Overdue pictures

April has been the month of warm spring days and snow. Here are some overdue pictures from some of our April adventures.

Allergic to water

While driving to school today we passed a drainage pond that was previously frozen. We celebrated the sign of spring and how nice it was to see open water. Of course, I have to make everything into a science lesson. Sometimes the results are interesting.

Meredith: I love water. Water is great!
Derek: Did you know our bodies are made out of a lot of water?
Meredith: Yeah! [pause] If you were allergic to water, you wouldn't even be a person!

Meredith quotes: Family, et cetera

Meredith has given some memorable quotes recently. Many dealing with family relationships. Others on the subject of school and fairness.


While walking the dog:
"How come I have to do all the work and you get to have all the fun!?!"
The offense was that her job was to open and close the gate and I got to be the one to walk the dog equal to Meredith's weight and surpassing her muscle mass. I assured her that I didn't think that was true that she did all the work.

After being told to turn off the TV, Meredith challenges the ruling while following me upstairs during Elaine's pre-dinner diaper change:
Mer: It's not fair!
Der: Just because you can't do something you want doesn't make it not fair.
M: It isn't fair!
D: I don't think you understand what fair means. In any case, we need to wash hands for dinner.
M: I do know what it means! I have to tell you. I wanted to watch Dragon Tales.
D: You watched two other shows already and it's time for dinner. You'll be able to watch Dragon Tales another day.
M: But it's not fair! Today I got to watch Curious George and Super Why! but not Dragon Tales!
D: Yes. We don't get to watch Dragon Tales every day. You saw two--
M: Some days I get to watch Curious George and Super Why! and Dragon Tales! Today I only got to watch Curious George and Super Why! It's not fair! I want to watch Dragon Tales!
D: Well, that's not really how fairness works, and usually you don't watch Dragon Tales because we have to eat dinner, like we're just about to. It is only a special occasion. Tonight we have to eat dinner.
M: You're not listening to me! I'm trying to tell you about fairness! [she starts stomping to stress her points]
D: Meredith! I don't like the tone you're using. I need you to behave. We can talk about this, but you need to be patient. No more stomping, or flailing, or yelling.
M: I' M YELLING BECAUSE I'M FRUSTRATED! IT'S NOT FAIR THAT I CAN'T SEE DRAGON TALES!
D: Meredith. There are going to be consequences if you can't improve your behavior.
[stomping and kicking of furniture ensues]
D: Meredith, I'm going to count to three and if you don't stop there will be NO TV tomorrow.
M: AARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH! IT'S NOT FAIR! [stomp! stomp!]
D: Okay, no television tomorrow. Now, let's settle down or there will be more consequences.
M: Hmpphth!
[pause]
M: [calmer] It's not fair that I can't watch Dragon Tales.
D: Meredith, I know you're upset because you wanted to see Dragon Tales, but we can't watch TV whenever we want. We need to eat dinner now. If you're frustrated, we can talk, but that kind of behavior is not acceptable--even if you feel it isn't fair.
M: [hopeful] Maybe I can watch Dragon Tales tomorrow?

Making pizza for Meredith, Jen and myself:
Mer: We're putting mushrooms over the whole thing?
Der: Yes.
M: Everyone likes mushrooms?
D: Yes.
M: Zach doesn't like mushrooms; even though they're so good!"

Meredith learned about dinosaurs at school:
Mer: Some kind of meat eaters travel in groups.
Der: What are the groups called?
M: I don't remember.
D: Why do they travel in groups?
M: I don't really know. So they can find food really good? And triceratops do too.
D: Are triceratops meat eaters?
M: No!

