A Tiny Little Ginormous Shift in Plans

Dear Molly,

If you haven't figured this out by now, your mommy is a planner. If I don't have my calendar and lists and grids in front of me, I get anxious. The fact that I have your first appointment for 2010 and I don't have my 2010 calendar yet is making me more crazy than I care to admit. All of this comes from having an engineer for a father and a elementary school teacher as a mother... that and working in PR. Sorry - it's just who I am.

So, as your Daddy and I were figuring out what to do for Kindergarten, you can imagine this was well discussed and thought out. For approximately the last year (even 18 months or so) we've known that we would send you to morning Kindergartern, then to your current preschool/daycare for afternoon Kindergarten enrichment. That way, we rationalized, it would ease your transition... and we could also still take you to daycare for the random days that school is closed (like Presidents' Day, Columbus Day, the third Wednesday of every month...).

All that changed on Wednesday.

I had your Parent/Teacher conference with Ms. Sofi.

After she told me all kinds of great things about you, she said (in her very straightforward manner): "I hear you're sending Molly to half-day Kindergartern?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Why?"

Um... uh... well...

"Molly is ready for Kindergarten."

So we talked it out... and I called Daddy, talked it out with a few folks, called Grandma... and the more we thought about it, the more we knew Ms. Sofi was right.

So tomorrow, we register you for full-day Kindergarten.

Kindergarten. My little girl. Ready to take on the big K. Ready to take on the world.

I Didn't Know a Helicopter Was Involved...

Getting ready for bed last night, Molly starts talking... and I'm trying to comb the rats out of her hair and sort of, kind of multitasking while I'm listening... and then I hear "helicopter."

So, I start actually listening:

"So after they go to the ballpark and sing the National Anthem, then the helicopter comes in."

"Molly, what does the helicopter do?"

"Takes them to heaven."

*Insert perplexed Mommy look* "I'm sorry, sweetie. What's that again?"

"The people go to the ballpark and sing the National Anthem. And then the helicopter takes them to heaven."

"Why are the people going to heaven?"

"Because they're dead."

"And why are they going to the ballpark?"

"To sing the National Anthem. But does a helicopter really come? I don't know how that part works -- getting the people to heaven."

I'm still not sure what prompted this...

Back Home Again In Indiana

The last time Molly and I visited Indiana, it was for Halloween. And we had a fantastic visit. So would a spring trip home for a garage sale be any fun?

You bet!

Our Grandma Suite (a.k.a. guest room in the basement) was OVERFLOWING with Molly clothes from 2T on up. And it was giving me anxiety. My parents' subdivision has an annual garage sale -- and has ever since I can remember. It was always the first sign of spring in Northern Indiana and always an adventure as a kid. It was where I first learned the fine art of salesmanship by hawking everything from lemonade to plants from the garden. Since the sale always attracts a lot of traffic, I figured it would be worth the drive up -- plus it's another chance to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

So, what all did we do?

- Have a bonfire with the neighbors, complete with roasting hot dogs and making s'mores.

- Visit Molly's Barkery at the Farmer's Market to buy treats for Roscoe

- Attend the volunteer thank you dinner at the horse farm where Grandpa volunteers

- Have a jammie day and watch "Sound of Music" and "Magic School Bus" all day while Mommy worked the Garage Sale

- Go to dinner at Mommy's FAVORITE Mexican restaurant... then ice cream and the local ice cream joint

- Play on the neighbor's playground... then at the neighborhood park (the last photo was actually taken by Molly!)

Tete A Tot First: Eye Doctor

There's a new state here law that all kids entering Kindergarten need to have an eye exam before they start school. Good idea. So I took Molly to her appointment last Thursday morning, before we left for Indiana. (More on that later.)



Molly was a little nervous, but doing ok. She asked lots of questions in the days leading up to the appointment, including my favorite: "Do I get to keep my eyeballs after the eye doctor?"



"KEEP your eyeballs? What do you mean, sweetie?"



"Well, do they fall out?"



"No, sweetie - your eyeballs are not like teeth. They don't fall out and you get to keep them."



After we cleared up the "eyeballs don't fall out like teeth" issue, she was fine. She did keep asking if I'd go back with her... and I hadn't even thought about asking the nurse that when I made the appointment.



