april

We walk out the door and I say, "It's so warm today!" Sarah, in the doorway, asks, "Springtime?" 4/1

Mommy starts work on April 1. Sarah is mostly fine with the new schedule, just a little clingy: "Mommy, I need you!" 4/1-8

We sing "Baa Baa Black Sheep," but when I sing, "...one for the little girl..." Sarah interrupts and says, "NO! Big girl!" 4/03

As we arrive at the Fisher parking lot today, Sarah asked, "Our new house?" No, not yet, Sarah! 4/4

For a fun field trip during their "families" unit, the Moonbears go with some of their mommies, daddies, brothers and sisters to Funtastic Fun this morning. Sarah rode on the carousel, bounced on the trampoline, went up high in the Ferris wheel, and LOVED the big ball pit. Mommy and Emily came to have fun, too! Back at Fisher, Sarah fell right asleep at naptime, but Miss Kristen said at one point she cried out as if she had a nightmare--Kristen rushed over, but Sarah hadn't even woken up...just a little too much stimulation! 4/4

Daddy takes the girls to see the Piglet movie in the theatres! This is Sarah's very first movie! Sarah has lots of popcorn (Daddy says she just kept sticking her hand out for more) and enjoys the show. 4/5

Daddy's hockey team is in the final round of the championships (at only 4pm no less), but Mommy has to work! Christine rides to the rescue and goes with Bill and the girls to the rink so she can keep an eye on them while Bill plays. I meet them there after work to catch the end of the game. Every once in a while the girls will yell, "Go, Daddy!" but mostly they like climbing up and down and up and down the risers. Daddy's team wins! Chris and the girls and I go out to dinner, but Daddy stays to have "one beer." :) 4/5

Sarah's school sheet says Sarah's mood was "happy and energetic! A great listener today! Enjoyed making spring flowers." 4/7

Sarah does wonderfully at school except for eating lunch. Her daily report usually says, "Ate little." or "Ate some." Today it said, "Ate WELL!" but Daddy and Mommy were not surprised--the menu was quesadillas: cheese and bread! 4/9

Aunt Amy surprises us with a visit! She drove out with her friend Marsha, who was housesitting in Denver, to keep her company! She rings our doorbell on Monday night after dinner, just in time to read the girls their bedtime stories. Amy came back over Tuesday evening and had dinner with Bill and the girls while I went to work--then in the morning, they all came by to see me at my new library before driving Amy to the airport. What a special treat! 4/7-9

The girls go to Nigel's house while Mommy does taxes! They get to play outside in Nigel's back yard. Sarah and Nigel especially like going into the playhouse together and looking out the windows. 4/10

Sarah continues to do well on the potty--she usually goes when she is getting dressed in the morning and getting pjs on in the evening. She is successful almost every time! She wipes her bottom and flushes the toilet all by herself. She will call, "Bye, Sarah's pee!" The only drawback to this system is if she wants to go in the middle of the day she insists on taking off ALL her clothes before she sits down! The Moonbears will be doing a "potty" unit later this spring, during which they will read books about going to the bathroom and the very patient teachers will take all 10 Moonbears to the potty several times a day! I am thinking I will put her in dresses and pullups for the unit and see what happens next! 4/03

Sarah keeps me company at Chuck E. Cheese's while Emily and Hanna have some fun! Sarah likes to ride on the cars that go up and down and put the tokens in the slots (any slots) and REALLY wants to climb on the big fun toy, but she is too small. It is noisy and Sarah misses her nap, but she still behaves wonderfully! 4/12

Sarah walks around the church with the other kids, waving palms! Amazingly, she doesn't bump into anything, even though she never takes her eyes off the top of her palm which she is holding way above her head and bouncing up and down. 4/13

The most complicated day of our new schedule is Tuesday, where Mom is at home with the girls in the morning, takes Emily to school in the afternoon while Daddy teaches, then gets ready for work and takes Sarah to pick up Em from school at 4.30. Then all three of us walk over to meet Daddy at his office a block and a half away from Fisher, where he finishes up class at ten to five. Mom scoots to work by 5.30 while the girls go home with Daddy to have dinner and bedtime with him! This has of course become the girls' favorite part of the week. They love going to Daddy's office and waiting for him to show up at the other end of the hallway! Then they get to go back to the computer lab with him to make sure everything is okay before they go home. Mom comes home at 9.30pm, and everyone is pooped and in bed! 4/15

Sarah uses "I" and "me" almost interchangeably. She will say, "I love you," but "Me do it!" 4/03

A crying Sarah--unprompted--goes up to her room for a "cool-down!" 4/16

We colored Easter eggs this morning! Sarah used her hands to dunk egg after egg in the pink dye. Her hand was very pink today! When I took her to school I said, "Show your hand to your teachers, Sarah!" and when she did they asked, "Did you color eggs today, Sarah?" and Sarah said, "YEAH!" The Moonbears had a little Easter egg hunt this afternoon, and Sarah came in the door after she got home and immediately started looking for eggs at our house! 4/18

