6.8 or, Adventures and New Friends

Dear Corbin,

Two months after I decided you didn't need any new things for school, you outgrew your shorts and your shoes.  So I think from now on, I'm going to just buy you the next size of school clothes during the back-to-school sales, whether you need them yet or not.  That will save me from trying to find them at odd times during the school year.

I had the day off from work one Monday, which was great.  I went to school with you in the morning, for the Moms and Muffins breakfast.  We ran into Elliot, who is in your class, and I had a nice chat with his mom, Jennifer.  We had actually met Jennifer and Lee at Back to School night, so it was nice to see her again.  Then I went to the dentist to have a filling replaced.  Such fun.

You had fall picture day at school.  We have a funny book about a kid who tries to make sure that his school pictures are horrible, but ends up taking really nice ones on accident.  It's always something of a gamble--you pay the money first and then you see the pictures.  We ordered a few prints, so hopefully they'll turn out well.

It was Dad's birthday this month.  We had the Epsteins over for some play time and birthday cake.  Dad went to King's Hawaiian again, for a lovely fruity cake thing.  We bought Dad some new music, which he always likes.  Grandma and Grandpa Thorne sent some money for his new fish tank.

Speaking of which, you're excited to have a fish tank again.  We spent one Saturday afternoon visiting different fish stores to find a new tank, and to see what kinds of fish we can get.  Dad unpacked all of the aquarium supplies that we brought with us and cleaned them up.  He built a new stand for the new tank, and we ordered the new light.  It will still be several weeks before we can put fish in it, though, so we all have to keep being patient.

It was Halloween, of course, at the end of the month.  You had said that you wanted to be a goblin, but I found a ninja costume on sale, and you thought it was cool, so we went with that.  We went to the school for their Halloween party, Trunk or Treat.  They open up the playground and people park their cars on it.  They decorate the trunks of the cars, and then all the kids trick or treat to all the cars.  It's actually kind of fun.  We arranged to do a kind of pot-luck picnic dinner with the Epsteins and the Jorgensons and the Aguilars.  It was fun to see how people decorated their cars, and also all the kids in costume.  Then on Halloween night, the Jorgensons came over for dinner, and we all went trick or treating.  I made you wear your light up shoes, since your costume was all black and dark green.  When we left you told me, "We're going to have adventures and make new friends!"  Yes, let's do that.

Love,
Mom


At Trunk or Treat:

Trick or Treating with Celia:

3.6 or, Sleeping Hot

Dear Miriam,

Thankfully, you started having a bed time routine again, this month.  There were two nights that we locked the door to your room.  Then the third night, I was tucking you in, and you said, "Don't close the door."  I said, "You lay in bed and fall asleep, and I'll leave the door open."  And that was it.  Ever since then, I can tuck you in and leave, and you lay in bed and fall asleep.  It's great.
It actually means that we do more cuddling at night, because I know that I'll be able to spend a few minutes with you and it won't be a problem.  You still wake up at night, asking for a drink or needing to go potty, but afterwards I just tuck you back in and go back to bed.  My thought now is that as you get better at falling asleep the first time, you'll get better at falling back to sleep in the middle of the night.

Dad's contribution to your new and improved sleep habits was to make you a new stereo and speakers.  (I know you're shocked by this.)  It is useful, because it can play files from a USB stick on repeat, so when you wake up at night, you still have music to listen to.  I don't know if that helps you go back to sleep, but I don't think it hurts.

I got you some new shoes this month.  There was nothing good on sale at Target, so I looked online to see what else was around.  There were some cute options, but we found some real winners: Tom and Jerry shoes.  Grandpa brought home some Tom and Jerry cartoons months ago, and you and Corbin think they're hilarious.  I think it's a bit strange that my kids are enjoying 50 year old cartoons, but they make you laugh like crazy, and you think the shoes are pretty great, too.

It got crazy hot this month.  People keep saying things like, "It's never this hot!  We never use our air conditioning!"  I don't know if they're forgetful or actually right, but it seems like it's been nothing but hot in this state.  I told Dad that we should put in air conditioning this winter, and then solar panels in the spring, so by next summer we'll be prepared.  It's either that or buy a hundred more box fans.  We had been doing bath night every other night, to save on water and because you didn't really need it.  But you would get so sweaty during the hot days that we had to wash your hair every night.  I only run your bath lukewarm, so that you can get all cooled off, but even when you just run the cold water, it's never really cold.

