Be free, have fun, ask why">

I made smoothies and Riesling made the eggs almost all by herself.  Cashel is getting a pretty good handle on the toast too.  Joe only provided minimal assistance.  Now I know what was going on while I was sleeping in…the kids were learning to cook!

I finished yesterday’s blog and the kids and Joe watched some old videos.  Riesling and Cashel played with the little village again.  Later they were running from room to room chasing each other, laughing.

Cashel had parachute man by his side all day.

They took the yogurt containers and built a wall to keep me in the bedroom.

After lunch we went and got Riesling’s ballet classmate, Hannah B., and went to Nutcracker rehearsal for The Land of the Sweets.  The children sat on the floor playing while they waited for their turn to practice their parts.  Many of them played rock, paper, scissors…shoot!  Riesling joined in, even though she had never played before.  The games then turned to ring around the rosy and London bridge.

Then an adult plopped a bunch of long pipe cleaners in the middle of them.  They twisted and tied them into candy canes.  Riesling made hers into cat ears, with the help of another girl.

Hannah B. went in for her part.  Riesling and the few kids that were left tried to lift each other off the ground and showed each other how they could jump and bend.

Cashel napped through the dull roar.  When he awoke, he and parachute man joined in the contests.

After rehearsal, we dropped Hannah B. off and went home.

I got the kids a bath.  They spit water on each other the entire time.

The kids and Joe played Twister Hopscotch and I got dinner.  I made turkey salad sandwiches.  Cashel swiped his off his plate and took a bite before I got it to the table and appeared to really like it.  I put it back on his plate and put it and him at the table.  While the rest of us inhaled our food, Cashel complained that he wanted bread and that he didn’t like “yucky stuff” (referring to the turkey salad).  Finally I put the sandwich over by Riesling and Cashel grabbed it and started eating it.  Joe teasingly said that he was going to eat the sandwich if Cashel didn’t.  Cashel picked the sandwich up and cocked it back over his head and I said please set the sandwich down gentle and he threw it across the table, hitting me in the side of my head.  My oh so supportive husband attempted to stifle his laughter with I picked celery out of my hair.

Joe cleaned up after dinner and they watched another old video or two.  Something about when Riesling first learned to wink after she ate a lemon.

I snuggled up with Cashel and read Ten Apples up on Top by Theo LeSieg (Dr. Seuss) and The Sneetches and What Was I Scared Of? by Dr Seuss.  I also read Owl Moon by June Yolen and a couple of captions from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary.

He took nearly an hour to go to sleep (with parachute man), thanks to his afternoon nap.

Meanwhile, Joe played with Riesling.  When Cashel was nearly out, I could hear them doing rock, paper, scissors.  When I was able to join them, Riesling had the game down pat.  Riesling and I played Chess and Battleship.  Joe did some puzzles and then “social networked”.

Finally it was nearly 10 and Riesling’s bedtime for the coming week had arrived.  Since she will be in rehearsal every night until around 9 and then on stage until 9:30 or so on Friday or Saturday, we thought it would be good to try to move her sleep schedule so that she is used to staying up late on the nights of the performances.  I hope it works so that she is well rested.

Joe got up with the kids and made their smoothies so that I could sleep until about 9.  I was grateful.  They said they watched some more old videos of Daddy and Uncle Ryan acting silly!

We resumed our quest to get the tree decorated.  Cashel thought that a Christmas kaleidoscope was really interesting.

Riesling danced and posed while Cashel played with a train and an airplane ornament for quite some time, zooming and flying them about and around.  Then he sat down and clinked together 4 porcelain snowmen ornaments for amusement.  I had been trying to get his snowman sweater on him and took this opportunity to sneak it over his head and pajama top while showing him that the snowman on his sweater looked like the ornaments.  His parachute man was at his side through out his adventures.

Riesling took the tree skirt and decided it was a cape.  She danced around while Cashel ball ornaments to the tails of the kitty cat ornaments.

There was a knock at our door.  It was mail delivery with a belated birthday gift from Aunt Beth, Uncle Joe, Colleen and Joseph.  Riesling opened the box with her safety scissors and unwrapped her gift.  Cashel really really really wanted to help her.  I tried to gently restrain, tickle and distract him. One of the gifts was Twister Hopscotch.  They began to set that up, but didn’t quite make it to playing a game.

