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Journal Key:

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

9/2/10 (Thursday)

Owen and I were up in the night for the first time in a few nights. It was a bit rough, because I was trying very much to go back to sleep with as little fuss as possible, whereas Owen seemed to be attempting the opposite. Eventually when I made him a second bottle he took a few pulls on it and fell asleep in my lap.

Then Owen slept late in the morning and woke up looking fairly refreshed. His mother whisked him off to YBR. Cara and I set off a little while later for the very short trip to Discovery Time. Today she got to watch Scooby Doo (which she wants the movie of) and Aladdin, which for her is the Jasmine movie. I had a half day at work and so got to be the one who picked her up also. The answer we get when we ask her if she's made any friends is "PJ and Casey!" They had fish sticks for lunch today and, as Mommy predicted, Cara liked them.

Cara and I had some time to play in the afternoon. Cara was directing me to dress some cardboard cutout princess things so that they looked like flowers. The dresses could not just have flowers on them; they had to look like a flower.

Owen seemed sort of jittery this evening, as if he was raring to go somewhere and do something. Ev decided it was a good night to get out one of his more advanced toys. So we got out and assembled a big old plastic doorway playset thing that he got, possibly at the shower. It is a very impressive playset, full of many varied features that are almost all accompanied by sound effects and music. By the time it was put together, Owen was asleep. But that's OK, because Cara loves it.

9/3/10 (Friday)

Cara came with me to Linwood this morning to help me get some things done before kindergarten orientation. She enjoyed sitting at a student desk in my room, drawing on a little white board. My favorite picture was of a girl knight, who had a dress, a princess hat, and a sword and shield. I'd had high hopes, but she was not willing to help pass out papers for my homeroom kids. She was willing to put a small ruler on each desk, because she found those interesting. The other exciting part was going to the copy room. Possibly the highlight of the trip was that a very very taciturn custodian, who has been at Linwood as long as I have and whom I have not heard speak in at least four or five years, saw us in the hallway and exclaimed, "She got so big!! Wow! I remember when you were pregnant!" Not speaking is probably a really good tactic for him, because now that we have had a conversation I am somewhat (not much, but a little) more likely to interrupt him to ask him for favors.

The orientation at Lindeneau was, as far as I can tell, a lot like the one in the spring. This time, though, the kids were able to meet the actual teachers they would definitely have. We met Cara's teacher, Mrs. B. I explained to her that I was thinking a week or so ago that we ought to teach her to write "Carolyn" and then never did it, and she said that she could change everything over to say "Cara" if that was what she preferred. Cara got to write her name on a fish-shaped nametag. When PJ got there, he enjoyed playing with his fish.

The kids went up and the principal read them a story, and then they were taken away by their teachers. The kids with star nametags went with their teacher, and then Mrs. B took the fish away. We got to hear a lot about the procedures and how things will work, and the principal also talked to us about the curriculum. Mrs. B came back to tell us a little about that, too. Since they've been cut from full day to half, they've had to make a lot of changes. It was scary when the principal explained that the curriculum in all of the upper grades would have to change as they came along, too, to accommodate their different progress. In language arts and math, though, they'll have the same instruction as always. They'll be doing guided reading (which makes a lot more sense for them than for my kids) and also reader's workshop. They'll be getting less science and social studies, and it sounds like they won't really get music and other extra-type stuff. The kids will be getting small amounts of homework. Assemblies will sometimes be in the afternoon and sometimes in the morning, and the parents of the other group will be invited to bring their children. That sounds tough.

When Cara and PJ and the other fish returned, they were happy. They delightedly showed us the small bottles of water they'd been given. They'd had a snack: goldfish. Perfect. They had also colored a picture and heard a story, all in their actual kindergarten classrooms, with their actual teachers. I tried asking Cara about it. Was it decorated? Were there posters? No. I am reminded of what the teachers said in May about believing half of what the kids say.

It's nice to have PJ and Cara (and Casey, most of the time) together again. I can see a down-side, though. They haven't talked about any other kids at DT, and they also, of course, stuck close together at orientation. I know they'll make other friends, but it'll take them longer.

