Bargain Shopping

My daughters both said they wanted to play basketball. I ended up as the coach of their team. At this moment, I am telling this from a coach's perspective. Neither of them has much talent for the sport, mostly because they haven't had much exposure to it. (Mom mode: There are too many other things for kids to learn besides sports!) Inwe takes coaching well. Larien? She takes any tips on how to improve her athletic ability as an insult. While she could swat a ball away, she didn't understand anything else in a way that could be useful in a game.

Now, I'm mom again.

Larien complained about it to our friend T, who offered to help her with basketball in exchange for study time for the college courses T is taking. Larien accepted. We hit a bump in the road when Larien freaked out about too much going on in her life. In an unlikely change of opinion, I told her she could stop playing basketball. After some hemming and hawing, she agreed that it would be best to not play the sport. I'd had another girl added to my team, which meant that I could afford to lose a player.

Tonight, Larien asked T if she needed help studying for a test. Being the nice young woman that she is, T said she could and made a statement kind of like, "That's what we agreed upon. I would help you with basketball, and you'd help me with my classes."

"Except, you don't have to help me anymore. You should just buy me Reese's peanut butter cups for my help."

Someone in the room asked (honestly, I don't know who said this, because the place was packed with family), "Larien, do you think you're smarter than T?"

"Well--," she put her finger to her mouth as she thought of a response, "I'm probably smarter than she was when she was in first grade."

Those Commercials!

Larien felt poorly last night, but not so much that we worried. We knew T could handle it, so we left for dinner out, which is a complete necessity after I coach my girls basketball team. I get amped up that making me walk a few blocks in order to eat saves me from indigestion. 

While we walked, we remembered that we hadn't given Larien medicine. I texted T. She sent me this account.

"Advil? I can't take Advil!!!!!"

"Why not, Larien?"

"BECAUSE! I heard on a TV commercial that if you take Advil you could suffer from DEATH!"

I'll have to coach T to call it ibuprofen next time.

The family that stargazes together

gets to see Jupiter and three of its 61 moons. Larien could have looked at the stars for much longer, but the wind got to her.

Late night request

"Moooooommmmm. Mooooooommmmmm."

I heard the plaintive cry from Larien's room. She should have been asleep. She met me halfway down the stairs. I asked her what she needed. I assumed she'd beg for a drink or a snack. She already knew she could leave her light on to read.

"Where's my multiplication table?"

I'd introduced it to her a few days earlier to help her with some math problems. "It's in your notebook."

"You mean my binder," she said with her eyes rolled up in her head. My inability to call her school things by the proper term annoys her. She stomped off to get the slip of paper from her bag.

"Why do you need this right now?"

"I need to do more math, Mom, right now."

I'm so proud of my nerd.

By the trains

We visited the Celebration Under the Oaks at City Park last night. This photo is taken at the large model train display. The conductor stopped the two trains so I could get a photo. See the splotch of red on the right side? That's one of the trains.

Tugging with White Dragon: A study in Stills

From Movies

Reading with Larien and Art with Inwe

In all my ups and downs with teaching Inwe to read, I learned that you can't make a kid into a reader. You can teach them to read and give them a love of stories. I'm sure many would disagree with me, but as much as I might try, Inwe only reads the books she gets at school. She never picks up a book at home with the intent of reading it for entertainment.

This is not true of Larien. At bedtime, if she isn't sleepy, we leave the light on for her so she can peruse her stack of books. The ones she likes to read are non fiction books about weather, planets, and animals. She doesn't mind the fictional tales, though. Her default is always the nature books.

Recently, she has wanted to read to us at bedtime. Two nights ago, I picked up The Cat in the Hat. She told me that the foot book was easier. I suggested that she try the first page. She made it through those few sentences and surprised me by having the desire to read all of the story. I had to help her on a few words, but after a while she recognized even those. She read part of it again last night. The reason she didn't finish it was because I fell asleep. My Larien is a reader.