When the tree was finally done we ate a very late lunch which lasted through snack time.  Of course there was a dining table science project.  Joe whipped together  a squash seed “Operation” game.  The objective was to take the sterilized tweezers and pick up a squash seed from the aluminum foil, with out touching the foil.  If contact was made with the foil, the buzzer would sound!  Riesling recognized that a complete circuit was made when the foil was touched.  Joe then demonstrated how this didn’t work if you put the seeds on a paper towel.

While I made little frozen blobs of kale/mustard greens for their smoothies, the kids played with the miniature porcelain Christmas village.  Their imaginations were on full speed ahead as they made believe all kinds of scenarios.

Riesling sat and looked at her picture Bible for a long time.

Then they decided to put together a wall with our quart yogurt containers, effectively blocking the end of the hall from all intruders.

After dinner and a special snowman ice cream treat, compliments of Joe, it was the usual bedtime routine. I read Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg (Dr Suess) and Clifford’s Happy Mother’s Day by Norman Bridwell.

It was late and they passed out, Riesling snug in her bed and Cashel with parachute man (which I removed from his little grasp as soon as I could).

This morning was more of the same.  The kids each at 2 waffles in addition to their smoothies.  Then they decided to watch Bob the Builder: Pets in a  Pickle and The Magic School Bus Gets Energized.  My Little Pony Lady Bug Jamboree was up next.  Riesling and Cashel got out some of their musical instruments and played along.

The theme of musical instruments continued through out the day.  Cashel carried around a metal recorder and a plastic violin bough all day long, reminding me that one was his sword and one was his light saber.  He would occasionally squeeze both of them into one hand so that he could pick up his “hitter” (my wooden spoon) as well.  I was grateful that he didn’t hit Riesling with any of the mentioned items.

Cashel kept attempting to hijack the belt that closes my pink bathrobe…again.  I had just retrieved it from behind Riesling’s toy box last night.  I was happy that I had kept it in it’s place when I hung my robe up in the closet.  Hours later I found the belt on the floor in another part of the house.

The kids marveled at the huge snowflakes that fell before lunch.  Riesling told Cashel all about how it was frozen rain falling from the clouds.

The kids sat on my lap and looked at e-cards from Joe’s Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob  Jacquie Lawson’s on the computer for at least 40 minutes. They both practiced navigating with the mouse using the touch pad on my computer.  We also played Square Pairs, which is an object recognition game.

(So I can’t remember what happened for the rest of the day because Cashel woke up as I was blogging on Tuesday and I had to lay down with him.  He didn’t do so well on the next two days either.  It’s now Friday and I’m waaaayyyy behind…I’ll see when he wakes up tonight to determine whether I can get anything done.)

I do remember that Cashel snuggled up with the violin bough and quickly fell asleep….for a while.

Cashel and I got up and left a sleeping Riesling in the bed.  She joined us in the kitchen a few minutes later.  They both ate frozen bananas while I made their liquid breakfasts.

They changed into their first costumes of the day and danced to some Christmas music.

Then they got out some Easter baskets and spread the grass far and wide.  Once emptied the baskets were used for a picnic.

After the picnic, Riesling requested some chalk.  They used it to draw on 2 chalk boards.  Actually, Cashel laid the chalk down on the board and made a “jail”.  Riesling drew spirals and a completely discernible rocket ship.  All this ended with Cashel trying to make all of the chalk shorter.  I managed to pardon some pieces and he voluntarily put them in a box for safe keeping for next time.

Despite our thermostat being set at 65 degrees, the children still run around in next to nothing.  I reminded them that their bodies are more susceptible to germs when they are cold and if Riesling was sick next week she would not be performing on stage in The Nutcracker.  She put on some clothes.  Cashel kept asking me to snuggle him up to keep him warm.   Finally I convinced him to put his PJs back on.

And so our day went.

Riesling and Cashel got out the playdough and enjoyed rolling and cutting out shapes.

Suddenly Riesling felt the need to get down and gyrate to some techno. (Benny Benassi)

I got some lunch together and was excited that Cashel ate almost a whole avocado while Riesling ate leftover stirfry.

Then we made dark chocolate chip cookies with whole-grain organic spelt flour and molasses to sweeten.  The kids decided to divide up the ingredients, one group for each of them to put into the bowls.  Once they were in done measuring and dumping the ingredients, they left me to mix and put the dough onto the cookie sheet by the teaspoonful.