We went to lunch at Chili's. They're doing a charity fundraiser again where people get to decorate peppers, and Cara really enjoyed turning hers into a girl. She had a very good time at Chili's and wants to have her birthday party there. For a three-dollar donation, I got her a set of Chili's silly bands. They're bi colored! I've never seen that before.

It was a busy day. We also went to the dentist. Cara picked out a book of opposites, and we worked on sounding out the words, using both the letters and the context cues of the pictures. When we were done with that I found lots of good toys to play with, but as soon as I picked something cool, Cara took it away from me. We had a nice time with the dentist. She predicts that Cara may start losing teeth by the end of the year, and she showed me that she's got molars starting to come in in the back. We talked about Owen, too, and she gave me a prescription for fluoride drops for him to start taking in a couple of months. He shouldn't have them sooner, because he's young and a preemie and fair-skinned, which seems, she says, to make people more sensitive to it. Cara picked out a new toothbrush with dolphins on it and a pencil with Woody Woodpecker. She got two sets of stickers, one being extra for being a big sister, and we also got a toothbrush for Owen. Inexplicably, it glows in the dark. Will it light up his mouth?

This evening, for Family Fun Night, Cara got to actually watch some Woody Woodpecker cartoons, so now she knows who that bird on the pencil she picked is. I asked her whether she liked her dentist. She said no. My theory was that it was because she called her "Caroline," but that never came up. The dentist was very nice and friendly and was even impressed by how well Cara was starting to read in the waiting room. We clarified which woman her dentist was. Cara said that she didn't like her because she'd only seen her a few times and didn't know her well. Could we go to her house? Maybe next time we saw her, we could ask. I agreed to this. She can't possibly remember in six months, can she? Can she?

9/4/10 (Saturday)

Owen is mostly a very nice baby, but last night I had a hard time getting him down and then he was up at 2:15. I got up with him, thinking I'd trade off with Steve. Owen decided that he was Awake. Maybe it was because when I get up with him it's usually at four or five, when he's usually awake? Anyway, I could not get him to go back to sleep. Around three I put him in his crib and went back to bed, but in fifteen minutes he was up again. I gave up and took him downstairs to see whether Han Solo could babysit him. I got to doze on the couch for about another fifteen minutes before he was upset again. Steve got up around four, and soon I went back to bed. It was really really great. Sorry, Steve!

The great event of the day was going to Grandmom and Grandpop's house for Grandpop's 60th birthday! Aunt Sally and Uncle Ron were there, and Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jim, and Griffin came, too. Owen took a few minutes to settle in and get used to the idea, but then he decided that things were okay and he could have a good time. When Griffin arrived, he went through a similar process. Ron and Sally had brought presents for the kids. The babies got cute little egg-shaped things that stand up and roll around, changing colors. When Owen outgrows his, I may take them to work. Cara got a bag of makeup. She's enjoying the lip gloss very much. Very much. Steve and I have both explained to her about how the goal is to get it on your lips and not the area around them. Grandpop and I stood the two boys up on the couch to look at each other, and they found it very interesting. Griffin just about jumped out of his skin when Owen made a noise. There was a lot of talking and some reaching out; they got to interact for the first time. Cara mostly stayed downstairs playing with a lot of toys. We'd left the Princess Leia figures at home, but she still played Star Wars. Two Ewoks were set up comfortably ready to eat a Storm Trooper.

It was a nice day, so after we got home we took a walk to the park with the stroller. Both kids had fun swinging, and then Cara had fun going down the slide and Owen went down the slide on my lap and may or may not have noticed. Steve and Cara played tag. He tagged her, and she kept running, explaining that it wasn't freeze tag; he was supposed to grab her. We explained that now she was "it" and had to tag him. She came running back and he started running, but she decided she was tired and had him stop. It was an on-again, off-again game.

I have arranged for Adrian to come over for a playdate on Monday. This is very exciting for everyone involved.

Cara: Maybe Adrian will take a bath!

Me: NO! . . . Oh, did you mean he'd take a bath before he came, or he'd take one when he came over?

Cara: When he came over.