So we get there, and I fill out the paperwork while she's watching some Dog Nanny 911 show on Animal Planet... but the dog's name is Molly, so it's all good. Then the nurse calls, "Molly? Come on back with me. Let's go play some games."



And it took every ounce of willpower the rational half of my brain could muster to override what my mommy half was screaming: GET UP AND GO WITH THEM!!!!!!!



And I watched Molly take the nurse's hand and head back to the great unknown of her first eye doctor appointment like a big girl.



*mommy tears*



Thirty minutes later (or 3,000 in mommy minutes), I get called back. The nurse asks, "So, you're going to Indiana for a bonfire?"



"Yes, we're going to visit Molly's grandma and..."



"Ah yes," replied the nurse. "We've heard ALL about your trip."



The nurse opens the door and there's Molly and the doctor. She's reading the eye chart like a pro and talking the doctor's ear off. And she did such a good job that she got THREE stickers!



She got a great diagnosis to boot -- a little farsighted, which is good/fine at this age. And a little allergic conjunctivitis - a.k.a. gunk in the eye from the crap in the air.



On our way out, I told Molly what a GREAT job she did. And I got a big hug in return. Another first in the books.

Random Question of the Day

While s l o w l y getting dressed this morning, Molly looks up thoughtfully and asks:

"Mommy, do you think Santa gets tired when he's delivering all the presents?"

"Um, Santa? Why yes, sweetie - he probably does."

"Wow, how does he do it all in one night?"

We had our baby... in a bar!

And here are the pictures to prove it!

We actually had a super fun time tonight going to see Ralph's World with some friends. He played this great little club/bar... which was filled with kids and their parents rocking out! (And yes, the bar was open - so Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a beer, too.) Before the show, we even met Ralph! He was walking around, talking to the kids, and signed two of Molly's CDs.

We all had a great time. (Unfortunately, we forgot to bring Molly's noise-cancelling headphones, so it was a little loud for Miss Sensitive Ears. She seemed very serious and didn't want to dance, but actually had a great time.) It's so fun to be able to share and enjoy family-friendly music together that doesn't want to make parents gag. Of course, the "la la la" chorus from "Happy Lemons" will be going through my head all night.

Thanks, Ralph - we'll see you next time you're in town!

Fun with Daddy

Daddy's boss got to throw at the first pitch on Sunday... and Daddy took you with him down on the field. It was so sweet and wonderful to watch you both down by home plate together.

You Get What You Get... And You Still Got Upset

Luckily, Molly doesn't pitch too many fits. One of my favorite mommy lines is from Pinkalicious - "You get what you get and you don't get upset." Usually that works.

But not last night.

We varied from our routine and Rain Main went nuts.

Normally Daddy bounces Molly on her bed before bath. I played the role of bouncer last night since Daddy was finishing up something else. And I wasn't bouncing her high enough. So when I informed her it was time for bath, someone decided to throw an all-out tantrum.

So, I calmly informed her that bath needed to be done by 8:30 or there would be no story.

"But I NEEEEEEEEEED a story!!! " came the cry from the bedroom, followed by 10 minutes of, "I WAAAAANT a story. I NEEEEEED A STORY!!!!!"

So we quickly bathed her (much to her dismay) and put her in her pjs in between sobs. As I put her into bed, I pulled out my best mommy line yet:

"I really want to read you a story. But because you were throwing a fit, we've run out of time. I hope we can read a story tomorrow night. That's my favorite time of the day."

And after 10 minutes of sobbing (well, 10 minutes plus the previous 45 of fit-throwing), she fell asleep.

As far as ages go, two is easy, three is fun... and four is completely bi-polar.

I love you, too...

So, Daddy just comes down from tucking you in upstairs...

"You didn't hear what she was saying, did you?" he asks.

"No. What's up?"

"I told her she can be anything she wants to when she grows up. She can be a doctor... she can be President like Barack Obama. And she told me she already knows what she wants to be."

"What does she want to be?"

"A mommy. And I asked her if she wanted to have another job too. And her reply was, 'Yes - Mommy's job'."

I love you too, Peanut.

Easter Egg Hunt

Enjoying the Easter Egg Hunt at school last Saturday.