Meanwhile, they sat on the floor next to the kitchen with the magnetic letters and numbers.  Riesling patiently showed each letter to Cashel and asked him or told him what it was.  Then she tried to get him to match it up to the corresponding letter on a magnetic board.

The cookies turn out great!  Riesling and I ate at least 2 batches of the bite size treats (that’s 40 cookies!).  I tried to express as gently as I could that she could have as many as she would like, but she needed to make herself stop before she got sick, because eventually, that is exactly what would happen.  Thankfully she did stop before she barfed.

When the cookies were done, the kids decided that they wanted to “do my hair”.  They brushed, styled and barretted until Joe got home and then it was his turn

Joe and the kids played hide and seek, doctor and some other games until dinner.

Directly after dinner, Riesling ran and got my make up and her lipstick that is reserved for on stage performances and applied it all herself.

I got the kids their bath and read them 102 Dalmations by Disney and Tonka’s Working Hard with the Mighty Cranes by Justine Korman.  Cashel got his drink of water and Riesling found her way to her bed.

We’ll see what they decide to accomplish tomorrow

Since I slept until nearly 10AM I will tell you what I was told happened this morning.

Well, I know that Riesling and Cashel were up before 7 and waited patiently for the magic numbers to appear on the clock.  Joe got up with them.  Then I hear that he made them (and me) a smoothie.  They helped him make eggs and toast with jam.  After eating was done, Lego playing began and continued past when I woke up.

Riesling and Cashel both built jails and Joe worked on his rubber band launcher through out the day until it was nearly dinner time.

For lunch we had a picnic in the living room while we ate our leftover beef stir fry.  We would be Joe, Riesling and I.  Cashel was so glued to Toy Story that he didn’t take one bite.  When the movie was over, they all popped some corn only after carefully measuring its temperature and weight.  They watched Bob the Builder: Pets in a Pickle. Cashel did eat lots of popcorn.  When the bottom of the bowl was in view, the unpopped kernels were counted and recorded near the temp and weight in the lab book.  This continued the ongoing experiment to determine which kind of popcorn is best and what temperature is best for it to be popped at.

After the TV was off, both kids donned Christmas dresses and danced around the living room.

Then they played sword fighting and also did some non-play fighting.

When Joe was finally ready to quit his Lego marathon, he played with the kids and their dollies.  Cashel did his best with Dressy Bessy and her many fasteners and Riesling made sure all dollies were dressed for the chilly evening.

Joe also decided to take apart one of their fire trucks to see how it works.  Riesling correctly told him what she thought would be inside to make each of the parts work.  Cashel liked playing with the screws.

For dinner we all sat down to a Harmony Chicken Soup.  Cashel really liked the beans, chicken and carrots.  Riesling seemed like she really enjoyed it and ate quite a bit.  Joe and I had to force ourselves to stop eating!

The second they were done, I hustled everyone toward the bathroom to wash up and then to get pjs on.  I quickly read Cashel a tractor board book and Bunny’s House by Ronne Randall.  He fell asleep in less than a minute after climbing into bed.

I came out and Joe and Riesling were putzing around with the dismantled fire engine.  Joe remarked about how fast Cashel went to sleep and I remarked that they were exhausted.  He rapidly got Riesling into her bed and sang her some stories for a quick goodnight.

The kids woke up a little before 7 so we had the countdown until it was time for me to joyfully make their breakfast.  While I did, they watched Bob the Builder: Pets in a Pickle and Riesling starring in The Very Hungry Caterpillar when she was 3!

They played with the Firestation and then we drove to EMU to visit their recycling facility.  The kids really wanted to get out and run around on the tiny bit of grass in front of our van.  We saw Leyland there by chance.  It was 33 degrees out and he didn’t have a coat on.  He said that he was cold and wished he had put it on when he got out of the car.  The babysitter stated that she had suggested that he do so, but he didn’t want to.  The babysitter took off her sweatshirt and wrapped him in it and carried him back to the car.  We also went back in the van because the kids were cold.

