Favorite games

Scarlett's favorite thing lately. "let's plan an animal guessing game!"  This means someone thinks of an animal and says where they live- I'm thinking of an animal who lives in the ocean.  Then we take turns asking questions until we figure it out.  Pigs, whales and monkeys get the most play when Scarlett picks the animals and we guess.

We've broadened this to "I'm thinking of a person who lives in a house."  It's almost always her cousins.

Here are some shots of Scar at school, first carrying the sharing tray- you put an item in the tray and invite someone to talk to you about it.  The kids take turns doing this every few days- last week Scarlett brought her giraffe mask.  I ask, did you tell them about Arnie?  No, she didn't.

Scar-ism

'Mama, dance and sing with me wherever I go okay?'

Ah, weekends

WAFFLE JOY!

Harmony Fall Program

There was a little fall festival at school last night, the 5 classrooms each sang a fall-themed song and they sang a few together.  There was a lantern walk, and a picnic.  Here is the video of Scarlett's class singing The Thunder Song:

There was also a pumpkin song, one about a jack o lantern, and a song with the lanterns about darkness and light.  I also have about a dozen videos of her practicing her songs in the bath tub.  My heart was brimming with pride at the adorableness of the whole event.  She was such a big girl, walking up with her class and sitting there while the other classes sang.  Afterwards we had a potluck, and she told us she wanted to sit with her friends instead of her family.  Sigh.

Three and three-quarters

My dear Scarlett,

You are growing up so quickly and lately, I've wanted to capture this in a blog post but I don't know what to say.  You are tall.  Your hair is long.  You talk like a teenager.  You call dad and I "guys" and you like to say "I knowwwww" whenever I remind you to use two hands, or to hold something carefully, or whatever.  You know everything already, at age (as you like to say) 'three and three-quarters'.

Last night when I put you to bed, we had yet another play-fight about who loves who more.  I tell you always that I love you more, then you tell me in a funny voice that you love me more, then I tell you in an even funnier voice that I love you more, etc etc.  You are impossibly affectionate, putting your face right up close next to mine while we talk.

Daddy built you a loft bed, a 'big kid bed' a month or two ago, which you love and happily curl up in every night.  Your bedtime is now 7:30, but should probably be 7 because you're so exhausted by then.  I couldn't bear to lose that extra half-hour with you, though.  Thanks for toughing it out.

Yesterday we went to an open house at your school and you showed us what you do all day, and you didn't want to leave.  You held my hand and walked me around the classroom.  You do a work (I'm sorry, I mistakenly called it a game) where you put colored tiles all over the classroom and then go back, trying to remember where they are.  You like sink scrubbing, object scrubbing, and wood polishing.  This weekend, I put you to work washing the baseboards, which you did happily with a spray bottle and some q-tips.

At mealtimes, you always suggest 'switcheroo evening' which means the grown-ups eat on kid plates, and the kid eats on a grown-up plate, or we all eat on kid plates.  You like drinking out of tall glass cups, like us, and using big utensils even though the spoons barely fit in your mouth.

Here you are with Esther, practicing your biggest school pictures smiles:

I love you the most!
Mama

Making Cookies

A kid on the playground at school recently asked Scarlett if she braided her hair by herself.  She said, I don't know how.  When she told me this, I said, I can teach you to braid.  So we made a list of things she wants to learn.

To Braid.
Cooking.
To cut with a grown-up knife.

She and Ella helped make sugar cookies last weekend, and use the cookie cutters,and roll out the dough, and frost them, and pour so many sprinkles on.

Frog & Toad: Cookies
Toad ran to Frog’s house. “Frog, Frog,” cried Toad, “taste this cookies that I made.”
Frog ate one of the cookies. “These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Frog.

On my birthday

Dear Mom,

On Scarlett's birthday, I like to think the day is half about me.  It's my momaversary.  We eat sushi because that's what I like, and I tell her how she was born and I became a mama on the same day.  So today, on my own birthday, I thought you should know that I'm thinking about you and all the times I probably spit up on your work clothes, and kissed you when I had terrible breath, and poked your face while you were trying to nap, and woke you up at night.  I remember in my old bedroom in the Barger drive house, that you would sing to me as I fell asleep.  Scarlett doesn't ever want me to sing, but she did sing happy birthday to me in the car today, the best version I have ever heard.  Thank you for being the mom you are, and teaching me to be a good mom to my own little girl.

Love,
Emily