School Clothes

We have not bought our children school clothes.  Part of this is because it is still hot as Hades and no one can think of wearing any back to school wear when it is so hot.

Also, they don't care whether they have new clothes to spill paint on.  I will get them clothes when they need it.

Ellie, however, seems to be feeling a certain lack in her life, which she is trying to fill with her parents' clothes.

Some might argue that she needs pants, but apparently she feels that the shoes make the outfit.  Or the tie, just to mix it up.

Margaret is remaining tactfully silent on the issue.  I take this as a sign of great personal growth on the part of the Margaret.

Adventures in Birthday Parties

Weeks ago, before life became desperately busy, we went to a birthday party for Margaret's and Ellie's school friend who has lives down the street.  It was a 4-year-old birthday, just to put this in perspective.

Margaret was very excited, and chose to get her friend her own copy of The Hobbit and a small stuffed Smaug, just for fun.

I tried to convince her that we should get the golden dragon, but she held firm.  I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I just let it slide.

The party was one of those marvelous ones that I remember from my childhood, where a bunch of kids ran around in a circle in the yard.  There was water.  It was awesome.

But the biggest news was that Ellie -- who had previously eschewed all cupcakes -- ate one.  With icing.  It was THRILLING.

Meanwhile, Margaret, in the background, ate all the icing off of four cupcakes, which I didn't notice, because I was cheering Ellie on.  So there was a parenting failure, but the important takeaway is that Ellie ate icing.  This is a victory.  Leave me alone.

School!

Ellie started school yesterday (well, her first short day to get her used to it before Margaret and the rest of the large people show up and rampage around like possessive elephants).

I couldn't go, because I was working.  It strikes me that this is one of the problems with the plan of me being a teacher.  It's great for the summers, but not as good for the days when we both have to go to school.  So I missed it,  I'm clearly not at all guilty about this, not even a little bit.  You can tell by the way that I'm not mentioning it.

Anyway, she trucked off with her bag of spare clothes, and Leo did an admirable job of photographing the top of her head, and her shoes, and her arms as she ran out of frame.

When I got home, I asked her how school was, and her response was "Mommy, I had the most amazing day!"

So I think that it went well.  She was excited to go back anyway, and has started referring to it possessively as "my school, Mommy," so I have high hopes.

Margaret, meanwhile, is being very adult about knowing everything about the school, and not needing this remedial education, so that's good.

A Hole in the Head

Ellie and Margaret have decided to try to learn how to play baseball.  Or rather, Ellie and Margaret had decided to learn how to play baseball, but I may have decided that they aren't mature and responsible enough for that.

And they were doing really well, but then Ellie walked into Margaret's backswing, and got hit somewhere between the temple and the eye.

She seemed fine.  Except when she came over and sat on my lap, she stopped breathing and her eyes rolled back and she went completely limp.

For a few seconds.  Then she was fine.  Kept talking about how she wanted to play soccer while I was on the phone with the nurse hotline.  But the nurse thought she should go to the hospital because she might have had a seizure or brain damage or some such minor inconvenience.

So we went.  And we sat.  And Ellie entertained doctors and nurses alike by telling them what their equipment was for and cooperating with her check up to an insane degree.  Say what you will about Doc McStuffins, but it made this trip so much easier.

Particularly because she watched it for all the time we were there.

Anyway, she is fine.  It turns out she just got so mad about being hit in the head that she forgot to breathe.

Ridiculous child.