Double digits for #1

Kalina is 10! That means a lot of things:

1. She has the appetite of a normal person, and not a small rodent.
2. She's starting to be okay being by herself. Not entirely. Not in the basement. But sometimes.
3. She can do her laundry by herself! Really! And clean a whole bathroom as well as any man! (Yes, I know. But I have yet to find a man who can clean one better than a woman. I would imagine they're all okay with that.)
4. Fully half of her questions I have to Google the answers to.
5. I can usually trust her with my camera, a sharp knife and Naomi.
6. She sometimes prefers to hang with the adults rather than run off with the kids.
7. The neighbor put her in charge of watering her plants while she's on vacation (Matt's helping).
8. She still sleeps with Lisa the lamb, from her baby shower.
9. She still says breakstfast for breakfast.
10. She still wipes dirty hands on her clothes (although, see #3: I'm hoping this problem will take care of itself.)

A sloppy s'more with a huge
marshmallow!

And now she's up to double digits, which she doesn't seem to see as a big deal.

Kalina's birthday was the hottest day on record in the area in 2018, and the day before, when we had her party with her friends, wasn't much cooler.

We were thrilled she actually knew enough girls to make a party, because it really is hard to start over with friends unless, apparently, you're Naomi. Even better, two of her friends happened to be birthday buddies with her. One shared the same birthday (but is a year older) and another is just four days older than her. Fun!

Kalina invited four friends. Three, plus a sister who's friends with Elise, were able to make it for an afternoon of playing at our house, having pizza, watching Night at the Museum 3 (she's seen the first two at other events, and loved them) and making smores over a campfire--yes, even in the 100-degree heat. For gifts, she requested that everyone bring a donation to a dog shelter.

Look at those marshmallows!

The four-hour party turned into five, and by the end we had an aquarium full of little frogs the girls had caught. The giant marshmallows roasted well, albeit sloppily, and they all managed to put on a rather nice talent show that included magic tricks we still haven't figured entirely out. We handed out goody boxes that we had fun putting together because they included geodes and rock candy.

The long-awaited gift from
Naomi.

On Kalina's actual birthday, we broke into the customary box of Lucky Charms, and dove into the presents. She opened a "new" camera while Matt was still around so she could chronicle some of the day. Naomi literally couldn't wait for Kalina to open the gift from her, and shoved the nesting-doll painting set she'd picked out and helped wrap into Kalina's hands as soon as the camera was unwrapped. Elise had found her a fossil-sorting set that was similarly a big hit, and which she opened right after breakfast.

A pound of fossils to sort kept her busy
for a while!

In fact, the fossil set took us right up to the time we had to leave for the rock/fossil/mineral event the library had planned just for Kalina's birthday for the community. We spent nearly two hours there, sorting specimens, stumping the experts with questions (nice that it wasn't me in the hot seat for a change!), examining some really unique rocks, excavating a chocolate chip cookie and negotiating for geode pieces (Elise the hero managed to score a piece for Kalina!)

More fossil sorting at the library

After a lunch of hot dogs, we (Naomi and Mommy) rested, and then we suited up for the pool. We got to try a new air mattress, but in a mommy-fail, I forgot to have Kalina open her new swim fins before the pool. Fortunately, at the time of this writing, they have been tried and loved twice.

What else do you do on a
super hot birthday?

For dinner, we enjoyed Jason's Deli with Grandpa, and then Boston cream pie, made by Daddy, at home.

And 10 has officially been celebrated!

At 10, while we do have indication that Kalina will one day be a teenager (judging by hints of an attitude...ahem), she remains sweet and fun. She continues to get swept up in the moment, and enjoys new experiences as long as they're not too daring. And she loves to learn new things, being more likely than the others to dig into nonfiction books.

Boston Cream Pie!

While she is likely to hold back in groups where she doesn't know anything, Kalina actually makes friends fairly easily when the kids are allowed to interact. She can be silly and a natural and cheerful leader in groups of people she's comfortable with.

K in magnetic stones.

Kalina still holds a huge fondness for animals and young children and their antics, and she can be highly patient and entertaining to toddlers, especially. She seems to be entirely at home with the bizarre nature of dealing with toddlers that has so often left me flabbergasted. She's volunteered several times in the preschool rooms at church and has not only had lots of fun, but also has really pulled her weight! Which she does also around here, occasionally, when I am not enough of a fun parent to cajole Naomi into putting away her crayons.

Kalina's super excited about: rocks/minerals/fossils, Russia/Russian, music (playing and composing), mice/rats, Sherlock Holmes, geography, Native Americans, storytelling, reading, puzzles, the number 64 (because of all its factors), swimming, birdsong, games, super long words, engineering and streams.

She adores reading but really picks and chooses her books, rejecting virtually all of the popular elementary-aged girl books in favor of better-quality stuff. Except Rainbow Magic Fairies--she still loves those (as does Elise). The only trouble is that after reading the same great book or series over and over and over, she'll then reject the similar, well-reviewed title I tracked down from the library.

"Now I know what a duck
feels like!"

Kalina: I have nothing to read. What should I read?
Me: Here Kalina, here's one that's similar to the one you love, that lots of people who loved the book you love also loved, and that got amazing reviews. I found it online, requested it from the library, and picked it up two weeks ago.
Kalina: Mmm, no. The first page was too complicated.
Me: How about this one? It's about a Native American girl, which you love, and it's written in diary form.
Kalina: I don't like diaries.
Me: I loved this one when I was your age.
Kalina: No thanks.
Me: How about this one, which you read an excerpt from and asked me to request?
Kalina: I'm just worried about that one.
Kalina: What books did you like when you were my age?
Me: Several of the ones I just suggested.
Kalina: Oh.
Kalina: I don't know what to read!
And by then, she's on her own.

Hanksite, plus two bonus minerals,
from Grandpa!

(She's just a bit picky--but she does choose a lot of good stuff. Except the fairies.)

Anything she does consent to read, she finishes in record time, so we may be repeating the process in mere hours. On the plus side, she will reread books half a dozen times if they're good.

Kalina can machine sew, build and start a fire solo, work with fractions and decimals, write decently in cursive (but generally prefers print), front crawl and backstroke, make pasta, compose lovely piano pieces, apply her own sunscreen (except her scalp), operate the washing machine, take a decent photo, discuss DNA, make a purchase by herself, ask for help from teachers and library/store employees, clean a pet cage (mostly), expound passionately on the fact that Columbus didn't really discover America, chat with people of all ages, catch minnows, tadpoles and crayfish, yo-yo, hula hoop and entertain younger kids for blocks of 5 minutes or more with the stories she tells.

She has strong opinions against art in general, but sees beauty everywhere (hence, the camera). She remembers quotes from books and people and can hum you a tune after she's only heard it once. New this year is her tendency to get wrapped up in her piano practice. Although she'll grumble an appropriate amount for a 10-year-old, during her practice time she'll compose amazing pieces and remember them (and sometimes even write them down). She's considering starting flute or violin, but also wants to get good at piano. Without practicing, of course (don't we all).

Often lost in the moment/her own world, Kalina lives firmly in the "here and now," rarely remembering tasks and deadlines unless she's for some reason motivated. But she's fun that way, because when she's excited about something, she'll easily carry the activity. Not necessarily the way that it's intended--but often enough. Her ideas are big and often impossible, somewhere between Rube Goldberg and M.C. Escher, so we have to discuss them in the subjunctive mood. But they're fun to dream about, and it never stresses her if we don't get around to them.

