Scarism

"I'll try to find a way out if I ever get caught in a black hole."

Tree time

Her favorite things

Some of Scarlett's many favorite things are:

• Too-big flowery long-sleeved dresses that look like you'd wear them on the sisterwives compound
• Ninjas
• Playing ninja (as seen here with Esther, gypsy-ninjas).  She wore all black, all weekend, and carried around the sword and yelled 'EEE HIIII'

• Christmas decorations
• Christmas music
• Arnie
• Cousintime (her best thing of all)

Throwback

One year ago today...

 Scarlett looks the same to me, and she still wears that sweatshirt.

This guy hasn't aged much either:

Peaks and valleys

This has been a very up & down week for the Dickersons.

The up: Last Sunday, I ran my fastest ever half-marathon, 1 hour 58 minutes, smashing my goal time by 2 full minutes.  There was coffee at the finish line.  It's the first time my brother has seen me finish a race.  Things were perfect.  I felt so strong and powerful and thrilled.

The down: The next day, I came down with the flu.  For 24 full hours I was in my bed with chills and muscle aches, not enough energy to even sit upright.  It was awful and even now, a few days later, I'm living very gently to make sure I recover.

The up: Grandma and Grandpa came to visit from Chicago!  Scarlett has been talking about this nonstop, counting down the days.  We had a lovely, huge Thanksgiving with family in our newly remodeled kitchen.

The down: Scarlett is now sick, some kind of tummy virus that's different from what I had, but equally unpleasant.  She and I have done a fair amount of cuddling and watching movies, but she's missing valuable grandparent time.

Looking forward to the next up, and maybe some solid ground for a while.

Scar-ism

Listening to the Kermit version of the Rainbow Connection (as opposed to the regular band-type version we have in the car), Scarlett wrinkles up her nose and makes a funny face.  She says, "I don't think frogs are meant to sing."

After waking up from a post-sickness nap, "I'm feeling okay but not very ninja-y."

Little reader

We've been making the transition lately from the shorter picture books to chapter books.  It's been really fun, and for me especially because Scarlett and I are on book 2 of the Little House On The Prairie series, which I loved when I read them as a kid.  We are reading parts that I remember- like Laura and Mary making molasses candy out of snow. I tried to do that once when it snowed in Eugene.  Last night, Scarlett describes to me what she was picturing in her head while I read, on the pages when there were no pictures. She wonders about the white top of the covered wagon, she says.

A couple week ago, we finished Ramona and her Mother, Scarlett's first Beverly Cleary book.  The part where Beezus gets a terribile haircut... it was nostalgic because I remember reading chapter once upon a time.

We went to see the Ivy & Bean musical recently- these books were new to me, we started reading them because the play was coming.  Scarlett took to these instantly.  When we got our tickets at will call, the woman asked if Scarlett had read the books.  She nodded emphatically "Yes all ten."
In one of the books, the girls find a strange yellow rope in their neighborhood and nobody knows where it came from, but every day it gets longer and longer.  So at home, Scarlett tied some rope (white only, we don't have yellow) around one corner of her dollhouse and waited for Charlie to notice.  Because she wanted to read this book all the time, it didn't take him long.

I'm already thinking forward to the day when we're reading Harry Potter together.  

Scarlett and cousins and Aunt Sarah, reading on Thanksgiving

Starlet

Names of plays Scarlett is writing and starring in:

• The frogs in dinosaur time
• Coats come to life (“it’s like a bunch of coats jump and giggle and walk around”)
• The Knight and the Ninjas and the Pirates  (She will play the lead knight, ninja and pirate “I’ll be the main person”)

Halloween

Scarlett has been saying for months and months that she's going to be a ghost for Halloween.  Then at the last minute, she said ladybug (Esther was a ladybug) and princess (Ramona was a princess) and bunch of grapes. I have no idea where the bunch of grapes came from.  In any case, she ended up with a spooky ghost costume, did her own face paint and had Charlie give her some super realistic fake blood.  

We went trick or treating with some friends, but Scarlett got a much larger haul when she came in costume to my office, for our Halloween party.  She had entire buckets of candy dumped into her bag, "because we know mommy is going to eat a lot of your candy", they said.  Damn straight!  That's why I tell her to look for the Butterfingers, with blue writing in the yellow package. 

Picking up a pumpkin that's way too heavy for her... man, I love this kid.

