We went to a members-only event at the Strong Museum tonight, to meet the Berenstain Bears. I haven’t actually read the books to Carrie, but the new exhibit is really fabulous and perfect for preschoolers, and she enjoyed it quite a bit. (Actually the area with the quilt block designs was a place I could have spent more time in myself!) The icing on the cake was running into some of her friends from preschool, and the three girls spent ages playing together in the fort while the adults just tried to make sure they didn’t wander away in the crowds.
Month: April 2008
3.6 Years Old!
Dear Carolyn,
Today you are officially three and a half years old. I don’t know where the time has gone, I think just yesterday you were six months old! You’ve gone from being that little baby who was just starting to eat solid foods to a big girl who loves to help us cook in just three short years.
Your reading is coming along amazingly. In a month you’ve gone from three letter short vowel sound words to understanding the whole “silent e” thing and figuring out a few sight words like “the”, “and” and “to”. You sit in your carseat while we’re driving and just test out sounds and sound combinations – a lot like you did when you were a baby, but much more sophisticated – “b..uh..k, book! b..oo..t, boot!” You also like to experiment with spelling words on the refrigerator…let’s just say, your spelling is quite creative – although I can pretty much always figure out what words you’re trying to make.
Sleep is still pretty elusive these days. I’m starting to think you’re outgrowing the rock hard mattress on your toddler bed, because you comment on how comfy and cozy our bed is when you crawl in with us every night. I just have to find some new furniture for you, and then we’ll switch you into a twin bed. This way we won’t have to buy a new crib mattress, anyway.
I can’t believe what a big girl you’re becoming. When I wake up before you and you’re sleeping in our bed, you look so…old. Well, not old, but I can see in your face the young women you’ll become in 15 years or so, much more than I can see the baby you were just a few years ago. And yet, you’ll always be my baby.
Love, Mommy
Zoo!
Today Carrie and I went to the zoo. I haven’t been to this zoo since I was quite small – we used to live just a couple of blocks from there, so I guess we used to go a lot. As an adult, I don’t like zoos. (Animal Kingdom at Disney being the one exception to that, because of the huge, expansive habitats that animals are in, instead of tiny little cages.) But I thought I shouldn’t deprive Carrie of the zoo experience just because I don’t like them.
And she did have a good time, although I’m *really* glad we brought the stroller, because the elephants were quite a walk to get to…and then an uphill walk to get back. Her favorites? The penguins and the geckos. Oh, and when I let her pick something out with the remainder of her Easter spending money from various relatives, she decided she wanted a mama and baby monkey set.
Spring Cleaning…or Nesting?
I don’t know whether I’ve been bitten by a spring cleaning bug or if nesting can possibly start so early (this baby still has 14 weeks to grow before she makes her entrance!) but I’ve been on a cleaning binge for the past two days…
Only my house is still a mess.
Because I can’t bring myself to do things like, say, clear off the kitchen counters and pick up all the toys. No, instead I have to empty all the expired stuff out of the fridge and sweep the garage floor. Um. Well, I suppose it’s warm enough to have a picnic in the garage…?
Conversation at 2 AM
Carrie: “Mommy, I can’t sleep, my imagination keeps waking me up.”
Me: “Sweetie, those are just dreams, it’s OK.”
Carrie: (thinks for a bit) “Mommy, you’re silly! Dreams and imagination aren’t the same!”
Me: “Fine, then just tell your imagination to let you go back to sleep please, because it’s 2 AM!”
Horton Hears a Who
I took Carrie to her first movie today, Horton Hears a Who. Aside from the fact that she’ll tell you she really, really, really didn’t like the bird, I think she liked the movie overall. I’m glad we were the only two people in the theater, because there were a few times I had to keep up a running commentary about how things were just pretend and there was a happy ending to keep her from wanting to leave. I’m pretty impressed at how well she can describe what the movie was about, too.
And I’m probably dating myself, but talk about sticker shock…a matinee ticket was $7. Seriously, I remember when matinee tickets were more like $3.50, and evening shows were $5. And we won’t even talk about popcorn prices… You know what? Netflix is worth every penny!
First Dentist Appointment
Carrie had her first dentist appointment today. She has 20 perfect teeth, and was so well-behaved and compliant that the hygienist and dentist were both floored. What can I say? I have a brave kid. She even admitted to me on the way there that she was a little scared, but you totally wouldn’t know it based on the way she acted.
And it didn’t hurt that they rewarded her with a Belle toothbrush and a sparkly tiara after. Watch, she’ll be asking to go to the dentist next week too…
Ketchup
Do you want fries with that?
Between the musical, the cluster of holidays in March, and just general exhaustion (I need to start going to bed earlier!) I haven’t had the time or energy to keep up with my blog. I debated just letting it go, but it’s been such a wonderful record of Carolyn’s life so far that I couldn’t leave it, and I’m assuming I’ll be about as good at filling out a baby book for this next little girl as I was for Carrie (as in, not at all) so I’ll need a place to write down snippets of her life too. So I filled in what I could from my half-written posts and the pictures I’ve taken over the past few weeks.
I’ll try to be better from now on, but we’ve all heard that one before, right?
Oh, and if anyone is looking for my more knitterly pursuits, I’ve decided to stop updating my craft pages in favor of using ravelry. If you’re not a member already, I’ll warn you, it’s kind of addictive. If you’re willing to be tempted by thousands of projects-in-progress, go ahead and sign up! If you already are a member, I could always use another friend! :)
Swimming Lessons
Carrie had her first swimming lesson today. And she LOVED it! It’s really more of a water safety/comfort kind of class than an actual learn-to-swim class, but I think there’s some value in her learning to have a healthy respect for water from a teacher as well as at home. Now she can’t wait for summer when our pool is open and she can go swimming a lot, and I’m trying to figure out the logistics of achieving that goal while first being extremely pregnant and then having a newborn that shouldn’t be out in the heat for so long… It’s going to be an interesting summer!