Homeschooling Journal:
Continuing to try and convince Samantha that she doesn’t want to keep wearing a wet diaper, that the floor is not the appropriate place to pee, and that clothes are very effective at keeping you warm.
Play-doh and cookie-cutter session before lunch.
Lucy came to Mass and got to hear about the Immaculate Conception at Youth Group. Samantha stayed with B-Bob and Mimi and learned to sing “Jingle Bells”.
Only two months since the last entry…
Homeschooling Journal
Lucy’s BD party was Sunday (the 5th), so cleaning, baking, pizza making, and socializing all occured.
Lots of dress-up, including one “queen” being chased by one “tiger”.
The manger scenes are out, and were in constant use for a couple of days. Lucy remarked several times that she “can’t wait for baby Jesus to come”, as the whole thing is a little empty without Him.
Trip to the zoo with Dad for Lucy’s actual birthday.
Trip to the library today for story time (Christmas themed). Lucy made a beautiful paper stocking with sequins on it, and demonstrated her superior cutting and gluing skills. Samantha demonstrated her tearing and glue-spreading skills.
New books from the trip include, Josephine Wants to Dance; Did Dinosaurs Eat Pizza?; Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening; The Legend of the Candy Cane; Art and Max; Watch Out, Little Wombat; and Arbor Day Square.
We returned Brother Juniper; Martha Doesn’t Share; Jamberry; Cinderella; and whatever else I’m forgetting.
Advent project today was to paint ceramic ornaments. Lucy did a snowman and Samantha an angel. They are quite colorful. Craig called Lucy “Picasso”, but she was very meticulous about making sure all the edges were perfectly covered. She’s coming into her own with the art things now, I think, and really enjoys painting, stamping, cutting and gluing, and the like.
“I didn’t feel good because I needed to go potty but I didn’t know how to go potty. So I just had chicken since I was sick.”
Lucy partook of PBS this morning. I’m not sure what she actually learned from Curious George (about recycling) and The Cat in the Hat (about tails), but it was better than watching the same Disney movies she usually watches at Nana and Papa’s house, I guess.
Today we went to mass at SJV and had donuts afterward. Lucy is getting better at being quiet, although she still lets it be known that she is not really enjoying herself. Samantha spent most of the time outside, since she kept throwing very noisy fits.
Lucy practiced drawing pumpkins with Mimi, and decorating them as family members. It was very important that Dad and Uncle John have their glasses.
Samantha and I took a walk around the neighborhood. The weather this week has been so beautiful, we had to get out again before the day was over.
After they brushed their teeth before bed, Lucy was standing in front of the medicine cabinet saying, “Goodnight, floss. Goodnight, brush. Goodnight, temperature (=thermometer).” Samantha, of course, was repeating everything Lucy said.
Bedtime stories included Brother Juniper and The Song of Francis. Craig and Lucy were laughing out loud at Brother Juniper’s antics.
Homeschooling journal:
Trip to the library this morning for fairy-tale books. The castle was closed so the girls actually looked at books and did the coloring sheets instead of running around in it.
Lucy spent close to an hour sitting on the couch looking at (non-library) books before lunch.
We went to the Pax Christi peace liturgy – time for socialization, cookie sampling, music watching, saint statue and stained glass identifying, and liturgical experiencing. Part of the evening is that everyone processes to the front to sign in a book that they pledge to live peacefully in the coming year, and Lucy signed her name. And she actually tried to write it, not just draw a squiggle like she usually does. There was a definite “L”, an upside-down “u”, about three attempts at a “c”, and finally a nice “y”. I was very proud. Samantha signed her name with a squiggle that looked like Lucy’s usual work, which was also impressive for her. This is the first time Lucy has really attempted to write her name on her own like that. So it was an exciting day, all in all.
Homeschooling journal:
Our first trip with the girls to adoration. Theresa’s school has a short one followed by pizza, and most of the prayer time was busy with music, so it went surprisingly well. Samantha still needs to learn an inside voice, but Lucy sat still and looked at her picture Bible most of the time. And they enjoyed the pizza.