My Inwe is the creator. I bought, at Larien's request, a spin art machine. At $10, the price was right and I remember doing some spin art as a child. Larien, Finwe, and I spent some time making some art. When Inwe came home, she took over and not in a bad way. She took my suggestions and tweaked them to make her own unique style. I could see her working on ideas as she added paint and glitter. Her creations topped ours.

Tricks, Treats, and Writing

I know I should be writing more about the kids and what we have been doing lately. With Halloween so close, there has been much to do. We carved pumpkins with friends visiting. Thankfully, Aunt Maverick was with us to help out. There was one puppy, two ghouls, a creepy face, and one scary face carved. If we had had candles, the day would have been perfect as we lit the jack o'lanterns that evening. Oh, well. We'll get some by tomorrow night for sure.

Finwe's class at preschool had a pumpkin decorating day with faux trick or treating. One of the handouts was a whoopee cushion. There are only three boys in his class, and each one of them had to sit on the cushion three times. At home, I inflated that thing so many times that I nearly passed out from lack of oxygen. He adores it. Farting and pooping are big deals for this boy. (insert eye roll)

This is the pumpkin he decorated, mostly without my help. It's an untouched up photo, but with two kids home ill today, that's all you are going to get.

At the party, the assistant director painted their faces. Finwe began completely upright. The more she drew on his face the more he leaned to the left. He also played in the pile of hay. He threw it at me, too. I picked straw from my hair and shirt for about four hours.

On our way home we walked with another of the little boys in his class and that child's grandparents. The boys greeted each other like this, "Hey there, butthead." I'm not kidding. They repeated this greeting with some embellishments for the next two blocks. The grandmother and I agreed that ignoring it might make it go away sooner. I'm rethinking that idea.

The "butthead" walk reminded me of my daughters at this age, who would come home crying if someone called them something as innocuous as "dress-wearer."

Because I didn't get a photo of the middle one

A backlog of stories

I've been lax writing about the children. Please accept my apologies. Also, don't expect it to get better, because I have discovered with three days completely to myself I have lots and lots to do. That gets in the way of writing about the kids.

The picture above portrays all three doing their favorite activity and their newly discovered playplace--the library. I'm not unhappy about the expanded play area as when Finwe is home with just me, he sits beside the desk playing with legos, train tracks, or colors. I can accomplish a few things using the computer while he still gets attention. Nice. Not so nice when we have to pick up the teeny tiny blocks so that I don't step on them with my perpetually bare feet. I'll learn, though.

All of the kids love building with the smaller blocks. We've had a set of the larger Lego blocks since Inwe reached the age of 1. They still use the big ones, too. I suspect one day I'll buy a set of K'nex with an entire rollercoaster ringing the desk.

Inwe's Wall

Inwe went through a phase of coloring peace signs and turning every animal I printed from the computer into a peace-nik. At the end of it all, she pasted them onto part of her wall. My favorite is the sign in the upper right hand corner. It's so elaborate and of her making.

Zoobilation

Tonight, the Audubon Zoo presented a member night, with crafts, music, special animal shows, demonstrations, and a discount on all food and merchandise in the place. We took the kids and had an enjoyable three hours.

Near the entrance were zoo employees and volunteers holding different animals, from birds to reptiles. The kids touched snakes, a pretty large lizard, and a tortoise that was doing his best to walk all over the zoo. Grant was a tortoise on a mission to explore or hide or escape from the children. Finwe asked if he could touch the birds, but the keeper declined saying that these particular birds like to taste little boys. The bird did lean towards Finwe, so we kept walking to see the elephant show.

I always have a difficult time with large animals at a zoo, but what I heard from one of the handlers encouraged me. Each day (and I think evening) the pachyderms get a romp around the zoo grounds. They walk the entire zoo and get to play in a yard meant especially for them. The kids also got to pet one of the elephants, although Inwe must not have been feeling well. She got supremely scared so much that she screeched.

We also watched the komodo dragon eat beef hearts and the white alligator get some chicken. There's a white snapping turtle that had a snack in front of us. We ate dinner at the Cypress Knee cafe, which specializes in Cajun food. As we listened to Zydeco, we ate a good dinner of seafood gumbo and red beans and rice. After eating, we danced to a few songs before taking the train back to the entrance.

