A New Milestone

Sometimes, when you don't have a small child anymore and you know people that do, you feel a little left out.
There is always some milestone for parents with small children. A new tooth or the first lost tooth or their first taste of real food or their first steps or their first time to go to the potty or their first time to sleep through the night, etc.
This isn't a complaint because we've experienced all those too.
But when your child gets older, the milestones get farther apart. But there are milestones; maybe not very typical but still really important.
Bigger kid milestones:
Doesn't cry anymore when you leave her at preschool/school
Can reach the kitchen faucet
Can pour their own drink
Doesn't need a sippy cup*
Can play outside without constant parental supervision and OCD alertness for danger
Doesn't cry when they get a shot
Finally has all their immunizations
Will actually request that their nails be trimmed
Can multiply
Will request to download a song on the iPod
Wants to practice texting

I *starred* the sippy cup comment because I was cruising the grocery store the other day and walked past the baby/kid stuff aisle. And I thought how I don't have to go down this aisle anymore, and it kind of made me feel sad. I remember when I had to go down this aisle all the time because I always needed more sippy cup inserts.

Abbie reached a new milestone this past week. A leetle late. She can now ride a bike all on her own without training wheels or any help or support of any kind. She's semi-pro.

This is practically an engraved announcement milestone for her.

We're so proud of Abbie, and she is so proud of herself.

Vampires & Second-Wife-Search Update

Paul has finally decided to read the Twilight series. So far, he and I agree on all the things that bug us about the books.

As we were briefly discussing the books, he mentioned that it doesn't make sense that vampires are supposed to be cold (or very, very cold). His reasoning is that even a chair will be room temperature, plus they are clothed, and they might have some circulation going on (we're not sure about that one though). Makes complete sense to me.

Then we agreed that it doesn't make sense that vampires are supposed to be hard or like stone. Our reasoning is rock solid. Sorry about the pun!

And we agreed that Anne Rice has done vampires the best - in our opinion. We might have to write our own vampire book to prove our genius about vampire physiology.

Remember this post? Well, I did go right out to the grocery store. And I've cooked twice since that post (I'm not even going to tell the gourmet things I made so no one will be jealous). And we've interviewed a Miss Bell and a Miss Brown for the job of second wife (as in Taco Bell and Cootie Browns).

Complaint Dept

If you have any complaints, post them here. I've got a good one (I think).

Another post about ballet - mainly b/c I'm there a lot lately. Abbie's ballet company has two teachers - those are really the only 2 people that run the place. There is a non-profit section to the company (so they can get grants), and there is a board for that, but I never hear or see anyone or anything about the board.
With the teachers being busy teaching, there is no one to do all the other things that need to be done so they use A LOT of volunteers. I think certain parents (maybe this is where board members come into play) take turns cleaning the place each week, and 9 times out of 10, the place is a mess and dirty. The bulletin boards are jammed, and no one cleans them off, but new things do get added.
There is a hand written sign (one of the teachers probably got one of the ballerinas to write it) on the door that warns you that tuition is due by the 10th of the month or there is an additional fee. They are big on timely payments.
Yesterday, a mom was suddenly asked to create a sign up sheet for the reception after the recital. She didn't know what items to suggest people to bring, she didn't know how many to expect to feed, she had to keep going back to ask for details from the teacher. She had to find scrap paper to create a sign up sheet. She and another mom also made a sign about the next few practice days - where and when they are - because there was no consensus between the teachers and all the other parents were operating on different info.

But here is my complaint!!!!

I spend all this time taking Abbie to ballet (we blow an hour each week before class starts then she is there for an hour and a half). And I pay the tuition (on time!) and buy the requisite black leotards and pink, non-shiny tights and real ballet shoes. I take her to the extra Saturday practices for the recital (the extra classes and dress rehearsals add up to lots of hours). I pay the recital fee for the costume that is specially made. They've even added an extra dress rehearsal this year (so there will be two dress rehearsals) so we'll be at that too. The night of the recital, she has to be there an hour before the show begins. She will arrive with a button down shirt so that it is easy to remove so she can put on her costume. Her hair will be in a perfect ballet bun - no hairs sticking out anywhere. And she will have makeup on (a modest amount in a color they specify - I already have it all packed and ready to go). And I will be dressed in a nice skirt and top, Paul will be dressed nice, and we will surprise Abbie with a bouquet of flowers after the performance. And we may even have guests coming to watch her perform. And I will arrive with a veggie tray and plate of cookies that I volunteered to bring for the reception afterwards. I do all this for Abbie.