Soon after many of the other Funschoolers arrived.  We went in and Jonathan talked about what’s recycled and how and showed us the bicycles that had trailers attached that are ridden around to gather the recycling.  Riesling seemed mildly interested, Cashel not so much.  They ran around quite a bit with Murphy.  He’d hold his hands out with thumbs up and index fingers out at Riesling and she would reach for the sky! The other kids seemed quite interested and Clint asked quite a few questions regarding how recycling happens.

When we were done, Alice went and picked up the Funschool newspaper and then met Janell and I at Harrisonburg Children’s Museum.  There Cashel played with Murphy for a bit at the garden and market with Alice.  Riesling and I played doctor and looked at the x-rays to find one of a hand and a leg, which Riesling determined were broken.  After bandaging me up and Riesling played with Clint.  He patiently tried to show her how to use some remote control trucks enclosed behind some plexiglass.

Cashel then began playing with the marble runs intermingled with an occasional putt with the provided golf club.

Then we all ended up at the Little Grill for lunch.  I really enjoyed talking with Janell about food and nutrition.  Riesling and Cashel decided that they wanted to sit at the other table with Alice, Clint and Murphy.  So I set them up and they ate their lunches without to much commotion.  When they and Murphy were done, they all got out Mr Potato Head and spread him out on the table.  Lilly joined them and the played and played.

Riesling decided to spend her $2 on a giant chocolate chop cookie, which she then shared with Cashel.

When we got home, they immediately inflated the Fire Station.  Then they asked me to play ABC Bingo.  I suggested that we play inside the Station.  Cashel played calmly for a while and then decided he’d had enough and began to turn on and off the blower so that the Fire Station would collapse around Riesling and I.  This was still managaeable.  However, then when he tried to walk on top of the deflated Station, it messed up the game pieces.  So Riesling and I tried escaping out the side and letting Cashel know that we would be going into her room if he didn’t want to not mess up the game that we wanted to play.  He got upset.  After a few iterations of this, we all tried to work it out.  We didn’t end up getting things resolved because Joe came home  and their focus was diverted.

Joe played with them and they did some dancing.  While I got ready for a freeze your buttooti off in 26 degrees, felt like 13, Mom’s Night Out, Joe gave the kids their dinner and then a bath.

When I got home he said that they had all fallen asleep in our bed watching this color changing ball that Joe picked up at the Goodwill.

Directly after smoothies, we all sat down and watched Toy Story.  The kids really really liked it.  At the end Cashel did a cute little dance.  All day long there were quotes from the movie thrown around and of course I still can’t get “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” out of my head

Cashel decided to cut the yellow feather’s off of a feather duster.  At first he put them into a baggie that I gave him.  Riesling reused some to make a “Native American” (all her spontaneaous idea).  Then Cashel insisted on putting them in the trash and got completely upset when I tried to take them out. 

While I vacuumed, Riesling lined up the chairs and they played train with herself as the engineer and Cashel as the caboose and her beloved doll Alex as their passenger.  She had “directions” on a piece of paper that she kept referring to as they chugged along.

During lunch, Cashel began relentlessly asking if he could go outside.  I let him know that as soon as I had finished my lunch I would help him get ready.  So minutes later, when I was done, I pulled down all sorts of mittens, hats and the like to keep them warm on the frozen tundra of VA Cashel already had Riesling’s boots on but gave them to her when I got his out.  She got herself dressed and I let Cashel know that I would help him get dressed and he informed me that he wasn’t going outside!  So poor Riesling headed out by herself.  I went to the window to watch her and gave a play by play of what she was doing.  As soon as I mentioned that she was going down the slide in her snow pants (we don’t have any snow, it’s just darn cold) he said that he would like to go out.  By the time I had him mostly dressed lonely Riesling had her face pressed against the glass, waiting for some company.  Cashel joined his sister for a short frolick around the yard.

When they came in, they selected some lemon tea to warm them up.

For the rest of the afternoon, they were at the front windows watching for the delivery truck that would contain their Fire Station.  They had voluntarily picked up their toys and they were ready!

It finally arrived around 4. 

Riesling got the scissors and helped me open the package.  It inflated, quickly taking up our whole entire living room.  It was HUGE!  The kids ran around in circles in and out of all the doors and some of the windows.  At one point they decided to collapse the thing, knocking over the blower.  I let them know that if the blower was tipped over, it might malfunction and break or possibly start a fire.  They chose to be much more careful.

