Small Pinpricks of Light

It may be more than 4.35 light years away, but I'm starting to see some light at then end of the tunnel with this three-year-oldness.

Mealtime:

"Look at this yummy food mommy made. I put lots of tomatoes on it, because you like tomatoes. Let's eat."

"This is gwoss! I hate it!" Hannah pushes her bowl away without tasting it, folds her arms and says, "I will neveh! eat this yucky stuff. Neveh!" (She doesn't pronounce her 'rs' yet.)

"Fine," I say maybe rolling my eyes a little. "After dinner I'm going to eat a bowl of ice cream. How about you, Mike? Ice cream? Mmm. Kenzie is eating her dinner; we'll have some ice cream together. Do you want some ice cream Hannah? You have to eat your food if you want some."

Sad, popped-balloon sigh, "Okay Mommy."

Bedtime:

"Hannah, it's time to go to sleep. Let's go get our jammies on."

In her whiny three-year-old accent Hannah says, "I am tired of going to sleep! I will neveh! go to sleep!" She folds her arms and flips her hair. "I will neveh!"

"Well Hannah if you don't get your jammies on, I'll put you in bed anyway and I'll shut the door. Let's go get your jammies on."

She drops her head and says, as if I have sucked her will to live, "Okay mommy."

I'm trying very hard not to engage her in those fun power struggles we have, but sometimes I still escalate the war to the point of yelling, "And you're not going to college, either!" But this "Okay Mommy" stuff? I am loving it. Next, we'll work on cheerful compliance.

Camping

On Labor day weekend we took one last hurrah up to North Fork with the C-clan (minus Laurie and Jared) for a camping adventure.

We got a camp-side visit from two large moose, made smores with marshamallows roasted by Mike, let the kids collect pieces of glass from the dirt (you know "jewels"), got to listen to Reid tell Treasure Island and discussed books. We tried to think of a really good plot for a bestseller, so I can write it, become fabulously wealthy, hand out cash to my relatives and then retire to my privately owned island. I can't believe we can't think of the next Twilight. Actually, I think I would prefer if we could think of the next Harry Potter.  I'm sure we will, we just need to go camping more often.

The next morning I woke to Ellie fussing and loud thrashing in the underbrush. While I fed Ellie I tried to decide how I would defend myself in case of a moose attack. What kind of flimsy protection is a tent zipper against maurading moose? After I finished feeding Ellie, I wanted to slip back into my sleeping bag, but I needed the facilities.I tried to overcome my fear of moose-trompling and I carefully unzipped the tent and tried to sneak past the moose to the bathrooms. Just as I reached the road, one of the moose charged off into the trees, while the other caught my eye to stare me into submission. I did not pee my pants, but I ended up knocking frantically on Reid and Shirley's new RV door. I think an RV is worth it for the small toilet alone.

"The girls slept well!" exclaimed an enthusiastic Mike the next morning.

"Why yes they did. Especially when they were in my sleeping bag," I replied. 

After a fabulous eggs in a bag breakfast, we walked down to the river and let the kids throw rocks. Ahh camping, I wish we would have gone more this summer.

My good camera was getting a flash modification and our batteries died, so that's all I got folks.

Kindergarten and Joyschool

I've always been a bit cavalier about sending my children off to school. My attitude has been "HOORAY! When are you turning 18?"

So the night before the first day of kindergarten I must have been coming down with something. Because I cried. I cried about lost opportunities and about the end of innocence. I also cried because Hannah Montana will inevitably be part of our lives now. And I cried because someday Kenzie will have to go to that awful place known as jr. high where everyone will make fun of her clothes and body shape. And then I realized I was getting ahead of myself and maybe projecting my memories onto her future.

Kenzie was excited and ready. Mike took the day before off of work and we went out to lunch and clothes shopping to celebrate. The next morning she wanted Mike to take her to school, and I tried to be cool about that, but goshdangit! I had done all the work to get her ready and I felt entitled to this parenting moment. She was nice about it and let her pitiful mother drive her to school. I took her into the class, showed her where to hang her backpack and jacket and helped her find her seat. I didn't cry. Kenzie started happily doing the activity on her table and I left. When she got home Hannah and I had made cookies and we ate them together and talked about her first day of school. (There was a boy named Sebastian! They earn marbles! You can sit like a princess in the kiva if you are wearing a dress!)  

Sweet Kenzie! (My good camera was in the shop for repairs, so this is what I have) She has six of the kids from our church in her class and seems to be loving it. I always ask her what she learned at school and she says, "I don't remember." Then later that day she'll tell me all about her color creatures or be singing a snatch of song she learned. Hannah misses her terribly, but when she gets home all they do is fight. Because they love each other so much.

Hannah also started at her own little neighborhood school. She goes twice a week to a different house each week with five other little girls. Hannah is glad there are no boys, since she says things like "Boys can't spell!" and "No boys! They are yucky!" (This is an attitude that must change, right?) So far, Hannah has done alright. She cried for 10 minutes when I dropped her off one time (sorry Kristyn), but has been good most of the time--and last week she even threw a fit the day she had to stay home when she was sick. I love doing preschool with my girls. It's a good way to make friends and get them ready for school. 

Cute Hannah! She's wearing her matching dress with her doll. She loves to have her hair curled (or at least she did until I burnt her ear with the curling iron), and she is starting to love playing with friends. She loves putting on her backpack and heading for school.