Sheep-y

The other morning, in the midst of the upstairs morning milieu, Joe asked to read a book on the bed. Julie said she couldn't read him a book just then, but that she would put him up on the bed and he could look at one. He readily agreed (not your everyday occurrence right now, we might add) and asked for the furry dog book*. The second page of this book features a pink poodle with a fluffy tail. Joe "read": "That's not my puppy, it's tail is too. . .", and here he hesitated before deciding upon: "sheep-y." Sheep-y, fluffy. . .It must be acknowledged that this particular tail does look rather sheep-y.

But this same week, on the way home, Joe pointed out some goose [sic]. Julie said, "Some geese!" and Joe repeated "geese." Time was, not so long ago, the geese were "geeses." So even though the goal is to master such English language trickery, it still made Julie's heart catch a bit.

*That's Not My Puppy. . .

Congested Birdie Shines On

On Friday, Ms. Shelby called Julie to say that Clara had a "temperature" (of 99.7). Clara's been congested for a little over two weeks now (Shelby had called earlier in the week to say that Clara was "wheezing" during a nap!), so Julie decided to make an appointment to take her in--less for the "fever," and more for the wet-sounding breathing. Our beloved Dr. Harrington was on vacation, so we saw a different Dr. H. He listened to Clara and said she sounded like a smoker! Oh, but Our Bird was at her most sparkly! No flies on her! Antibiotics?! Who needs antibiotics?! So this other Dr. H showed us how to cup a hand and give her some firm swaps on the back with it to loosen up all the gunk, and we'll see. We were in and out in less than 15 minutes, which meant we had time to take the Bird (and the Boo) on a spin around the neighborhood in the sunshine.

Also on Friday, there was a fire drill at school. We are told that Clara clapped her hands at the fanfare and festivities. Yes for safety! Can't you just see it?

Bee-Bopping Birdie

Now Bird Brigade, as you know, Our Bird is just so chock full of sunshine she can barely contain it all. On Thursday, we arrived at daycare to find Miss Shelby already spinning the Taylor Swift tunes. (Miss Shelby is from Texas and so also loves her some country music.) Julie set Clara Jane down on the floor and popped off her hat and hoodie, and Clara Jane immediately--immediately!--started bee-bopping her little head and threw her arms up in the air and waved them around. We know there are some among our readership that are not country music fans, but it was pretty gosh durn cute.

Morning Books with Clara Jane

We have been meaning to report that Clara Jane knows the word "book." We know, because in the morning, she sits right up, and after a quick pull up to the knees at the headboard, plops herself back down and tucks herself in against Julie, and when Julie says to her, "Are you ready for books?" she looks at them piled on the nightstand, and away we go. Here, you can see her gnashing away on Pat the Bunny.* (The Easter Bunny may be brining her a new copy in her Easter basket.)

We can also report that Clara Jane said "all done," Thursday evening, as she was signing it, as well, when she was all done with dinner. Just once, but it was clear as a bell.

*Here you can also see her sporting her sea creatures pjs, which are Julie and Ted's favorite. (Julie really likes Baby Bird in a purple, aqua, or a navy.)

No Books

We're all smiles here*, but it was a touch-and-go, fraught night. It is, perhaps, enough to say that tonight, Julie and Joe did not read books before Joe went to bed. It was just one of those nights where words fail (and failed--quite literally and all the way around) and by bath time, we had one little boy, naked and sprawled on the bath mat, crying, and two parents trying valiantly to ignore him until he had stopped, one of them hoping desperately he would do so quickly so she wouldn't have to make good on what she'd said earlier--i.e. if we didn't get this bath rolling soon because Joe was on the floor crying, we wouldn't have time to read books. But you know, when you're two and a half and someone hasn't done the bath toys just so (among other things), it can take some time to pull one's self together, and by the time Our Hero had, it was well past bedtime. He began to pitch a fresh fit when Julie said we didn't have time to read books tonight, but then, rather suddenly, he just stopped. Julie asked him to hold her hand and walk to bed, and he did, and that was that. He fell asleep pretty quickly and no wonder after all that crying, and a bonk on his head from the mean old bathroom floor during the start of the temper tantrum in the bathroom. Julie of course started crying as soon as she'd shut the door behind her. Reading with Joe at night, and Clara in the morning, are two of the very best pieces of her day. Lately, Joe has been all about the Olivia books--especially Olivia and the Missing Toy--and Julie sort of loves Olivia, too. The two and a half year old in Julie's heart is in pieces, bawling on the bath mat.

*When Julie got Joe out of the bath, she told Joe he looked like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Joe solemnly told her no. So she said, "Joe-b Wan Kenobi?" to which Joe solemnly replied, "I'm Joe Ekkers." Julie said it was a good thing as that meant he was her son that she loved very much! And then she hoisted him up without managing to bonk anyone's anything on anything in the smallest room in the house, and get Neaky from his perch on top of the toilet, and then there the three of us were in the mirror and Julie said, "Isn't that a picture," and we decided to get Ted to take one.