Dad and I spent a long weekend in Minneapolis this month.  Flying in on the plane, we were looking out the window at all the buildings where we used to work and shop, at all the parks and lakes.  It was green and wet and beautiful.  We stood waiting for the train, before picking up the rental car, and talked about how good it smelled with the rain coming down.  The wedding was lovely.  We got to see lots of friends, which was great and hard, because I miss them very much.  I hope that you will have the chance to experience life in different places.  I complain about living here, and I know I'll move back to Midwest someday, but maybe there will be things that I miss about living here, too.  I did miss you while we were gone, which will be true no matter where we all end up living.

Love,
Mom

6.7 or, Gentlemen, Start Your School Year

Dear Corbin,

School started this month.  Your teacher is Laura Scully, in room 11.  It seemed to be an easy transition for you, at least until the first homework packet showed up.  You like Mrs. Scully, which is good.  We had some confusion around lunch time.  The first day, you ate hot lunch because Mrs. Scully asked who was going to eat lunch in the cafeteria and you raised your hand.  I don't know if you actually wanted hot lunch, or if you just wanted lunch in general.  For the next few days we reminded you to eat the lunch in your lunch box, until your general response was, "I know!"  Now you're in the habit of eating with some friends from Kindergarten.

Dad and I went to Back to School night.  We made sure to introduce ourselves to Mrs. Scully, so that she would know us as well as Grandma and Grandpa.  She seems smart and fun, and she had good things to say about you.  We chatted with some other parents, too, so that was nice.

I asked you one night to tell me something you talked about at school that day.  You said, "We talked about what makes a cow."  I said, "Huh.  Tell me what makes a cow."  You said, "One kid said they have three weenies!" which made us laugh.

Mrs. Scully sends homework packets home on Fridays, which is actually really great.  You and Dad get started on it on Sunday night, and then we're usually done with it on Wednesday night.  So that give us two or three week night when we don't have to squeeze that into in the schedule.  Some nights, you work through a couple of pages as quick as can be.  Some nights, you can't focus and you drive me crazy.  This year you'll be doing journal entries, though, and I'm hoping that your love of storytelling will result in some fun journals.  Every time you see me write something, you say, "How can you write so fast?"  I tell you, "Because I practiced when I was a kid, and now my hand just knows what to do."  You never look totally satisfied by that, but I like the sound of it better than, "Because I'm old."

It got crazy hot during your second week at school, so hot that they actually went to a shorter schedule for a couple of days and cancelled after school sports.  People keep telling us, "It's never this hot!"  I think they have short term memory loss, because I feel like it's just been hot the entire two years that we've been here.

Dad and I went to Minneapolis for a weekend, to go to a wedding.  It was so beautiful there.  Everything was green, and it smelled so good.  We got to see lots of friends.  The wedding was lovely, with a picnic reception and a cruise on the river.  It was so much fun to be on the river, and see people fishing, and swimming, and camping.  If you and Miriam hadn't still been in California, I might not have come back.  So there you go: I love you more than the Midwest.

Love,
Mom

3.5 or, Ponies at School

Dear Miriam,

This was the month that you started preschool.  We looked at a couple of places, and decided to try a Montessori school again.  It's a nice school, although the curriculum is not as strictly Montessori as it might be.  I took some time off of work, both for fun and so that I could drop you off for the first week.  Grandpa came with us, since he'll be the one who drops you off after I go back to work.  The first week went well.  You were excited to see that there was a turtle at school, and a fish in your room.  You were not excited when you realized that I would be leaving you there and not staying.  The morning teacher, Ms. Cynthia, was good at distracting you while I left.  Your teacher, Ms. Aida, told me one day when I was picking you up that you had been especially happy that day.  So I think you're adjusting fine.  It probably helped that you started the week that they did Pony Pictures.  If there's a quick way to your heart (that isn't dinosaurs), ponies are it.  You'll probably spend the rest of your school career wondering why school can't involve more ponies.  I always wondered that, myself.

In preparation for preschool, you and I went to Target to buy you a lunchbox.  All of the Back To School things were on display, so I figured we could find something good.  We looked at three different sections of lunch boxes.  First, you liked one with funny cat faces on it.  Then you decided that you liked one with pink and black zebra stripes.  Then we found all of the lunch boxes that were Hello Kitty and super heroes.  I thought you might like a My Little Pony one.  But, instead, you got the generic Target brand lunch box that was covered in...dinosaurs.  Color me Not Surprised.

