That's Harper mastering a rope bridge at the Arboretum, where on Monday we discovered a fun sandpit and tree house we hadn't known was there. She picked out her clothes. I get to veto, but I try not to. Because as long as it is modest and weather appropriate, it doesn't really matter, does it? (can you tell this is a little bit of a struggle for me?) Hudson did some karate moves up in the tree house, because, he explained, that is what an army man would do.
The kids can't wait to go back. Unfortunately, the mosquito infestation will likely be complete now that the rain and humidity have arrived. It's a very woodsy arboretum here, with hiking trails and bogs; unlike the one in Dallas, which is all rolling hills and grassy expanse and English gardens and lake views. (I feel like I could almost burst into a pastorale here. Or an idyll. I will refrain.)Both lovely in their own way. Helena ate some sand. And then threw up a little.
She is eating so much these days, incidentally, and not just sand. She ate an entire avocado plus two jars of baby food (sweet potatoes and peas and brown rice) AND some oatmeal for dinner tonight! She also loves refried black beans and has, on a couple of occasions, burst into the most pitiful cry you can imagine when she realizes the bowl is empty. Her mouth makes the same little upside-down 'u' that Hudson's used to make when he got Very Sad About Something. Her pronunciation of Harper's name now sounds like "Hah-poo" and it pleases Harper no end to hear her say it. We're still working on Hudson's name. It sounds like "DEH-deh".
Harper and I are on Lesson 29 of Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons (we started working very slowly through it about a year ago, I think) and she read a book by herself this week. That great literary classic Bears in the Night by Stan and Jan Berenstain:
WHOOOOOOOOO!
In bed
Out of bed
Out of bed To the window At the window
Out the window
Out the window Down the tree
Over the wall
Under the bridge
Around the lake
Between the rocks
Through the woods
Up Spook Hill!
WHOOOOOOOOOO!
Down Spook Hill
Through the woods
Between the rocks
Around the lake
Under the bridge
Over the wall
Up the tree...
In the window!
Back in bed
Whooooooooooo.
I don't mean to ruin if for you, but the "whooooooooo" is just an owl atop Spook Hill. You know, what it lacks in literary merit, it actually makes up for in prepositions. I actually don't mind the old Berenstain Bears books (this one was originally published in 1971) nearly as much as I do the new ones. I think they jumped the shark sometime around the time Honey Bear joined the family--the mid-90's maybe?
Harper has also made some real strides in her relationship with Hudson over the last couple of weeks. We still have some unpleasantness (for example,when he wouldn't hand over the soccer ball she said, "Well then Hudson! I am going to take all of the soccer balls IN THE ENTIRE WORLD and PUT THEM IN THE TRASH!") but several afternoons this week, they have played together harmoniously in Hudson's room, creating elaborate scenarios that involve army men and ballerinas. In fact, we had a big discussion about whether or not army men could be ballerinas. Harper was fairly emphatic at first that they could NOT, then she conceded that perhaps there might be an army man or two who could also be a tap dancer in their spare time. And that there might be army ladies who did some ballet on the weekends. After dinner, they've been out in the backyard having what they call their "club." It appears to be the sort of club where there is lots of swinging with no shoes and then see-sawing whilst making very loud noises.
We just got home from an end of the year faculty dinner. The husband was the Business School's nominee for Professor of the Year. We are proud of him.
No comments:
Post a Comment