Thunderstorm Theater

We had our first thunderstorm of the spring season last night, Fans. It rolled in right around bedtime. So Julie pulled the blind up on the window next to Birdie's bed and they settled in for "thunderstorm theater." It wasn't long before Joe padded in and all three then hollered for Ted. He came for a bit, but it was Julie and the bambini who squashed themselves together like a pile of puppies and watched the lightening flash and the rain start to fall. The lightening was also viewed through a pair of the bug eyes the Grandparents Trump gave them for Christmas. ("Do you want a bug eye?" Was a common refrain.) The bambini agreed that rain was cloud pee. (They also considered lemonade and orange juice.) They both remembered the fierce storm that swept through St. Louis Park two years ago about a month before we moved from Raleigh House, that took down trees damaged cars and houses. Clara said they were scared but Mommy got them, and they went outside in their rain boots while Daddy helped the neighbor get a tree off his car. She also  said she was maybe four, and Joe was maybe three or so. Other than that, she had it just right. And this new springtime memory felt just right, too.

True or Fazzle? It's Pronounced Cell-O

Our Hero has learned the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. One of his favorite non-fiction books is The Story of the Orchestra, which was once his Cousin Nick's. It details the history and assorted fun facts of all the instruments in the orchestra. The book includes a companion CD with snippets of music that feature that instrument.

Monday night, Julie was reading to Joe about the cello. "Cello," she announced. Joe softly said, "Cell-o," pronouncing it like it rhymed with Jell-O. He added, "There's no h." Julie chuckled and explained this was an Italian word so the letters followed different rules. She drew an analogy to Spanish.  Joe was not convinced. He believes cello is pronounced Cell-O.

At least he believes that false--as in "True or false?"--is not pronounced "fazzle," which he still nevertheless often says. But there, he would undoubtedly note, the s does indeed follow the l.

Oh Fans! True or fazzle? We can't make this stuff up?!

Brushing Cabello

That is a miniature toilet in the left-hand foreground corner, for all your miniature toileting needs.  It migrates from place to place and is often not in the dollhouse.  Hopefully, none of the dollhouse residents need it.

If our Birdie can be stubborn, it is also true that she can be very tender. Friday evening, she was brushing Julie's hair, or cabaza as she was calling it, having learned the Spanish word for hair. It is actually cabello according to the interwebs, which this reporter consulted to get the spelling of cabaza, or cabello.

After it was all done up, Julie carried Clara over to the big circle mirror by the front door and they had this exchange:

Clara: I love you, Mommy.

Julie: I love you, too, Clara.

Clara, pulling the edges of Julie's sweater around her: Mommy, you have the warmest clothes!

Julie: You have the warmest heart.

Clara: And the smartest brain!

Her Own Brain

The morning of the round-up--we think? (Dearest Readers, this uncertain timeline is what comes of tarrying in our posting.)--brought a moment that left Julie thinking, "Well if that is not Birdie to a tee. . ."


Julie is almost always the last White Houser downstairs each morning. She has been campaigning for Joe and Clara to turn off their own lights and put their pajamas in their respective hampers. So she often calls out a reminder to each to do one or both things as needed.


On this day--whichever it was--Julie called Birdie back from the stairs to say she still needed to turn off her lamp. This was met with silence and then a thump--Birdie tossing herself on the floor at the top of the stairs--where she said, "Mommy. I have my own brain!"

Julie said she knew that but that we all need reminders now and then. Class informed Julie that she did not. And the turned off her lamp.

Kindergarten Round-Up



Headed to the round-up.

Birdie Brigade, as you know, Our Birdie will head to kindergarten this fall. This past Wednesday evening was "kindergarten round-up," where the school rounds-up the incoming kindergarteners for registration. Julie couldn't find a sitter so the boys stayed home while the Birds went to the school. (Joe was actually dismayed to learn that kindergarten round-up didn't necessarily involve him, but was mollified by the promise of getting to watch an episode of This Old House with Ted.)

Kindergarten round-up is an overwhelming scene that begins in the cafeteria, so Clara stuck pretty close to Julie as they made their way from station to station. Birdie does better in new situations when she has plenty of time to get her bearings. Knowing this, the Birds arrived as the festivities began at 6pm, leaving them plenty of time to explore after running the cafeteria gauntlet and before Clara went to one of the kindergarten rooms and Julie sat through Principal Johnson's presentation in the gym.

Clara's teacher assignment will be mailed shortly before school begins in September, but at the round-up, she spent time in Mrs. Hanson's room. The Birds found it before Clara flew solo by matching the string from which Clara's name tag hung to the balloons by the door. She saw Joe's Mrs. Dvorak, too!

When the time came for her to line up in the gym and follow Mrs. Hanson, she hoped right up, lined up, and walked out with nary a backward glance. Julie cried at the PTSO video again and then kindergarten round-up was a wrap! She found Birdie in Mrs. Hanson's room where she was wondering where the candy was. That Joe had said would be there. You know, Joe. Her worldly big brother. Who knows everything. Certainly more than a parent. Puh-leeese.

Which is why the Birds ended up wandering the halls a bit when they should have been walking home. Clara flung herself down on the floor when Julie gently questioned the veracity of Joe's council regarding candy distribution at the round-up and if Julie has learned anything about Birdie it is that you can't tell her anything. Especially when she is tired. She will go her own way and figure it out as she does thank you very much.

After a loop or two, Clara was ready to admit that there was no candy to be had. She bowed her head and said, basically, "I was told there would be candy." Then she said, "Can we go home now?" and the tired Birds walked home where Birdie regaled Ted and Joe with tales of all she did and went to sleep in her class of 2028 tee-shirt (a new addition to the round-up!).