Two Scarletts

Scarlett has this friend, also named Scarlett, and they are a really adorable pair.  They embody the name Scarlett in very different ways.  We took a day trip out to Hood River for the Harvest Festival last weekend- this means a lot of sampling of apples and pears, painting pumpkins, bouncy houses, and general funtimes.

Also playing in the river.

Also eating carmel apples.

On the way home they were muddy, wet, covered in carmel and exhausted.  I think that's a success.

Scarism

Scarlett, to Charlie and I during dinner:

"Did you decide to get married because you had the same last name?"

Korean superstar

Today in her taekwando class, Scarlett got the 'best student' award.  The best student is the one who sits facing forward, doesn't talk during class, doesn't disrupt other kids, etc etc.  I think she's at an advantage because she likes ballet, and this class is similar, only without the fancy dress and with more kicking and yelling. 

At the end of class, with her reward of a green headband and a sticker and a piece of paper with her name on it, she told me "I knew he was going to pick me for best student." 

I was feeling mildly frustrated with how often the instructor tells the kids to face forward, and not to get up for water during class, to cross their legs, and not to yell HE-YA when they are making a HE-YA type hand motion.  Four year olds don't sit quietly and face forward.  They have energy and they get thirsty and they like to walk around.  But, now I kindof get it, if taekwando is about self-discipline and respect and all that.  So I guess she can sit still for 45 minutes and then jump around like a frog all other hours of the day.

Elizabeth Warren

I took Scarlett to Eugene to see Elizabeth Warren, who is an awesome consumer advocate and all around cool lady, when she was on our coast doing a fundraiser for our Senator. I admire her so much and I wanted Scarlett to get a chance to see her.  On the way, we talked a little about rallies.  But, how do I explain politics to a kid?  She knows Barack Obama.  She knows how Charlie and I voted on flouride in the water supply.  But abstract ideas are hard to explain and we don't really talk politics much anyway.

At the rally, they let me stand up front, so Scarlett could see.  At the end, EW came around to shake hands with everyone in the front row.  She whispered in Scarlett's ear "My name is Elizabeth. I ran for US Senate because that's what girls can do."

To be fair, this is what EW says to all little girls (I read that in her biography).  But it was still inspiring and great.  And, the news photographer took our picture.  When the Oregon Senator came around, Scarlett refused to look at him or shake his hand.  Then he suggested a high-five, and she did it, but I had to bribe her with the promise of a cookie.

Finish Line

I guess I managed an almost-smile at the finish.  Someday when I have lost my memory, I'll look back and this picture and say 'hmm, I don't remember that race, but I look happy so it must have been amazing'.

A Runner's Lament

So, once again, the marathon didn't go as I planned.  My goals were 1. to finish without puking, 2. to have a superfast finish time, 3. to finish, at all.  Well, I finished, but the second half was less of a run and more of a 'barely stumble' to the finish, with intermittent puking.

I'm a puker when it comes to long-distance running.  I'm coming to terms with that.  I love running, but I really wish I could get the eating-while-running thing handled.

Once again, it took a village (Sally, and my cousin Heidi) to meet me at mile 20 and coerce me into finishing. I wanted to sit down, A LOT.  I was dehydrated and couldn't keep anything down, and my stomach felt like sandpaper.  I really did run 15 beautiful, happy miles before I started to feel sick.  In any case, I somehow survived and here I am, deficient in calories but the semi-proud owner of a finisher's shirt.

In happier days, with Eddie and Heather at the starting line:

Family Portrait

Fall Blogging

Scarlett told me a story that she 'made up in her mind'.  It was about a girl who loves someone because he's funny.  But she won't marry him, instead she marries someone else and HE'S A GIANT.  But she's happy.  Then later the giant tries to be funny, but she doesn't like it and unfunnies him.  This the story, as remembered imprecisely by me.

She likes that Cups song.  I sing 'I've got a ticket for the long way round....' at the end recently she looked at me and said, "maybe she'll meet someone else'.  

She says the best things.  She'll say 'write this down mama' and then start singing some really elaborate song about a frog and a giraffe, or a story about a little girl and her lily pad.  But usually I can't write it down, because I'm driving or my hands are covered in flour or I'm not near a pencil or computer.  It feels like the things she makes up in her little mind are so important, but then I don't record them and they are lost forever.  We need a household stenographer. 

