Wacky Wednesday

One of Julie's favorite books when she was younger was Wacky Wednesday. In this Dr. Seuss (writing as someone else) book, a child of ambiguous (and thus perhaps appealing to all genders) gender wakes up one Wednesday to find a shoe on his wall. More wackiness ensues on each page and it is the reader's happy task to spot all the wacky things as he or she reads along. Julie thought Joe might be ready for it, though as they read, she realized that some of the wackiness is subtle (e.g. a mouse chasing a cat) or rather advanced (e.g. a poster labelled George Washington nonetheless pictures Abraham Lincoln). Those bits did go over Joe's head, but he soon enough got into the rest of it. Wherever he'd spot something wacky, he'd say (borrowing, curiously, from another Dr. Seuss book, Hop on Pop): "HOW CAN THAT BE?!?!?!" He may have been all wackity wacksters by the end. Just in time for bed!

The Bambini Take the Winter Wear | A Play in One Act

[The setting is a three-season porch in Minnesota. It is fall, and not yet terribly cold. Late morning. A brother, three (sturdy stock, curious, clearly destined to be a heartthrob) and his sister, 18 months (willowy but strong, also curious, also destined to break some hearts) find some hats. And mittens. And, a scarf. They love these things.]

Clara: Doh. OMG. Mommy has such cools threads! Did you see that purple hat she had on this morning?!

Joe (Doh): I know. That's why I never pull out Daddy's bin. Bor-ING!!!!! I mean, even Mommy's Chicago Cubbies hat is way cooler than Daddy's. Grr Cubby Bear!

Clara: Doh? Doh?! Where are yooooouuuuu?

Joe: I'm right here. Where are you?!

Clara: Hey, Doh! Check it out! I'm like a crazy winter wear Diane Keaton!!!!!

[Scene.]

Fire Fighters!

Big, big news Fans: the fire department is coming to visit Joe's class Monday! In addition to the doctor's coat, we also scored a fire fighter's coat and hat at the after Halloween sales. Joe is set to bring the get-up and his Little Critter's Fireman Joe book to school Monday. Clara has her own fire fighter's coat. Oh, you didn't know that they now come in violet fleece? Well, they did. At least, they did several years ago in the fall at Eddie Bauer.

A Star is What You Are

Pink eye, shmink eye. Nothin's gonna hold this Birdie down! Brigade, she TORE IT UP at music class this morning! Hello, Friends! Duo, duo! She clapped, she shook her fingers down, she pounded and tapped the rhythm sticks, she played peek-a-boo from under the parachute. It was a rhythm day, and "the kitchen day." Don't look too deeply for an explanation. Likely, it was "kitchen day" so that the pots and pans and food shakers that came out made sense, to say nothing of the instrument of the day: the spoons! You read that right, though, Brigade: pots and pans, and the spoons. It was not a quiet day in music class. Holy. Pots. And. Pans!!!!! At one point, our hoarding Bird had piled into Julie's lap the following:

4 sets of spoons

2 pan lids

1 bowl

1 green measuring spoon

1 lemon shaker

and

2 baby dolls*

After gathering all of these items and stacking them on Julie's lap, Clara sat herself down in said lap, right in the middle of it all. She was at her most vivacious and charming, and she was, appropriately enough, wearing her shirt with what she is on it: a star.

*Baby dolls come out no matter what the day's theme is. Again, it is wise not to look deeply for explanations.

In the Pink With Pink Eye

Look at this picture. A vision! In pink! Right?! Oh more than you know, Biridie Brigade. More than you know. Friday morning, before Julie had even reached work, she got a call from Ms. Nadine at KinderCare who told here that Clara's eye looked a little pink? And could she come and get Clara? By the time Julie got to Clara, Birdie's left eye was yes, rather pink. The Birds flocked to Raleigh House in advance of the doctor's appointment to get the official word and eye drops. Snacks were had, sheets were stripped, blankets were gathered, laundry on the hot cycle was started. After all that, it was time to get to the doctor. Despite the fact that Clara was with the pink eye, she looked in the pink, and was rather taken with, oh, everything! (Especially her new pink Crocs.) And that's when this picture was snapped.

Oh: Birdie was in fact diagnosed with pink eye.