They (especially Riesling) really wanted me to play with them in it.  So I sat in it while they ran around, but that was all I did.  Joe was still at work and he is usually fully engaged in some sort of activity with them by this time in the afternoon.  I just wasn’t there for them   I believe that because of my choice, Riesling’s comments regarding not liking the Fire Station and wishing she would have bought something else followed.  I will be a better Mother tomorrow, no matter how much I feel like I need a break. Is there an emoticon for guilt?

I fed the kids and got their bath.  Joe came home as I was beginning to brush their teeth.  He bid them a good night and I read them The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and 102 Dalmations by Disney.  Joe sang Riesling some songs and it was quickly off to dream land for our little sweeties.

Cashel awoke at 5:34 AM this morning asking for his smoothie.  I know it was 5:34 because I took him out and showed him the clock on the microwave and let him know that smoothie making would begin at 7:00 and no earlier.  He said that he wanted the pink cup…right now!  I got the pink cup and its corresponding top out of the dishwasher, dried it off and handed it to my son.  I put him down in our bed and he snuggled up and informed me that he was hiding the cup under the covers so that “DD” wouldn’t get it.

The next thing I knew, Riesling was telling me that it was 7:00 and that I should get up and and make smoothies.  We snuck out of the room with the pink cup in hand.  Riesling watched The Magic School Bus: Getting Energized and said that she wouldn’t watch TV while Cashel was watching what he missed.  I had her smoothie made and was just about to pour his when I heard him hollering and crying from the bedroom about his pink cup.  I let him know that I was putting his smoothie in it and he was all better.  He joined Riesling on the couch and they watched Fetch! The Mystery of the Missing Thing in the Haunted Castle.  Cashel says he likes to watch “scary” stuff and requests it, but then ends up hiding under a pillow or comes running and tries to climb up me!  Cashel wanted to watch more Fetch! Don’t Put the Kart before the Sea Lion about Go-Kart racing and sea lion training.  Riesling made an effort not to watch the show, but it was hard for her.

Cashel got a hold of my umbrella that I didn’t put out of his reach and wouldn’t give it back.  Since reasoning with him wasn’t working and instead of taking it from him (what kind of example would that have set?) I let him know that if he wanted my umbrella that he could have it for $7.  He said, “Ok,” and I showed him how many days on the calendar that he wouldn’t have a dollar and he said, “Ok.”  He dragged that umbrella all over the house all day.

For together time Riesling and Cashel decided that they wanted to paint their toe and finger nails.  I set them up in the bathroom and helped them with all the various paints and to wipe up the spills.  Riesling painted each toe a different color and all her fingers one conservative tone of light brown.  Cashel also painted each toe a different color, but painted only the fingers on his left and and must have put at least 7 coats of separate colors on his middle finger!  I blew dried their paint, cleaned up and then we dance to the sound track of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.

I made french toast pb&j with their left over sandwiches from yesterday.  They chowed down.  Then I read 102 Dalmatians by Disney and another book.

A milestone: Cashel can now reach the light switches without a stool!

They played doctor for a while and then decided that they would stand on the back of the couch and jump off.  I asked them to please put their coats and boots on and go outside if they would like to jump off of things.  They really didn’t like that idea so I suggested that they pile all the couch pillows up in the middle of the room and jump off of them.  That was a hit.  They created more variations of this than I thought possible!

Joe came home and they all played with Legos while I made dinner.  Joe and Riesling went to the video store and came back with Toy Story.  I read Cashel 102 Dalmatians and Star Wars: A New Hope by Ken Steacy while they were gone and 102 Dalmatians again when they returned.

After dinner Riesling announced that she was going to spend the $3 she had saved up and buy 2 servings of ice cream and a piece of chocolate.  Cashel stated that he no longer wanted the umbrella.  I decided that I would buy it back so he would have a dollar to spend.

As soon as they were done with their treats, they got washed up and I read them the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and 102 Dalmatians for the last time today

Joe got the kids their smoothies and I got them their clothes and Riesling, Cashel and I headed out the door.  It was our turn to drive so we went to get Hannah (5) and hurried to ballet class at Ballet Extension in Bridgewater. While we were there Cashel insisted that I help him with a 500 piece puzzle that had been started.

