Eve: “What does mom mean?”
Me, after some thoughtful hesitation: “Most Outstanding Mother.”
Eve: “Noo… Most OUTRAGEOUS Mother!!”
It cracked me up how quickly her reply was. I had to think for a good “o” word and she was right there with outrageous. Funny girl! :)
Halloween constume construction began today. Can you guess what Eve is going to be? :)
Eve made herself dinner tonight. A cheese quesidilla. All her own idea. Two wraps, ketchup, and sliced cheddar cheese. I helped with the cooking part. It was actually yummy, in a ketchup on school mac & cheese sort of way. She didn’t eat much of it (she doesn’t eat much these days in general) but we all shared bites of it.
I (eye) love (heart) you (U) mom (arrow to a lovely portrait of me). What a sweet thing to find tucked into my bed. :)
Eve read to me last night! She reads with Alan and he insists she’s a good reader, but she never reads to me. Recently I found a big (195 pages!) Dick and Jane book that someone had given us years ago when Lex was young. It got very little use as his reading skills were already well beyond Dick and Jane. I pulled it off the shelf thinking maybe Eve would like it.
Last night she wanted me to read a really stupid Barbie book, so I agreed on the condition that she read a story to me next. Surprisingly, she agreed! I read Barbie: Pet Vet (gag!) and she read 30 pages of Dick and Jane, which is equally dull really, but exciting because she read it to me! :) She reads with great emotion and gusto as well. I was thrilled! She kept saying, “This is so easy!” and really, it was.
Yay Eve! Coincidentally I found out this morning that her teacher is doing reading testing today. Maybe I’ll ask for an update, just for my own curiosity.
I’m going to take advantage of Alan being out in the garage late (our mudroom is really coming along!) to do one more blog post. One I’ve been thinking about for awhile but haven’t found the time to write. One about lunch boxes.
When Lex started kindergarten I sent him to school with a great bento box from Laptoplunches.com. Within a few short weeks I learned the lunch process and realized I needed to get him a carrier as well. Once we had the carrier, the lunch box, and the water bottle all was well. He brought it all to school. Brought it all home. Took the front, small container out for his snack each day and returned it to the case afterwards. I used to write little notes for him, or jokes. Sometimes I’d write “Today’s Menu” and list out what was in his lunch box. He loved it and I got several comments from teachers, staff, and other students about how fun it was. All was good.
I assumed things would be the same when Eve started school as well. I got them both new boxes and I got her a carrier. I packed up nice little lunches for them both.
First day of school lunches. Eve requested that I write her little notes like I often wrote for Lex.
I quickly discovered that she does not operate quite the same way he does. She takes whatever cup she wants for snack, which isn’t awful but isn’t ideal. She doesn’t put the containers back. The very first day she chewed on the water bottle top, causing it to leak all through her backpack and causing me to have to get her another bottle top! She has already left her cloth napkin at school twice. Her lunches come home looking like this.
There are pine needles in her lunch box! How does that even happen!?
It’s also difficult coming up with notes to write when she can’t really read much. I need to put more effort into that. I found some funny jokes that I put in their lunches sometimes. When I do, I read Eve’s to her in the morning. It’s not a cute surprise at lunch, but at least she knows what it says and she says she tells the joke to the other kids at her lunch table.
In her defense, she does seem to be trying. She seems to be making more of an effort to get all of the containers back into the lunch box and she says she is taking the snack container out for snack. She hasn’t chewed on her bottle again and we’ll keep working on the napkin thing.
It’s interesting having two kids. You think you have things figured out with the first and then, surprise, the second child is totally different! :) They keep you on your toes, that’s for sure!
Just a quick update for my own purposes. We went to the eye doctor yesterday for Eve’s checkup. She is doing great! She has 20/20 with the glasses on. The doctor said her prescription changed a smidgen, but recommended we not bother getting new glasses until it changes more or until they break or something. Eve chews on the ear pieces sometimes, but otherwise she’s doing great with them and the glasses are holding up well. Lex came with us and had his first experience at the eye doctors. He didn’t get his eyes checked though. The doctor recommended he get them checked next year when I bring her back in. He was pretty interested in the equipment and I was tempted to ask if she could just do it right then, but I didn’t ask and I doubt he would have cooperated. Maybe next year. Maybe not. At least I know Eve is a rockstar at the eye doctor now! :)
“I can see Virginia with these spectacles on,” said Eve, quite randomly, as we were walking down the street.
Me: “We survived our crazy busy week!”
Eve: “Of course we did! We had air and water and food. That’s all we need!”
(I personally would add a few other items to the “basics” list, like clothes, shelter, and family.)
Pausing mid-story Eve says: “What are those trucks with the hole in the back?”
Me: “Uhh….”
Lex: “Do you mean pick-up trucks?”
Eve: “Oh yes, pick-up trucks!” and she continues on with her story.
That’s what siblings are for!
In a book we have there is a reference to “number one” and “number two” in the bathroom. I had to explain it to her since we use real words around here. She thought it was hysterical and decided to start using numbers instead of words. The real hysterical thing though is that she can’t remember what number means what!! From the bathroom yesterday I hear her yelling, “Mom, what is the number you go poop with?” She cracks me up!
Eve has taken an interest in Hangman lately. Look at the game from lunch today. Before she put in the “P” I was entirely stumped and convinced she was making things up. She told me it was three words and when I got the “U” it was clear they were repeating words. I completely missed the “P” and, to be honest, it’s because I quickly assumed she was making up words. Or changing her mind as she went a long, which she tends to do. When I was completely hung she giggled (a lot!) and started writing the “P”. Up Up Up. She was so proud of herself!
When I came in to read her stories after lunch I found her rocking her babies and reading them a story. She is so sweet and smart and ready for school!
Speaking of school, here is Eve’s quote of the day:
“I hope there’s not going to be any learning on the first day of school.”