Josie Says

 

// Josie, completely deadpan, after sniffing a can of Sierra Mist left on the counter: 

Smells like your airport wine.

(at this point we had not been in an airport in over a year and I don't drink wine at the airport ever or at home more than once a month??)

// Peering out of the car window at the bagel place where they planned to stop for breakfast, she said with absolute world-weariness and exasperation: Oh GOD, there's a line.

// Josie's friend has the curliest, cutest hair that Josie said she straightened a while ago. When her name came up recently I asked Josie about her hair: is it still straight? -- No, she replied. She curlied it back.

// Josie to Luke: Some of your songs make me sad. They might be happy for you but they're sad for me.

// The tooth fairy brought Josie a Harry Potter fan magazine which unfortunately contained a bunch of spoilers for girls that have only finished two of the books.  Luke introduced them to the term "spoiler". Later in the day she was telling me about a library book they read at school and told me, regarding the plot, "DO NOT SPOIL THE BEANS!" and "DO NOT SPIT OUT THE BEANS."

// Josie appeared at 4:45 am at my bedside.

Josie: Mommy?

Me: yes?

Josie: when a cow has a dead calf, does it still do milk?

Me: yes.

Josie: ok

[They've learned a lot from watching Dr. Pol on NatGeo].

// Josie, opening the sliding door to better hear an owl hooting and also hearing the buzz of insects: [pausing] Can you hear the nightness? 

// Regarding her Brazilian classmate: She speaks Pork-a-jeez.

// Both girls have learned about figurative language and we went through a few week period in which no conversation wasn't punctuated with the exclamation: THAT'S AN IDIOM! when they heard, well, an idiom.

Easter weekend 2021

 

We usually spend Easter in Texas (2014 //  2015  // 2016 part 1 part 2 // 2017 // 2018 // 2019) but

2020 lockdown

2021 not ready to travel 

We had a quiet weekend at home followed by a few days of vacation for me.

Easter 2021 according to my camera roll:

While I was waiting at the racquet club, the owner brought over these warm cinnamon rolls for the girls and me.  You know what's better than warm fuzzies? Warm sugaries. It was such a wonderful unexpected gesture. Thank you, Dan! 

Every day I check the grape vine... and it is alive! 

Raspberry and blackberry bushes greening up.

On Saturday, C and I went to Nachomama's and brought our tacos to a little park (her suggestion: let's have a picnic), Michael's for art supplies, The Container Store for a container* for my burgeoning Olive & June collection, Athleta for the outfit C liked so much she wore it for the next three days, and Laurie's for the Keens I buy them every summer.  Later I ran to CVS for the very last two readymade Easter baskets (whew).

*I explained to the saleswoman, age twentysomething, several times that I was "basically looking for a Caboodle" and finally she said, "I don't know what that is." Oof.

On Sunday morning I went to spin class and then tennis in the park with Luke.  We started driving to find some lunch and settled on Burger King, because it was open. And it might have been the most terrible fast food meal we've ever had.  Again Clemmie had the great idea of going to a park. 

A horse trailer parked not far from our picnic spot.

This lovely man called to the girls: do you want to pet the horses?

(This horse was so tall in order to swing up into the saddle the rider gave a signal and it extended its legs forward and backward to bring its back a bit lower.)

Such a thrill for them. (Josie to the rider: This horse is a paint. I know it from my book.)

More playground time.

Can I explain why there are two Christmas stockings and a fly swatter hanging from the mantel? No.

This is to remember Josie's newly-arrived American Girl doll joining her in the Harry Potter flow in Cosmic Kids Yoga.

At some point in the weekend, the bathroom door opened a sliver and this was handed to me in a curious display of regard for my privacy/disregard for my privacy. 

I had given up on the asparagus that was planted in the fall - but lo!

Days off:

Visit from my garden coaches. SO VALUABLE!!!

They brought potatoes to plant:

Another grape check.

More tennis!

Lunch with mom.

Weekend Scenes

On the first day of spring, a brilliantly sunny warm day: a visit from Custom Foodscaping to install the berm for the food forest in the side yard.

Off to Grandma and Grandpa's for the first time since July...

... with this amount of luggage for two nights

Date night at Sushi Station

Found Luke at the park.

A bunny mani to match Bunny

Josie: you're really good at these bunnies. (It's nice to have a fan).

Cain's lunch date before dance class.

Watching the last few minutes of class.

We make sourdough pancakes most weekends.  The batter has a rest I've ritualized into an "ART BREAK!!!"  After the egg/milk/discard mixture is stirred into the flour mixture ("with streaks of flour remaining, Mommy! That means you can still see it a little bit!") the girls run to the dining room and re-emerge 10 minutes later with a drawing, something taped, something glued.  Clemmie likes flipping the pancakes now.  Josie once touched the hot edge of the griddle and now prefers to sit expectantly for me to slide her pancake to her plate and top "with butter AND syrup."

More tennis, different park.