Food

K: Oh... I wanted another slice!
Me: You had two already, these are for mommy.
K: But dad... half my body is devoted to pizza.
Me: Yeah? What's the other half?
K: Chocolate.

Big Plans

Miss K (5) bounced into the room yesterday evening and made an Announcement.

K: Daddy, I know what I want to do!
D: That's great, K! What do you want to do?
K: I want to paint the house! I will use all the colors of the rainbow. And pink.
D: Oh! Why do you want to paint the house?
K: Because I want to make it beautiful.
D: Hmm, that sounds like a lot of work. Just look at all the things we would have to take off the wall before we could paint it.
K: Oh Daddy, we don't have to paint THIS room. Your study is already very beautiful.

Anyone who has seen this room would probably call that a diplomatic assessment.

And so to bed.

A few night-time comments from RR, now 6 going on 7. Last week:

RR: [after lying quietly in bed for a while- apropos of nothing]
 It's all a big family, isn't it? If you go down, and down and down.
 So everyone is my brothers and sisters. I live in a big family!
 [turns over and goes to sleep]
Me:  !!

 Then again, this was just last night:

Me: Okay, now it's bedtime.
RR: I will go to bed only if you promise never to inconvenience me again, in any way. Pinkie promise? [wiggles little finger]
Me: So, if the house was burning down, should I wake you up, or should I not inconvenience you?
RR: Ooooh... [wide eyed worried look] Ok. No pinkie promise.

Back to School

After ignoring my suggestions for some time, last weekend RR decided she actually did want to learn how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. The first day was pretty slow and there were several crashes. The next day she made it around the block without crashing, and the following day she made it around the block without stopping. Progress! It has been quite warm this week, but now she can't wait to ride after school.

  RR: Daddy, let's go bike riding.
  D: Sweetie, it is 90 degrees outside, let's wait until it's cooler.
  RR: It is not ninety Dad now, it really isn't, look. See? It says... eight.. nine.. nine...
  D: Uh, 89.9 is still pretty close to 90, sweetie. Let's wait for it to cool off a little bit more.
  RR: Ok... (sits in front of clock / thermometer)

Coming home from school, she proudly announced that she (and her Dumbo the Elephant, as it was Stuffed Animal Day) answered the phone in her 1st grade classroom. That was her job this week. Thoughtfully, she said:

  RR: Daddy, wouldn't it be funny if there was a phone that had one button for every person in the world? It would be a huge phone!  ...It would be almost impossible to carry it.

Meanwhile, little K the 3-year old can surprise me... I was getting hungry after an hour at the "quick trip to the park" before dinner so I was trying to get her off the playground:

  D: C'mon sweetie, let's go. It's been a long time. Mommy will wonder what happened to us.
  K: Why don't you just text her?

I didn't even know she knew that word, I don't think I've ever used it at home.. it's a new generation. But on the other hand, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

  Mom: K, finish up your cereal.
  K: I can't, I have a tummy ache!
  M: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you rest over here.
  K: Ok. (settles herself on the sofa)  ...Can I have some Fruit Snacks^® ?
  M: I thought you said you had a tummyache !?
  K: No, my tummy ache is just for cereal, not for fruit snacks.

Choreography

RR has shown little interest in any kind of dance, since a brief stint in a ballet/tap/jazz class for 3/4 year olds some time ago. So we were quite surprised to see her performing vaguely ballet-like dance moves in the living room today. Even more so, when (after bumping into the table) she announced that she needed to plan out her dance and write it down, before performing it. Which she proceeded to do:

It may be more fun to imagine on your own what these hieroglyphs mean, but for the record she read this as "First you turn around a lot, then you walk on your tiptoes, do a leap, balance on one foot* and then for the grand finale, the cloud leap."  This last move needed a horizontal bar (daddy's arm would do) that she could flop over.    *(apparently an arabesque, with rear leg horizontal)

After practicing this choreography a few times, she declared that she needed to do another dance. This one involved some aerials with her sister's dolly which was later thrown toward a distant target, and something termed a "rainbow leap" at the end.  Sister K attempted to do the dance as well, although I think was distracted by the need to rescue dolly.