After class, I took all 3 kids with me to get a mammogram.  Yes, a mammogram.  I wasn’t sure if it would be possible, but I was the only patient at RMH Women’s Health Focus so the receptionist decided that the children would be alright.  After the 3 Musketeers each got a tiny paper cup full of water from the water cooler, we proceeded down the hall to a room.  There the nurse asked me some breast questions and instructed me to remove my clothing from the waist up and put on gownish type top with the snaps in front.  As soon as she left, Hannah asked what they were going to do to me.  I explained that they were going to look for cancer in my breasts.  She asked, “What’s cancer?”  I told her that it was a disease that makes people very very sick and that it usually happens when folks get older…er hrm…like me.  She seemed fine with all that and I turned around and slipped into my exam top.  We quickly proceeded to the mammogram room, which had a little waiting room, directly outside.  The kids each chose a seat and I went in to get my boobs smooshed.

A little OT here:  It wasn’t bad at all!  The RN did say she had 28 years of experience so that might count for something.  I’ll tell you what–it was much more pleasant than a pap-smear.  Back on topic.

I peaked out at the kids in between breasts and were glad to see that they weren’t tearing up the place.  When the Nurse was done, I put my exam top back on and went out to the waiting room.  Hannah immediately showed me a modest photo in a magazine of a woman getting a mammogram.  I was really excited that they could see how the machine worked and what I had done.  I had seen that a digital image of my breast was on a screen as I left the exam room and I asked the RN if I could show the kids. She said that the images weren’t allowed to be shown to anyone.   Oh good grief!

I got Riesling, Cashel and Hannah into the van and buckled up and we went to Martin’s.  While we were in the van, I gave them each $2 (Riesling and Cashel didn’t spend their $1 yesterday.)  I let them know that we were going to the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market after this so if they spent their money here, there wouldn’t have any left for some popcorn that they like to buy.  We raced through the store, literally, and made it through with all three of them retaining their $2.

We stepped out of the store and into a monsoon.  We didn’t have an umbrella or our rain coats because I didn’t think the weather would turn that ugly in the very short time that we were inside.  We all ran to the car holding hands and the cart.  I bustled the kids into the van, threw my groceries in and jumped in myself.  My face and glasses were sopping wet and my hair was all crazy.  I turned around and looked at all of them and said, “Whoo HOO, it’s monsoon season!”  Hannah burst out laughing and said, “You look funny, Gleamer.”  I got a couple of giggles from my two.  I straightened my self up the best I could, gave my kids their sandwiches and Hannah her prepacked lunch and drove to downtown Harrisonburg.

The rain had subsided considerably by the time we got to our next destination.  As we pulled up next to the Farmers and their stands, I spotted Emilia from Shenandoah Valley Community School.  Her Dad was talking to Sarah and her husband.  Riesling was really excited and she and Emelia gave each other a huge hug.  Sarah seemed in a hurry, said a quick hello and she and her husband went on their way.  Emilia’s Mom and I chatted about The Nutcracker and they asked me to get tickets for their family.  Meanwhile, all the kids were running around laughing.  I suddenly realized I had a little person’s hand in mine and looked down to see Hannah.  I asked her if she was doing alright, and let her know that she could go play if she wanted to.  She stood by my side for a minute or so and then was suddenly in the midst of a game of ring around the rosy.  Emilia’s little sister, Kahutia, wiped out so Tiffani went to tend to her.  I said my “see you laters” and announced to my crew that I was walking down the wide aisle to see what the venders had to offer my dinner table.

They straggled along, laughing and playing and running.  I showed the kids the purple cauliflower and orange cauliflower and white cauliflower that I found.  They were very interested in the colors.  They sampled some fresh ground fennel and rye bread and and then they began to wonder where the popcorn was, except for Cashel.  He went directly to the venders and asked them where the ice cream was.  I talked to the popcorn maker’s wife and she said that he got home very early this morning and was just too tired to set it up.  They were sad, but decided on some pumpkin bread.  When I slowly and purposefully helped Riesling and Cashel count out her money, the Mennonite woman asked me if we home schooled.  I let her know that did.  She said that they did too.

We went to round 2 of ballet.  The children continued to eat in the car as we made the short trip back to Bridgewater.  This practice was for the Polychinelles, which is a part that Riesling and Hannah both dance. They finished and we were back in the van.

