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Speed demon
I took Neko to an amusement park today. We took her last year when she was 3 years old, 36″ and a disaster by 1pm. This year she was 4 years old, 40″ and we pushed through from 10am until 5pm. All of you that have young kids and wonder when you’ll be able to do “real things” with your kids, the answer is age four. It’s awesome. They get that it’s a special event, they’re thrilled to be there, and when you don’t get a nap they don’t fall apart. As I walked past hoards of families pushing strollers full of screaming toddlers and babies, I knew we made the right decision to leave Shep and Ellery at home.
At 40″ you are catapulted into a whole new category of rides. You can finally ride the “big” roller coaster. Okay, it’s not really big, but it does have one really good hill. Neko? Loved it. I think we rode it 20 times. Thanks to the strangely empty park, we barely had to wait in line for anything. We rode almost everything she could ride, but we always ended up back on that roller coaster. By the end of the day she was telling eight-year-olds how they shoudln’t be scared because this ride was really not that scary.
Another highlight was the gift shop where she discovered stuffed versions of the Wonder Pets. I played the role of mean mother and told her we couldn’t get them and then immediately scribbled it down on the Xmas list.
But the thing she remembered most (other than the roller coaster) was meeting Blue from Blue’s Clues. We met her on the way out to the car so I could pump. All the way through the parking lot Neko was telling everyone, “Everyone! Blue is in the park! Blue! Right there in the park! You get to meet her!” It was like the preschool town cryer.
And then on the way home she drew this amazing picture of she and Blue (and Shep).
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Don’t even ask about Santa Claus
We went to JJ’s today, and for the most part, everyone did amazingly well. Neko and Shep actually rode in that plastic car in the front of the cart without killing each other. I have a theory that those carts were clearly designed by someone who has no children, because if they did, it would be about twice as wide with a giant partition something like the Great Wall of China between the two steering wheels.
Anyway, everyone was doing well, even Ellery, who drooled about a quart from beginning to end of the trip, but was otherwise downright charming, if not a little pruney. But right at the end Neko started to lose it. Tom had forgotten oatmeal, so he took Neko with him to keep her occupied. When they met us at the checkout, Neko could barely contain her excitement as she showed me this polaroid of she and Tony the Tiger. We don’t eat Frosted Flakes, but somehow she knows who he is and is really excited to see him in person.
Now, she’s got some suspicions that perhaps this isn’t a real six-foot tall live tiger in the grocery store. She’s begun talking about how this is a costume and that there’s a person in there. But today it was like she finally got the proof to crack the case. Later, at home, she was examining her polaroid when she suddenly started pointing at the picture and screaming, “Skin! SKIN!”
Tom and I jumped about a foot in the air and then came to look at what got her so excited. “Look, right there. You can see the person in the costume. His SKIN.” And there, right at his wrist, his furry orange glove and sleeve had created a gap where, sure enough, you can see skin.
I should add that this week she also dug up this ancient Keith Haring book about babies with lots of cute illustrations, but it also includes one illustration where the baby is coming out of the mother’s nether-regions, prompting the inevitable, “What is this drawing all about and where do babies come from?” Tom changed the subject and I confiscated the book, and we managed to evade that one.
But seriously, this whole figuring out how the real world works? For the birds.
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Game night
I’ve been trying to spend some one-on-one time with Neko. She’s in a tippy time in her life. She’s about to start school and spend less time with us. And her time with us is already squeezed, since she’s sharing it with two other siblings. I know it sounds like we’re trying to give her more attention than the others, but that isn’t the case. Ellery gets plenty of cuddle and squeeze time and Shep is about to get plenty of quality time while Neko is in school. Somehow it just seems like Neko is the one who gets short-changed.
I’m trying to take advantage of the hour she stays up later than the others. Tonight we cracked out a new game. This one is hard to describe, but essentially you are asked to build three “towers” which are a combination of blocks indicated by a card you draw out of a deck. You then use this crazy tool which is four “handles” attached to an elastic. Each person takes two handles and when you pull them, you can stretch it around a block and then use it to move it to your “castle” to build a tower. Plus, it’s cooperative instead of competitive, which is good, because we’re in a big-time “I win!” phase. Okay, it sounds weird, but Neko LOVED it.