Kalina prefers fruity candy to chocolate and jeans to dresses, she likes rainy days, she thinks pink and purple are overrated, and she's developed an intense desire to make sure animals aren't hurt. She very rarely has nightmares that wake her (or me, anyway) up anymore, but had a really bad one after reading Just So Stories right before bed. Fortunately, she knows she has to be careful about what she reads at bedtime. She still doesn't care anything about what people think of her, but that's usually a good thing. She'd really like to live in an upside-down house, so she could walk on the ceiling and it would be completely clear of debris. And she doesn't like airplanes.

And that's our Kalina! 10 rocks!

The survey says...

Naomi being a "bunny
caretaker" on a "Dress as
your favorite character day." I
think she is her own character.

I asked the girls "a few" questions, each without a sibling in the room. Here's what they said:

Naomi
Favorite color? Purple
Favorite treat? Everything
Favorite food? French fries
Favorite subject in school? Reading
Favorite book? The bunny who runs and says "I'll do everything"
Favorite thing to play? With Buttercup, Grace and Bella (her stuffed bunnies)
Favorite TV? Blues Clues
Favorite animal? Bunny
Would you rather have the ability to fly for an hour, or dive deep underwater for an hour? Dive deep underwater.
Favorite place to visit around town? The childrens' farm
Favorite place to visit out of town? Florida
Somewhere you want to visit? Grandma and Grandpa's house
Who is your best friend and why? Genevieve, because she's so cute
What's your favorite thing to do with each sister? Kalina: play "sh, sh, go to sleep" Elise: be silly
What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy? Be on his shoulders
What's your favorite thing to do with Mommy? Read stories
What's your favorite thing to do by yourself? Play with my bunnies
A few things your good at? Dancing, running, baking, participating, taking care of my stuffies who are not participating
The best things about you? I'm super calm, not roughhousing, I love ot play, I don't hit that much, I love nature and running, and I love my friends, like Cora.
Something you wish you were better at? Loving people
Something  you'd like to learn? About Africa
Which book character do you like most? I like the stories I write about Biscuit and Bella and Grace and Buttercup
Favorite Bible verse: The Lord is my shepherd
Favorite Bible story: Some people going to put flour on Jesus' body, and Jesus turns out to be walking with them.
What advice would you give your parents? To not forget to use the bathroom
On your ideal day, you would: Play with my stuffies, play with Legos, probably ask for treats, want a treat
What would you love to do when you grow up? Have children
What might you do to earn money when you grow up? Work hard. At work. At the work Dad goes to. An artist.
How might you serve/help people when you grow up? If they had an owie, I would ask if they needed a Band-Aid or if it was a little one. I would just carry them and it would be so cute because they would squirm.
If you were going to be famous someday, what would you be famous for? Kids
What will your family be like? It will be fun. If I have a family and I have kids, then I will name them Kalina, Elise and Naomi-Matt
What's most important to you in life? Buttercup
How do you show people you care? If they're poor, I would give them food. Hug them. But my family knows that I'm kind.
What do you think about as you go to sleep? Bunnies. About bunny dreams.
If you could change anything about the world, what would you change? There to be more children.
If you could ask a wild animal any question, what would it be? Can I take you home?
What's something that's unfair? If someone gets a treat and I don't
If you could time travel back 3 years and tell yourself something, what would you say? Mama!
what do you wonder about? I wonder if ducks fly.
Who is someone you miss? My old friends
What makes you nervous? Seeing a bear
What makes you happy? Buttercup doing silly jokes
What age do you look forward to, and why? 5, because I'm older than 4
Who is your hero? Dad. He always saves us. (Me: What does he save you from? Naomi: Bears. Me: Has he ever? Naomi: Bears don't live in Missouri and Kansas)

Elise dressed up as a lovely
Rainbow Magic fairy.

Elise
What's your favorite color? Pink
Favorite treat? Boston cream pie smoosh
Favorite food? Mac and cheese, grilled cheese, hot dogs
Favorite subject in school? Cursive (not handwriting)
Favorite book? Mermaid, fairy and adventure books. Secret Mermaid and Rainbow Magic are examples.
Favorite hobby? Adventuring
Favorite TV? -- (I would guess Wild Kratts)
Favorite animal? Hissing cockroach/squirrel
Fly or dive deep underwater? Fly
Favorite place to visit around town? The children's farm because it has ice cream and other stuff
Favorite place to visit out of town? Florida
Somewhere you want to visit? Alaska
Who is your best friend? Why? Kate in Missouri, and Lily and Sophia here. Because they like to do the things I do.
Favorite thing to do with each sister? Kalina: Read to each other, or in the same spot, but different books. Naomi: Play kitten and baby bunny
Favorite thing to do with Dad? Explore--fishing, going in the stream
Favorite thing to do with Mom? Read. I like it when you read to me.
Favorite thing to do by yourself? Play outside
A few things you're good at? Playing piano, climbing, adventuring
The best things about you? I'm good at making friends, I like to hold snails and raise tadpoles
Something you wish you were better at? Climbing, doing Kalina's challenges
Something you'd like to learn? Cursive
Which book character are you most like? Molly--Secret Mermaid. She likes to do on mermaid adventures, they sound fun.
Favorite Bible story? When it rained manna
Favorite Bible verse? For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
What advice would you give your parents? In school, make there be a lot of games, bvecause then we're like, "Yay, games!"
On your ideal day, you would: Pancakes for breakfast, morning--stream exploring, lunch--grilled cheese, downtime outside, afternoon--pool, dinner--Jason's Deli, dessert--Boston Cream Pie Smush, ice cream on top
What would you love to do when you grow up? Live in Alaska
What might you do to earn money when you grow up? Scuba diving
How might you serve when you grow up? Maybe I could be a missionary in Alaska
If you were going to be famous someday, what would you be famous for? Inventing
What will your family be like? 2 kids--because then I can spend more time with them, and if I had one it'd get lonely.
What's most important to you in life? Mommy and God
How do you show people you care? Hugging
What do you think about as you go to sleep? Different things, and stories
If you could change anything about the world, what would you change? People would live in treehouses. That would make a big change, so the change that went along with that would be good.
If you could ask a wild animal any question, what would it be? What's your name?
What's something that's unfair? That we can't talk to animals
If you could time travel back 3 years and tell yourself something, what would you say? That I was probably smarter when I was 7 than when I was 4
What do you wonder about? A lot of stuff: What Mommy and Daddy talk about. It's always very interesting. But Daddy and Grandpa talk about boring stuff.
Who is someone you miss? Kate
What makes you nervous? Foxes
What makes you happy? Being at the stream
What age do you look forward to and why? I kind of just like being 7
Who is your hero? God, because when we had to move, he found this perfect house for us.

And Kalina was Sacagawea.
She chose Sacagawea as her
topic for her big Faces of
History paper. Unfortunately,
on the night she was supposed
to present in character, she
was so sick I would have had
to carry her in. She gave her
presentation in class later,
and at least her costume went
to good use! Her presentation,
by the way, was amazing,
full of personality and spoken
as an expert. Something to the
tune of, "She traveled all the
way to the Pacific Ocean, finding
food and medicine and
carrying a baby. No man
could do that!"