The evening ended too early for Finwe, but I think it was just right.

Genuine Smile

My sister worked through lunch so she could leave early to help celebrate Larien's birthday. We took in a movie and met our cousins, Good4Water and BabyA, at a pizza place. After, we revealed her presents that made it to Madison with us. That made three. The others await us in NOLA. We can return tomorrow, but we will wait until our power is restored. Or, it will be Sunday--the day before school begins again.

Five Years and Counting

Dear Larien,

We decided to have another child when your father’s health improved. In a way, you are the embodiment of hope and belief that life would return to normal.

Well, my dear girl, your idea of normal challenged us as parents, particularly at night. You clung to me, never really wanting to arms of your dad, which we viewed as alright as your sister decided that your dad helped her best. Oh, we loved you during the day, your giggles, your smiles, your large brown eyes sparkled.

Then night would arrive. For a reason we never discovered, you woke angry. No matter what we tried, you wailed. We are pretty sure the connection you forged with Molly, the super old Golden Retriever of indeterminate age, happened on the floor of the sunroom as she waited for you to exhaust yourself. Most mornings your dad or I would wake near you (yes, dear, we slept on the floor as well) as you slumbered next to her warm body. You still ask for that snaggle-toothed dog. I think you will always want a Golden Retriever because of the patience she showed you for over a year.

By your second year you grew out of those night wakings. You learned how to pout, but you also figured out I was all yours with your sister at pre-school. We gained a pretty good understanding of each other just as your brother made his way into the world. You took his addition pretty well, as you had only ever known life with another kid in the family.

I was so proud when you knew to use the potty at two and a half. That blip that happened that May, well, let’s just ignore that. None of us fared well that summer. Still, you dealt with my deep sadness the best. Your age helped you. So much you couldn’t remember, until Molly said goodbye to this world. Oh, those tears of yours were so real for that sweet dog. You did transfer your affections and penchant for using a dog belly as a pillow to the White Dragon. I think you made her a better dog because of it.

By the age of three, you found a love for preschool and gymnastics. You tried to swim on your own, pretty successfully. Honestly, I enjoyed watching you fall in love with a teacher, running to her in the mornings. Three was a good year for you, Larien. A really good year. You scaled back on the pouts and rewarded everyone with as much love as you could muster. There was that one time that I had to stay at summer camp for nap when you told the ladies that you “didn’t believe in naps.” Again, I’ll ignore that. I adored that. You know yourself and what you will and won’t do.

I wish I could say four was a good age, but in some ways it wasn’t. That is when you truly became the child of night and day, capable of quite a bit but willing to only do so much. Your dad and I called you the child of Kobayashi Maru. Watch Wrath of Kahn when you’re older. You’ll get it and agree with us.

Perhaps you sensed the upheaval soon to happen. We thought that you would make the transition from Charlottesville to New Orleans well, that Inwe would be the problematic child. You surprised us by withdrawing into yourself around others. The bubbly personality got lost. Mardi Gras helped you find it. You loved the jubilant atmosphere with all the neighbors offering you food, cups, and whatever throws they thought you might want. Your teachers told us that they didn’t recognize you the next week. I noticed the change, too. I think, one day, you’ll love New Orleans. You might become one of those people who never want to leave.

I don’t like to say that I cannot believe that you are five years of age. Yet, it is true. My mind keeps you at the age of four. Perhaps I see all of my children growing at an accelerated rate, and I’ve picked you, my snuggliest one, to remain young. In truth, juxtaposed with Inwe, you act younger than she did at the age of five. That’s alright, Larien. Youth passes all too quickly.

I adore you, my middle child. I love your yin and yang. I love that you take this disruption of your special day in stride. Instead of focusing on the loss of a pool party with friends, you embrace being able to snuggle with your aunt. Do you know how mature that is?