I did a sweep through your wardrobe, and gave away a bunch of your clothes.  I sent a box of warm girl clothes back to Minneapolis, to the Rileys.  I sent a box of warm boy clothes to the Leeman's, also in Minneapolis.  And, one of the researchers at work has a little girl, so I finally found someone in town to give your summer clothes.

We've had some good news from Uncle Alex and Aunt Lena: they're going to have a baby in the spring.  We're all very excited to welcome a new baby to the family, especially now when it's the perfect time for your crib and several other baby things to move south to San Diego.  It feels good to pass things on that you don't need any more.  We live in such a commercialized society, and so many things are treated as disposable.  I think it's fun to find ways to give things a new life.

Hopefully, their baby will have many years of sleeping well in your crib. You, on the other hand, stopped going to bed this month.  You came home from vacation being used to sleeping with Grandma, and able to climb out of your crib.  You also stopped taking naps in the afternoon.  So now you're overtired by 7pm, you think that someone else should be in your room with you all the time, and when we leave you to fall asleep, you can follow us out of your room.  This is not, as you might expect, a very good turn of events.  I am hoping that starting preschool will tire you out, and also give you a better schedule.  Your class naps after lunch, so that will either help or be terrible.  So we've taken apart your crib, and put together a twin bed for you.  I've been laying in bed with you until you fall asleep.  That's both sweet, because I love you, and annoying, because I would rather be getting things done.  We're going to have to find a solution soon, before I give you away to a circus (which you would probably enjoy).

Love,
Mom


Cowgirl Miriam:

6.6 or, Summer Time is Friend Time

Dear Corbin,

August seemed like a long month, even though we didn't do very much.  You got to catch up on watching all of your favorite cartoons.  We played a lot of games of Connect 4 and Battleship.

You got to have lots of friend time with Evan, since neither of you were in school.  Celia and Elena finally came home from Spain, so you got to have lots of friend time with Celia, too.  Her grandma Estelle came with them, which gave me a chance to practice my very rusty Spanish speaking skills.  One of the best things about moving into our new house was meeting the Aguilars, and living down the street from the Jorgensons.  You and Evan have a lot of fun together, and you get along so well with Celia.  The first day she was back and came over, you were so excited you practically knocked her over.  One day, Celia came over a little before noon and didn't leave until supper time.  At one point I walked into the living room and you were playing on your tablet, and she was reading one of your books.  It made me smile.

You and Dad took it into your heads one afternoon to build you a wooden boat.  I don't even know the whole story there, but you showed up for bath time with it.  It's some scrap wood that you and Dad shaped with the table saw, attached together, and then coated in polyurethane.  It's pretty cool.  You also claimed a couple of circles that Dad cut out while building a set of speakers.  You decided they would make good shields, so you painted them up with designs and dragons.

You took it into your head to make potions, using cups of water and food dye.  You started doing them on the patio, but we made you move out onto the lawn.  Now we have no more food dye, and the lawn has green patches.  You and Celia had green patches, too, which thankfully came off in the bath.

We spent the month wondering who your teacher would be.  The school website did not upload class assignments until the week before school started.  Once we could finally check, we found out that you'll be in Room 11, with Ms. Scully.  We also found out that Evan will be in your class.  His parents were hoping to have Ms. Scully--they had heard good things from other parents--so hopefully that's a good sign.  She teaches the 1st Grade program for gifted and talented kids, so I'm glad you're with her.  You might never work above grade level, but it's nice to know that you'll have options if you do.

I'm glad that we don't have to buy a lot of school supplies yet.  Your backpack and lunch box are still in good shape, too.  I thought about getting you some new school clothes, but you're just as skinny this year as you were last year.  You haven't outgrown a thing.  I did order some non-school clothes for you, just to take advantage of the sales.  Now that we don't have friends handing down clothes to you, I try to pay attention to when things go on sale.  Although, if you never get bigger, I guess it won't matter very much.  You'll just grow taller and taller, and thinner and thinner, until you're like a spaghetti noodle.  Or like your Grandpa Lam.  Either one.

