florida for the rest of the week. It was a splish-splash day! Cara explained to me after I picked her up that they had let her go in the sprinkler! Good thing, since we'd sent her in her swimsuit. They hadn't thrown out the sprinkler, she explained. Oh. Had they been going to? No. But they didn't. It hooked up to the hose.

One astonishing thing happened today, too. There were worms at preschool, and Cara held one! I am truly amazed to hear this. Now, I always ask her all about her day and I usually get some answers. Steve asks, too, later, and gets few. I believe this is because she feels that she has already reported. Today, though, I just asked her to tell Daddy what she touched today. "Worms!!!!!"

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