Some semi-monumental things are happening here lately.  Let's pretend that's why September has been my worst blog month.  Charlie is remodeling our kitchen and finally we have lower cabinets and counters (installed) and a dishwasher (not installed).  We broke one of the two wine glasses we didn't pack away when the remodel started so one of us drinks out of a mason jar.  Someday, we're going to get our kitchen things out of the basement storage and it's going to be a happy reunion, us and all our glasses and panini-makers or whatever is down there..  Back to monumental things: Scarlett can open her own yogurt and no longer needs my help. I told her, that was my job as your mama and now I have nothing to do for you.  I'm going to run a marathon shortly, this time with less puking!  And, it's fall, my most favorite season.  Dear Portland, I love you always but especially in the fall, from Emily. 

And now, a selfie by Scar:

More songs about frogs

Songs by Scarlett

"Frogs could be age one or frogs could be age two

They could be any age even 14

Or age 23 even better

But one age 100 is the best

Every age is oooooooooookkkkkkkkkkk to beeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Another version:

"I’m ready for it’s change

All frogs and voices are all okay

Cuz frogs are beautiful in the days

I like the frog in the log too"

Hummus Scarism

"My taste buds have changed and I like hummus now!"

First Day of School

Dear Scarlett,

Last year, your first day of school was such a big deal, for you and for daddy and I.  But this year, you were so excited and tried to run right into the building.  You were thrilled at the idea of staying until 3pm this year, instead of 1pm like last year.  I asked what you were most excited about, and you said "seeing my school friends". 

This morning, you woke up excited.  You are wearing a new dress.  For lunch, you asked for carrots, cucumbers, a banana-tortilla wrap, and a thermos of licorice tea.  On the way to school, I told you a story about my baby, who was tiny and I held her all the time and now she's big and goes to school and wears a lot of green. You liked this.

I am always so proud to be your Mama. I love you forever!

Slumber Party Trinkets

(Scarlett, sitting on potty) "Esther! You need to be in here! I have a secret to tell you. And close the door, k?"

(Hope is in the other room reading.  Esther, forlornly) "She's never playing with me. She's always reading."

Frog Tongue

Two Charlies

Make that, Two Charlies Pointing

Skunkie does yoga

Scarism

"We're better friends than best friends, mom"

Popcorn baby

Scarlett's first trip to the movie theater- An American Tale.

On Charlie's birthday it was so hot, and we just wanted to be someplace cool, so we took Scarlett to the theater for the first time.  She sat through the whole movie, mostly because there was popcorn.  She's like me and wants to talk during the movie, which was cute only because all the other kids were doing it.

Same driveway, different year

Once upon a time, I started to blog about the 4th of July.  Here it is, August, and I guess I never even posted the pictures.  Here they are!  Too cute to skip.

My best guy's birthday

Happy birthday to my Charlie!  Scarlett says you are the tomato soup of daddies.  (meaning, the best)  And of course, she's right, I think you are the top of the tops.

What Charlie didn't order for his birthday was 99 degree heat- but that's just what he got. The hottest day of the year so far.

"In August it will be so hot

I will become a cooking pot

Cooking soup of course, why not?

Cooking once, cooking twice

Cooking chicken soup with rice"

Two Little Ladybugs

On their first only little girls sleepover, while Hope was having her own big kid sleepover, Esther and Scarlett flew around like ladybugs in their matching umbrellas.  Scarlett had the whole evening planned out: bake cookies, paint nails, sleep on the floor in a big pile of blankets.  But in the end, they just played and ate some cookies, falling asleep much later than normal, but very happy. 

Sunday morning

Sitting on the porch, looking at books and drinking iced tea, waiting for daddy to come home from a run.

Hope turns 8

One of the many great things about Hope: she loves sushi. She always wants sushi for her birthday dinner. So we did that, and the girls had their first shirley temples.  I drank these at a Mexican restaurant I went to as a kid, with my parents, and had forgotten about them until now.

Happy birthday to the girl who made me an auntie.

Cousintime

Camping

We went on a camping trip with Scarlett's classmates.  And despite the thing I avoid telling people (I'm a native Oregonian who doesn't like camping), I had a lot of fun.  I leave the possibility open that I can stop looking for a secret support group for people who don't like camping, but pretend they do. 

Scarlett and BFF Oscar made water germ jails, whatever those are, and got sandy in the river.  Our campsite was just one foresty path away from theirs, so the kids ran back & forth.  "want to see where I peed?" "yeah!"