Telling me about learning how to make graphs at school:
Mer: What you do is make two lines. And then you put lots of squares between. And then, then, you call out the things you would like to see that other people would like. And then what you do is, and if, like, if someone likes something better than the other one, they win.
Der: What do you do with the squares?
Mer: With the squares, you kind of draw a shape of that thing in the squares. Like if I had spaghetti then I make a kind of a wiggle. And that is a graft! [sic]

A conversation in the car:
Mer: How do you know people in your family by looking at them?
Der: You don't know people in your family by looking at them. You know they are your family because you grew up with them.
M: But how can you tell by looking at them?
D: You can't.
M: Then how?
D: Because they are part of your family when you are born.
M: What if you are walking down the street... I'm going to give an example. It's just an example.
D: Sure. An example sounds good.
M: I'm trying to ask you my question about looking at family members.
D: I know this is hard to ask so I understand. I really like talking to you about this though.
M: Okay. This is just an example; if you are walking down the street and see someone in your family? How do you know? Like, if you were on the street, how would the daddy know, how would you know I'm your daughter?
D: Well, I know you're my daughter because I was there when you were born.
M: But I'm not a baby now.
D: No, you're not a baby now. But I remember when you were a little tiny baby when you were born and I knew you were my daughter and I was your dad. And now you've grown and you're bigger, but I still remember you being born and growing.
M: Can you use pictures to remember?
D: Well, pictures help us remember things, but I'm not going to forget you are my daughter. I don't need pictures.
M: But if you forget can you use pictures to remember?
D: Pictures are helpful and nice to look at, but I assure you I won't forget you're my daughter.
[pause]
M: How do you know your cousin if you see them on the street?
D: You know them, because you have met them before as your cousin. If you didn't meet your cousin and you saw them on the street, you wouldn't know they were your cousin.
M: You wouldn't?
D: No. But you have met your cousins. So you would recognize them, right? If you saw Zach on the street, you'd remember him?
M: Yes!
[pause]
M: I haven't seen Zach in a long time...

Later in the car:
M: I have lots of cousins. Zach is a real cousin.
D: A "real" cousin?
M: Yeah. He's the biggest kid cousin.
D: He is? What about his sisters?
M: His sisters?
D: Yeah. Natalya [age 14] and Kayla [age 17]?
M: They're not kid cousins.
D: They're not?
M: No! They're grown-ups!

And later:
M: Jaz is a real cousin.
D: What about his baby brother Soley?
M: Soley's not my cousin.
D: But if Jaz is your cousin and Soley is his baby brother, then Soley is your cousin too.
M: Soley's a baby.
D: Why does that matter?
M: Babies aren't cousins.

More milestones

Elaine had her first-month checkup yesterday. (Derek brought her, since I am (always) at work, so this is hearsay, but I think we can believe him.) She was only about 25th percentile for height and weight - a proportional little peanut - and the doctor thought her development was right in line. Good news! We think she's pretty great, but doing things in a different order and timing from Meredith. Good to have input from someone who thinks of it as a sample larger than 2.

A snapshot of Elaine at one:

Elaine's favorite things:

• pulling up on EVERYTHING - the bed, Daddy's pant leg, even the dog.
• babbling constantly. She's rarely quiet. It's good we don't go to concerts or live in an apartment.
• including real words in her babbling: fish! dog! all done! ooh! (Pooh, as in Winnie the.) meow! (when she sees a picture fo a cat.) She's saying more than that, but that's all we have gleaned so far. Derek thinks maybe she's speaking French.
• finding and following her sister and the dog, around and around.
• grinning at you, hiding her face, then quickly looking back and grinning even wider. It's the cutest thing in the whole world. (And no, I'm not biased at all.)
• looking at books. Each new page is exciting. She loves both being read to and crawling over, knocking books off the shelf, and crowing with delight to sit and look at them by herself.

Elaine is working on:

• cruising. She hasn't quite got the idea that she can pull up and then move - we'll see when this happens!
• more teeth. She has the front four, plus significant bumps on her gums.
• feeding herself. She doesn't quite have the chewing part and is just not that interested. But she eats a wide variety of pureed foods.
• making herself understood.

-JRR