So I was feeling particularly guilty that I hadn’t managed to take Carrie out to build a snowman this winter. And winter was over, of course.
Until a few inches of the most perfect snowman-making snow fell last night! It was lovely coating the trees in our backyard:
Dear Carolyn,
Every day you surprise me somehow. Usually it’s how late you can stay awake before you finally crash, but just over this past weekend you really shocked us…
You can read! A little, anyway. I totally blame it on all of the Leapfrog products we have, but you can sound out short vowel sounds words, like “dog”, “cat”, “get”, “pig” and “mug”. When we were dyeing the Easter eggs you looked at the egg carton and read the word “egg”. And then in a story we read later you sounded out “hen”. I’m not sure how to help you from here, but we’ll figure it out. Of course, now I’m starting to realize how many words in the English language don’t follow any rules for pronunciation!
It seems, though, that we’ve traded off reading for sleeping. You regularly stay up until 10:30, or later, because as you say, “my imagination jumps out of my head and goes under my bed!” I’m tempted to put a twin-sized boxspring and mattress on your floor so there is no “under the bed”, but then your imagination might go under your dresser or behind the chair next. So for now we’re all settling for way too little sleep.
The idea of having a baby sister has really grown on you by now, and you love to talk about all the things you’ll do with your baby sister, like teach her how to roll over, sit up and use the potty. I’m sure you’re going to be the best big sister ever, and I can’t wait to see how you grow and change…and at the same time I’m already a little sad about how things will change between you and I. I’m sure we’ll figure it out as we go along, but I can’t help but worry that you’ll wonder if there’s enough love to go around for both you and your sister. And of course there is, because I already love you both with all my heart.
Love, Mommy
Easter is just too early this year. I like my holidays to have more than a few days between them, and St. Patrick’s Day was less than a week ago. But despite that, we managed to fit in cookie baking:
Cookie decorating:
Cookie eating:
Egg coloring:
And an egg hunt:
The rest of Easter morning involved Calico Critter bunnies and standing-room-only at church. Then it was off to Great-Grandma’s for Easter dinner, cousins and another egg hunt! Now it’s just a matter of rationing the chocolate and black jelly beans. (Yes, Carrie adores black jelly beans. Apparently she gets that from both of her Grandpas.)
I will freely admit I’m crazy. The show closed last night, my house has not been “clean” in weeks, and the past couple of weeks at the shop have been rather busy because the two full-time partners have been out sick with the flu. But because Easter is next weekend, we decided to go ahead and have our annual St. Patty’s Day party on schedule today. I. Am. Exhausted. But it was worth it to see all of our friends and have a nice, relaxing party. Especially since Denis did almost all of the cooking and tidying up beforehand.
We took hat pictures last year, so this year we took crazy headband pictures. Next year, who knows…?
I’ve really enjoyed every show I’ve worked on, but I have to say, this is the first time I’ve ever wished we had a two week run. I think I can honestly say this is the best musical experience I’ve ever participated in. I am going to miss sitting at the Steinway, surrounded by the cellos, playing this wonderful music.
Carrie came to the matinee this afternoon, and was very excited to see some of her school friends there. She got to take a backstage tour and then went out and met some of the cast. The funny thing is that she’s met all these kids before, but with them in their full costumes and makeup she was all of a sudden very shy about talking to them. And then I let her play the Steinway. Because, really, how many three-year-olds get that opportunity?
Did I mention how much I’m going to miss playing that piano?
…another girl!
We had our 20 week ultrasound today, and the baby looks healthy, active, and completely immodest. So now we know that another little girl is going to join our family this summer!
Carrie wanted a brother, apparently, and was pretty disappointed to hear she would be getting a sister instead, but I think she’ll get used to it eventually. I’m excited because I always wanted a sister (not that I don’t love my brothers, of course!) and now I’ll get to vicariously experience that relationship with my girls.
Plus we’ll get to reuse some of those cute girl clothes that Carrie barely wore before she outgrew, and we can hand down her pink and purple tricycle eventually…
Now we just have to think of another girl name. And feel slightly bad for my poor nephew, who’s still the only boy among a sea of girl cousins!