Light, Love, and Peace

Tonight after the Birds had read books, Clara turned to Julie and said, "Peace."  At first, Julie wasn't sure if she'd heard Clara right--because Birdie was holding up four fingers.  A tutorial on this bit of 60s counterculture followed and Birdie's got it, sort of.  She at least now know that one throws up two fingers in a V when tossing out a "peace."  Actually getting her fingers in that position is another story.

One never has to worry about sit-ins or protests after announcing to Clara that her bedtime has arrived.  She hops right down from wherever books were read, and makes the rounds: hugs Joe, hugs Ted, hugs Berenice.  Her hugs are often leans with her cheek pressed up against the hugee, if you will.  Tonight, she also hugged the cupcake kitchen.  She wished the bucket that has taken up residence by the cupcake kitchen goodnight, as well as the cupcakes which right now happen to be in the bucket, and "Nicey's toy."  Our Birdie has always had a lot of light and love in her heart.

Peace out.

A Boy And His Kite

During quiet time today Joe and Ted were doing some fall cleanup and putting up Christmas lights on the house.  While working on the lights Joe discovered some packing material and decided it would be perfect for making a kite.  He was so sure that he pleaded to go back inside to make his kite.  Joe got himself into his chair, requested four pieces of paper and some tape, and put Ted to work taping his paper into a big rectangle.  He was then able to use the packing material as the kite string (also secured properly by Ted), and decorate it with his markers.  Once outside with his kite he stood there and asked Ted how to get it "up by the clouds" and wondered if it wasn't windy enough.  Longtime readers may remember his big kite flying adventure from the summer, so this was a bit of a letdown.  But no sooner had Ted told him he could run around the yard and the kite would fly behind him then he was off running like a fool happy as can be.

Look Out Jennifers

Beals, Grey. . . All the Jennifers that danced in 80s teen classics.

(Warm) Saturday at the Park

On our way in the wagon

It was unseasonably warm here yesterday in Minnesota--like go-to-the-park-without-your-coat-in-November warm.  And that is exactly what we did, along with the rest of our neighborhood.  Here are Julie, Joe, and Clara playing the monster game in which the plays run around the the baseball diamond, the monster trying to catch the others and tickling them when he or she does.

Clara with after-nap ponies

Ready, Set. . .

Yesterday morning, we took Joe to his state-mandated kindergarten screening.  He had his vision and hearing checked and then he played a bunch of games with Nurse Chris: built things with blocks, told her about various objects she presented, did some analogies, matched some things, drew some things, and hopped around.  We learned he favor his dominant right foot for one-footed hopping, and that stick figure people do not necessarily have arms, but they do have (prominent) belly buttons.  He was still congested from this cold which may have impacted the results of his hearing screen so we have to take him back to repeat it.  But Fans, the Great State of Minnesota, represented by Nurse Chris, say he's ready to go to kindergarten.

Our Hero tries to take over in the driver's seat before heading into the screening.