car gymnastics

These are from sometime earlier this month.

my kind of evening

When we went to the grocery store tonight, around 6:30, E was commenting that lights were on in restaurants, stores, and "car stations" and that "people are going places" (or something like that). That made me remember, "Oh yeah, it's Friday night. People go out on Friday nights." But I can't tell you how happy I am to be here at home, in my pajamas, listening to "Riverwalk Jazz" on WFDD, drinking a hot beverage and celebrating the oncoming weekend by myself. E is still awake but in bed and it won't be long til she's sawing logs.

I'm feeling better but this illness has really had me up and down. Today it was a sinus headache that mysteriously subsided around 4 pm. E is recovered except for the usual lingering drainage. She makes some horrible noises that seem absurd coming from such a petite little face!

Here's a recent E quote for you:

Reluctantly getting ready for bed after playing princess, she protests, "But I'm still in true love!"

my little nursemaid

Last night I was sick for 6 or 7 hours or so, and with David still out of town I had to rely on E for company and assistance. She did well. She was eager to fetch me things (water, a container to throw up in!) and put blankets on me. I felt too cold to get off the couch, despite 3 blankets. I must have had a fever but I didn't bother to check it because I didn't want to get out from under the blankets and the thermometer wasn't in a place E could reach. I remembered feeling a bit "tickly" behind my nose and eyes on Thursday, but otherwise thought I was doing fine. I didn't have a sore throat, so I didn't think it was the flu, but I keep hearing different things from people about flu symptoms and I guess there's no real way to know except to go in and have a test. E was coughing and sneezing on Friday, but never had a fever so I didn't think she had the flu. She didn't have nausea either. Maybe we had two different illnesses.

In return for playing nursemaid E was able to scrounge for food on her own (I did manage to feed her dinner first, but this was just fun for her), and stay up late. She was quiet in her room for a long time and when I finally mustered the strength to yell, "What are you doing?" she came in looking all pleased with herself. She had got out all of her pull-up diapers (which she wears at night) and all of her underwear, and put on about 10 layers over her clothes - alternating pull-ups and underwear. She was shaped like an ant with a hard round abdomen! Must have taken a lot of effort. I don't remember what I said when I saw her, but I must have deflated her a bit because I remember her saying, "I thought it was funny."

When I was able to get up for a few minutes I put on Barbie in The Nutcracker and she watched all of it and then eventually fell asleep on the couch with me. I had a fitful night but she slept well and woke up sometime after nine. I took her to preschool and went to work for a couple hours. I felt fine, just tired.

preschool halloween party

Yesterday E was coughing and sneezing all over the place and just looked really sick, so I kept her home. With all the flu going around that's what I was expecting, but she never got a fever, so we went on to the preschool's party in the evening. She was Pepper Princess again. Here she is in a hurry to get some cake:

Striking a pose, same one as last time. She deliberately looks dreamily away - I guess that's something she's picked up from her princess sticker book or something, all that princess posing!

Below she's sitting next to the daycare director who's leading some Halloween songs. E didn't want to sing, she just wanted to write in her little notepad and (here) on her hands.

In her little notepad she wrote a very nice capital 'E'. She knows how to spell her name and recognizes it when she sees it.

a pained looking Cinderella

I bought E a Cinderella electric toothbrush in a weak moment, and now (well, it's just Day 2) she LOVES to brush her teeth. That was always the biggest battle of the day. Maybe it will be worth it.

recent dance class pics

the pepper princess

E's Halloween costume idea started with a Mardi Gras chili pepper necklace I got at a party. She put it on her head like a crown and called herself a pepper princess. Now most of the necklace is hidden behind her hands. She was very proud of this costume, which we created together. We poked little fake peppers through a red ribbon and I twisted bigger ones around her gold crown. The Cinderella dress and gloves were what she preferred over my idea of a red skirt and top -- after all, a princess doesn't wear just anything! And the tutu was a last-minute brainstorm of hers too.




These pictures were taken at the Children's Museum's annual fundraiser this past Saturday night. David was in the robot costume.

family weekend

David's in Fayetteville painting snow for White Christmas. E and I went to Raleigh Saturday for dinner during Uncle Calvin's visit. We surprised my dad by celebrating his birthday 3 weeks in advance. These are just a few of the pictures.

how to make mad scientist goggles

My second cousin has a great blog, though we don't really know each other. She's apparently really into Halloween and has been posting about it.

http://bexkern.com/blog/2009/10/02/becoming-a-mad-scientist-step-1/

songs

E learned that ball game song, and many others, at her preschool. I had no idea she knew that one or had been hearing it until she just sang the whole thing out of the blue one day. She wouldn't do it again on camera. Felecia got her to sing it for her once, and then David bribed her to do it on camera the other night by saying he'd read an extra page in her Disney book!

Her teacher said that they've started including singing-along in the things they give rewards for, as a part of "following directions". For a long time, it was only the teachers singing. The kids loved the entertainment, but they weren't participating. Now that they get a "leaf" on the reward tree for singing along, they're starting to learn the words to the songs.

root root root for the home team

(there's one gesture you can't see - counting 1, 2, 3 strikes on her fingers)

The prize goes to David for bribing this performance out of her!

more E funnies

1. Out of the blue suddenly singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- all the words, with gusto and hand gestures!

2. In a little miss teacher tone, saying, "Mommy, I want you to focus on me. Focus on me."

3. Explaining why she didn't sleep at naptime: "There was too much wakeness in my head" (Grandma said she could relate!)

looks like candy eggs

Anyone know what this plant is? It's growing on a tree stump in our yard.

pretending to be asleep in her big girl bed