Mid Way Through A Busy Week

Yes, if you hadn't noticed, over the last couple days I am back-loading the blog prior to the end of March to get a respectable number of posts in.

This is a busy week - in addition to our Passover festivities Monday night, Rebecca's preschool has been closed for Passover through today (and again next Monday and Tuesday). Some of her classmates and I are sharing babysitting and rotating houses, so on Monday she went to Jake's house, Tuesday to Amelia's house, and today the group is at my house being babysat by the talented Miss Lindsay and her brother Alex.

So Rebecca's being schlepped around from house to house this week. Ben had a field trip to Discovery Place on Monday, a spring egg hunt today for which I had to supply filled plastic eggs and a decorated milk carton cut into a basket shape to collect them in. Muffins For Moms is tomorrow, for which I need to bring a clay flower pot to school to decorate with him. (While eating muffins I presume). He's also been taking the school bus home to our bus stop the last two days instead of going to the JCC after school, since they are closed for Passover.

So a lot of disrupted routines and altered schedules this week, which will continue into the early part of next week, when Rebecca will be off for Passover again and Ben will be on Spring Break.

On the bright side of things, the weather is awesome!! Sunny and in the upper 70s today, with sun and temps in the 70s and 80s forecasted to continue into next week. Let 6 months of wearing flip flops begin.... NOW.

Do You Think This Means She Needs More Dolls?

Last night I caught Rebecca with one of Ben's Spider Man action figures, a hair brush, and a ponytail holder. She brushed Spider Man's hair (did not seem to notice that he doesn't have any), and then wrapped the ponytail holder around his head. "Isn't he beautiful?" she asked. Then she took him into the bathroom and tried to brush his teeth.

"I am buying her Barbie dolls RIGHT NOW!" I told Joel. But he just laughed and said he thinks it's cute that Rebecca plays with Ben's toys. Cute yes... but, a little pathetic?

Becca Sings Dayenu

Passover 2010

Passover Princess

This is the crown Becca made at preschool last week to wear for her class's Seder. She has worn it EVERY DAY SINCE. We're talking about a week ago almost, now.

I See Joel's Influence Here...

During the last few days Rebecca has started singing what sounds an awful lot like the music from Star Wars. The soundtrack to Ben's Lego Star Wars video games must be warping her brain.

Sunny Saturday, Rainy Sunday

Here is Becca at a playdate at the park this morning, shortly before the heavens opened up, sending everyone scurrying for their cars. No need to feel too sorry for us though, since Saturday was sunny and 76. The kids wore shorts, and we spent the majority of the day outdoors riding bikes in the cul de sac and playing basketball in the driveway. Nanny and Papa joined us for part of the afternoon and babysat in the evening, so Joel and I went to The Wooden Vine for drinks and Sonoma for dinner. Not sure if it was just an off night or what, but not particularly impressed with Sonoma. We had a Groupon though for $50 of food for $25, so it was at least worth it to give it a try at least.

This morning as mentioned our playdate at the park plans came to an abrupt and wet end, and following that we went to the JCC for the first week of Ben's junior soccer league. Joel and Eric, the dad of one of Ben's friends, got guilted into coaching since they don't have enough coaches apparently. One of our neighbors is also coaching, so he'll have plenty of company. Joel did complain about it an awful lot though, how he knows nothing about soccer, etc. No doubt he'll get over it.

After soccer --which was indoors because of the rain, so two hours of trying to keep Becca occupied on the bleachers with no help from Joel since he was coaching -- we came home and prepared to host some friends for dinner. Despite the rain, we (Or I should say I) cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. Ben introduced his friend Colby to his Lego Star Wars video games, which his parents may never forgive us for, and Colby's sister Sara demonstrated the ease with which it is possible to climb in and out of Rebecca's crib.... which, if Rebecca begins imitating, we might never forgive her parents for ;) It was a fun dinner/ play date.

After such a busy afternoon and evening, the kids fell asleep in record time. I think I will not be too far behind them!

Story Time

Passover Story According to Becca

Becca must be learning about Passover at preschool because every time she sees a baby doll now she calls it baby Moses, and we had the following conversation in the car this afternoon:

BECCA: Mad, mad, MAD!