Me: Here?

Cara: Yes.

Me: NO!

9/5/10 (Sunday)

Owen was up around midnight for a while, and then, about twenty after one, we heard meowing. Steve was more quick-witted (and more willing to believe) than I was, and he got up and went downstairs. He saw Shelby through the window, and he went out and called until she came in. We were up for a while with the two cats, astonished, as Shelby walked around the whole house to sniff everything and Buster followed her around, sniffing her. There was a lot of petting and purring. She's got a very small wound on her ear, and she's lost a lot of weight, about two pounds according to the Wii, but otherwise she's unscathed. Steve thinks her meow has become more pitiful. We cannot imagine how or where she survived. Cara is vaguely pleased in general that she's back. Anyway, having had a rough night with the baby the night before and having been up with the cats last night, we're exhausted!

We went to my Aunt Theresa's house today; it was a little bit sad because the house is on the market and we hate to think of losing it. They're moving out to Pennsylvania. Today we went in the pool for the last time. It's hard to believe. Maybe Claire can rent it from them! It wasn't really hot, but Cara used her time wisely at the pool. She swam back and forth, with and without the noodle and the round float she'd claimed. Uncle John got out a motorized boat that they used to drive around when Claire and I were young. Cara . . . attacked it. With glee.

Later in the afternoon we went downstairs to play pool. Cara took a few shots, but mostly she was the cheerleader. Owen had been awake for quite a while. He'd had a really good time putting fingers into his mouth. They're mostly his own, but he gets mine and Steve's now, too, and really enjoys them. I try to direct him toward my knuckles, to keep my nails out of his mouth, and he absolutely gnaws on them! It's very slimy, too. Today he was lying down and I took his hands to pull him up to sit, and he came up open-mouthed, heading straight at my hand. He's vicious! While we played pool we passed him around, but Grandmama kept him. She snuggled and danced him to sleep, finally, and he slowly went completely limp in her arms. It reminds me of some pictures we have of Cara sleeping on my mom and on Steve in Florida as a younger baby.

He woke up in the car, unfortunately, and we barely managed to finish On the Shores of Silver Lake. I have waited for years to share the Little House books with Steve and Cara, and it's as great as I'd hoped it would be. Any time we pause, Cara wants more. We have four books left in the series, and after that we have several other things we want to read with her. This is really one of the best parts of parenting, so far.

9/6/10 (Monday)

Last night I was up with the Bean three times in a row--the third time I put him down it finally stuck. I was awakened at around seven in the morning by the sound of Cara screaming a play-by-play to Owen. I stumbled downstairs and found myself blearily making pancakes. Eventually I actually woke up and we all managed to be ready and clean by the time Adrian arrived with his dad.

Adrian is an incredibly energetic, cheerful, playful little kid. They had a good time together; the only sign of strife occurred when Cara tried to set all the rules for a game of "Family." Otherwise, they did a lot of wandering over the house but mainly played in the play room and managed not to make a huge mess. Evelyn counts it as a major milestone that she put out our big bucket of play food and neither child dumped it. We adults chatted and then ended up spending a lot of time messing with a big jigsaw puzzle Ev had set out.

In the afternoon, eventually what happened was that I fell asleep and Ev took the kids out back. Cara spent some time playing with her sand table, which was filled with water. It involved Princess Jasmine and her tiger, Bottle Cap. Jasmine had a dump truck that was carrying water--I forget why. The child manages pretty well playing by herself when she has to.

Since it was the last day of summer, we decided to have a cookout--with hot dogs, naturally. The child saw that Juliana had her sprinkler out and decided that she needed to run through our sprinkler. So we set it up and she had a good run while dinner was cooking. After dinner we had toasted marshmallows. Cara wanted to go to the park, but it was too late, so she got back into her bathing suit and went back through the sprinkler. Juliana convinced her to come over and try the other sprinkler, as well. By the time the child came inside the house she was covered with grass. I convinced her to take a shower downstairs.

