Little bit of this, little bit of that

It’s going to be a b-e-a-utiful day!
One of Lucy’s favorite things at school is being a “helper”

There’s a Line Leader, a Teacher’s Helper, a Weather Helper, and one other that escapes me but I think is the Snack Helper

On the days she is a helper, this is the first thing she tells me when I arrive to pick her up….and she declares it with such happiness and pride in her voice

Much like her mother, Lucy is a bit of a teacher’s pet

She especially loves being a Weather Helper – you get to look out the window and then post the forecast for the day on the weather board

One day, I picked her up and she ran into my arms screaming with delight

Mama! Today I was the weather helper! The weather helper Mama! Today, I WAS THE WEATHER HELPER!!!!!

You were?! Oh honey, I’m so proud of you! Well, how did it go? How was the weather today?

Lucy stepped back, twisted her lips as if she was thinking and answered, ever so thoughtfully and clearly

It was good…. (with a knowing squint of her eyes and pursing of her lips)

Not great, but good

Oh my word girls!
We live in a townhouse, which is in turn part of an Association

Sean is on the Board of Trust for the Association (he will tell you I bullied him into it because I felt there needed to be a voice of reason on the board…and he’s right…I did….there is no way I could be on it –I’d set democracy back 200 years…so I guess that makes him my Manchurian Candidate)

A few Sundays ago, the Board conducted their annual Spring Walk Through of the property – so Lucy and I were left to our demise

We came up with the brilliant idea to make moon sand….now the real stuff is pretty cool bit in a jam, one can make a pretty good batch of moon sand with flour (4 cups) and Baby Oil (as much as you need to get desired texture, we used close to a cup)

At first, I thought we should use 8 cups of flour, Lucy said 100…….glad I followed my instinct to start small as 4 cups of flour is more than one might realize

Within minutes, we had our moon sand mixed up and for the next 45 minutes, we made moon sand castles, pizzas, pies and cup cakes

We ran our fingers through it, buried our hands in it and made a big ant hill (we used raisins for the ants)

Then, we grabbed some of Lucy’s (plastic) animals and made a jungle for them

We pulled out measuring cups and measuring spoons to assist us in our creations

And in the process, we managed to track moon sand from one end of the first floor to the other and everywhere in between…….and of course we were covered from head to toe……

At one point, we stood back and assessed the fun we were having (read damage we had done) and Lucy says

Mama! We better clean this up before Daddy gets home….

We should?

Yeah Mama…when Daddy get home, he will look at all this mess

(now as she said this, she of course waved her arms around to illustrate her point and the moon sand she had clenched in her little hands went flying)

and he’ll say
(she unclenched her hands dropping whatever moon sand was left in her hands, positions her hand on her hips, bends ever so slightly at the waist and then tilts her head and torso back as she looks around the room)

Oh my word girls!

(throws her arms up in the air over her head and brings one hand to her mouth has if to cover up her shock and says)

Look at this mess you made! Oh girls……

Lucy collapses in a fit of laughter as do I because she pretty much nailed her Dad

So I got out the vacuum, Lucy picked up the animals and 15 minutes later, with most of the mess cleaned up……….

…………. Sean walked in….....

………………………..Took a look around…......
…………………………………and declared…….....

Oh my word girls……!  

Cat got your tongue?
Lucy was never a biter

She went through a phase when she was a pusher but she was never a biter

A couple weeks ago, when I picked her up, Miss Stacey informed me she had an incident report for me to sign

An incident sounds far worse than an accident report (which I have to sign a lot with my kid) and it is

Miss Stacey, in her ever gentle and fair way, explained to me that Lucy had bitten another child less than an hour ago during clean up time

My first question was is the other child okay, was the skin broken? And my second question was Lucy bit someone? 

Stacey assured me the other child was fine

Then she explained the circumstances surrounding the incident (Lucy and her friend had reached for the same toy during pick up, neither would relinquish toy, Lucy bit said child in an effort to get her to drop the toy in question)

Stacey also assured me Lucy had been spoken to and understood what she had done, why it was not the right thing to do and to try and use her words

When there is an issue at school, if the teachers have addressed it, I do not feel the need to re-visit it with Lucy - she’s already been spoken to

I do feel the need to reinforce the behaviors they encourage (listening ears, using words not hands) but I am not going to reprimand her for something that has already occurred, something I was not there for and something the teachers have already spoken to her about (that would be like yelling at a dog two hours after he peed on the floor)

So on the drive home, I asked Lucy how her day was

It was good Mama….except for when I bit ______

Oh? I waited for her to continue curious to see if the story matched what I had been told

Yeah Mama. We were putting the toys away and I wanted to put (whatever the toy was she said) away and ______ came over and we both had it and I was getting frusterated (not a spelling error, Lucy’s spoken word)  and I told her I was puttin’ it away and she said no so I bit her!

Right here Mama (she held up her arm and showed me on her hand where she bit the victim)….and then ______ cried and I cried

Why did you cry honey?

Because ________was (crying) and I felt sad…and Miss Stacey was sad I bit _____ and I no like it when Miss Stacey is sad……and she was sad ‘cause I no have any words to use………

Trying to be empathetic without losing the lesson I said

So now you know right honey? Instead of using your hands or your teeth, you have to try really hard to find your words….just take a deep breath and wait for your words come......

I know Mama…..she sort of shook her head and put her chin down on her chest

She paused for a moment before she spoke again

Sometimes Mama, I can’t find my words….I don’t know where they go….do you know where they are?

Oh Luce Goose….I know sometimes it’s hard to find your words…..sometimes Mummy can’t find her words either..…sometimes, Mummy gets so frustrated I don’t even know what to say and

(Lucy interrupts me)

So you say Shit Mama?

 

Tuesday

We’re still working on potty training
(editor’s note: I’m not all freaked out or worried about this….to us this is one of those things we need to let Lucy set the pace on so we are not at all worried or panicked or concerned that there is something wrong….we just keep encouraging her to use the potty)

On the way home one night last week, Lucy declares

Mama, my friends wear underwear….I think I want to wear underwear too

Well that’s great Lucy

Yeah Mama! I have owl underwear at home I can wear

Yep, you sure do….when we get home would you like to put on your underwear to practice?

No thank you Mama, I wanna wait till I get bigger

Oh….well when do you think that will be?

Tuesday

Muscles like Popeye

In March, we were lucky enough to spend a few days with my brother and his family while they were in Maine for vacation

John and Christina have three boys: Jack (7, 8 in July) Gregory (6) and Alexander (3.5)

These boys are boys in every sense of the word: they are fearless, love Star Wars, wrestle, fight, karate chop the air, and love to flex their muscles

When they would finish eating, they’d raise their arms and beg anyone who was standing there to feel their muscles

Lucy has subsequently picked up this habit

When she finishes eating, she’ll say

Mama! Feel my muscles….!

So I feel her muscles and declare

Holy cow! Feel those muscles!

To which she responds….

Welcome to the Gun Show!!!!!

Maria the Mum