Month: May 2008

(First) Last Day of School

Sarah Milestones

Today was Carrie’s last day of preschool (well, until the fall) and they had a little end-of-year celebration. This song, sung to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” was darn cute:

We’ve been having fun in preschool, learning all year long
We can tell you all about it, just listen to this song
We learned all our shapes and colors, letters and numbers, too
We learned how to share with others, now our year is through.

It was even cuter the other night when Carrie sang it for us after dinner. She literally stood up and pressed her arm into her stomach, and with more breath control than your average opera singer belted it out at the top of her lungs. Seriously, I have never heard her sing like that, and I wish I’d had the video camera handy (especially when she belched halfway through and kept on going like nothing happened!)

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I have to admit that I shed a few tears this morning, especially when we picked up her things after and there was a folder of her work with her tiny handprint and the poem “This is the hand you used to hold when I was only three years old” on it.

And yes, I’m aware that if I’m weepy over a year of preschool being over I’m going to be a complete basket case in 15 years when she walks across the stage in her cap and gown.

Wallpaper Removal Hell

Sarah General

If we ever move, I’m going to make it a condition of our purchase that there be absolutely no wallpaper on any wall in the entire house we buy. Because, seriously? Wallpaper that’s been applied to bare drywall? I’m getting pretty sick of it. We’ve dealt with it in at least three rooms so far, the baby’s room is the fourth, and I’m sure the whole upstairs hallway – which we eventually need to redo because the seams are starting to curl – is the same way.

At this point, we just have to make the glue as flat as possible (it was heavily textured wallpaper) by steaming and scraping off what we can and then sanding off the rest, and then we’re going to use a good primer and hope for the best. (And by “we” I mean Denis, because I’ve been forbidden to help with the steaming/scraping.)

The problem is, we’ve spent our three day weekend just getting to the point where we know what we’re doing and the one long wall is mostly scraped off. We’ll have to re-rent the steamer next weekend to do the two short walls. So priming and painting are going to happen…when? I don’t think I can or should try to do this while I’m home alone with Carrie. We can’t work on it in the evenings after Carrie goes to bed because it’s right next to her room. I work on Saturdays, so that leaves Sundays. There are only *at most* 8 Sundays left before this baby comes. Let’s see…at least one to finish steaming, scraping, patching and sanding, one to prime, one for both coats of the three yellow walls, one for both coats of the one pink wall, two for both coats of white for the trim and closet…that’s 6. That’s just the painting – no closet organizer, ceiling light installation, furniture moving, clothing sorting or anything else.

OK, I’m definitely starting to panic here…does anyone know any good handymen/house painters in the area who can come during the week and get this done in a few days instead of several weeks?!?

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull

Sarah General

No spoilers here, don’t worry!

The movie last night was GREAT! Both of us really enjoyed it, even the whole seeing it in the theater experience (despite the fact that between tickets, popcorn – half of which I managed to spill – and bottled water we spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $35!)

It really was a fitting sequel to the other three movies, and I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD so I can watch it again. (Yes, dear, that’s a hint for a Christmas gift…)

3.7 Years Old!

Sarah Monthly Updates

Dear Carolyn,

Three-and-a-half has proven to be complicated for you. Before, if I asked you how many you wanted of something, you’d say “three, because I’m three years old!” but now you’re three-and-a-half and things don’t always come in halves. (And I’m really sorry, but I’m just not creative enough to cut your PB&J sandwich into three and a half triangles!)

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You’re reading more and more every day. Everywhere we go you read signs. You read the headlines in the paper while I’m reading it at breakfast (note to self: stop reading the paper at breakfast so we can avoid awkward conversations about war and rising gas prices.) You’re pretty much independently reading the level one books in the “step into reading” types of series. Spelling, on the other hand, is still a very creative thing for you. The other day you decided to spell “vacuum cleaner” on the fridge, and it came out “vacyoom cleenr”. Although, actually, that’s not *that* far off.

I’ve also started practicing cutting with you. I feel pretty guilty because it was the one thing your teachers mentioned at the mid-year evaluation, that you might need a little help with, and I didn’t actually take their advice until the other day when I was parent helper and saw how much harder a time you were having than the other kids. Well, just a few short sessions with a cutting workbook and a pair of safety scissors and you’re already about 100% more proficient with them. I wonder what else I should be working on with you that I’m not? The problem is that I’m not ready to push you into doing workbooks, even though you really do seem to enjoy them. I mean, we’ve got over a year until kindergarten, isn’t there enough time before then for you to just pick this stuff up?

