Family News

We started Annie with the kids while I was folding clothes last week.
I turned it off after the “We Got Annie!” song, because I was growing more and more convinced now isn’t the right age for that movie.   But it was a terrific up-beat ending for their introduction to the movie, and the girls [...]

I went and auditioned last night for a play I know next to nothing about.
It felt a bit like an ethical quandary, truly:
Is showing up like an eBay bid, where if you “win” (are selected) you are bound to follow through and roll with whatever’s given you?
I resist being bound, but understand the thinking that [...]

Melody: I was playing with the cat!
Me: Was he enjoying it as much as you?
Melody [slowly]: NnnooooYeah!

I have this game I bought a couple years ago to use for the storytelling class I was developing at the time.
Looking for something new to do with the girls (I’m experimenting with letting Melody skip naps) I pulled it out and tried on the fly to see if I could adapt it to their [...]

But we’re on the way better.
On top of the general yuckiness we all feel, Melody seems to be in that rough transitional stage between keeping naps and leaving them behind.
This morning Melody desolved over something and wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.  I found her bubbling in her room and scooped her up, pretending she [...]

This morning I heard Melody singing something weird and I discouraged it.
What did you just say?
She could tell I didn’t like it and gave me her ‘coy’ face, which at the moment meant,  I can tell you didn’t like that, but I thought it was cool.
“It’s only a song,” she said, trying to put me [...]

You don’t have to “win” the argument to be right: it’s like Natasha wigging out because Melody says the sky is green: just say it’s blue and move on.
End of the year note: The tables definately turn. Natasha knows how to push Melody’s buttons in just the same way.  I use the same line no [...]

Suzuki.
Not really sure why other than I like knowing exactly what to do, and it comes highly recommended by several people whose experience I trust. Almost more than my misgivings.
It could be very expensive; we’re still figuring that part out. But the instruments at least (might) be taken care of.
This all began, seriously, [...]

Background: I’d just brought the kids in from playing outside (before they wanted to), and even hot chocolate didn’t quite counter the blow.
“Coco!” is definitely an established word for Elisha now, though.
Natasha to Melody [bossy, not frightened]:
No! You can’t go outside without a grown-up. There are people who will come into the yard. [...]

Melody’s fever seemed to break last night, but she’s still coughing and emotional/clingy today, along with other symptoms.
Elisha has a low fever and isn’t keeping anything down.  We keep feeding and watering him “against orders” because Jay figures if the boy’s going to be throwing-up anyway we might as well make it less painful.
This is [...]