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Journal Key:

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

3/1/12 (Thursday)

Yesterday, Cara lost a tooth at school. I was relieved, in the evening, when she announced that she had put it under her pillow; it was a good reminder!

This morning, she came down with the little tooth-box, surprised that the tooth was still there. I asked whether she'd really looked under her pillow, and she said she hadn't. I sent her off to the bathroom. When she came out, I suggested that she look. I'd stuck the quarters inside the pillowcase. Cara found them and surmised that the tooth fairy had had a night off and this had been a substitute one who didn't quite know what to do.

I snuck her tooth out of the box and brought it upstairs. She hung around, talking about the tooth fairy, while I slipped it into the little bag I've been sticking them all in. Maybe, she thought, she'd get to keep this tooth. I didn't ask what she thought she'd do with it. Downstairs, she discovered that the box was empty. We asked each other, did you take it? It must, she said, have been the real tooth fairy, doing it invisibly.

I have breathed a big sigh of relief and determined that I need a system to remind myself in the future.

Owen also had a very successful morning: he was dropped off tear-free!

3/2/12 (Friday)

We had popcorn tonight.

While Owen was in the bath, the following conversation ensued.

Owen: I have popcorn tomorrow!

Me: Sounds good.

Owen: Daddy has popcorn tomorrow!

Me: Uh-huh.

Owen: Daddy likes popcorn! Daddy makes popcorn.

Me: Really?

Owen: I have popcorn with Daddy!

Me: Does Mommy make popcorn?

Owen: Nao. Daddy makes popcorn.

According to some people, Daddy also likes to drink apple juice from a used sippy cup. What a guy!

3/4/12 (Sunday)

A fire truck came to visit YBR last week, and Owen got a plastic fire chief hat. Today, he wore it to the supermarket. He really pretty much had it on throughout the trip, which surprised me. Many people liked his hat.

Soon after we got home, Grandmama and Cara arrived. After a few minutes Grandmama said good-bye, and Owen was devastated. Being hungry and tired contributed, no doubt, but he really didn't want her to leave. It was hard to console him.

With that in mind, it was foolish of me to mention in front of him, halfway through lunch, that we were going to go to Grandmom's house. He was ready to go right then. Desperately ready.

He was happy, then, to play all afternoon and sing "Old MacDonald" and run around with Rusty. He objected strongly to sitting to eat dinner and ended up in Steve's lap. He had a very enthusiastic bath with me and Grandmom for an audience. He was screamingly unhappy when we mentioned the idea of leaving, but eventually he accepted it. By seven thirty, in Batman pajamas, he was back in the car. He had some milk. He had his lion to snuggle. It was dark. At eight thirty, he was singing "Chicka chicka boom!" in the back seat. He was wide awake and ready to play when we got home.

3/5/12 (Monday)

It was storytime at YBR when Cara and I arrived to pick Owen up. Miss Grace was sitting in front of the kids holding the book, and most kids were lounging on the floor. Owen, however, was standing up to watch. He was so absorbed that he didn't notice us, even as Miss Grace waved hello. While we watched, he slowly advanced until he was standing right in front of her, his head in the book. He watched that way for several pages before noticing us and running over.

Miss Mona said that they'd read "Little Bunny Fu-Fu" earlier, and she'd asked Owen whether he liked Fu-Fu. "I like the bunny!" he'd replied. When I asked him, he said no. This evening, though, he's told us lots about Bunny Fu-Fu. He goes "hopping through the forest." I've heard about "bopping on the head." When, just now, I sang "Little Bunny Fu-Fu," he sang back, "I don't wanna see you!"

Miss Grace said something that made me very happy: she says his motor skills are developing fast! When they play outside he's climbing all over, stepping onto and off of railroad ties (without holding on to anything), and standing up on benches he's not supposed to be on.

Work has been so crazy this year that our normal dinner time has drifted later and later; we're not eating until maybe quarter to seven. That's too late for Owen, now that his snacks are smaller. I have to change my habits.

3/6/12 (Tuesday)

The teachers told Evelyn that Owen had sung a song today at YBR. Unfortunately, they didn't understand any of it, so couldn't report what it was about. Owen has started to carry his own lunchbox out the door and to the car! Today he learned that you shouldn't let go of Mommy's hand in the parking lot on the way to the car--even if there are some nice-looking ladies that you want to go and talk to.

On the way home, Owen entertained his audience with another song. It sounds like it was a mish-mash of every character he's been seeing on TV lately. The Beast Monster got Teela, but the Creeps got the Beast Monster, and the Monsters from Monsters, Inc. were there, too. There were probably other people involved. Tonight at dinner, Owen made many denials when asked about songs, and only wanted to talk about Old MacDonald.

As for dinner, it went much better this evening. Owen sat and ate his hot dog, then munched on some bun (since everyone else had a bun), then learned how to scoop corn on his fork. Then he tried to scoop everything else up with his fork, which didn't go as well. Then he vehemently denied that he wanted yogurt, but eventually admitted that what he really wanted was yogurt.

One issue that's still making our evenings rather upsetting is that we are no longer letting Owen watch any TV. (We do it in the mornings, but not at night.) In a few more days, he will hopefully be used to this and stop asking us for Scooby or Monsters.

3/7/12 (Wednesday)

Poor Owen was up in the night; it felt like my alarm was about to go off, but it was midnight. I went in and he wailed that he wanted to go downstairs. I had to break his heart. When I'd changed him and read him one Little Critter book, though, and I put him back to bed, he only cried for a moment before going back to sleep.

In the morning, I didn't even see Owen! He woke up after I left.

When I picked him up, I asked him about his day. "I saw Robin," he told me. I asked whom she'd played with, and he says Maeve. I want to text her to ask whether that's true.

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