Kalina
Favorite color? Blue
Favorite treat? Ice cream and Boston cream pie and chocolate chip cookies
Favorite food? Black olives, pretzel bread, hot dogs, French fries, pancakes, bacon, egg bagels
Favorite subject in school? Science
Favorite book? The Black Stallion
Favorite hobby? Reading, rock collecting
Favorite TV? Wild Kratts, Night at the Museum
Favorite animal? So tricky... mice, birds, bengal tigers
Fly or dive deep? Fly
Favorite place to visit around town? Baskin Robbins
Favorite place to visit out of town? Florida
Somewhere you want to visit? Russia
Who is your best friend and why? Sarah, we took ballet together
Favorite thing to do with each sister? Elise: Talk Naomi: Play silly games
Favorite thing to do with Dad? Talk about fishing and stuff
Favorite thing to do with Mom? Cuddle, especially in winter
Favorite thing to do by yourself? Look at rocks
A few things you're good at? Piano, identifying rocks
The best things about you? I like music
Something you wish you were better at? Swimming and being brave
Something you'd like to learn? How to find and cut gems
Which book character are you most like? Fern [from Charlotte's Web]
Favorite Bible story? Moses crossing the red sea
Favorite Bible verse? "Then Moses stretched out his hand..." and John 3:16
What advice would you give your parents? Definitely not jump out of a window, definitely not jump out of a stream, and never burn pine branches, and be careful with matches, and take a clock while we're going camping. Don't jump out of an airplane.
On your ideal day, you would: Wake up from camping, swim at the pool, have Daddy home, do no school, eat treats and cake, read new stories, go to a rock show, take a walk and don't do any driving, have a campfire with hot dogs for dinner. Watch Night at the Museum 3 and sleep in a tent with Sarah.
What would you love to do when you grow up? Work at a library
What might you do to earn money when you grow up? -- [Should I be worried she couldn't think of an answer?]
How might you serve when you grow up? I might donate
If you were going to be famous someday, what would you be famous for? Finding a dinosaur skull of a new species
What will your family be like? Live on a farm, maybe I'd have maybe 3 or 4 kids. Girls, 1 older brother
What's most important to you in life? I like having pets and being with my family.
How do you show people you care? Hugs, helping them with something
What do you think about as you go to sleep? Lots of things, like if I could receive a big box of rocks, what rocks would I want in it, like a giant T rex skull or watermelon tourmaline
If you could change anything about the world, what would you change?
I'd make more people believe in Jesus
If you could ask a wild animal any question, what would it be?
What's it like living the life that you're living?
What's something that's unfair? Slavery
If you could time travel back 3 years and tell yourself something, what would you say? I'd tell myself about the future.
What do you wonder about? Rocks
Who is someone you miss? Uncle Tom
What makes you nervous? The dark, and being alone.
What makes you happy? Reading a good book and playing with my family
What age do you look forward to, and why? 18 because I'll be officially an adult and I can get a cage of mice and keep fish at a cottage and drive a car
Who is your hero? I like Sacagawea.

Boxes

Everybody moved into a new house
within days of moving into a new
house.

It's amazing how much of our life fits into boxes--and how much doesn't. Nevertheless, over the past year we crammed it all into boxes and a truck, and moved it all a couple hundred miles away. Now that it's been a year-ish, here's how that's gone:

First, Matt acquired a super-awesome dream job (second only to professional fishing, which wasn't available).

Then, we devastated told the kids. Number 3 was probably only upset because the first two were, but the news wasn't easy on anyone as it sank in. "Will I have a new Grandpa when we move?" Naomi asked in a tremulous voice.

The final step, then, was to actually make the move, the only fun part of which was picking out a new house. So that's what we focused on. Here was the (partial) list of demands:

Naomi making beds for her stuffies in
in the new, open space.

"Doorframes for climbing"
"A stream in the backyard"
"Climbing trees"
"A pink room"
"A tree swing"

And so on. Obviously, many of these would be beyond our (reasonable) control, and therefore our kids insisted they liked the old house better and never wanted to move. Great.

For the first time, all three girls began
sharing one room! They all still love
it.

Nevertheless, we took a house-hunting trip the only weekend it snowed that winter. The kids started calling it a "vacation" since we were traveling by car, staying in a hotel, swimming in a pool and eating in restaurants, and Matt and I were delighted to find that we'd kept our kids' standards and expectations so low that they entertained such a high opinion of a trip that was certainly no vacation. Fortunately, our realtor's stand-in (he was working with other clients) was a grandma who seemed to genuinely enjoy our kids, and even babysat them in the van for us while we quickly scoped out a house or two.

We soon noticed several themes: houses that seriously needed updates (wood you like a wood-paneled living room?) and houses that seemed to use strict fencing to carve out any yard they could in a sea of suburban backyards. Or they were just too far away from the rest of the city for this city-girl's liking. One may have fit the bill, but already had several offers, not to mention a potentially weird neighbor.

When life gives you boxes, make a
reading nook.

Bummer! So the next week, the girls and I stayed home while Matt did some solo house-hunting. A few phone calls later, we were bidding on a house I'd never seen in person, but in a neighborhood I definitely liked. Correction: with trees and a stream I definitely liked!

Apparently, a lot of others also liked the house/trees/stream, because if you believe the realtor(s) involved, several offers came in after ours. Nevertheless, we were first, and had a good story (three charming children to raise), so we won!

Six weeks later, we were the proud owners of two houses, and Matt moved in to house #2. The girls and I, of course dying to see our new digs, made a weekend trip to the area. It began with a huge thunderstorm and lots of traffic. Fortunately, the traffic ended--but not the storm. Our stream turned into a raging river (okay, pretty cool) and we could barely see the trees through the rain, so the weekend was hardly representative of what we expected our Kansas experience to be like. We camped out on the floor, ate from folding chairs in dimly lit rooms, tried to imagine where our furniture would go, and ventured outside whenever there was a break in the rain. I freelance wrote because freelance work is never convenient. We also ventured to a local indoor ferris wheel for some fun, and ate delicious barbecue.

Lots of help! Elise likes quick
transitions between biking
and not biking sometimes.

The girls were thrilled with the stream, the climbing trees in the front yard, the balconies and other structures to climb in the living room, the soft carpet, the cul-de-sac to bike in and the two playgrounds we could walk to when the weather would be better. In fact, as the weekend ended, they lamented having to leave, and very honestly felt torn in two for the next couple months.

Selling our house in St. Louis, while painful for at least four of us, nevertheless went as easily as could be. We sold it on Facebook, after two showings. The only hiccup (or maybe we should compare it more to a ruptured appendix for impact?) was that the rain that annoyed us on our trip to Kansas actually destroyed us in St. Louis. As near as we can tell, shortly after we arrived at our new home for a visit, rain started building up in our basement and turning into a small stream under our carpet. With Matt 4 hours away, I borrowed my dad's wet vacuum and started vacuuming up gallons of water. For hours. And the next day I did it again. It took us until the end of that day to realize that water was continually leaking into the basement. Fortunately, the buyer didn't back out and we were able to alleviate this and several other concerns. Whew!

Naomi covered whole sheets of
packing paper with drawings.