ME: Who's mad?

BECCA: Jewish people mad. Mad, mad, MAD!

ME: Why are they mad?

BECCA: No, no, Pharaoh! No, No, No! Let my people GO!

Becca was shaking her finger at the air and giving Pharaoh quite a scolding. I am pretty sure if Becca had been around at the time, no plagues would have been necessary, just the threat of one of her tantrums.

Chocolate Pudding Princess

Riding a Bike is as Easy as Riding a Bike

This afternoon we took the training wheels off Ben's bike, and the rest, as they say, is history. This video was taken about 15 minutes after the training wheels came off. Bearing in mind also that he hadn't ridden his bike at all even with training wheels since last summer because SOMEONE (Joel) ran over the bike with his car. Upon closer inspection of the bike today, only one training wheel was actually damaged and not the actual bike. So off came the training wheels and off Ben rode into the sunset...

Cute, But a Little Confused

Rebecca refuses to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar anymore. The reason is, it's upside down. Huh? you might (rightfully) ask. I didn't understand it at first either. Apparently when she looks at the first page where the sun is coming up, she thinks it is upside down because the sun is at the bottom. So she thinks the book is defective or something, and we can't read it. "No! We can't read the caterpillar book! See? It's upside down!" Then she shrugs and spreads her hands in an apologetic way, turns the book this way and that for emphasis, and then puts it back on the shelf and refuses to hear any sort of explanation. Sigh. And I really liked that book, too. Sorry, Eric Carle!

Playdates, Allergies and Lots of Coffee

1. On Friday I thought I had allergies because I started sneezing like crazy but by Saturday night it was apparent that it was a cold instead, since I started to feel achy and lousy also. Usually my colds start the other way around, with the achiness first and the stuffiness later. It was a little weird to have it start out with just nasal symptoms. Fast forward to today and I'm still rather miserable, but breathing a little better with the help of Dayquil.

2. Ben had a playdate on Saturday at our house, and he and his friends tracked mud from the back yard into the house. Becca walked over to a clump of mud on the floor, pointed at it, and announced, "I pooped!" I quickly assured her that she was mistaken. She seemed confused, and quite certain that she had pooped. I then spent 20 minutes digging the clay out of 3 pairs of sneaker soles.

3. Becca had a playdate at our house yesterday and aside from her friend throwing up on the floor (long story though a lot easier to clean up than the mud actually), it was a successful morning. The girls especially had fun swinging on the swings in the backyard and Ben even joined in to play with them nicely since he was banned from playing video games because of misbehaving at his own playdate on Saturday and so had nothing better to do.

4. I got this on Saturday and have enjoyed several delicious and oh-so-easy to brew cups of coffee, since. It ROCKS!

An Uneventful Week (So far)

Or, blogging about nothing.

1. Ben has been celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday this week at school (he tells me he tasted green eggs today - no ham, apparently, just eggs). Here at home we've been reading Dr. Seuss books a lot this week partially in honor of the birthday and partially just because books like The Cat in the Hat are just right for Ben's reading ability now, containing just a couple of words he needs help with.

2. I signed Ben up for Juniors soccer, which starts in a couple of weeks. He told me he wouldn't play soccer unless his friend Jared was playing too. Well Jared, who turned 6 in November, is playing in the 6/7 year old league this spring. So I had to go ask the athletic director as a favor could he put Ben in the 6/7 year old league also even though he doesn't turn 6 until June. Got that accomplished. So I told Ben and he replied, "Well I'm not playing unless me and Jared are on the same team." So now I have to go be the really annoying mom who asks for her son to be assigned to a certain team.

3. Rebecca has been particularly ornery today it seems, throwing a variety of tantrums over a variety of subjects. Not sure why she has been so cranky today. At one point tonight I told her to chill out, and she shook her finger at me and said, "NO, Mommy! YOU chill out!" She did seem to end the evening happily though, doing an alphabet puzzle. She knows where all the pieces go, almost, and if you DARE make a move to help her, she has to start all over.