Evelyn had always planned to help Cara pick out her outfit for the first day of kindergarten. As things fell out, I was with Cara when she came up to her room. Cara picked out the March of Dimes t-shirt that she got at the hospital, that says "Big Sister" on it. She wanted to wear white shorts with this white shirt, but I switched her over to denim shorts with flowers. Evie came along and convinced her to wear a nicer skirt. But she is going to wear her "Big Sister" shirt. "Then people will know I have a little brother!" she explained to her mother. "Or they might think I have a little sister, but I'll tell them I have a little brother!"

9/7/10 (Tuesday)

The first day of the school year for Cara and me began rather inauspiciously when Owen woke up a little after one in the morning. Steve quit around quarter to three, and I worked on him for the next two hours. He was just awake and unhappy. We tried the glider, the bouncer, Star Wars, the jumper, the swing, and the carpet. We worked on the bottle. I gave him some solid food. Finally, he fell asleep, giving me half an hour to sleep before it was time to get up for work.

I got Cara out of bed by offering her a mermaid tattoo; that idea was able to miraculously penetrate the haze of sleep. I was out the door before she was dressed, but Steve took pictures and then left the camera in her backpack so that Em could use it when she took the kids to kindergarten (hers was fritzy).

From what I hear, the drop off went well. They got there early and played on the playground. There was spontaneous hand-holding. The kids got into line with their class, and the teacher took them in. Actually, first, Cara won what Em describes as a contest we didn't know we were having: whose kid would get into the nurse's office first. She needed to use the potty. I'm quite pleased that she's had that experience. They were happy when they went in. Em cried, but not much.

I was there to pick Cara up. The parents stood around outside, and the teacher brought the kids to the door. One by one, as they got to the front of the line and saw their parents, they were released. All of them were happy.

Cara told me a story that they read called The Kissing Hand. It's about a baby raccoon who's scared to go to school (night school. the teacher is an owl.), but his mommy kisses his hand and then he always has that kiss. It goes, Cara explains, from his hand, up his arm and then all the way down to his heart. At the end, he kisses his mom's hand. When the teacher read the story, Cara sat on a queen on the rug and PJ sat next to her on a bunny. They colored a picture of raccoons. They made a project: it's a hand print with a heart sticker on it, and there's a poem that the kids cut out about how they're going to grow this year.

They also went over what day it is: it's September. It's a Tuesday. Yesterday was Labor Day! One scary part: they had a fire drill. I've reminded Cara that this means that she knows what to do if something scary happens, so it actually makes things better. Tonight she asked me what to do at home. She sat at a table with PJ but not, she says, next to him. She got to sit near the teacher. She has two teachers in her room; I assume one is an assistant. One scary part for me was that I sent a note in her folder that said not to put her on the bus today. I told her to give it to the teacher, but I couldn't really imagine that happening. I ended up emailing the principal, too, and later I called to make sure things were set up. They were! Cara says she gave the note to the teacher. Actually, she says, the teacher looked in the folder.

There are a lot of papers in that folder now. As I was giving out forms in homeroom today, I was thinking about how I would be spending tonight . . .

9/8/10 (Wednesday)

Cara got to ride the bus today! Ron went to the stop and got pictures. They were the only two kids on the bus on the way to school, since it's only for the afternoon kindergarteners. The bus driver, Cara tells me, "Guess what--speaks another language!" Very exciting. Actually, there was a different driver in the afternoon, since it was a big bus for all of the kids from the school. I'm not sure which she was talking about. She sat with PJ.

PJ and Cara have both been refusing to eat macaroni and cheese, which had been a great favorite. Today, that was the lunch at DT. We sent them lunchless, and they ate it! Cara liked it very much. It's much better than "that other stuff" that we have at home. Since "that other stuff" is the quick, cheap, fake microwave stuff, I think that this shows discrimination.

Owen was clingy when we got home, and I was about to get him his dinner when the food came. (It was playdate and I'm both somewhat sick and quite a bit tired, so . . . ) I'd handed him to Em, and she put him in his bouncer and he ate his entire jar of dinner with enthusiasm. I was impressed that he was that open-minded. Owen made out like a bandit today; they brought over a big bag of toys and books that PJ had picked out to give to him. Life is good.

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