Birdie's Latest Conference

Typical weekend get-up.  Berenice would like to know when she can order the same ensemble.
You can't see it, but there's a pink be-hearted tulle petticoat underneath what you do see.
(Grandma Connie may recognize Clara's topmost dress as a lovely silk shell from Talbot's that she got for Julie seven or eight years ago.)  

This past week brought us Clara's "spring" parent-teacher conference with her teacher Mr. Joe. We learned that she's on track to move up to pre-K (!!!!!) at summer's end when the current pre-Kers head off the kindergarten.  We saw how vastly Clara's writing has improved--smaller and more controlled letters; how many more letters she recognizes--the lowercase g continues to be troublesome and X because how often do you meet an X?; and how many more numbers she recognizes--things fall apart after 13. We also learned that she is a rule follower and the chief rule enforcer in the room after Mr. Joe and Ms. Lindsay. Remarkably, she is still loved by her classmates. When Julie asked what Clara's favorite thing to do was, he said--and we quote--"Ohhh, we looove home living." Home living is the area where you'll find the dress-up clothes and whatever other unit-related accoutrements there might be with which to construct various imagined scenarios. Of course Birdie loves the home living area! Birdie Brigade, the girl is in and out of all her princess gear and what all as often as is practicable--and, frankly, impracticable. She also loves story time. At the end of the day, if Julie or Ted arrives to pick her up in the midst of the end-of-day story time, she will announce--not ask, mind you--that she's going to stay until the book is finished. So Our Birdie continues to unfold. We can't wait see what happens next.

Strap on your goggles, Brigade, and don't leave home without your tulle.

President's Day 2014

Little boy, big snow.

Just after Valentine's Day, when you think February can't get much better, President's Day rolls around.  Ted reports that Friday evening found Our Hero blabbing on about Barak Obama's birthday on Monday. When you are five-and-a-half, your birthday is the biggest day of the year after Christmas, so you can see how such a mind might assume that President's Day was just an extra special way of saying the President's birthday. Especially when you don't have school.

Birdie's school was also closed, and there was a big snow overnight! Julie had taken the day off and ted decided to work from home rather than slog in through the snow.  So the day held all kinds of promise. In addition to the usual running about in pajamas, underwear, princess costumes, capes, and assorted dress up clothes--just the bambini, Fans!--Julie took them to the open art studio space at Kiddywampus.* Sand art was big again (heightened glue supervision required but not always achieved) as was paint mixing to make different colors. She also took them to Starfoxes because the morning hot chocolate run had netted receipt-coupons for $1 pasteries after 2pm. Needless to say, we did some walking about in the snow which was also good times.

Happy President's Day!

*Local Fans may be interested to know that Kiddywampus is moving to a new space in Hopkins across from the Stages theater at the end of March. They will reopen there April 1. The spaces will be bigger apparently. Their current building--as well as the one next door which houses that fab design collective, Guild, and fun home store, Ciel--is being demolished. !!!!! (Must visit Guild and Ciel soon to find out where they are going.) We are sad we won't be able to walk there anymore, and tried to get excited about more parking.

Turns out, they also host MacPhail music classes there! Not on the weekends (maybe in the supposedly enormous new space?); only during the week. We saw Teacher Cheryl! Do you remember her, Fans?! Holy bonkers did she love Our Birdie. Birdie was entranced by the music class going on. She does love to get down.

Touching the top of the stop sign.

As tall as the stop sign.

From Our Hearts to Yours

Valentine's Day! We have been looking forward to it here at the Minnesota White House since December 26. It did not disappoint. The bambini received valentines from all their grandparents and, from Julie, books that were waiting for them on the table by their breakfast places: a Fancy Nancy for Clara and a Bearenstain Bears for Joe. (Well, we love books, too, after all.) Both of their classes had parties. In the midst of discussing them, Julie realized and remarked that there was a Brandon in both Joe's class and Clara's class. That's when Joe said--without missing a beat--"And you know who loves Brandon?!?! Coralee!!!" Doesn't that make your heart smile, Fans? Clara said the boys in her class love everyone, which also makes your heart smile. Go here for more moments to make your heart smile.

Happy Valentine's Day, Fans! We love you!

Watching the Olympics

#Gold

Mind Reading

Ted asked Joe tonight at dinner if he had had Spanish today, and this is what Joe said: "YES. You read my brain!!!"