So, my daughter of light and dark, my child that changes the parameters, you are loved. We’ll get that party rescheduled. In the meantime, enjoy the movie, the dinner with family, and the presents I brought with us from New Orleans. You’ll have more in our undamaged house once we find our way back. You are worth the extra work.

Happy Birthday.

Love,

Mommy

Larien is 5

In exile, waiting to go home, but five years of age. When I have time I will write more about my enigma, my lovely, lovely enigma.

Excitement for School (and even naps)

For whatever reason, Finwe went to school on Friday, but not on Monday. I know the reason, but egads it's a bad idea to have 1/2 the class come for one day and the other 1/2 come the next day, then mix them on the day in the far future. For the kids that got to go on Monday, that's not so bad. For Finwe, someone help me! He wants to go to school. He sagged on the way home from dropping the girls at school on Monday. Today, he's chomping at the bit just to go somewhere. He settled for the farmers' market.

Larien attends school every day, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays she'll only be going half day. My plan was to reduce the stress of the nap. When I told her this morning, she exclaimed, "But I have to be there for rest, because if I'm the best rester I get to rest in the lady bug sleeping bag."

Umm, didn't see that coming.

First Day of School: Larien

"Mom, can we leave now?"

With a less than three minute walk to school, my answer was not yet.

"Are you sure?"

I caved. We walked to school early.

As we entered the building, Larien told me that she knew the location of her classroom. I don't know how she did, but she went to the correct place. When the teacher asked her how are you, she responded, "Great. How are you?"

No worries for that one today.

Play dough dragon

Last week, the kids requested red ("Really red, Mommy. Like, squeeze the entire tube of food coloring in it.") and yellow play dough. We made some.

Inwe and Larien collaborated on this dragon. Inwe constructed the body, complete with horn and breastplates. Larien scultped the tail. they added wings later, but those ruined the sculpture for me. I like the land dragon.

Hands of Time

Oh, those last few weeks of summer vacation have crept ever so slowly. I can tell that the kids are eager for school. Inwe asked to wear her McGehee uniform today, which I refused. She'll wear it all year. The real problem is that she had no clothes that she wanted to wear.

Larien keeps asking to do more reading lessons than her brain can handle. The more complex words require more attention and coaching on my part. By the end of the story, she's excited to discover something new, but she doesn't last long. We stop at one lesson now. She received a letter from her teachers that contained a drawing of a ladybug, the class mascot. She colored it and only needs to write a sentence about a ladybug on the sheet of paper. These will be put in the classroom on the first day.

Finwe knows that he'll start school, too. I asked him what he'll like about school. He replied so quickly that I suspect he's been thinking about it. "Other boys." Methinks he's weary of the overbearing, controlling sisters?

One of the reasons the kids are ready for organized learning is that they've only had one organized summer camp, which was only two hours focused on music appreciation. This is more about how I spent summers than any financial restraints. My summer camps were always only a week at most and only for the mornings. We played at home and on the beach and in the park. Summer camp? Ick! That resembled school way too much. While I liked school immensely, summer meant time for renewal of that excitement, not time away from mom and dad.

At the camp the kids did attend, they also did art. Two of the projects I enjoyed so much that I'm displaying them in the front of the house, a watercolor painting of flowers in a vase and these hand prints mounted on canvas frames.

Ignore That

The kids played outside yesterday morning as New Orleans got some blow by winds of TS Eduardo making the normally hot and humid city windy and not so humid. My kids have gotten good at using water as a play item, much like I did when I was a child. The backyard had two hoses and three spigots (why we need that many water spigots? Ask another of the house's owners.), which is awesome when three children all want access to the water.

I, however, had something very important to do inside that probably had something to do with paying bills or blowing all the snot out of my nose. As I said, of the upmost importance. As I watch them out of the windows, I rap to tell them stop that or just make them bring down the squirting a bit. Mrs. H doesn't need that much water in her yard.

Larien comes in the back door to ask for a squirt bottle. I give it to her. As she leaves, she says, "Just ignore all the yelling. It's only us having fun."