The kicker is - if the teachers have their way - I won't get to see the performance. They might need me to volunteer to take tickets, or stay downstairs with the girls (chaperone) until they get called to perform, or get the food & drinks ready for the reception. They have other moms who go around with headsets and clipboards (kind of like a backstage manager). Some moms are needed at the sides of the stage. Some jobs won't take much time, but they mostly need chaperones, and if you do that (which I admit is important), you don't get to see the show at all. I did it one year so I know.

Now the ballet classes aren't for me, but I think the payoff is getting to see your child perform. If they ask me to volunteer and I decline, I will be viewed as a "non-team player." Blech!

Abbie Still Lives Here

Some people (hopefully) may wonder why my blog is hardly ever about Abbie. Maybe Lorrie just likes to write about herself or cats? Not true.

Abbie still lives here. She's still sweet and snuggly and an animal lover and cute!

Here's what she's been up to: school (a given), homework (another given, but she has struggled this year - a post for another day), playing with the cats, riding her scooter, reading (a lot), playing Poptropica - an online game, asking when we can go to the animal shelter again, not watching much TV, whistling (I have to tell her to quit whistling at night so she will go to sleep), speaking with a French accent, and being sweet.

She likes to read books about animals - cats, dogs, foxes, manatees, you-name-it. She is currently reading a book about a fox named Rusty who gets caught in barbed wire.

And she likes to eat candy with Paul - they always have a stash somewhere.

She also likes to make elaborate snacks. I don't even think I could describe it, but she puts a lot of thought and variety in it.

Eating - she is such a great eater! I read an article in a parenting magazine that said you just have to keep serving healthy food to your kids, 0ver and over, and one day, they will eat it. They finally get used to seeing it. And the advice was that you shouldn't make them separate meals when they won't eat what you've cooked. That sounded like a lot of common sense to Paul and me so that's what we've done. In the past, when she wouldn't eat much of her meal, we said, "that's okay, we'll put it in the frig for later if you get hungry." WORKS! Whatever I cook (when I do cook), we put a little on her plate of everything available. She never makes a face and never declares "yuck" or "I'm not eating that." She doesn't always like what I make, and that's okay. We don't make her eat stuff she doesn't like, but she does have to try it. And we never make her clean her plate. But I can't say we've been good influences about drink choices, but I do find that she likes water more than she did. I guess I'm bragging about her eating habits b/c my own eating habits sucked for a looonngg time!

She has also developed an interest in climbing trees. She gets a chance every time we go to my mom's house. There is an apple tree there that is perfect for climbing.

Today, her class had a kickball competition with the second graders. They play them again tomorrow. I like cheering for her and watching her run the bases.

School is almost out - yippee!

Paul Says, Part 3

Paul has been doing several (very much, a lot, a whole lot) projects around the house. He is very good at electrical work - wiring and putting in new lights. Doesn't interest me at all. My friend, Leslie, told me that she recently installed a new light fixture and that it was easy - you just match up the colors of the wires. Still not interested - mainly because I'd have to go in the garage and figure out which switch to flip to turn off the power. I just don't wanna do it, but I do clean toilets without a lot of complaining, and I'm good at it.

Back to Paul.

Paul has also gotten really good at plumbing work. He installed a brand new sink in the master bath (new sink top, new cabinet, and new faucets). Then I discovered that the sink downstairs was leaking so he had to fix that before our open house last Sunday. He says, "I've learned a few things about plumbing. When you think you've wrapped the teflon tape around the pipe enough, you need to go ahead and wrap it about ten more times." He's had to learn that the hard way.

Yesterday, he also said that he needs a second wife - one that cooks. I said, "amen!" Then I said, "where is she going to sleep?"

Luckily, he gave a good response. I was the only one thinking of the naughty thing he could have said.

Guess I'm going to the grocery store today!