I read Lucy a good chunk of the Rhyme Bible and the story of Daniel from one of the others today.
We played Cooties this evening, which Lucy followed very well, and then played the make-up-a-story-in-turns game, which she was way better at than I expected. It’s past time for me to write more of her stories down.
Lucy’s story today:
“A long time ago I didn’t feel very good because I needed to go potty but I couldn’t because my tummy was just like throwing up to the ceiling because I needed to go potty and I was about to throw up. And I needed some chicken to make me feel better and I ate the chicken and I felt better. That was all.”
Well, it’s been 3,200 miles, but we’re finally home again. And we have lots of stories, but it’s bedtime, so here’s just a little something to spark you interest.
We had the privilege of staying at a Catholic Worker farm the other night, and when we got up in the morning, I told Lucy to look out the window at the chickens. She said,
“Look at that bird singing (=crowing)! That’s the one we’re going to milk!”
You’ll be happy to know we straightened a few details out for over the course of the morning.
More to come.
We were visiting at Chris’s mom’s house while he and Kelly were in town, and sitting down to white beans and rice with the three of them and Granny, when Lucy raced into the room.
Lucy: “The step-mother is here!”
I start to ask one of those motherly questions which draws out the story behind her pretending, but before I can form the words…
Lucy: “I’m going to kill her!”
And she was gone again. I turned red, shocked, and sent Craig to deal with this. He deals with football players and wrestlers and marine-wanna-bes on a daily basis, after all. Apparently Lucy was protecting her friend, Meadow, from the step-mother, who was going to hurt her.
Thanks, Disney. Non-violent child-rearing takes another set-back. Craig tried to explain, and suggest that she convert the step-mother, but I’m not sure that it sunk in.
Related, or not, Lucy spent a good half hour crying because she didn’t want to take a nap today, which she hasn’t done in months.
Tomorrow – the journey to Fargo begins. Pray for us.
Well, it has finally happened, that rite of passage all mothers must undergo. (It does happen to everyone, right?) One of my children has fallen into the fountain at the mall. You know, the one with the plants around it, strategically placed next to the winding stairs, the lovely view from which we always bypass because I am not Superwoman enough to drag a stroller up them.
It was funny, because as we passed the fountain outside the Riverwalk in New Orleans, (Grandma, Uncle John, the girls, and I) Grandma was explaining to Lucy that this wasn’t like the fountain she played in in Florida, and that we couldn’t go play in it. When we got inside, Lucy wanted to go see the other fountain, so we swerved around an elderly man and his “Information” table, and went up to the little square tiled pond.
As she always did when my brother and I were little, but as I have never yet done as a parent myself, my mom offered Lucy pennies to throw in the fountain. This was just the distraction needed. Lucy readily agreed, and as I looked away and Mom went to dig her purse out of the stroller, Lucy tried to lean on the rope barrier (what are those things called?!) that was put up, apparently, to keep people from getting to close to and/or in this little fountain.
Little did Lucy know that the rope barrier was not attached in any way to the ground, or anything else solid. First the nearest pole went in with a splash, which caught our attention so that I turned just in time to see Lucy lose her balance and hop from the side of the pool into it, landing (miraculously) on her feet, in water right up to the edge of her dress.
She was shocked, to say the least. I leaned over and lifted her out, thankfully only wet on her shoes and about an inch up her favorite purple “ballerina” dress. And, more thankfully, she was not screaming. I righted the rope line, which was now soggy and dripping, and noted the puddle Lucy was making on the floor. (Fortunately, she had talked me into letting her wear pink sandals instead of tennis shoes and socks.) Mom proceeded to give her the pennies, all of which she threw in, and one of which she clanged off the side of the potted plant, and we moved on in search of lunch.
The “Information” man, who was less than five feet away, never even turned around.