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Journal Key:

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

9/10/09 (Thursday)

It was an early morning for the child, who was knocking on the bathroom door this morning not long after I'd gotten out of the shower. Today I took her to preschool in the morning and got her into the bath in the evening, so I got a lot of stalling attempts. Cara would always like to watch one more movie. When that failed this morning, she had to draw a picture really quickly before we left. Tonight, once I had made it abundantly clear that it was bedtime and we were done with TV, she suddenly became hungry and had to have a snack. She's tricky!

This evening I drew nine mermaids. I attempted a new technique wherein the mermaids are created with areas of color from different colored markers, rather than making an outline and then filling it in with color. Cara was very skeptical at first and was ordering me to use a pen instead, but after the first one she was sold on the idea. After I had completed nine mermaids, filling the chosen sheet, she told me how very much she loves me and how glad she was that I made those mermaids.

This afternoon Mommy took Cara to see a new dance school. They saw a video of a previous recital and talked with the owner. Cara seems to like the idea, so we will most likely be back in tights this fall!

9/12/09 (Saturday)

Friday we had another sleepover night--Evie is taking it easy and Grandmama and Grandpapa are good enough to give us a lot of breaks these weekends. It was Grandmama's first time picking Cara up from preschool. Apparently they had read a story about gargoyles that day, and Cara drew her own picture of one! It's quite good. Grandmama then had to draw a gargoyle, some princesses, mermaids, and probably a few other objects. Cara got to go to a high school football game (in the rain!). They got home late, and then the child decided to wake up at around 4:30 in the morning, claiming that she was no longer sleepy. Grandmama had a long, drowsy morning watching DVDs!

Then we parents came along to whisk the child off to my cousin's daughter's first birthday party in Pennsylvania. It was a wet day, but Andrea was resourceful and inflated the bouncy castle inside of her garage! There were lots of kids at the party and the great majority of them spent quite a lot of time bouncing around in that thing. I think it's true however that very few of them spent as much time in it as Cara. She bounced and bounced, laughing very loudly so that everyone would be sure to notice how much fun she was having. Grandpa and (oh rapture) Uncle Jim were there, too, so Cara spent a lot of time laughing at them. Her two friends from the christening were there again, and Cara was soon following them around all over the house. The two girls had their own stuffed animals that they were throwing around inside the bouncy castle, so I ran and fetched Puma so that he could be thrown around, too. An attempt was made to take a picture of all the kids together, but when Cara tried to be a part of the photo op, it was too much for her and she got upset. Mostly though Cara tried to be friendly and mix in with the kids.

Lily had a nice birthday party, but eventually people have to go home. First Cara's girl friends had to go, which made her very sad. Then her Grandpa and Uncle Jim had to go, which made her very sad. There she was sitting all alone in the bouncy castle! We extricated her and took her home. Once in the car she was back at work making her Mommy draw princesses. Now we are all at home watching Curious George, while Cara colors in some ballerinas that I just drew for her.

9/13/09 (Sunday)

Today I drew at least fifteen "Marker Mermaids." They are all holding hands in a long row that sprawls across three taped-together pieces of paper. Cara decided it was a "school" of mermaids. By the end of the day I had successfully reached my quota of mermaids, and Cara was content with my drawing a few dinosaurs, just to change things up.

Cara actually spent a lot of time with Mommy today. After we were all showered and up, the girls went out in search of ballet clothes and regular clothes, among other things. We met for lunch: Chili's restaurant is doing one of those charity donation things where you color in a picture and they hang it around the store. They had a heck of a lot of chili peppers hanging everywhere, and Cara added one to the bunch--we wouldn't want to miss a chance for coloring.

I went off on my own mission after lunch, but the girls stayed out for a good long while, completing various errands. When they came back, Cara got to have a little visit with Casey and PJ (unfortunately it was because we had to unexpectedly borrow their washing machine, but that's another story). We finally gave Casey and PJ some little things we'd bought for them on our North Carolina trip.

While Mommy did some things out back and on the side of the house, Cara and I spent a very little bit of time out of doors. First the child took out her hula hoop, and we both confirmed our inability to use it as nature intended. Then she got out her princess jumping rope, and we both discovered to our mutual surprise that Daddy could successfully use said jumping rope.

By the evening we were all pretty beat. The child was getting whiny, bossy, and very picky (for instance, she berated her mother for drawing princesses that did not have the kind of crowns she wanted). We did manage to get her through her bath and out without much difficulty, and Cara was able to "surprise" me with the fact that she had brushed and flossed with Mommy (this old gag is still popular).

9/14/09 (Monday)

Today was a momentous morning: For the first time, Steve made a ponytail in Cara's hair. I very much regret that I was not able to see it, but, of course, by the time I pick her up from preschool Cara is always on her second or third hairstyle, no matter what we sent her in with. In another "first," Cara took an actual ham sandwich for lunch. Steve offered her some cheese in with the ham and bread, but she declined. She claimed that this was all that she would ever want for her preschool lunch ever again. We are skeptical.

The poor kid had a busy day. She had gymnastics at preschool in the morning, where they did were bunnies and airplanes and all sorts of other things. It sounds quite astonishing. I picked her up and brought her home, where we got ready and went to ballet.

This was her first class at her new studio. There were three other girls in her class, and there were, Cara explained, three grown-ups there, too. Not all of them were there the whole time. The girls must have done well, though, because they got "fairy dust" on their hands. Cara was very happy and shared some of her glitter with me.

It was late. We headed home, and I explained that Daddy would have dinner ready: spinach pasta. Cara recalled an episode in which she ate too much spinach pasta and was sick. Today, she decided, she would only have three bowls.

Earlier, PJ and Casey came over. It was audiology week, and Em had gotten some books and things from work for the kids at Susan's, so she got some for Cara, too. Cara had expressed particular fondness for Three Cheers for Bunny's Ears over at their house some months ago, and she was very happy to get her own. Also in the bag was a small collection of acorns. After they left, Cara proposed making a card for PJ and Casey, to thank them for the acorns.

9/15/09 (Tuesday)

I walked into preschool this afternoon to see one of the teachers reading to a group of enrapt children; I headed upstairs and got Cara's things, expecting to find her class up there. No one. It turned out that all the kids were downstairs, and Cara was up in the front of the group. I had to wait until the story and a song were done before she noticed me. After that she was happy enough to come with me. She was ready to go to ballet!!

Alas, all that was in our future was to come home. Somehow, we managed to have fun even though we were not dancing. Unfortunately, somehow Cara remembered that we have that kit with beads and string and directions as to how to make mermaids and things with them. So, after much whining (did I say that out loud?) and coercion I did make a bead ballerina this evening. I must say, I think I am developing a certain genius in this direction. I like to think that my ballerina is subtly superior to the one in the directions. Possibly. At least, I did change some things that I thought I could improve on.

Cara drew a picture for me at preschool. It's a goodbye picture. It's got me, waving and crying, and then there are two girls: Cara and her sister. Or possibly her two sisters. After the me waving and crying part, the explanation became somewhat unclear.

9/16/09 (Wednesday)

In the car today, we discussed making a card for PJ. "I know how to write PJ! It's a P . . . and what's the other letter?" Eventually she was able to figure that part out. Eventually.

We had a nice dinner over at PJ's. Cara held my hand as we crossed the street, and then she took off running. She and PJ had a great time, playing with a ball and a large tube. It was sort of like a physics experiment involving ramps, except that it wasn't. Then eventually we all collapsed and watched the end of Sleeping Beauty, which was quite scary. We fast-forwarded the scary part. It's kind of cool in fast forward.

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