Meanwhile, Matt was getting the new house fixed up, with a few updates that would be miserable to try to do after we arrived and sleeping in the dog-hair-covered basement in the meantime. My job as a single parent for four days a week seemed a lot easier than that.

And it actually was. While we wouldn't have wanted the single-parenting arrangement to go on for too much longer, we actually survived the phase rather well. We held a movie night every week, stayed busy with activities, talked to Matt individually every night on the phone and did way fewer dishes. And we tried three new types of pancakes (the strawberry pancakes were pink!)! On the other hand, I got a bit tired of pancakes, quesadillas and pasta, and Naomi developed nighttime fears. Plus the water in the basement would've been a great problem to hand off to "the one that doesn't mind dirt and smells," at least for a few hours.

The move, while no picnic, also progressed smoothly. We arrived while the painters were still finishing, having convinced them that no, really, our stuff would be arriving the next day, but managed to kill some time, partly by watching a baby owl be taught to fly in our yard. So really, it was no trouble. The next day, our things arrived bright and early and were unloaded by afternoon. And the neighbors were nice, and not weird.

Ever since the first big move to North Carolina, I've noticed that it takes a year to move. You move in, you start to get comfortable, you start to meet people, and you start to finally feel at home. But it doesn't really gel until you re-move in (rearranging all the stuff you unknowingly put into the wrong places) and welcome a season for the second time. Matt didn't believe me, but I think our goals diverge sometimes.

Elise is queen of Paper
Mountain. She was annoyed
when her kingdom
was eventually dismantled.

To the kids, a year sounded unfathomable. And I get it--when you've only lived a few of them, years are a long time. It's like saying, "Kids, this will feel normal after about 1/6 of your life has gone by." For me, that would've been 6 years, and  I would've been less than thrilled.

So we began the long, slow process of unpacking and moving in, knowing that getting the stuff in place is only half the battle, but was one we could reasonably conquer. At first, the new house + tons of boxes and paper wrapping were such a huge novelty we needed little else to keep our minds and bodies occupied. The girls quickly moved into box homes, complete with garages and paper food, and cheered every time something familiar and loved was unpacked. Everyone helped with unwrapping, and especially Kalina, who really made a dent. We slowly figured out what new furniture we needed and what we could do without, so that by early fall we were finally done with most of our boxes and piles. Still, a year later, pictures are sitting around waiting to be hung and an entire room seems kind of up in the air, but that's what this summer is for, right?

And then we began getting to know our surroundings. Walks in the neighborhood, and occasionally even just walking out the back door, introduced us to tadpoles, turtles, fox kits, owls, herons, rabbits, squirrels, cool bugs, fish, snails and plenty of other wildlife, if not to human neighbors. We're still waiting to see a deer in our yard, and still hoping to meet kids in the neighborhood Kalina's and Elise's age (we've met two 4-year-old girls, however).

We admittedly haven't seen as much of the actual city and its attractions as we should have by now, not really being the city types. But we'll get there. We're enjoying barbecue for sure, though. And we've had our share of setbacks: such as the water in the basement, twice, two weeks after we had our fluffy new carpet installed, and when water had apparently never made it into the basement before. Bummer. We added berry bushes and fruit trees, replaced a light fixture and our garage doors (plus added an opener!), painted, replaced the basement carpet, and made a few other improvements to the house. Like a sump pump.

Kalina's box home has two
levels.

To help ease the potential of too much boredom, loneliness and disconnectedness we were all likely to face, we signed up for a million activities. Homeschool co-ops, ballet, gymnastics, AHG--you name it. This possibly wasn't the best idea, and at the same time, the girls will actually have friends to invite to their birthday parties. We've also enjoyed lots of new experiences we wouldn't have even known about otherwise, from puppet making to alpaca farming to an actual PE class.

Even with all those activities, it's Naomi who's made most of our friends for us. Seeing as she's the only one of us with few enough inhibitions that she's willing to walk up to any random girl at the park and hand her a dandelion to blow, for instance, we can trace at least three family friendships, plus one more in the works, to the social skills of our four-year-old. Maybe the rest of us should learn the lesson that any random stranger can be our new best friend, as long as we give them a hug and a clover flower right off the bat.

We've enjoyed Kansas' relatively big skies, farm influence and the fact that even the teenagers are polite. And we like being in the west. The nature is everything we hoped it would be with a yard like this, and it's been a happy year despite all the change. Or because of it? Depends on who you ask... :)

Escaping the chaos of moving. Half a
couch is really all you need, right?

And here we are, a year later, still thinking a lot about people and experiences in St. Louis. But our backyard is broader, and so are our horizons. And thank goodness that first year is over.

Stories and poems

This picture was taken pre-Buttercup.
This is not what all of our homeschool
mornings look like, but a few of them!

We've been studying poetry and writing some of our own. So we thought we'd share! But first, one of Naomi's favorite stories from Grandpa Les and Grandma Jan's recent visit. Naomi adores this story and requests it often, and I tell it as often as I can manage, usually to the accompaniment of giggles and ear-to-ear smiles. For this reason, I try to make it as cute as possible, so some of the details may be a bit fluffy:

Once there was a soft little grey and white bunny. She lived in the bin of a gift shop on a children's farm. There were many other soft animals with her in the bin, including horses, cows, sheep, pigs and even roosters! One by one, the other animals were all chosen by children and bought, and taken out of the gift shop. But no one chose the little bunny.

The little bunny really wanted to be chosen, and she used to dream of who she'd like to be her owner. Most of all, she wanted to be owned by a nice little girl who would take good care of her, and play with her, and read books with her, and cuddle her, and take her out on adventures, and sleep with her. She also thought it might be fun if there were other stuffed animals to play with, too, and especially other bunnies. But day after day, she wasn't chosen.

Then one day, a family with three girls came in: a bigger girl, a middle-sized girl, and a littler girl, who was still pretty big. The bunny became excited: this looked like a lovely family to belong to! She thought the littlest girl looked like she would make an especially nice owner, and she hoped the girl would pick her up and choose her.

She watched as the girl walked right over to the bin and then she felt herself being lifted, and carried in the girl's arms! The bunny was delighted--would the little girl choose her? She heard the girl say something to her mommy, and then saw the mommy shake her head. The little girl put the bunny back down into the bin, nestling her in with the other stuffed animals, and slowly walk away.

The little bunny was disappointed, but knew there would be other children in the store. Someone was sure to by her sometime. She nestled in among the other stuffed animals and took a nap.

The bunny was just finishing her nap when she felt herself being lifted again. The little girl was back! But why was she back? She wasn't able to buy the bunny, so what was she doing? The little girl tucked the bunny under her arm, and went up to the counter. She set the bunny on the counter, and the bunny could see the girls' grandma paying money to the cashier. Then, the bunny was returned to the little girl, who tucked her under her arm again. Soon, the whole family was leaving the store.

And the bunny realized, I've just been bought! I belong to this little girl! The bunny was couldn't believe her happiness! And the adventures began right away, as the little girl showed the bunny around the farmyard--pointing out real bunnies--before bringing her home.

At home, the girl named the bunny Buttercup, which Buttercup thought was the most perfect name in the whole world. Just as she'd hoped, there were other stuffies to play with, including bunnies. And they all lived happily ever after.

