Jill's New Skills

I'm having a great time right now watching the kids devour their dinners. They each have carrots, mushrooms, and hummus. Jill has steak and my little vegetarian (what?!), Peter, has macaroni and cheese. They are eating everything in sight because they are starving from a fun filled afternoon at the pool.

I got a Cedardale summer membership and it is perfect this year for the kids at their ages. Our first stop this afternoon was the 1 foot wading pool where they chased boats and commandeered a couple of dolphin toys that were floating around. Then we went to the sprinkler park. Jill ran smiling and squealing through the various hoses. Peter, on the other hand, ventured onto the cement and panicked as the arcs of water rose around him. He started to cry and said, "I scared, Mommy! I scared!" I led him by the hand out of the spray and crouched down to look into his face. I said, "Are you OK, Buddy?" "I sorry," he said. He cracks me up.

After I got the children dry and changed, I let them play at the playground for a little while. There I discovered that Jill has been holding out on me with respect to the swings. She can pump! She ran into a classmate and sat on the swing next to him chattering and swinging higher and higher, all on her own power. For months she has been yelling woefully, "Mommmm! Can you push meeee?" That's a sweet bit of independence for her--and me!

The other new thing that Jill likes to do is "make breakfast" for herself and Peter. Early in the morning, when Bryan and I are downstairs but catatonic, Jill grabs two plates from the dishwasher and then takes the bread from the refrigerator. She puts the bread on the plates and then carries the plates high above her head (like she works in a diner) to the table where she and Peter enjoy their "meal" together.