My plan was to go to North Branch Library, but they were just closing as we pulled up.  So I headed down the road to the indoor Dayton Farmer’s Market.  The Salvation Army was outside ringing bells for their annual Christmas kettle drive.  I put a dollar in and asked the kids if they wanted to put their remaining money into the kettle.  Hannah asked what it was for and I explained the whole helping the poor and hungry people concept.  They decided not to give.

As we entered the building, the kids spotted the pies.   The wanted to touch and press them all with their little fingers.  I asked them if they were going to buy them and they said yes.  I asked which one and we figured out the difference between how much they needed and how much they had, which wasn’t enough.  Then they spotted the ice cream.  JACKPOT!!!  Riesling and Cashel pooled their money and split a cone and Hannah got a whole one, since she didn’t spend any of her money yet.

After I destickied them, we went to a jewelry shop where they watched the proprietor design and string a necklace.  And then it was back to ballet.

For the last and final round, Riesling and Hannah are both in the land of the sweets.  Riesling was practicing for her part as a  Page and Hannah as Spice.  While they were waiting to be called back they all played together peacefully with the other children.

We headed back to our house since Hannah’s Dad wasn’t home yet.  Hannah, Riesling and Cashel were all in costume before I knew it.  After Hannah went home, Riesling and Cashel set up their Ballet mats and danced a pas de duex to Bella Dancerella’s Swan Lake.  When it was finished, I furtively watched Riesling practice her entire Polychinelle routine and then she went through the dance she did for her Spring Recital.

Joe was working so I got the kids their dinner and then a bath.  I read them The Paper Crane by Molly Bang and Thanksgiving Is by Gail Gibbons.  Riesling went out of Cashel’s room and into her room where she said she would be waiting for me to sing to her.  Cashel took a while to settle down enough for me to sneak out.  I fed the cats to get them to stop meowing at me.  As I readied their food, Riesling came out and asked me why I didn’t come sing to her.  I let her know that I was on my way.

First I counted to 100 for her and then I sang my best rendition of Redemption Song by Bob Marley and I’ve Been Working on the Railroad (which we’ve been singing to her since she was an infant).  As I sang the second song, her eyelids began to be closed more than open and she softly and sweetly fell asleep snuggled up next to me.  She’s getting so big and old and all of that.  I wonder how many more times I will have the privilege.

Riesling and Cashel hit the ground running this morning.  Cashel calls 7AM “7 thirty thirty”!  Time to make the smoothies.  This morning they must have been starving, because, in addition to their smoothies, they each ate 2 Wonderful Waffles.

They got dressed and then played for a bit before deciding that they wanted to watch Clifford and then My Little Pony Lady Bug Jamboree.

Then they played some more.  House or babies or something.  I saw Riesling carrying one baby in a baby back pack and she also had one tied to her front with a blanket.

They played water tea party which entails covering the table with paper towels so that the many spills are interrupted on their way off the table.

After they had enough of that they decided they wanted to dance to some slow music.  Riesling got out lots of her costumes and put them on hangers and hung them from her ballet bar.  Cashel ran and found his pink skirt and a hanger and hung it up too.  Riesling explained how some costumes were for jazz dancing and some were for ballet.

She and Cashel chose the appropriate outfits and asked me for some music to do some slow dancing to.  I found some CDs and put them in a pile and encouraged them to try them out until they found the one they liked.  Cashel came and got me in a few minutes to join them.  They dressed me with headgear, a cape and shirts hanging from my pockets. We danced until they just wanted to wrestle and be tickled and then we did that for a little bit too.

We had a quick lunch (quick because they didn’t want to eat much) and then sat down to read some books.  I read The Nutcracker Ballet retold by Deborah Hautzig, Step Into Narnia: A Journey Through The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Blueberries for Sal by Robert McClosky.  Then we began rounding up library books so that they could go as soon as Joe got home.  In between all this they played with a piece of very long twirling ribbon, running around and intermittently trying to try me up or accidentally tripping me up.

They came home from the library with books about Thanksgiving and magic and an octopus and Star Wars and 102 Dalmations and monsters.

After dinner, we washed and brushed.  I wished Riesling a good night’s sleep and then read Cashel 102 Dalmations by Disney and Star Wars: A New Hope (A Shimmer Book) adapted by Ken Steacy.  Cashel fell asleep before Riesling and Joe were done planning their presentation of a surprise magic trick, which I think that I will get to write about on another day.