__________

As you can see, Grandpa and Grandma's visit was magical, in so many ways--not the least of which was that they managed to see three end-of-year events and several activities the girls are involved in. How nice of everyone to plan everything the same week! The week was possibly even busier than the one before our wedding or any of the weeks after bringing a new baby home from the hospital, but the girls relished the chance to show off their stuff to their grandparents.

___________

To finish out the school year, the older girls and I have been doing a poetry unit. We've read famous poetry, turned at least a couple poets into household names and written some of our own. Here are some of our favorites:

The Cow, by Kalina
There was a cow who wouldn't moo.
The farmer said, "What should I do?"
So he gave it a scare,
And tickled its hair,
And then it gave him an "achoo!"

The Stream's Song, by Kalina
The stream has its own special song.
It sings and sings all day long.
When it rains, the stream's song increases,
When it's dry, the stream's song ceases.

Grandma's project: wool felt
snakes! How perfect!

The stream sings and sings like a bird,
It sings so it can be heard.
It flows and whooshes along,
While the rocks take part in its song.

Haiku by Kalina
Looking up so high
Leafy branches spreading out
Dancing in the wind

A clerihew poem by Kalina
Tommy, the fixer,
Got caught in a mixer!
He's still stuck in there,
And he's caught by his hair!

Ready to perform!

A diamante poem by Kalina
Music
Full, amazing
Drifting, floating, inspiring
Violin, conductor, artist, paintbrush
Beautifying, coloring, amazing
Bright, peaceful
Painting





An acrostic by Kalina
Kind to mice
Animals love her
Loves her family
Ice cream, her favorite!
Never forgetting friends
Always ready for fun.

The Squirrel in the Tree, by Elise
There once was a squirrel in a tree
He said, "Oh hehehe!"
Then he climbed down
And made a big frown
But then laughed a big "hehehe!"

Flowers, by Elise
Seeds are fun because they grow so big
When they're big they turn into a flower.
Maybe they grow an inch a minute,
Maybe they grow an inch an hour.

Watch them grow day by day,
It's so great.
They're so big and colorful--oh how fun.
Many shapes, riffles and smooth petals
And at the flower contest, I won!

Tadpole, by Elise
Tadpole
Black, little
Splishing, splashing, swimming
Resting on the bottom
Polywog.

Naomi, by Elise
Naomi
Silly, little
Running, shouting, singing
Makes us laugh
Little sister

Enjoying a good story together.

Acrostic poem, by Elise
Energetic Elise
Loves to climb trees
I love to explore the stream
Swimming is great
Everything's fun with Elise

Beautiful Giants, by Elise
Trees are like houses,
Dear and strong,
Except for our animal friends.
Their big, sturdy branches
And long limbs are great,
For the animals' beautiful nests.

And finally, a narrative poem (kind of?) by Naomi
The bunnies hop
Between the grass
They see some carrots and hop over them.
They have so much fun hopping over them.
And they eat some, too.

A little girl comes outside and the bunnies hop into her arms.
She doesn't notice that there are bunnies in her arms.
She goes inside.
Then, the bunnies start playing with her and jump on her head and say, "Ready, set, we'll go!"
And they were all babies.
And the bunnies all took good care of her.

In return for all this work, I wrote limericks for the girls!

Naomi "teaches" Grandpa
Les how to play Candyland.
Lots of giggles, mostly from
Naomi!

All day, Naomi happily
Each one of her sweet, furry friends.
She gives them her best,
Pretty blankets for rest,
And ice cream, for breakfast, intends.

Elise, who climbed everything high
Just felt more at home in the sky.
With the squirrels and breeze
She perched in the trees
Even when people called out, "Oh my!"

Our beautiful ballerina danced
as a flower in Alice in
Wonderland!

There once was a girl named Kalina,
Who danced as a sweet ballerina.
But she liked piano too,
And wore out her shoe,
As she danced, and played a sonatina.

A Kansas weekend

Finally ,at the end of our trip,
Naomi realizes there's
nothing to be afraid of. Just
more ways to be silly.

One of our goals with moving to this new state was to actually explore it. Kansas is the beginning of the west, in our minds, so we were eager to rustle up some fun under a big sky. Among wheat. Or something.

So when the opportunity came up with Kalina's and Elise's scout troop to tour the Cosmosphere in mid-Kansas (so, west of us), we jumped on it. And when I learned there was a salt mine you could tour as well, we decided to pull Matt and Naomi into the plan as well. Fun!

We left on a Saturday morning, scrambling with last-minute packing since the packing list wasn't sufficiently large to worry much about before Friday at basically bedtime. We'd read stories, poetry, and non-fiction picture books all afternoon instead--probably not the best choice. We did, however, make it out the door within 6 minutes of when Matt wanted us to leave, so I count it a win.

Naomi and Elise gleefully pulled out their "car breakfast" of dry cereal as we pulled out of the driveway (Kalina prefers milk on her cereal, so had already eaten). Elise insisted she loved car rides because she can read as much as she wanted and look out the window and daydream. Kalina and Naomi didn't quite agree, but an audio book, plus the breakfast, got us well on our way.

Elise: Is it snacktime?
Me: No, you just finished breakfast.
Elise: How about now?

Pretty soon, we got a taste of the west as we gazed across brownish-greenish hills dotted with well-spaced cows, unlike the bunches of cows we'd seen further east. The west, in all its glory! We read ranch names and considered what we'd name our own (Kalina's would be Big Sky Ranch, and I think Naomi's would've had something to do with bunnies, despite her sisters' weak objections).

We eventually arrived at the Cosmosphere and tackled the mundane task of eating lunch in the car while the rest of the group showed up. And then it was time to start the party! We hauled all our gear through the cold rain, crossing a street, and  claimed a spot in the large room we were directed to. Pretty soon, we had our sleeping bags (and my precious cot!) spread out and were looking around for friends.

Sweet Kalina has been focusing a lot on ballet, and has missed quite a few troop meetings, so it was Elise who found a buddy or two for the trip. Fortunately, Kalina still had a great time!

When the field trip really started a few minutes later, it really got going. We were whisked off in two groups to tour the highlights of the museum. The tour was amazing and, at least for Elise's group, the tour guide managed to hold everyone's somewhat rapt attention for more than an hour. I could've kept going, but all too soon, it was time to make rockets.

Elise made a space shuttle
repilca with the careful
and very thorough help of the
most patient. tour. guide.
ever.

This activity kicked off a marathon of crafty, collaborative and information-downloading sessions that spanned the rest of the day, and a heftier portion of the night than any of us would have deemed possible.  Matt and Naomi took off, dining at Chick-Fil-A, looking up a favorite donut place and checking into their hotel. We would see them again the next day.

Back at the Cosmosphere, the adults, unsure of what our role was, chatted, stared at phones, wondered about the night ahead and helped when needed (not often). Eventually, we were ushered into the small dining area at 5:00  p.m., for a rationed meal of salad, pasta (1 scoop each) and breadsticks (1 each). Plus pop or water--Elise had grape pop, something you do have to have at least once as a child, and Kalina and I opted for water (plus a drink of Elise's grape pop, just for fun, since she didn't finish it anyway). Several smart adults--not sure white pasta, white breadsticks and iceberg lettuce would hold them over until the next morning, especially since bedtime wasn't until 10:45--ducked out to pick up some protein from nearby restaurants. It actually ended up being a good thing they didn't feed us overly much, as we had about 10 minutes to eat until we needed to clear the room for the next group.

