Love and Structure

Good news.  We're in week 3 of pre-school and (1) Ruby hasn't been kicked out yet; (2) Charlotte can write her name all by herself (surprise mom!); (3) Charlotte 'has a little bit of difficulty following directions'.

Nervous laugher.  Luckily, Charlotte has the most loving, experienced and structured teacher ever.  When I picked Charly up today, she was sitting in the middle of three 48 piece puzzles.  I said, 'whoa! those are some serious puzzles!'  And her teacher said, 'why yes, and Charlotte got all of them started.'  Notice, she didn't finish any of them, but she got all the other girls involved in working on them.  Finally I saw my chance at redemption!  I said, 'see, Mrs. Lyn, Charlotte is an abstract thinker - a leftie.  She's really good at math...and puzzles!' Trying to redeem myself from last week when her teacher told me, 'well, it's alright!  All children learn at different paces...Charlotte might just be a little bit behind the others.' ($h!t)  This was after it was brought to my attention that most of the children could CUT ON THE LINES and they could spell and write their own names...CHARLOTTE is so long. 

Can I shorten it to "CHAR" I asked.  No. 

And then there are the perfect little, follow-the-line cutters. 

Charlotte is a very bright child.  She is not a 'back of the class' child.  She can add and subtract numbers in her head...no finger counting for this child.  She just needs a little more practice.  Thank you, Mrs. Lyn, for bringing it to our attention what a 4 year old is capable of.  $h!t, again, geez Ange!  - to myself. Thank God she's in preschool.  I'm learning a lot. 

Just this week, on Monday, I walked in to pick Charlotte up and she bolted for me,  Normally teacher has to count to three to get Charlotte to stop what she's doing and go get her backpack an head for the door, after a hug, a kiss and an, "I love you" from her teacher.  Well, this time she BOLTED for me. 

Mommy!  Mommy!  I did go outside and wrote with chalk on the buildin! 

To which I replied, 'ALRIGHT!  Awesome!  How cool!  C for chalk!  C for church!'

Mrs. Lyn sadly shook her head, no, it wasn't cool.  Charlotte wrote on the building after being asked not to, after having been given directions to focus on the sidewalk only.  She snuck around the building with a couple of the boys to color where they didn't think the teachers could see.  But GOD (and Mrs. Lyn) see all...

It is "C" week.  I'm going to score us some points by bringing in Chocolate CupCakes with "C's" on them from Charlotte dressed as Cinderella.  Maybe that's overdoing it a bit...she starts her extra-curricular "jumpbunch" on Friday.  Her school offers dance and an all-sports encompassing ball class.  She doesn't have the patience for dance, I'm not going through that again until she's ready, she is very excited about playing ball with the boys. 

In the last 7 days Charlotte has caught at least 35 frogs...all on her own.  I think she's only killed four or five...She puts them through a very vigorous gymnastics/swimming/chase routine.  Their training is intense...only the strongest survive.  (Sorry, Mom)

Now she has a fever blister.  We're hoping it is not, how should I put it, "Princess & the Frog" related?

Ruby is beautiful, brilliant and assertive.  No, not assertive.  She's dogmatic.  When I weaned Ruby?  And, yeah, I feel pretty confident in saying I will never get breast cancer.  But when I finally, just cold-turkey weaned Ruby?  She tantrumed for seven days, ten times a day. NOT AN EXAGGERATION.  Kicked, swatted, screamed.  Ruby is constantly challenging Adam and I for domination of the household.  She puts up a pretty good fight too.  Ruby does not need a pushover.  So, you see where the difficulty lies...Luckily she's in preschool too!  Structure and love.  And eventhough she kicks and screams going in the door, once she's there, and I'm gone, she loves it.  Runs and plays and laughs and is charming.  I have the picture text in the middle of the day from the teachers to prove it. 

Busy weekend.  Ruby & Charlotte had to entertain themselves while Adam & I worked, yet again, on getting this beast of a house ready to list.  Exterior work (Adam) - Angie SCRUBBED, cleaned out all clutter, boxed and worked on filling up a storage unit.  We had a couple realtors out...Luckily, the house is "gorgeous" and "shows like a dream" and is "one of a kind".  Unluckily, we bought at the sq/ft price three years ago that houses are stilll selling at today.  And yes, we've put money into it.  Are you kidding?  It's 87 years old. 

But luckily, we aren't in a rush...because this is our home.  Everything this makes this home 'one-of-a-kind' in the eyes of the realtors?  Stikes a played deep on my heart strings. 

Plus, if we head off to Atlanta, to live in an apartment...where will Charlotte & Ruby find frogs?