Tuesday, August 30, 2011

A Dirty Summer

We had a dirty summer. A lot. I don't mean that we played in the dirt or anything like that, though I think that did happen a time or two. I mean that the girls could have taken more baths and/or showers than I care to admit. We had plenty of nights when we were all too pooped out or were having too much fun together to want to stop and take a bath. And, we often used the excuse that we had swimming lessons or were going to the pool anyway the next day (after which we  bathed, thank you very much). I was even aided in my laziness to bathe by using a natural bug repellent that didn't require a shower every night. So much the better.

Now, I should say that my mom taught me better and probably would (will?) be skeeved out when she reads this (and be horrified that I'm admitting it). But, when all was said and done, we all lived. And, even though I got whiffs of the girls' smelly heads a time or two, they are no worse for wear. They survived being dirty.

Through all of these dirty days, not once did I regret not giving the girls a bath when they probably needed it. That is, until yesterday. Yes, after school had started and I had no swimming pool excuses to use. We came home late from visiting Nana and Grandpa on Sunday evening. And, when I normally would have given the girls a fast bath - at the very least - before bed, I didn't. I let it slide. Monday morning I told Annalee to put her hair in a little pony tail on top so that any dirtiness didn't show. Actually, she looked perfectly fine.

When she came home, though, her pony tail was out. And, frankly, her hair looked dirty. So, I asked her why she took her hair down. Drum roll please.... "The nurse did it. She was checking for head lice."

What? This came after Annalee had been home from school for at least an hour and I had already asked her about her day and what went on. Well, apparently I hadn't asked the right questions. It turns out that someone in Annalee's class was found to have head lice and so the nurse checked everyone in the class room.

I am happy to report that Annalee does NOT have head lice. Thankfully. She just had dirty hair the day the nurse needed to comb through it. That skeeves me out.

And, yes, I gave the girls their baths last night.

Friday, August 26, 2011

One Year to the Next

The end of our summer break came this week as Annalee started third grade. It wasn't just a new grade, but since we have leveled schools, she was going to a different school. She'll be there through fifth grade. Annalee was nervous the night before school and insisted we look online so she could find out what her teacher looked like. Thankfully, I found the teacher's classroom web site and we were able to read a little about her. The next morning, I was even more excited to meet Mrs. Madsen and find her very similar in personality to Annalee's first grade teacher, whom we both liked and enjoyed so much. So far, so good.

When Wednesday came, we rushed around taking pictures before driving over to school. A few years ago, I found a 'First Day' picture frame. I purchased two at the time, in complete preparation for Zelda's arrival. Annalee's been using her frame since kindergarten. On the first day of school each year, I've taken Annalee's picture and get prints made while she's in school. She comes home to find her frame updated with her first-day-of-school picture to look at throughout the year. We'll start using Zelda's in a couple weeks when she starts three-year-old preschool.

It's funny when you look at your children every day that you only notice bits and pieces of the changes they are going through. I see Annalee's changes most in her smile (teeth going and new, larger ones coming) and her hair. Zelda has grown in height and her speaking abilities are quite advanced (have I mentioned how much she talks?). But, to see last year's first-day pictures and then this year's picture was a real eye-opener. Here, I'll show you what I mean:

The above pictures were taken in August 2010.

 
Here are the girls this year.

Annalee is looking more mature than I'm ready to admit.

Zelda has lost a lot of her baby face - and is wise beyond her years. So much so that she even lets us know this. "I....am a genius," she will say jokingly. I don't doubt it.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

All Things Pooh

A short while ago, we had an 'All Things Pooh' Thursday. Pooh, as in Winnie the Pooh. Mostly, I thought the girls would enjoy seeing the new Winnie the Pooh movie. Given that I like theme days (see Froot Loop Friday in the previous post), I figured we'd make a day of it.

We started with Pooh-shaped pancakes for breakfast. They didn't really look like Pooh; but, the girls used their imaginations. Rather than using syrup, we sweetened our pancakes with honey - a Pooh favorite. Later that morning, I broke out the flavored honey sticks that I had purchased from a honey vendor earlier in the week at a local farmers market. We also enjoyed the honey sticks at the movie, which was brief (65 minutes) but entertaining. We ended the day with Zelda wearing her piglet costume (thank you, Cormiers!).

I get a big kick out of planning events, if you could call this that. Some theme days are more involved or interesting than others. But, what I like most is the way it stays with the kids. It wasn't just a day that we saw a movie or ate honey sticks. It was a day that had significance. I know this because Zelda was talking about something this morning and said, " ...remember when we had the 'All Things Pooh' day..." That's when I knew I had succeeded. I had created a memory for my daughters.

ADDENDUM: Since Becky asked for it, I have located a picture of 'Piglet' from a few months ago. Zelda actually fills out the costume a little better now, but I didn't whip out the camera during All Things Pooh day. Actually, I'm not sure the costume will be big enough for her to wear for Halloween. (Hallelujah to growing!)