Kalina's rocket!

After dinner, we enjoyed 30 minutes of gift shop time--probably the only leisurely moments of the trip. As Kalina and Elise picked out a small, kinda cool toy for Naomi, with no question of getting anything for themselves, I indulged. Naomi ended up with a water bubble fountain thing, I brought home a souvenir magnet (what fridge with kids in the house doesn't need more magnets--and what mom with kids in the house doesn't occasionally dream of the places she's traveled?) and I also snagged a pack of astronaut ice cream for the way home, because I figured we'd need it after the somewhat sleep-deprived night we were expecting.

And then we were back to it! More crafts, information and a planetarium show that the kids loved, but that made me dizzy unless I closed my eyes. I'm still not sure how anyone was still awake after, but we were--awake enough, in fact, to learn about what it was like to live on the space station!

At this point, the kids had been begging me for several hours to let them go to sleep, and finally, it was almost time!

First, though, we had to air-launch the rockets we'd made earlier! Elise's went the second-least-farthest, a fact she seemed proud of knowing, if not of achieving, and Kalina's made it all the way to a balcony.

And then we were allowed to sleep! Which we'd all felt like we needed to do since about 4:00 p.m.!

The other troop in attendance had brought not only snacks for the evening, but also air mattresses for the grownups. My troop, on the other hand, went down for bed somewhat hungry, and looking forward to an evening on a very hard floor (since we drove separately as a family, I was one of the lucky few with a cot!).

As all the kids finally brushed their teeth and donned their jammies (and the grownups, too), the faithful Cosmosphere guides wheeled in a cart of animal crackers, fruit juice and water! AS they were brushing their teeth. Not before. And no one was told in advance. So we grabbed a snack, rebrushed and finally aimed for dreamland, among whispering, coughing, sneezing and at least one sob, I think, in the middle of the night.

"I got a terrible night of sleep!" -Kalina
"I don't think I slept all night!" -Elise
"Actually, I think it went pretty well for how these things go! And Elise, I saw you sleeping." -Me (Elise often doesn't believe she's been asleep when she actually has. As a 5-year-old she would frequently tell us she didn't sleep at all last night, and mean it. She is, however, my most wakeful child, so when she tells me she's been awake since sometime in the 4:00s, I am tempted to believe it.)

Back at the hotel, sometime in the 5:00s, Naomi popped awake, having been promised donuts by Daddy last thing before falling asleep.
"Is it time to go get donuts?"
"Honey, it's not even 6:00 yet--go back to sleep!"
Waiting.
Waiting.
"It's 6:00!" (She actually does know how to tell time on a digital clock)

I've made the same mistake before and now my rule is that reminding them of the super-cool thing that's happening the next day now only happens on Christmas Eve and possibly Easter Eve. They did pick up donuts, but not until after hotel breakfast, and were met with a reduced selection: blueberry or glazed. So maybe Naomi knew what she was talking about after all.

After dressing and packing up, those of us at the Cosmosphere hurried to the breakfast room to make full use of our allotted 30 minutes. As we'd planned to head out for brunch with Matt and Naomi when the program ended at 11:00, the girls and I were able to get away with not stuffing ourselves.

Daylight again! Finally!

On the schedule was another learning session, and an Imax show, which this time I enjoyed but that made the girls dizzy. By this time, Matt and Naomi had returned and Naomi happily sat on my lap while Matt loaded the car. When the show ended, so did the trip!

We were a bit relieved to be outta there--the Cosmosphere was cool, but the dim/flourescent lighting was getting to be a bit much. We squinted a lot in the sunshine.

After catching up over second-breakfast at Village Inn, we headed to a park along the Arkansas River, where we spied nesting geese (with eggs, a brave Matt discovered!) and geese that barely held back from grabbing our donuts out of our hands. Naomi was pretty freaked about that, and my inner Mama Bear made an appearance as well.

And finally, we were off to the local salt mine for a tour! As three of us (not naming names...) "discussed" which image to get squished into a penny, our tour group was called (thus rushing the penny decision and creation) and we were led into a room where we watched a video telling us not to lick the walls in the mine, or any salt from it. They cited the fact that the salt has many impurities as the main reason, but we're all thinking of the real reason: "If everyone licked the walls..." they'd crumble? Wear away? We'd all get sick? That'd just be gross? Something. And while you'd think you wouldn't need a warning, but the temptation is actually greater than you'd think. Pretty sure Uncle Tom would sneak a taste, for instance. (Hi, Tom!)

Newly helmeted.

We were provided with helmets, including a pretty freaked-out Naomi, who strongly disliked her helmet, disliked the chin strap she was given because of her small size even more, and especially strongly disliked the dim, crowded, mine-like elevator ride down to the mine floor. She was not on board with even touring the mine at all (except, of course, she was...). Elevators aren't her favorite even in the best conditions, and neither are they Kalina's (who also didn't like them as a baby). Elise, thank goodness, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Kalina endured it because of her intense love for all things geology, and Naomi suffered through because we didn't give her a choice--we could only promise to carry her, and that satisfied her well enough to calm her cries somewhat. Quite a lot of emotions to stuff into 90 seconds.

Naomi still isn't sure about
the train. I held her tightly
throughout, and she
enjoyed herself!

At the bottom of the mind, about 750-ish feet below ground, we were surrounded by what looked like an ice cave in a dimly lit, cavernous space that seemed to go on for miles, probably because it did. Museum-like displays were widely spaced, encouraging visitors to trek down the long, wide hallways toward the center of the action. We learned all about the geology of the area, the history of the mine, and mining in general in a series of well-done displays.

No one else on the tram
quite shared our ability to
pore over chunks of salt.

And then, a train ride--not to be confused with the later tram ride. Naomi, who had regained her composure, found that the train wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. We passed all kinds of mining equipment from the 1940s and 50s, a trash heap (so cool!!), different geological features of the mine and, eventually, a salt pile where everyone could hop off and grab their own hand-sized hunk of salt (Elise later pointed out that Naomi's was much closer to the size of Daddy's hand). Kalina could have pawed through the stack indefinitely, but was forced to make a much quicker decision than she liked, as the tram was nearly in the process of actually pulling away when we finally convinced her to hop on board.

By the end, we were all thoroughly entranced by the salt, and making plans for displaying our salt rocks...somehow...despite the fact that they would eventually eat through pretty much all substances  except possibly glass. We emerged from the mine into the light and again blinked a lot. I, for one, was glad to be done with strangely lit spaces for a while, and am not a candidate for underground colonization.

Tram! Slightly larger than the train,
and didn't require rails. 

The way home passed peacefully, punctuated by astronaut ice cream and all the fun snacks we'd saved. We knew we'd have three tired girls--which worked well, as we arrived home right about at bedtime. No one protested turning off the light, and amazingly, no one melted down (any more than usual, anyway) the next day.

And no one licked the salt!!

Salt chunks, salt pebbles and
fine salt sand. All fun to paw
through, especially the fine
sand. They sold it in the gift
store but I just wasn't sure...

Kalina and salt. She was so
entranced. And see the grey
streaks? They're why you
shouldn't lick it. One reason,
anyway.

