March 2018

Ms. Thanthirege has been sharing some pictures from earlier in the year.  I don't know how old this photo is but you seem so young in it.  I also can't remember the last time you wore that shirt so I know it isn't recent.

I love this picture of your class having library time outside.

To celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, you got to dress up like a favorite character for school.  Cutest Sneetch I know.

Daddy has been working on a project for Disney that has been requiring him to go to LA for a lot of in-person meetings.  When you were feeling a little down about this, I decided to treat you after school with a visit to Yogurtland.

We've been taking your bike to the park for you to practice on the walking path and you have been doing really great.  Though to be honest I think you mostly just like it because it means you will get to play on the playground at some point.

Our ceramic creations from Old Town Artisan Studios.  Mine is a yarn bowl and yours is a genie bottle (that happens to look a lot like a candlestick).  😉

You wanted to make slime one day and you were determined that you knew the recipe from when you made it at school.  I was pretty sure the ingredients were a little off but you seemed so confident that I wanted to just let you give it a try and see what happened.  It was WAY to runny and made a giant mess but that's okay.  I convinced you to let me add some cornstarch to thicken things up a little and you played in it anyway, mess notwithstanding.

New addition at the children's museum.  Giant Lite Brite!

Playing veterinarian.

The museum's changing exhibit is currently all about building things.  We were pretty proud of this ramp system.

A few pictures from your performance for Grandparents & Special Friends Day.

Like your Daddy, you're always easy to pick out in a crowd.

New matching jammies for you and Tolay from Aunt Brandee's family!

And a giant flamingo from Uncle Matt & Rene'!

You got a good scare when this flipped you over into the water on your first try, but you love it anyway.

Reading to your imaginary friends.  It made my heart smile when I found you this way.

St. Patrick's Day celebration at school.

You received this fishing game for your birthday, just like one that I had when I was a child.

Family visit to the zoo.

Oh hello Mr. Meerkat.

I bought some wipe off markers for work recently that I agreed to share with you, which means your easel has made a big comeback.

Teaching your imaginary class to write DOOM.  You can thank Daddy for teaching you that word.  For 3 days you wrote DOOM on everything.  I don't think you have any idea what it means, it's just the only word you know how to spell other than your name.  I suggested maybe we could learn a few other words that you would be able to spell, just to mix it up a bit.

Painting your newest fairy garden from Uncle Skylur's family.

You told me, "I'm going to put on another code of paint."  (instead of coat)

Egg hunt at school.

Charlotte, Kinley, Yas, Radmira, Darshan, Dezmend, Totti, Autumn, Savannah, Dior, Soleman, and Kenneth.

(Full disclosure:  I zoomed in on this picture to read the names on the buckets in order to tell the twins apart when I listed the names above.  That's using my noggin.)

Here are the snacks the room parents made for your classes.

Yogurt popsicle and your new swimsuit from Alessandra!

First time camping on the new grass!

Dying eggs with the saddest face because you didn't listen when I told you I was getting things ready and then realized you missed out on all the prep.

This month you love to pretend you are a cat, which really just consists of crawling around saying "meow."

Grandma Norma has you hooked on graham flakes (bran flakes).

I've heard you talk more than once about signs plates on cars (license plates).

You write your lowercase Y's backwards, with the long part going left to right.  I could correct you, but I love this and I know it won't last long so I am going to relish it while I can. 

You love to play The Rooting Game with Daddy.  As far as I can tell this just means you lay on the couch together and try to get in "the good spot" (the inside) by rooting the other person out of the way.

Finally, I am going to get all political here for a moment so if anyone reading doesn't want to hear it, stop right now.

On opening day for softball and baseball I noticed a few police officers standing by the entrance and I thought, "oh that's nice that they're here."  Then immediately, "oh, that's so sad that they feel the need to be here."  Their police cars were parked conspicuously by the front gate in a way that I have no doubt was intentional.

Only a few days later you asked me one day, "what should we do for a lock down if we are at home?"  This single sentence momentarily ripped my heart in two.  After taking a long, deep breath we talked a little about what a lock down drill is for and what your class did to practice at school.  We talked about what some options are if a bad guy comes in our house and you haven't asked about it again.  But I haven't forgotten.

Following another mass school shooting, a group of high schoolers in Florida have started a nationwide revolution about gun control.  This time something feels different.  It feels like this time we could be on the cusp of actual change.  I'm sure it won't happen as quickly as it should, but with any luck by the time your children are old enough to go to school you won't have to worry about the possibility that something terrible could happen while they are there.