This and that

I was very pleased to be able to teach RR how to play tic-tac-toe, and she was briefly interested in the game. However that has since faded in favor of coloring in endless sheets of My Little Pony figures.  She also wants daddy to hold up a blanket as the stage curtain for a performance her stuffed animals put on. "And now, let the show begin!" she intones dramatically into her plastic microphone. Toddler K bops along after her big sister whenever she can. She looks over a shoulder and says "What 'choo doing?"

Bits of conversation recently overheard:

T: ...now have a good time sweetie, and do you know that I love you?
RR: Yes. [frown, concerned face]  Mom, do you know you've told me that many times already?
 ---

D.G. Remember when you helped me water the plants at my place? I had two plants, and then two more plants. How many plants were there all together?
RR: Four plants!
D.G. That's right, four plants.  I'm going to give you four dollars, so you can start saving up for that My Little Pony set you wanted.
RR: Thanks!  [pause] ...um, can you get some more plants? I think there's room for some more.
 ---

Notable Quotes

We were a little slow getting ourselves organized this morning. A bit too slow for RR, who took charge of proceedings with some definite ideas about who would do what:

 "Ok, daddy, you drive me and K to the bookstore. Mommy, you stay home, and do the dishes. And clean the house. Because... well, look at this place!"

She is also fond of suggesting rather inadvisable scenarios, and in the shocked parental silence that follows her enthusiastic proposal, she quickly follows up with "...OK? Sounds like we have a deal!"

RR on memory: "When I want to think of something, I scrunch up my eyes and squeeze my brain and then it comes to me!"

On video selection: "I want to watch Rudolph!  I don't want to watch Frosty or the Little Plumber Boy..."

When watching a "scary movie" (Beauty and the Beast): "K is too young, so I intend to have the headphones on."

New Shoes

RR has started going to a tap/ballet/gym class on Saturdays, and seems to really like it, so we went out and got ballet slippers and tap shoes for her. Her first dance shoes! Although I danced regularly for about 15 years, I never tried either tap or ballet, so it will be interesting to see how this goes.

She is quite outgoing, often asking "What's your name?" to random passers-by. Her conversation can be a bit unexpected- she mentioned that a girl in the dance class asked how old she was, and she held up four and a quarter fingers because she is 4 1/4 years old. (well, she's actually more like 4 1/3).  She is also getting better at playing with her sister, who at least sometimes appreciates the attention.

Said sister, approaching-2-years Toddler K continues to be a girl of relatively few words. She has not yet to my knowledge ever spoken her real name, but she refers to herself as "baby" or "me".  After watching a video of herself recently, she waved at the screen and said "bye-bye me".  She does make distinguishable one syllable sounds to indicate favorite foods like grapes, berries, juice, and milk. She's never said "yes" but she has a very natural and casual-sounding "yeah".  And she's pretty good on a rocking horse.

And now a few words from our girls.

RR turned 4 last month, and we mark the occasion with a few quotes from her:

 "Ok daddy, you pretend to be a person."
 (She was about to turn me into a caterpillar with her magic wand, and I guess she just wanted to start from a known state.)

 "I can't go potty now, I'm too pretty."
(She wearing a new dress and I think concerned about getting it wrinkled.)

 "No veggies. No clothes. Just toys."
(Explaining what she wants for birthday presents.)

"Today is TODAY! And the sky is sunny. That's funny!"
(While riding in the car... maybe she's been reading too much Dr. Seuss.)

 "Daddy, this house doesn't have much color. I think we should paint the walls green. Dark green, and the ceiling should be pink."
(I'm trying, but failing, to imagine what that might be like.)

Meanwhile, Toddler K has been increasing her vocabulary which now includes:
 dada, mama, deesheee (DG), [sister's name], hi, buh-bye, mo' or mah (more), ~muh (milk), up'n'down, boo!, bubba (bubble), buh (bird), bok (dog), dapa (diaper), tee (tree), mmmbah! (blowing a kiss, like 'mwah'), ahpwah (airplane), ank'ou (thank you).

Giraffe Trouble

RR has accumulated many stuffed animals. We gave Baby K a few animals for her own, and now of course those are the only ones RR wants to play with. One of them is a giraffe she calls "Mrs. Donner" (after Rudolph's mom in the Rudolph Christmas Special). Our scene this evening opens with RR reluctant to go to bed, as per usual.

Me: ...and Thomas and Percy were happy to be best friends again. The End.
RR: Daddy, can we read another book?
Me: That was two books already, sweetie, time to go to bed.
RR: ...Oh wait! Where is Mrs. Donner? I need Mrs. Donner! Where is she?
Me: Behind the the sofa where she fell off after you balanced her standing on the edge.
RR: I'll be right back, I must get her. You stay here. [rushes out]
RR: [returning with toy] ...and Mrs. Donner looked around and there were all the others and (...etc.)
Me: Time to go to bed, sweetie. [helping RR into bed]
RR: ...and Mrs. Donner turned her head all around [fiercely attempting to turn the giraffe's neck a full 360 degrees]
Me: [pulling up the covers] Night-night, sweetie. No talking now.
RR: [wailing] DADDY, Mrs. Donner's neck is bent, I want it to be straight!
Me: Sleep time now sweetie. Let her alone and maybe her neck will get straighter.
RR: Nooo, Daddy, it's all bent. I want you to fix it. You can put some tape on it.
Me: Tape is just for fixing paper sweetie. Mrs. Donner will be better tomorrow. Night night now.

RR tosses & turns, muttering. About 20 minutes later...

RR: [moans] ...Today was an awful day and I had do what D.G. wanted me to do and she left before I wanted her to and I never get do to what *I* want to do. And NOW... [sob] ...and now I have giraffe trouble.

Quotable Quotes

Here are a few recent comments from RR:

While getting ready for bed:
"Mommy, I remember something from yesterday. There was a little bubble and I was thinking it."

---

"Tomorrow I'll be a grown-up."
Context was she wants to be a grown-up and get her own money so she can buy her own toothpaste and squeeze out LOTS at a time instead of the annoyingly pea-size amount her cruel mother limits her to.

---


Having re-watched the 1964 "Rudolph" Christmas Special the night before:

"Daddy, I have an idea. You and me can be independent together. ...Independent means you are very strong. You can carry (...thoughtful pause...) fifteen toys!"

Holiday Season

Both kids have been enjoying the holidays and family visits, and we are happy to see they are starting to play with each other now (though RR still spends plenty of time with her toy trains, as well.) Without any profound summing-up coming to mind, here in the last hour of 2011, I'll just report a few vignettes from RR.

When admiring some fall colors: "I like both seasons: Fall and Christmas!"

One of the kids' presents was a songbook. I realized my rendition of "Clementine" was more effective than expected, when I saw RR was in tears after a few verses. She said several times "I'm so sad! Why 'lost and gone forever'?" She wasn't satisfied with "it's just a story" and T eventually offered that Clementine later resurfaces and lives with the narrator happily ever after (and with some additional comments about swimming lessons.) This version was accepted I think with some suspicion.

We have a large rug in the living room which mysteriously, and incessantly, gets pulled sideways and forms wrinkles. Due to its size, and number of toy bins sitting around the edges, straightening the rug is a several step process. RR surveyed my efforts with a critical eye. "What do you think, is it flat?" I asked while lifting one corner of the sofa and tugging at the rug, expecting approval. "No, there is another bump over there!" she replied, pointing at the opposite corner. This was repeated several more times as I realized I was not going to get away with any half-hearted rug-straightening jobs. Finally I pulled a minor wrinkle flat and asked once more. RR surveyed the floor and pronounced her judgment. "It is a splendid rug, daddy."

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and we wish you a Splendid New Year!

Baby K: first steps

The big news here is that Baby K is graduating into Toddler K! She started making her first, very small steps this weekend. She isn't yet 1, so I think she is earlier than her sister. RR was excited to see the first steps too.

They grow up fast these days

I recently succumbed to the inevitable, and got a smartphone. This did not escape RR's eagle eyes, who of course wanted to play with the widget. I was curious to see what she would do, so I handed it over (remember, this girl is 3 years old). I don't know if this was by chance or on purpose, but within twenty seconds or so, she had (1) unlocked the phone, (2) opened the web browser, (3) searched for popular images, and pulled one up on the screen: "Daddy, is this you?" she asked, showing me the picture. (Note, this photo bears very little resemblance to me).

"Er, no sweetie, that isn't me. I think that is some actor."
She swiped her finger across the screen and studied a few more photos. She found another one to try and turned the phone to me again. "Daddy, is this you? (Note: this photo bears NO resemblance to me!) "Um, no that photo is not me. Maybe we should look at something else..."

"I don't know, I think he looks kind of... cute." said little RR. (I'm still not sure if this whole thing was some sort of setup on her part, or not.)

Another morning at breakfast, we had this conversation:

RR: Daddy, when you were a little girl, did you go to school?
Me: Yes, when I was a little boy I went to school just like you.
RR: (sigh) I said, when you were a little *girl*, daddy. I was making a *joke*.

Sliding through Summer

I don't know how it can be August yet, what happened to Summer? We've been busy with the daily routines, and time has been slipping by- as a lack of blog posts may witness. Baby K has been busy growing, and her smile now includes two front teeth. She seems happiest when bouncing up and down. She's not quite crawling yet, but can sometimes sort of wriggle backwards. She is definitely more alert and aware of things than just a month ago and she avidly watches her big sister's every move.



Big sister RR still enjoys watching trains (both real, and the cartoony Thomas the Tank Engine), and playing with an unending stream of stuffed animals which somehow keep showing up- the chicken, for example, was a loan wheedled out of a teacher at her daycare.


Memorable moment: RR edges over to my chair at the table, saying, "Daddy I can have a bite of your sandwich? Nibble nibble?"

And even more endearing- "Daddy can you show me how to cha-cha-cha?" (Which we've tried, as she stands on my feet, but I think she mostly enjoys me just moving her around, and hasn't yet paid attention to rhythm or steps.)

Spending Money

On the occasion of RR's recent birthday, she got a card from her great-grandma with a nice note, and some money. We had not made specific plans, but it happened that RR was due for a haircut, and she announced that she now had money and would like to pay herself! We parents were quite impressed, and this also seemed quite a switch given she had been reluctant on the whole idea of the haircut (despite needing to push the hair out of her eyes every other minute). T pointed out the bright side, that she might get a balloon after the haircut- we feel that's a better choice than the lollipops they also have.

RR proudly tucked the bill into her purse, along with a few of her most important toys, and we set off for the haircut place. She sat patiently in the waiting area, and braved the actual haircut without too many fidgets. Afterwards I held her up to the counter, and she solemnly produced the money from her purse and said "I would like to buy a balloon!"

Three Years Old

Hard to believe that little RR is now Three Years Old! She had cupcakes at Preschool 1 on her birthday, and a small party with presents at home that evening, and then another party yesterday afternoon with several relatives over and more presents and a proper birthday cake. Of course, the first thing she said upon awakening today was "I want another party!"

She has been showing signs she's no longer a baby all along, of course. One of those is that she is picky about what clothing she wears, often preferring dresses, and wants several laid out for her choice and approval. She is showing an interest in puzzles, now assembling her 24-piece Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle in record time, and is becoming more helpful carrying and putting away groceries. She recently had her 3-year checkup at the doctor's office and the procedure was different- they took her blood pressure this time, checked her vision, and gave her a hospital gown to wear as she waited for the doctor to arrive. Gray and red, open in the back. She looked down at it and said, "Mommy, this dress is terrible!"

The Evening Hours

Both RR and Baby K have been showing some reluctance to go down for the night recently, requiring quite a bit more time in the transition to sleep. I was holding baby K while contemplating this task, and a perhaps a bit annoyed when T urged me outside to see something last night, but this turned out to be a quite worthwhile view of a dramatic misty moon rising through the trees.

I know you can never really capture these moments, but you have to try, so I hurried inside to get some things. So it happened, that I was squinting through the viewfinder while T explained to the quizzical neighbors bringing out their trash bins, that I was really just taking a picture of the moon while standing there in my socks with my camera and tripod and Lens Of Unusual Size, and not really trying to see into their windows. "Oh no, it's ok", they said, "you can take a picture of our house any time..."

A New House

Not-so-little-anymore RR has found a new way to enjoy the sofa. She takes all the cushions off, sometimes stacking them carefully to the side to form walls and a door, and calls it her house. As you see, it's good for bouncing in.

The Ravel'd Sleave of Care

We should not complain too much, actually, as Baby K will often sleep for 3 to 4 hours at a time. In the early weeks RR was more often 2-3 hours and that makes for a *large* difference in parental comfort, not to mention sanity.

Little RR is enjoying nightly readings of "The Night Before Christmas" and pouring through the illustrations. She pays special attention to the cats. "The cat is surprised!" she notes, pointing to the kitty on alert by the hearth as St. Nicholas bounds down the chimney. I think I would be pretty surprised too.