Good stuff.
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Pre-Preschool
Neko starts preschool next Friday.
We kept her out of preschool last year. I couldn’t find a teacher we liked and I wasn’t sure she was ready. But this year we found a fantastic teacher, and I think she’s going to do great.
Neko is less convinced of this.
We’re doing our best to get her prepared. Tonight she had the preschool open house. I’m happy to report that she actually played and did the project they provided. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think she might be just a tiny bit excited.
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New English Dictionary
Tom has invented a new word: Smallzheimer’s.
If you have a child between the ages of 18-36 months, you have had this conversation:
“Where are we going?”
“To the museum.”
(Two minute pause.)
“Where are we going?”
“To the museum.”
(30 second pause.)
“Where are we going?”
“To the museum.”
(5 second pause.)
“Where are we…”
“To the museum! We’re going to the museum! The MUSEUM!”
(30 second pause.)
“Where are we going?”
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On the Road: Day 4
This is how I spent most of the day, at the wheel of a car in an absolute downpour. While I am very thankful that I am not in the midst of a hurricane, it was a pretty draining day, my five hour drive taking nearly eight instead. Quite often, the highways were like parking lots. Other times, I crawled along at a snail’s pace, barely able to see 20 feet in front of me because it was raining so hard. I am now nominating Ellery for sainthood, as she only cried for fifteen minutes of the whole journey.
But I made it home. I think each of the kids grew about four inches while I was gone. They each looked freakishly big, it’s really weird. As I was staring at Neko I was thinking there was something different about her hair, how she seemed to have some longish bangs just in front. Did Tom take them for haircuts? (No.) I ultimately dragged out of her that she got some blue tape caught in her hair and she decided to cut it out. I swear we have all the scissors hidden and Tom has no idea when this event occurred. We have obviously reached the sneaky age, and I am making a mental note to keep a much closer eye on her.
Then we all stayed up way too late, including me. After the kids went to bed, I unloaded the bags and tucked my kid purchases into hiding places to save for a rainy day or Xmas.
Which brings me back to this morning, before the torrential downpour. I went to the Land of Nod store, which ranks right up there with IKEA on the drool-inducing scale. I considered pitching a tent and moving in because everything was so very fun. Which, in retrospect, might have been a good idea, considering the eight hours I had ahead of me.
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On the Road: Day 2
We made it to Chicago. It’s kind of rainy, but I think the fact that I’m unencumbered is totally making up for that. We made it to Oak Park for a great toy store, the Paper Source, and Whole Foods (ran out of baby food). Then off to do half of Michigan Avenue. I actually tried on jeans without someone tugging on me.
Ellery, during this time you have been a saint. You have camped out happily in your stroller with your toys and blanket, and give every passerby a huge smile. For the second night in a row, we wrapped up with a dog party in bed. You barely made it through the first half of the movie, though. You’ve got to build up some stamina if you’re going to make it through your college years, kiddo.
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On the Road: Day 1
One year, our friends Carole and Chris told us they were taking separate vacations. They have three kids, and it just didn’t seem feasible to relax with the whole family in tow. At first, I was confused by the whole idea. Vacation? Without my husband? And family?
Then I had three kids.
And now I’m all like, “Separate vacations? Why didn’t we think of this sooner?”
You might remember that Tom went to the Pitchfork Music Festival a while back. Now it’s my turn. I should probably say “our turn” since Ellery and I are a package deal for a while longer. But she’s a great traveling companion as long as you don’t mind being spit up on now and then.
I was going to just go to Chicago for a few days, but I decided to divert to see a few Michigan beach towns and scope out a few places out for possible vacation spots next year. Then Ellery and I went back to the motel for take-out and bed. And, like the uber-geek family we are, I checked in with Tom via iChat. He and Neko showed me the kitchen wall that they’re painting brown (!). I sanctioned this project, but I always get nervous when we make bold moves like this. I think it’s gonna be good, though.
Tomorrow we’re off to the Windy City…