Love,
Mom

3.4 or, Dinos at Home

Dear Miriam,

You came home at last!  You were gone for a whole month.  You traveled 5012 miles, which is quite a lot of driving.  It was much easier than last year, though, since your schedule was determined along the way, instead of before hand.  You got to visit the Thornes and Spencers in Indianapolis, which was really great.  And then you spent a week in Lower Michigan at Aunt Alice's cottage on Lake Michigan.  On the way back, you stopped to visit some of Grandpa Lam's family in St. Louis again, and you all went up in the big Arch.  I asked what you saw from so high up, and you said, "A large barge!"  That is a joke from the Okee Dokee Brothers album about the Mississippi River.  Then you went to Meramec Caverns, which you thought was pretty cool.  You got to see fireworks, and go on a hayride.  You also stopped at the Mesalands Dinosaur museum, and so you came home with yet another stuffed dinosaur and pink Dino Girl t-shirt.

Last summer, you drove through some terrible weather, and I was constantly calling Grandma to make sure you hadn't all blown away to Oz.  This summer, the weather was better, but you almost got delayed by a brush fire on your way home.  The last day that you were driving home, I had to call and warn you that Interstate 15 was closed due to a fire.  You were able to see the smoke from where you had camped near Barstow.  Fortunately, by the next morning, there were some lanes open and you were able to get through.

While you were gone, Dad and I started painting the family room.  It's much nicer.  It's a lighter green now, and the walls look clean and pretty.  Painting can be kind of a boring task, but the results are worth it.  Fortunately, this time, you didn't tell me that you liked the old color better.

We built a new climber, using real climbing holds.  It's much bigger than the other climber, which is good because I think you grew an inch while you were away.  Dad already has plans to make it even bigger, too, although that won't happen for another few years.  You like to be on top of it, pretending you're a lizard.  You always get squirrelly after dinner, so it's nice to be able to send you outside to play on the new climber.

The first night that you were home, we were walking upstairs to get ready for bed and you told me, "I was gone a long time, and you missed me."  Yes, you were, and yes, I did.

Love,
Mom


The fire on I15, on your way home:

Painting the family room:

Playing on the climber (in your new Dino Girl shirt):

Playing on Dad:

6.5 or, Home Through the Smoke

Dear Corbin,

You finally came home!  You were gone for a whole month.  You covered 5012 miles in the motor home.  Grandpa said it was those last 12 miles that were the really hard ones.

You got to visit some of Grandpa Lam's family in St. Louis.  Then you visited the Thornes and Spencers in Indy.  Then you visited Grandma Lam's family in lower Michigan.  You went up in the Gateway Arch, and down into the Meramec Cavern.  You played in sand on the beach and on sand dunes.  You got to see fireworks and go on a hay ride.  It was a much more relaxed trip this time, since you made up your schedule as you went along.  Last year, you drove through some tornado weather.  This year, the last day you were on the road, there was a wildfire on Interstate 15, just outside of LA County.  You had already stopped for the night near Barstow, but you could see and smell the smoke where you were camped.  Fortunately, by the next morning, there were a few lanes open on the highway, and you were able to come home.

While you were gone, Dad and I started painting the family room.  It's a much nicer, lighter, green.  It makes the whole room brighter.  Painting is not always my favorite thing to do, but it's pretty easy and the results are worth the effort.  After the family room, we'll have to see how hard it is for me to get Dad to do the living room.

We also made a new climber for the backyard.  That was more fun, seeing as how we got to use the new table saw.  We ordered climbing wall holds for it, so it's a real climbing cube.  You use it as a fort, stocking it with all of your swords and guns and army guys.  Sometimes it's a spider web, wrapped in the big orange yarn.  It's much larger than the other climber, and very heavy and sturdy.  So hopefully it will last for a long time.  Dad already has plans to add on to the top of it when you're older and need more climbing space.

I think that you got taller while you were gone.  I guess that makes sense.  You certainly got tan, which is ironic, since you went on vacation away from sunny CA.  You are lucky to be able to travel with Grandma and Grandpa.  I'm glad you're able to experience different places, and stay in touch with all of your relatives.  Travel is good for your mind, but coming home is good for your soul.

Love,
Mom


The fire:

New paint!

New climber!

Same family!

3.3 or, Falling For You

Dear Miriam,

You were only home for the first half of June, but you managed to make it memorable.

We went to a dinner party at the Jorgensen's, just down the street.  We'd been there for about 20 minutes when Celia told her mother that she couldn't find you.  I walked back to our house and there you were, sitting on the front porch.  I asked you what happened, and you said, "I couldn't find you."  Four other adults and four other children in the house, but do you ask anyone for help?  No.  In your usual fashion, you're just off into the world to solve your own problems.