Sarah's school sheet says Sarah's mood was "great! Loved dyeing eggs today!" 4/18

The church Easter Egg Hunt was this morning, and as I had to work all day, Monica volunteered to take the girls for us! Monica is one of Emily's assistant teachers and has been working at our church as the nursery attendant since the fall. She was going to be at the church to help watch the kids during the setup, but then would be free to go around with the girls during the hunt! The girls were so excited to go with her! They found LOTS of eggs and got to listen to a story told by Pastor Loye and then did some crafts in the Fellowship Hall. 4/19

Sarah steps on the sidewalk and says, "Hot lava!" This is what Emily says when she wants to play a don't-step-on-the-cracks game while we are walking somewhere. 4/19

Bill, combing Sarah's hair, says, "Where did you get your curls, Sarah?" Sarah says, "Ummmmmm....bookstore!" 4/20

Sarah found her Easter basket in the family room this year! It was behind the blue couch by the end table. Sarah walked around back of the couch, then got down on her hands and knees to check "under the couch" (you can't SEE under the couch!) not 12 inches from her basket without seeing it at first! The Easter Bunny brought a Pez dispenser, some Easter books, a big chocolate bunny, and a wind-up chicken that lays jellybean eggs! 4/20

Sarah's school sheet says Sarah's mood was "happy! Had a good time playing outside today." 4/7

Daddy successfully defends his thesis project this morning, his birthday, and when faced with the decision about what to have for dinner with the girls while Mom is at work, he chooses going out to dinner at the Black Eyed Pea so he can have pork chops as a reward! Daddy says they girls behaved great and they all sat squeezed together on one side of a booth! 4/22

I asked Sarah what she wanted to get Daddy for his birthday--what present she wanted him to open up. She said immediately, "Chocolate bunny!" So we went to a chocolate shop at the mall and Sarah chose some chocolate covered pretzels and "striped" truffles--Mommy helped her out by choosing some raspberry truffles and dark chocolate coconut creams! When Bill went to open her present, he said, "Is this present from Sarah? I wonder what's inside?" And Sarah said, "Chocolate!" 4/23

Sarah has learned how to make "the sad face with the sticky-outy bottom lip" on purpose and uses it whenever she thinks it will garner her some extra love and/or Fig Newtons. 4/03

We are starting to do time-outs with Sarah now and our purpose is somewhat defeated by the fact that she is THRILLED to be sent to time-out since it is a "big girl" thing to do! I say, "Sarah, you need to do a time-out for hitting Emily!" and she says, "Okay, Mommy!" and skips upstairs to her room. I don't expect this to last forever!! She does come out of time out and can reiterate the rule "No hitting" and apologize to Emmy, so I guess some of it is sinking in. 4/24

I tell Sarah, "Time to get Emmy! Let's go!" Sarah jumps up and says, "Yay! My big sister! Emmy! My big sister!" 4/24

I listen to Sarah singing to herself in bed: "Itsy bitsy spider up the water SPOUT! Down came rain washed spider out. Out came sun dried all.....twinkle twinkle little star how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky.....[spoken] Like that! I love my family! [singing again, she jumps to the middle of "Where is Thumbkin:] Here we are...here we are..." She goes on in this vein for quite some time. All the while her music is playing in the background, something, of course, completely different than what she is singing. However, the minute it clicks off, she yells, "Mommy! I need you! My music! I need more music! Daddy!" I go in to turn over her tape, and she resumes singing whatever she wants despite what the tape is playing! 4/24

We go to Daddy's Hockey Championship Party!! Sarah has a few bites of Daddy's ribs, but mostly eats pickles for dinner. The girls play in a sandbox a little, but Sarah's favorite thing to do is to wander around on the gravel/stone edging, admiring the rocks and occasionally picking one up. Later on she finds Emily in the family room, watching some of the boys play PlayStation! We don't get home and in bed until 10.30pm--both girls fell asleep in the car! 4/26

Christine's folks, Bill and Alice, are in town for the weekend, and we are invited over to Chris' apartment to have pizza. When we come into the lobby, we find a note on the elevator buttons addressed to Sarah and Em! It is from Christine, warning them that the lights are out in the elevator and to hold on tight to Mommy and Daddy's hands! Sarah says, "Spooky!" but we get to the fifth floor with no problems. We have a nice visit with the Andresens and we were very proud of the girls, who were on their best behavior. They talked and visited with the grownups for awhile and we ate pizza together, but then Em and Sarah were happy to take a pile of plastic plates into the "other room" of Chris' loft and play loud stomping games while we visited some more! 4/27

Sarah, in the car, asks Mommy to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle." So I start, only to have her call out, "No! Do diamond!" I say, "Sarah, I can't do the diamond [the finger movements] when I'm driving. Can you do the diamond?" Sarah scowls. "NO!" I ask, "Why not?" There is a pause, then she says, "Me fallin' 'sleep!" and tips her head to the side and squeezes her eyes shut. Mommy cracks up! 4/29