Goggles

Make no mistake I am quick.

Juliette is quicker.

She had her second day of swimming lessons today. Second day ever.

Before going, she was lobbying me to wear goggles. There is the urban myth/national enquirer component of child rearing that influences me. Surely you have heard about the kid who almost died because she/he ate a small amount of hand sanitizer, or the kid who's crocs got stuck in the escalator? One I heard recently was a near drowning because a child had never swum without goggles and wasn't prepared when he/she fell in the pool.

"Learn to swim first" I told her "once you can swim you can have goggles in the pool." This decision was one part reaction to true story/urban myth, one part not wanting to give in just because one of her friends had goggles, and one part laziness because I didn't want to have to find the goggles.

So Evie and I dropped Juliette off at 9 am this morning (my former boss tells me it starts with sane times like 9 am and the next thing I know I'll be sitting at poolside at 5:30 am waiting for diving practice to be over.) Evie isn't one to sit around, so we played ball for about 5 minutes and then went to the other pool to watch dive practice. We came back around 9:07.

Juliette's teacher called to me - "Did you see Juliette swim??"

Right, I think to myself, she's probably blowing bubbles and kicking with her teacher's hand on her waist. "No, I missed it."

The teacher takes Juliette out about 10 feet from the pole and Juliette swims underwater, touches the pole and comes up.

"Now can I have my goggles, Momma???"

Mary Poppins & Sleeping with the Fishes

On Mary Poppins. We watched the first 40 minutes of Mary Poppins tonight. What is great about Mary Poppins is that she isn't your mom. She is some exciting exotic creature who enters on a windy day and upends routines.

What stinks about being a parent is that you can never be Mary Poppins in the eyes of your own children. Sure, you can steal lines "Spit Spot" and sing about a spoonful of sugar etc., but in order to be a Mary a fundamental is that you aren't also their Momma (Winifred).

Our children are fortunate to have many Mary Poppins-like figures in their lives. Essentially, anyone who isn't Momma can potentially play the role of Mary. There is no gender bias on fun.

Consequently, Uncle Gerald and Uncle Shane flew in on a cloud Monday night and our lives have been upended in a positive way ever since.

For example, our family has extended itself since the last post. We have two new members, Lucy and Cutie. They are beta fish. Lucy (blue) is Evie's and is quite aggressive. Cutie (Juliette's) had to be removed from Lucy's bowl and is awaiting her permanent digs.

Juliette wants to sleep with Cutie. Momma fears it is a bad precedent and might not be completely safe for Cutie, so we are keeping both fish in the dining room until all is settled. This is a clear indication of why Momma cannot ever be Mary. Sleeping with a fish is just the sort of thing Mary might think was a good idea.

Alas, we must love the Marys the winds blow us. But sometimes it is no fun to be Winifred.

Chicken Soup A La 2007

Juliette threw up in the car today and I have some sort of nasty head cold or bug.

So, after watching hours of Food Network and the movie A Little Princess, what did we have for dinner tonight?

I know you are thinking pho, which would be the best choice, but would require someone leaving the house who just isn't up to it.

Our first choice back up???

Why an Ess-A-Bagel of course. A plain one toasted with just a hint of cream cheese.

We're going to follow it up with ginger ale and hit the sack early.

Thanks to our homeopathic pharmacist, Ellie, for providing a nutritious, filling, stomach friendly dinner for us sick girls!

Top 5 Ways Evie Will Greet a Stranger

1. Hi! I'm Evie, I'm a boy!!!
(to the new executive director at Jennifer's old company)

2. Hi! I'm Evie, I went poo poo in the potty!!!
(to the Rector at our church)

3. Hi Boys!! I'm Evie, let's play!!!
(to any random group of boys between ages 7 and 15 anywhere)

4. Hi, I'm Evie. Do you play football? I play soccer.
(to a 13 year old boy at a party last Saturday)

5. Hi George, I'm Evie!
(to her Curious George underwear)

Momma Envy

Last week the girls and I went to see Rocknoceros at a park in McLean. It was our first Rockno-fest after a long dry spell and we invited all of Evie's classmates to enjoy the ever-fun party.

The girls were delighted to see Coach, Willie-Bob, and Boogie Bennie (who remembered Evie by NAME!)

Once we were rocking away in the hot sunshine, I spotted one of Evie's classmates and her mom.

It was a 90 degree day, we were out under a humid, blazing sun. Amazingly, this woman looked as cool and crisp as if she were in the no-window section of the West Building enjoying Matisse cut outs in a dim room. Her hair was billowing and she had this wonderful relaxed smile. We'll call her Momma Y for the sake of the conversation below."

Me (all dripping with sweat in t-shirt) "Hi Momma Y! You look great - I didn't think you were going to be able to make it today!"

Momma Y "I wasn't sure either"

Me " You look fabulous, so cool and relaxed."

Momma Y "Oh, we just got back last night from vacation."

Bingo. This is what I need to assume a cool relaxed demeanor!

Me "Where did you go?"

Momma Y "We went to the Bahamas, for the first part of the week we were in a secluded resort and then we switched over to Atlantis. It was a great time."

Me, thinking to how Evie never sleeps at all on the first night in a new place - this is not hyperbole. "How did the girls do on the trip?"

Momma Y "Oh, we left them at home with my parents and the nanny."

Thud. All color drained out of my face excepting the green as absolute envy washed over me.

Now I know what I need to do to look cool and relaxed on a 90 degree day. Who is coming to take care of the girls????

Any volunteers????

Any?????????

kidwell farm

we took a trip out to the farm to visit with the lambs and piglets -- sheep don't seem as scary as they did last spring.