A day

Twizzler DNA

Today I woke up in a semi-panic. My to-do list:
1. Naomi to ballet. Do not forget; take the poor girl, who missed 3 out of 4 January classes, to ballet.
2. Kalina MUST work on her two papers. MUST.
3. The upstairs cleaning that was supposed to happen yesterday still needs to happen.
4. Make meringue cookies for the co-op's Valentine party on Wednesday, because time is even shorter tomorrow and Kalina's been begging me to let her make these.
5. Compile a total of 88 valentines spread across three girls
6. Have Kalina and Elise practice piano for the first Kansas City piano lesson tomorrow.
7. Meals + snacks
8. Clean downstairs, too, if at all possible. And vacuuming would be totally amazing.
9. At least 2 loads of laundry, maybe 3.
10. Snow play?
11. Routine cleanup, dishes, refereeing, playing baby bunny, etc.

Plus the usual amount of schoolwork.

I began by shaving my sweater. The girls were curious, as was Matt: does that thing really work? How? Can I try? Can we empty it out and can we see what the sweater fluff looks like? Do we have to throw the fluff away (okay, they didn't actually ask that, but I know they were thinking it and I was surprised it didn't come up)? Although this item wasn't on my to-do list, it proved to be as satisfying as pretty much the rest of it. Progress!! Immediate, visible progress that doesn't get immediately undone!! It's like a drug.

At the time of sweater shaving, the girls were all in various stages of the routine called "getting ready for the day." I reminded those who needed reminding (seriously, don't we do this every day?) and helped those who needed help, with reaching outfits, brushing hair, etc. When I woke the girls at 7:15 (before the sweater), I found Naomi carefully lining up small stuffies on her bed rail. Apparently, there was already drama: one animal refused to admit that it was the bunny's turn to be line leader. Fortunately, Naomi is as good at solving her animals' conflicts as she is creating them. She was dressed in good time, and soon busy lining up all her animals, this time through her doorway and into the hallway--this time there were no line leader negotiations, as they had been fully resolved earlier. The older girls had a chuckle when I mentioned the hallway needed to be cleaned as part of morning routine. "Um, Mom, I think that's going to be a challenge!" they smiled. Soon, however, the troop of stuffies had somehow made its way downstairs, possibly by being tossed individually, and the hallway was clean shortly after breakfast, thanks to good moods and the fact that I'd whisked away not-cleaned-up possessions in a laundry basket, not to be seen again for a week, in recent memory.

Over breakfast, we chatted about our upcoming presentations for Classical Conversations, and reviewed the schedule for the day. Everyone was quick and cheerful, and I was able to whip off a couple emails while they cleaned the hallway (albeit breakfast dishes still on the counter), trying to reserve a TV for the writing class I'm teaching Wednesday and signing up for a field trip to a bakery (which I knew would be full by lunchtime). I also communicated some details about a field trip to the art museum I'm planning for Classical Conversations. Then I finished most of the breakfast dishes, and brushed my teeth and braces, which just takes a while. I put all the couch pillows back on the couches, even though they never stay there long.

As the hallway was nearly clean, I headed upstairs to let the girls know I wanted to vacuum, and pushed them to also straighten their room. They amazingly put up no fuss. Soon enough, however, Elise was hiding in the playroom because, "It seems like Kalina always takes Naomi's side when we have arguments!" Not wanting to begin a she-said she-said while I was on such a roll with cleanup, I hugged her for a while and told her she could hide out for a bit. Kalina and Naomi were all smiles, but actually got the room clean, so I finished my vacuuming. Except the playroom, which might not actually get cleaned, ever, between Christmas and spring break.

I figured Elise could use some more time, so I told Kalina to grab 10 Skittles from one of two gigantic boxes of Skittles (seriously?) her Nutcracker buddy had given her during the Nutcracker and sent her down to practice "the tricky part in Fur Elise" 10 times. She joyfully trotted off, and I finished breakfast dishes, threw in some laundry and cleaned up in the schoolroom, not only to start the day but also because my hopes were up for getting to vacuum another level today.

Back in the fall, we made blood out of
kitchen ingredients! They will
remember this one forever.

Naomi made her way downstairs with some stuffies and started dragging out blankets and couch pillows to make beds for all of them. I reasoned that Elise could probably use a visit, and I found her standing in a wooden cradle and gazing out the window. We went downstairs together, no more mention of the argument. By this time Kalina was done, so we all began school with a little Bible verse study, Valentine's-Day themed. Kalina and I then dove into her writing work, outlining a report on Sacagawea, which went pretty well since the interruptions were minimal and I was actively participating. Elise worked independently through some three-digit, subtraction-with-renaming word problems, grumbling all the way but getting them all correct. I then gave Elise 10 minutes to "see how much of this math review you can do," and she breezed through most of it, needing my help with an old-concept, new-approach problem they threw in 3/4 of the way toward the end. She decided to have her "banana break," as did Naomi, and then we worked through spelling together, while Kalina kept plugging away at her outline, still making real progress.

Not sure anyone could be
terrified of this princess
monster! I think she forgot
she was wearing a crown.

Naomi, meanwhile, was knee-deep in the project of cleaning out and reorganizing her play tent, wearing her ballet slippers. Out came brownies, pancakes (with toppings!), Lego Snow White, an assortment of necklaces, blankets, and more. She kept the couch pillow she'd claimed, along with a blanket, and added a nice doll/stuffie bed with handles, a doll and a baby bottle. She then put together a similar setup for her purple stuffed bunny.

Rather unfortunately, Naomi was also listening to the piano's "demo" feature, which plays a loop of mostly horrid songs. We all get annoyed with it, but Naomi adores turning it on and letting it run. The first song is pretty and she doesn't notice the rest, so she could listen all day. The rest of us couldn't, however, and Kalina's very reasonable suggestion of turning it down completely disrupted Naomi's peace. No agreement could be reached, even after Mommy set the limit, so the piano went off and Naomi pitched a major fit more annoying, by far, than the piano. Fortunately, she ran out of steam after just a couple minutes and returned to a placid, cheerful state.

As Kalina's progress was coming to an end, and it had been nearly an hour, I moved her to cursive and spelling, while I worked on Elise's writing assignment with her (which is mostly a simple mix of listening, answering questions in complete sentences and copywork). Today we got to read a poem, which Elise liked, and Naomi readily sat through, still tired from her meltdown. After that, we  read Madeline, which Naomi had waited patiently for and which worked well alongside Elise's poetry work. Elise then headed off to copy a stanza of the poem (capital letters at the beginning of each line!), and I played Mommy and baby bunny with Naomi for a couple minutes before helping her get ready for ballet. Then she wanted a bun, so I did the best I could with a ponytail holder and 4 bobby pins--which was enough to not fall completely out during class, only partially.

On the way to ballet, we reviewed our Classical Conversations memory work, using the CD with the songs on it. Naomi happily danced into class, where she gleefully fulfilled the all-important role of Line Leader, and actually followed the teacher rather well, despite all her missed classes. Soooo cute. Kalina dug into Captain's Dog, a book about Lewis and Clark told from the dog's point of view (totally up her alley), taking a break only to work on a periodic table scavenger hunt I'd printed off for her. Elise read a chapter of her latest Sophie Mouse book, but soon preferred to discuss imaginary animals that could live in Eliseland instead. Besides, she likes to savor her books one chapter at a time, lest she finish them too soon (don't we all know that feeling?) Fortunately, she'd brought paper and pencils, so we could draw the animals we thought of, and then name them, and next discuss their characteristics, as well as the general governance of Eliseland. I'd been anticipating using the time to plan the Wednesday writing class, but, well, imaginary animals are more fun anyway.