Your usual fashion also included falling down a lot.  When you came back to the party, and were playing with the other children, you got pushed and fell down and got some scrapes on your face.  The next day, you climbed up into the little magnolia tree and fell out of it when a branch broke.  That same day, you fell backwards off of the porch onto the lawn.  Two days later, you fell into the aloe plant and got long scratches all over your arms.  A few days after that, you almost fell out of another tree, but I caught you upside down by the leg.  I don't know whether to start you on the trapeze or encase you in bubble wrap.

Grandma and Grandpa were getting ready to take you on a trip back to the Midwest.  Part of that included getting you started on potty training.  You hadn't been very interested, but then we just decided to stop letting you wear diapers.  After that, you picked things up pretty fast.  I did not make the same mistake with you that I made when Corbin potty trained, though.  I had already given away his smaller size shorts, but his waist got so much smaller when he started wearing underwear instead of diapers that I had to sew extra elastic into all of his new shorts.  So with you, I made sure that I didn't give away your 2T shorts when I gave away all of your 2T t-shirts and dresses.

It was Father's Day this month.  We got Dad some new music, of course, and Grandma had helped you pick out some funny cards.  And then you left on your trip.  The first day, I was very sad.  I had left for work before you were awake, so Dad got to say goodbye to you, but I did not.  Only the dogs were there when I got home, which felt lonely.  The first weekend was very strange, too, being home with just Dad.  It's been a long time since we had a house but no kids.

I hope that you have a house and children someday, if that's what you want.  I would say that I hope you also learn how to live independently, but I don't think that is a skill that you'll need.  I think rather that you will need to learn how to live so that your independence doesn't scare the life out of your friends and family.  Which is not to say that I hope you change.  You're my fierce dinosaur girl, and that's just the way you should be.

Love,
Mom

6.4 or, Summer Stories

Dear Corbin,

You are officially done with Kindergarten.  This is the very first true summer vacation for you.  About a hundred more and then you'll be done with school.  You don't seem either happy or unhappy about the end of the school year.  I imagine that will change as time goes on.

The beginning of June was spent getting ready for your trip back to the Midwest.  Grandma and Grandpa did their shopping and packing.  Dad got you ready by giving you a haircut.  I picked up a new pair of shoes for you.  All the Kindergarteners brought home a math and reading workbook, which you took along to do in the motor home, along with all kinds of drawing and activity books.

One thing that hasn't changed over the past few months is your love of stories at night.  One night I asked you what the story should be about, and you said a dragon.  So for a while, we were telling stories about a dragon that accidentally ended up hatching in an eagle's nest, with two eagles.  Your favorite of those stories what the time that the dragon learned how to breath fire because a it got attacked by a bear.

Then, you wanted me to tell you stories about a sea creature with eight tentacles and lots of sharp teeth.  A Sharktopus.  The Sharktopus lives in Never Never Land, in a lagoon with the Pirates, the Lost Boys and the Tick Tock Crock.  Then came an eagle, an eel, a few more sharktopuses (to keep the first one company), a regular old shark, and another eel (to keep the first one company).  Oh, and a whale, at one point, to help the Sharktopus get back home when he got lost in the ocean.

You don't believe me when I tell you that it's hard to make up so many stories.  It's a good thing I got all that practice when I used to make up ridiculous songs, I guess.  Although, to be honest, I'm still quite proud of "I'm a big volcano" to the tune of "I'm a little teapot."

It was Father's Day this month.  We got Dad some new cd's, which he always likes.  Grandma helped you and Miriam pick out some funny cards.  She didn't bother putting them in envelopes, which was a good call, because you got all excited about showing it to Dad, and I think the thirty second wait for Dad to open an envelope might have been more than you could bear.

And then it was time for you to leave on your trip to the Midwest.  I gave you big hugs and kisses in the morning, but when I came home to just the dogs that evening, I was very sad.  It was very strange the first weekend, especially.  It was nice to spend time with Dad, but we both felt the house was much too quiet without you and Miriam around.  You are noisy and annoying and you pester us and drive us crazy, and we love you very, very much.

Love,
Mom

The Summer Trip, 2015

On the road in Tucumcari, NM:

Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum:

Indianapolis, with the Spencer Cousins:

At the Romsek's Cottage in Lower MI:

Silver Lake State Park, MI:

"Homeless Wonders" in St. Louis:

Up into the Gateway Arch, St. Louis:

Somewhere on the road:

All tripped out: