Marshmallow Jesus and other musings.

For sunday school today, the teens lead the children. Around Easter it has become a tradition to make "Jesus in the tomb" bread. Basically, they take a Pillsbury Biscut dough piece and wrap it around a Marshmallow (Jesus) to be the tomb. When they bake it, magically the tomb is empty! Or, it's supposed to be. This didn't happen for Charlotte's biscuit. So Charlotte came over to me and said, "Jesus is still in the tomb!" I told her this is because he's always with us. This made for some other amusing comments during the lesson too. "The marshmallow is melted and gone, just like Jesus in the story!" (Actually there were several references to a melted Jesus). And another from Charlotte, "I have Jesus on my chin".

I forgot to mention this when I wrote about Bambi last time. Of course, when they are babies all the animals have little kid voices, which are normally high. When it becomes spring, they are given more grown up voices. So Charlotte says, "When they grew up, they turned into boys!" And yes, she thought they were girls when they were babies. :)

Just before St. Patrick's day, we were talking about all the different kinds of bears there are. Then Charlotte announced, "In Scottland, they say if you find a gold bear, then you are very lucky." She followed this up a few minutes later with, "They also say in Scottland that if you find a blue bear then you're not very lucky, but you're still lucky." So for those of you who are not up on your British Isles folklore, there you go.

Dealing with death in children's media.

So we got Bambi from the library. We've had the movie for a couple of years, but decided Sammy probably couldn't handle it since The Care Bears Movie freaked her out. We read the book to them. I think Emily did the first run through. They seemed to handle it, though of course were a bit upset (or confused) at the death scene, and during the fire.

Peter pulled out the DVD last night when we had Pizza. Charlotte was SO excited that we had the movie version of the book. Sammy was quite nervous, but after some prompting agreed to watch it. They enjoyed the movie, though they were a bit upset during the "traumatic" scenes. But Charlotte was under the impression that "The Men took Bambi's mommy away." So I guess she doesn't quite get death yet.

Then today we were listening to "My darlin' Clementine" in the car. She keeps telling me that it's her favorite song, which has really surprised me. Then today she announced during the song (a couple of times) "She's not really lost, she's just playing." Again, I think she doesn't get it.

Sammy I'm not sure about. She internalizes a lot, and she's never asked us about death. I think she knows that death is gone forever, but I'm not sure what she gets beyond that.

So anyway, Here's a fun picture. Baba sent some fun lollipops for Valentine's Day, and the other day Sammy tried her out.

Also, I finally finished the Vandy sweater I was knitting for Peter. Of course it's too warm for him to wear it, but I might steal it during the tournament. I am very proud of the sweater, but I don't think I'll do another adult one unless I get a knitting machine. I started it sometime last summer. I thought I might finish it for our anniversary (HA) or perhaps Christmas (HA)! I was sure I would finish it in time for the Kentucky game. Or at the very least the home game against Kentucky. But it's done now! Also, I just have to say my teeth are killing my. I have the worst sinus infection I can remember. And I always get sick on Fridays. Well, it started yesterday, but today was the first time I thought I needed antibiotics, and of course I couldn't call the doctor's office because I also have laryngitis. So I ended up driving to the Urgent Treatment center, which was remarkably quick (though I felt bad about exposing the very pregnant doctor to my germs), and I got a Z-pack (which is great because I only have to take it once a day). Now if only it would kick in. Now.

A "relaxing" breath of spring

Sunday was an amazing day. The temperature topped out above 60, and the sun was out, so Peter said, "Let's take a walk." This often is a relaxing fun thing to do, provided the girls do not argue.
Then the girls wanted to take their bikes. They really could use the exercise, so we said okay. But they hadn't been used in months, so the tires were flat. Peter couldn't find the tire pumps, so I had to stop what I was doing to find them (in the place I told Peter they were). But of course, the tire pumps are not the easiest things to use and take a while. In the meantime, Charlotte had her helmet on backward and was complaining about not having knee pads. When her helmet was turned around, it was too loose, and she wouldn't keep her head still to get it in place. So 20 minutes later we start on our walk.
Sammy still has training wheels. We live in a somewhat hilly area, so anytime she pushes off with her foot, she runs into the wheel and can't get anywhere. Also, she leans her bike so that she is resting on one of the trainers while she rides, and to balance leans her head in the other direction. It looks terribly uncomfortable. We keep telling her to sit up straight. We try to hold the bike up straight. But she just "Can't". In the mean time, Charlotte is either lagging behind, or refusing to break before running into Sammy.
Finally we decide, we're in a flat area, so let's take off the training wheels so that Sammy can learn this. (Sammy is petrified!). Of course, we didn't bring tools, so we only manage to get one wheel off by hand. Peter takes over the lesson and manages to get Sammy to go pretty well with just one wheel, but she gets nervous and puts her feet down to stop. I remind her that she can break by pedaling backwards. Charlotte hears this and decides to break every 10 feet. Of course since she's smaller and we are now going uphill, this means she can't get going on her own. So every few minutes we repeat a cycle of "come on Charlotte, let's catch up with Sammy and Daddy." (break) (assisted start) "They're getting way ahead of us!" (break) (Assisted start) (break) "Mommy they're too far away!" "Then stop breaking" (assisted start)(pedal pedal pedal) "Charlie, don't run into Sammy... Charlie, watch out for Sammy... Charlie, pedal backwards... Charlie! Peter, watch out for Charlie!".
Eventually we make it back to our street. "Okay, let's go home now." Charlie--"I don't want to go home!" So Charlie and I turn down a side street. 30 feet and three stops later she notices some birds. She wants to watch the birds. She wants to cross the street, with her bike, to get close to the birds. Sigh. Finally I convince her (or so I thought!) to go up the hill one time and then go home. But when we get back to home, Daddy has taken Sammy's other training wheel off and is helping her ride up and down the sidewalk. Charlotte wants to stay out, and I am contemplating blood pressure medicine.
Peter has taken the little bag off the front of Sammy's bike so he has a place to grip. Charlotte has to have her bag off too. (Are you sure? yes) Her bag has her water bottle in it. (Are you sure? yes) We ride to where Sammy's bag is, and pick that up, and the next time I pass the house I take both bags inside so there is less to carry. When I come back, Charlotte wants to ride up the sidewalk again, and then wants to drink out of her water bottle. Which is now in the house. Argh!
In the meantime, Sammy can make it about 50 or 60 feet on a bike without training wheels. What the heck did we do with the kick-stand?

Valentine's Day

To a kid, every holiday is special, important, and should linger until the next one. Sammy nearly fell into a deep depression when we put our Christmas things away last month. But then there was... Ground hog's Day!!!! And just as the excitement over that was waning, we were making valentine's Cards! I remember it seeming very important when I was young, so I can appreciate how the whole idea that she has to get a card for every kid in the class does not diminish the holiday for Sammy. The past few years, she has been determined to make cards for all her friends. Paper hearts, glue sticks, doilies, crayons, etc. By the eighth kid, she is burned out, but still determined. So this year I found a kit a Michael's. Foam stickers, slap sign and you're done. I got a couple to choose from so that she and Charlotte could each do their own. Sammy worked diligently and deliberately. Charlie worked with all due haste in the vein of Ruthie from the comic strip ("Good Art by Ruthie"). "Charlie, who is this one for?"
"Me"
"Okay, but these are supposed to be for your friends. Who's this one for, and it can't be you."
"Daddy"
"No, these are supposed to go to school"
"Okay, Catherine." (Four Valentines down, one friend covered)
And of course Charlie had to do the same one's Sammy was doing. So now there weren't enough for Sammy's class. We dive into the second variety. Very similar, but I soon discover, these are not stickers! Okay for Sammy, but for Charlie (who of course insists on doing some as well), this is a nightmare. She must be watched every step of the way. (And slowed down so that Sammy will have enough for her class!)
"Charlie, who is this one for?"
"Catherine"
"You already have one for Catherine."
"No I don't this is my first one!"
"You have one of the other one's for Catherine."
"I want to give her this one!"
"Okay, but the next one needs to be for a different friend."
"How about Sammy?"
"Let's look at your class list."
Of course now there aren't enough for either class. We open the third box. All items smaller than a hole punch circle, none of them stickers. This won't even do for Sammy. Back to the store. Oh look, blank heart shaped cards, suitable for ages 3 and up! and some more of the sticker bears we started with. "Sammy, you need to finish these while Charlie is napping." "OK, Mama." Ten minutes later, "Sammy did you start your valentines yet?" "No, I got distracted."
Then Charlie walks in. "I'm done with my nap! Hey, can I do some?"
So we start Charlie on variation number three.
"Who is this one for?"
"Catherine"
"You already have one for Catherine."
"No I don't! Not the heart card! Just the bear!"
"Okay, but the next one needs to be for someone else" (Charlie can write a few letters of Catherine's name, so it's useless to try to redirect).
"Who is this one for?"
"Ms. Linda"
12 Valentines. 2 teachers covered, and 3 friends with Catherine having 3.
So I pull out the traditional paper ones. I'll write the names and make sure each kid has one. Charlie sees. "I want to write the names! How do you spell Catherine?"
So Sammy went in with two different kinds of crafted Valentines, enough for each of her classmates. Charlotte went in with a paper valentine (she got tired of writing after 3) for each, and at least one of a paper heart card, a foam bear, or a bear bookmark (and in Catherine's case all three) for each classmate. Next challenge: Explain this to Peter so he can explain it to the teachers.
"Where's my snack to take into school?"
Sigh.
Sammy meanwhile has been "decorating". She really wanted to do up the house for the holiday. She had paper hearts everywhere. Including a paper chain that Charlie wanted to imitate. By bedtime on Sunday, she still wasn't done. "Valentine's day went to fast!" Yesterday one of the chains fell and Peter was going to throw it away. Then there was a discussion where Sammy wasn't done decorating and Peter thought it was time to take all the paper hearts down. I have faith in Sammy's little finger that the hearts will remain up a few more days.
Love to all!

The bread smusher

So Charlie has this place mat that has the table setting drawn on it: plate, utensils, glass, teacup, and because it is a princess place mat, a teapot. Now Charlie, love her though I do, is a very whiny child. It sometimes seems that she will find any excuse in the world to burst into tears. (tonight it was Sammy's announcement that she had pizza for lunch that started a 10 minute nerve wracking spell). The other night, she was complaining that when he set the table, Daddy had not put her cup on the picture of the cup. I could quite understand her, so I asked where he put it. "On the bread smusher!" she wailed. What in the world is a bread smusher I pondered. Charlie pointed to the teapot.
What ensued was a discussion of the use of a bread smusher. Apparently this is used for cutting bread. How, I wondered, could you cut bread with something shaped like a teapot? According to Sammy, "You have to hold it at the right angle."
So there you have it.

One of my least favorite parental duties is waiting at the bus stop. I hate standing in the cold. I hate standing in the rain. I hate listing to the complaints of all the kids about how long it is taking the bus. The time it takes for complaints to begin seems to be proportional to the temperature. At 60 degrees, about 2 minutes, at 40 degrees about 20 seconds, at 15 degrees about 1 millisecond. I also become the de facto bus stop monitor. This is interesting when I don't know everyone's names. Of course, I have no authority. The best I can do is to tattle to the bus driver. I really don't like scolding other people's kids! I also hate waiting for the bus in the afternoon. School lets out at 2:30, but the buses usually come through our neighborhood, so from about 2:20 until it's time to leave, I am in semi-panic mode every time I hear a bus thinking I have missed it! The bus has arrived anywhere from 2:37 to 2:50. I hate waiting in the house thinking I'm late, but I hate standing around the stop sign like some idiot who got lost on the way home. Plus I get bored. Sometimes I look at the mail or take a book, but I don't always remember this. Plus, it's not any more fun to wait in the cold when the sun is out than in the dark in the morning. What really bugs me is when I'm on break, I still have to go to the bus stop. No sleeping in for me. I still have to get dressed, go out in the cold and listen to the whining at 7am. Usually when Peter is on break, so is Sammy, so its not an issue for him.

Sammy is dancing around to Fur Elise. She just asked me if I thought someone could play that on the piano. This amuses me because she is playing it on our keyboard, so it would seem obvious that if it is prerecorded there, it should be played there. In any case, she is practicing to be a princess in the new movie about the princess int he wild. Know that one? Me neither!

Happy New Year!

Well, I haven't kept up with this as I had hoped. I'd like to get on a couple times a month, and more during the holidays. Guess I'll try again this year.
Christmas was wonderful. We were able to relax, spend time with family, and give gifts people seemed to like. the girls were in their first Christmas pageant! Charlie played the angel of the Lord, though she got nervous and hunkered down by me. Sammy was Mary, and loved the costume so much she didn't want to change out!

Meghan sang in the cantata again this year. As usual, the variation on Pachabel's cannon was a favorite! This was followed by Christmas cookies. Some of the newer members of the church brought some that reminded us of a cookie variation of kolach: a sweet nut filling in a flaky crescent roll type crust. She even brought more to church last Sunday!
We went to Louisville for the Christmas Eve bash, and made it to the Christmas Eve service at Church. The girls were beat! Then Emily brought her new boyfriend Jacob to our place and we all set up Aunt Julie's gift: all the trimmings for a pink butterfly bathroom! The girls were awed the next morning. Santa was good to the girls but favorite gifts came from family: Horse-opoly, a camera, books, and towels in a bag that they carry everywhere!
We drove up to Mimi's house Christmas day, and Ned brought his family over. The girls had a blast together, and were even more excited to get together at Z's the next day. Unfortunately, Charlie Dot came down with the flu. The worst part for her, I believe, was the Tamiflu. She was so mad when we missed a dose and had to give it to her the next morning. She practically threw a temper tantrum! I let her throw the bottle away when we were done, which I believe she found satisfying!

We were invited to a neighbor's house for New Year's Eve. Sammy made it to midnight, but Charlie did not. We had a blast playing board games and Wii Bowling. Fortunately, we weren't far from home, because we kept forgetting things!

Peter is back at school, and Sammy would be if it weren't for the snow. Meghan starts after MLK day,