(It's great that the Cinderella shoes from Halloween can magically reappear as Easter shoes!)

Shame on You!

Scene: Mommy is drawing Molly's bath... Daddy and Molly head upstairs for bathtime after watching a little American Idol.

Molly: Mommy, Simon said a bad word on the TV to Kris... Let me whisper it to you in your ear.

Mommy (not sure where this is going...): Um, ok...

Molly: He said.... stupid.

Mommy: He did NOT!

Molly: Yes, he did. He should have to leave the competition.

Sign of the Times

Really? Because some days, it really feels like 4,370...

This... AGAIN?

Scene: at the kitchen table, happy mother and daughter eating dinner

Daughter: Mommy, when will I be seven?

Mommy: In two years, sweetie.

Daughter: When I'm seven, can we have a baby? Then I can be the big sister...

Mommy: But sweetie, we don't have room for a baby in the house. Where would we put one?

Daughter: I'd share my room with the baby... because that's what big sisters do.

And scene.

I can't live... if living is without you...

As I've always said, having a toddler is like living with Rain Man: Wapner is on at 4:30. And if it's not on, hold onto your hat.

We've had moments like this throughout Molly's life: this isn't the right kind of applesauce... I brush my hair and then I brush my teeth... I read stories and then get pats... where's Taylor on American Idol?... this isn't how my teacher makes pumpkin seeds... and on and on and on.

But now that she's at the ripe old age of 4-1/2, we figured she's mostly past that.

Oh, were we wrong.

We decided to replace Aaron's Jeep Cherokee -- the one he's had since 2001 (the year Jeep quit making Jeep Cherokees, which he's still mad about). So it's the only Daddy car Molly's ever known. (Red flag?) Molly went with us to test drive the Ford Escapes. We made the deal and were planning to go back the next day to swap the Jeep for the Escape. Molly seemed like she was having a good time... until we pulled in the driveway at home.

"Where will the Escape go, Mommy?"

"In the garage."

"But where will the Jeep go?"

"Well, we're trading the Jeep for the Escape, honey."

(Long, silent pause.......) "But... but I don't want to trade the Jeep."

The next two hours were filled with cries and pleas of "Don't sell the Jeep" and "I don't want to trade the Jeep" and (my personal favorite) "I can't live without the Jeep!" until she finally sobbed herself to sleep.

That night in bed, Aaron asked, "What are we going to do?" I replied, "Go get the new car." (Yeah, they call me Tough Love Mommy.)

The next day, Molly woke up and the first words out of her mouth were: "I'm sad...."

(Don't take the bait... don't take the bait.)

But Daddy took the bait. "Why are you sad, Molly?"

"Because I miss the Jeep already!"

Luckily, I remembered a key nugget and pulled it from my Mommy Bag 'O Tricks:

"Molly - remember last year when David Cook won American Idol? He got a Ford Escape, just like we're getting. So we have the same car as David Cook!"

"Mommy, can you call him and tell him that?"

Yes, Molly - just as soon as I find his number.

Like Johnny Appleseed... only with crayons

Molly loves to color.

Check that - Molly loves to create with ANY kind of art supplies: crayons, markers, glue, glitter glue, glitter stickers, stickers, puffy stickers... Well, you get the idea. In fact, we don't go ANYWHERE without the cutest little Crayola marker set I got her. She can entertain herself for hours with that little pouch o' magic -- including while riding around in a cart at Costco. (It really is the perfect gift for the preschool set.)

We're swimming in artwork at home. I have it on the walls, on the fridge... heck, I even framed some pieces and brought them to work. And I send regular shipments of artwork to grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, third-world countries, and the local recycling center.

Recently, Molly has been coloring pictures and giving them to different folks. It's all her idea... and once she has created artwork for someone, it's done -- that person MUST receive the present... and I'm usually the one to deliver it.

Here's a quick list of random folks she recently gifted with her art:

- Her teachers at school

- Her ballet teacher

- My colleagues

- The unborn baby of a colleague

- My boss

- The receptionist at my work

- Voted-off American Idol contestant Alexis Grace

- The sick elephant at the zoo

- "Food to Try" lady handing out chicken nuggets at Costco

I'm trying to scan all of my favorite pieces to archive them... but it's hard to keep up with such a prolific artiste!