Monday, April 26, 2010

The "Yay! Yay! Yay!" Story

Yesterday, Jupiter and I went to church. The weather was suprisingly nice. Expecting cold showery weather, we ended up with sunny weather and temps in the sixties.

After Communion, Jupiter had to go to the bathroom. She was being independent, so I let her go by herself. She hadn't returned in five minutes, so I went out to search for her, and found her heading out the propped open door. So I made her come sit down. We did the recessional hymn and the announcements.

Then Fr. Tim said, "Our celebration has ended. Go in peace...."

I didn't hear anymore of what he said. What I heard was my daughter, shouting, "YAY! YAY! YAY!" Then I didn't hear her anymore, because she was outta there. She may have waved at Tim on her way outta there, I'm not sure.

I guess it's a good thing that she can recognize the end of the service by the words. Though she was going in something much more like jubilation than peace.

I have to admit, I wish I had it on video. Or MPEG or whatever it's called now.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Two wheeler

Since last summer, Jupiter has been flirting with her two wheeler. Her real bike still had the training wheels on, because she just wasn't confident that she could ride a two wheeler. She is outgrowing the bike, but they don't make bigger bikes with training wheels, so I've been encouraging her to work on the whole two wheel thing. Last summer I picked up a used bike for a few bucks at a yard sale so she'd have one without training wheels to play on and practice balancing.

Yesterday, while I was out planting peas (yipee!), she took the bike out and balanced it up and down the driveway. She finally started to get it, and managed to balance and pedal a few times. Her confidence exploded, and she decided she could do it.

She got Mimi to take her training wheels off her other bike during the day today. When we got home, we ate and then went outside so I could work in the garden some more. (don't think I don't WANT to help her ride her bike. But she gets much less frustrated if she does it on her own.) She kept working on the bike, and finally got to the point where I told her she should ride down to the frog pond at the dead end of the street. The driveway is just short enough that she has to stop as soon as she gets the momentum going.

I gave her a little help balancing until she got pedaling. And she rode all the way to the frog pond. And back. Several times. She finally gave it up when she popped a blister on her thumb. But she keeps saying how much she loves her bike and how proud of herself she is.

Love it love it love it.

Also in the last week, she made it accross the monkey bars at the school playground. She's a solid kid, so she's had a hard time holding her own weight up to cross the monkey bars. Not anymore. We are very proud of that too.

wish I had been there

This afternoon, Jupiter had an adventure. I'm retelling the story secondhand, so I'm sure it's nowhere near as exciting/frightening as it was firsthand.

The spring weather means that Jupiter has been outside a lot. This afternoon, she was outside with Mimi and Feather, a golden retreiver dog about a year old who was visiting. Jupiter had been running and playing with Feather. Then, Jupiter got into her wagon. She had evidently, unbeknownst to Mimi, attached a leash to both Feather and the wagon. Then the dog got spooked.

Jupiter got to go for a ride. The dog zigged and zagged all over the yard (not broken to pull wagons) trying to get away from the big noisy thing behind her. The wagon tipped and Jupiter fell out (onto the grass) and still the dog ran. She did eventually stopped and was seperated from the leash and the wagon. The dog promptly hid behind Mimi and didn't want to play with Jupiter anymore.

Jupiter is fine, by the way. She got some dirt on her pants. Knowing Jupiter, she thought it was great fun and will want to do it again.

We think the dog has PTSD. Not sure that my sister will get to keep that dog sitting job.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bad Timing

Today, after I picked up Jupiter, we went to the pharmacy to buy her a new toothbrush. Last night at bedtime she decided to throw her toothbrush (with toothpase already applied) into the crack between the vanity top and the wall. (and as to why there is a two inch space between the vanity top and the wall, let's just say I should not be allowed to orchestrate diy home improvements.) So she didn't brush her teeth last night or this morning. That'll go over well at the dentist tomorrow.

Anyway, we went to the pharmacy to buy a new toothbrush. I told Jupiter that she would have to replace the toothbrush with her own money, since she made the choice to render the toothbrush I bought her useless. Of course I had forgotten to bring her money, so when we checked out and the toothbrush she chose rang up at $3.99, I said, "Okay, when we get home you have to give me $4 for the new toothbrush."

Teenager cashier was a little startled, I think. Maybe I should remember not to say things like that out of context. She probably went home and posted on her facebook page about the really mean mother who makes her six year old pay for her own toothbrush. I did not feel the need to explain myself too her, so if anybody happens to see that facebook post from Teenager cashier.....

If the cashier had been a mother, I might have explained myself.

One time, when Jupiter was about three, I did happen to pick up a toothbrush for her one day when we were at the store I hate most in the world. She sat in the cart and cried, "THANK YOU MOM FOR THE NEW TOOTHBRUSH!" So of course all of those people thought I never bought my child ANYTHING, she was so darn happy about the toothbrush.

And since she goes to the dentist tomorrow, she'll get a new toothbrush anyway.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Tooth update

Just in case you're keeping track, Jupiter has lost yet another tooth.

In case you've last track, that makes 8 teeth.

She goes to the dentist on Tuesday. I don't think it will take long.