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All of a sudden this month you’ve become a little kisser. Every time I turn around you’re kissing me, kissing my belly, blowing kisses to random strangers in the store, blowing kisses to Mimi’s family (yes, Mimi has made a reappearance in the past few weeks). And you say “I love you Mommy!” at least hourly. This is definitely a wonderful new quirk to your personality, because you’ve never really been a cuddler, so getting extra hugs and kisses from you makes my day!

Ever since we moved you to a twin bed with a real mattress, you’ve been sleeping through the night in your own bed. (Well, except one night, but that one doesn’t count because you had taken a nap and didn’t go to sleep until after Daddy and I went to bed). I have to confess I miss waking up to your warm little snuggly body stuck to me like glue in the morning, but I’m glad that you’re (obviously) more comfortable in your new bed. And like everything else it’s another transition that I’m probably going to have more trouble with than you will!

Love, Mommy

Big Girl Rainbow Bed

Sarah Milestones

It was a traumatic shopping trip – for me, at least – but Carrie finally picked out her big girl bedding. (Asking a 3 1/2 year old to make a decision is like catching rain in a colander.) Keep in mind that she has a lavender, green and white room.

Meet bold rainbow stripes:

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Actually, in a strange sort of way it actually works. Once we get the rest of the room set up (which will have to happen after the baby’s room is painted) I think it’s going to be just fine. It’s just a little…bright…right now. Her alternate sheet set is dark green with white polka dots, but she wanted the flower sheets first.

I did have some second thoughts and some tears of my own earlier when I was folding up her crib/toddler bedding and she had a meltdown over her “baby” quilt… “But Mommy, that quilt still fits me and this one is too big for me because I’m still little!” But she went to bed without complaint and fell asleep quite quickly, so I guess it’s all OK. We’ll see in the morning, because I’m more than happy to get it back out if she’s not ready to part with it.

Overheard in the Yarn Shop

Sarah Shop Talk

Carrie and I wound up at the shop this afternoon, and she told me she had a question for Grandma. So I walked her back to the office and told her to go ahead and ask. This is what she really needed to know:
“Grandma, who’s in charge of the yarn shop when I’m not here?”

Oh-kay. Good to know she thinks she’s in charge of the yarn shop when she is there. Maybe I can teach her to make change and unpack new inventory?

(Oh, and for anyone wondering, my mom’s answer was “Well, we just muddle through as best we can!”)

The Life Guy

Sarah Carolyn

So today there was a substitute for one of Carrie’s swim teachers, a male lifeguard. At one point Carrie wandered away while they were in the wading pool area, and slipped. Of course the lifeguard picked her up very quickly and she was perfectly fine.

After, in the locker room, I asked her what happened, and she told me, and I told her she probably shouldn’t be wandering away from the teachers during class. Her response? “That’s OK, Mommy, the Life Guy picked me up!” No fear, this one.

Happy Mother’s Day

Sarah Holidays

I hope everyone had a nice day. We just kind of hung out since I’m still not over my cold and Denis wanted to try to get the pool pump running. (It was, briefly, but unfortunately didn’t stay that way.)

I realized this afternoon that I’m 30 weeks along. Which means that I’m at least 3/4 of the way to meeting this baby! 10 weeks seems like a long time to wait, but when you consider that in those 10 weeks we have to transition Carrie to a twin bed, clean out the guest room, strip wallpaper (ugh), prime and paint the walls, find and re-assemble the crib, put Carrie’s dresser in the baby’s room and move in her “new” dresser (we’re going to use my childhood furniture), find all of Carrie’s old clothes and sort through what we’ll be able to use… Ack, we only have 10 weeks to do all that?!?

Anyone up for a wallpaper stripping/painting party in the next week or two??

Sick of Being Sick

Sarah General

OK, I’ve now been sick for over a week. I’m really tired of being sick. Mostly, I’m tired of coughing, as I’ve pulled every muscle in my left side. Being sick while this pregnant really, truly sucks. Carrie got it too, but really only seemed to be sick for a couple of days, and her cough is nearly gone.