Sometimes Naomi still naps at
downtime!

Back at home, I gave Kalina the task of de-bunning Naomi and helping her get changed while I made lunch and Elise helped/tasted. Or tasted/helped--her favorite task. During lunch we chatted a bit, and then reviewed more memory work. Afterward, Kalina was sent off to practice piano and Elise to do handwriting while I quickly cleared dishes, brushed my teeth and took Naomi up for downtime. On this particular day, the older girls were so engrossed in whatever they were doing that they didn't sit in on stories. Naomi had chosen a ballet book and was able to very sweetly try all the moves uninterrupted. She also chose Madeline again, and I was able to answer all her questions and we were able to count all the girls in the two straight lines, several different ways, again with no interruptions. Shortly after, however, Kalina breezed in with her book and planted herself on her top bunk, not wanting to come down even for her own story (Olga Meets Her Match, by the author of Paddington), I think still upset from a question she'd gotten wrong earlier. No problem--I enjoyed reading Elise's choice to her--a humorous book about becoming president (she does not want to).

After the story, I let Elise grab a box of Valentines and get started assembling them, and since Kalina was still upstairs and Elise is such a companionable little being, I let her sit beside me and work on them during downtime. She tried her best to keep conversation to a minimum (but not a complete lull--a nice amount), respecting the fact that I had more emails to answer, math workbooks to order and planning to do (for that writing class), and did a great job putting together a fraction of the 43 valentines she's responsible for.

About 20 minutes before the end of downtime, I began to hear a few too many noises from upstairs. Apparently Kalina was feeling better and she and Naomi were playing--which usually means Kalina has created some huge inventive scenario and there's going to have noise and hilarity and stuff all over. And it was true: as I found out later, Naomi's bed had become a boat, and they needed provisions, among other things, which was somehow related to the reason there were stuffies all over the floor. I let them go because this doesn't usually happen, but I literally heard them bouncing off the walls. Kalina: "Naomi, bounce off the walls!"

Seeing an opportunity, I asked the calm, obedient child if she wanted me to send her sisters outside to play with her in the snow, and she did. Kalina and Naomi, who usually only go outside if forced unless the weather is tropical-island perfect and/or there are popsicles, couldn't argue: they knew they'd been bouncing off the walls. I told them if they stayed out long enough, they could have hot chocolate, and then pushed them all out the door. We got out the sled, and they took a few passes down a very shallow hill in our yard. Soon enough, though, I heard crying and saw a snowy Naomi being walked by her solemn sisters up the super-shallow hill toward the house. She'd fallen off. I accepted the youngest inside ("Yes, Naomi, you'll still get hot chocolate!") and denied the other two--it had been all of 15 minutes and we don't usually have snow.

I'd been using the time to clean up (because there's always cleanup to do), and make progress toward my goal of vacuuming the main level. I put a now-just-fine Naomi to work with a few minor tasks (getting the markers and paper out from under the piano, for instance) and finished the job just as the oldest two were trying, again, to see if they could come in. As it had been 30 minutes, and I wanted to move on, I let them. We did have hot chocolate. I cleaned up the kitchen while they drank and dipped graham crackers, dripping all over themselves and the clean tablecloth. As Kalina was finishing, I broke the terrible news that although she'd finished her old math workbook last week, I had forgotten to order her new one until today! I didn't mind too much--she was delighted at my mistake, and the teachers' guide told me how to begin teaching decimals, which was something Kalina was motivated to learn anyway thanks to a math game she's been playing. In 25 minutes, I managed to get some lightbulbs turned on and introduce some new concepts that would probably need another lesson anyway before she dove independently into the workbook. I sent her and her sisters upstairs with valentines while I thoroughly vacuumed downstairs. Triumph!

Kalina emerged with completed valentines just as I was finishing, and I used the opportunity to rope her into a grammar lesson. We discussed object complement nouns and direct objects while Naomi made stuffie beds on the clean slate of a freshly vacuumed floor, with couch pillows. Our lesson was cut a bit short by the fact that I really, no really, needed to start dinner, but we got the main points. I tried to start Naomi coloring a seal picture she'd wanted (she was really into seals for a while), but she refused it, saying the seals both looked like boys. Although clearly it was a mommy and baby seal, right up her alley, I was in no mood to argue beyond offering to draw eyelashes (she was having none of it). I found her a puppy coloring book and she set to work on one that was "too cute," and that I had to make a copy of before she would color it, apparently the original being too sacred. She then cut it out and I eventually wrote down a story she made up about it after dinner. I began to brown meat and chop veggies for tacos, while Elise worked on her piano, trying one piece from memory.

Matt arrived home and one or more of the girls trailed after him to chat. I finished dinner and let Matt carry the conversation, which he thankfully did. After dinner, we still had meringue cookies to make! I quickly cleaned up a few things and got out the supplies. Matt read to Naomi, and Kalina and Elise switched off on separating egg whites, with only a few mishaps. Kalina then piped the cookies into the shape of hearts (roughly--it was challenging) , while Elise sprinkled them, until she got her hair into the batter one too many times and needed to be sent up with Naomi for a bath. Kalina, who had been stressed out by the pressure of piping hearts, was only too glad to step down to the role of sprinkler, while I finished piping. Into the oven!

While the younger two were bathing, Kalina and I stole 20 minutes to work on her other writing assignment: a hopes and dreams paper. (Kalina, in class: "All my dreams are disasters and all my hopes are unlikely." Pretty often true, actually....) She wanted to write about owning a farm someday and about becoming a gem cutter. We got her thoughts down--enough for a rough draft--and then looked up beautiful photographs of waterfalls and mountains for a few minutes.

Matt had the girls washed, so I simply had to unload Naomi from the tub and coax her into pajamas. I had Kalina help clean up the room, which was still a disaster from the downtime escapades, and then Elise joined us for stories because she didn't like the book Matt's reading to her and Kalina (again, about Lewis and Clark). Miraculously, Naomi didn't put up a fuss that Elise got to choose one of the stories, as it's very rare for Elise to join us. We read peacefully, braided hair, arranged stuffies and hugged goodnight. All very good-naturedly.

I said goodnight to Kalina, too, and then began the rest of my work for the day: finishing dinner dishes, and some more cleanup to the sounds of Matt's new guitar. I sat down to a pile of laundry and Matt and I chatted a bit before he headed upstairs and all was quiet for the first time today.

Quiet! Heavenly, blessed quiet! Most nights, I finish emailing, ordering, planning, etc. Tonight, as I didn't have more pressing issues, I wrote this blog.

Then I noticed that the meringue cookies were still a bit squishy in the middle, which resulted in a flurry of Google queries regarding soft meringue cookies, salmonella, and what to do. I decided it couldn't hurt to stick them back into the oven for another try in the morning, and then reevaluate.

And Matt wonders why I rarely turn out the light until 11:30.