walk a mile in my shoes

About a week ago Mapi came home from school and said that she didn't think she wanted to wear her Keen sandals to school anymore. I asked her why not and she said that some girls at school had, on two difference occasions, told her her shoes are ugly. one girl told her in the gym, where she also kicked at her feet two times while saying "ew! ew!" after stating Mapi had ugly shoes. The other girl, Ashley, was standing next to Mapi waiting for a turn in the bathroom when she looked over and said "your shoes are ugly."

I talked to Mapi about her feelings and about differences in styles and ignorance and tried my best to keep my inner "mean girl" in check. I talked to her about options in ways to respond to this kind of situation. I told her I was angry that a 6 year old's comments would hurt my daughter and make her doubt her own choices (cause y'all....she LIKES the shoes). After a few hours Mapi asked to talk about it more, and a few days later asked to talk about it again. The weather turned cold and she had to wear other shoes anyway, so the issue was laid to rest for a while.

This morning it was warm and rainy as Mapi dressed for school so I asked if she wanted to wear her Keens and she said "yes." I coached her to say something to anyone who teased her about them, to tell them that "my shoes are cool; stop being rude." She looked up to me and said "That's what I did!" I stopped in my tracks. "What?" She said "I told Ashley that." I was confused. This was a new plot twist I had not yet heard. I asked for clarification.

it was then Mapi told me that the other day she saw Ashley in the bathroom. Mapi went up and spoke to her, finishing their conversation from the week before. She said (to the girl who probably did not remember her offense from a week ago) "my shoes are cool. Not everyone gets to have the same shoes." Ashley looked at her and in a slightly agitated voice said "fine!"

And that was that (I hope!).

What's with mean girl drama in 1st grade, anyway???? boooooo.

May 10-10-10

I finally finished my 10-10-10 May monthly review pages! Just in time for June to end *whew*

Here it is:



Journaling reads:

What a month! May this year was just BUSY! Luckily, we managed to keep up and have a lot of fun. Mapi finished her last full month of school and is ready to graduate Kinder in June. She also finished her music class and gave a recital for us with her classmates. We had family dinners at Abuela’s house, and on the 15th Aunt Julie married Dan in a beautiful ceremony. We had such fun celebrating with everyone! Towards the end of June Manuel, the girls and I went to Rockport for a relaxing few days (Mom and Dad went to Branson with friends). I took two Saturdays off to hang out with Sarah; we went to an Austin gardens tour and the Texas Arts and Crafts Fair. Manuel got Keens sandals! All month we played with friends, continued in Catherine’s homeschool co-op, and Manuel stayed busy with work (Pabst changes hands soon!).

Time to welcome SUMMER!!!


Credits:

The Daily Digi "TDF14_1 Missing Files" template;
Cilenia Curtis, DDS:
"Cardstock Basics 01" white papers;
"Potting Shed Page Kit" journal paper and tags;
"Potting Shed 2 Paper Kit" purple papers;
"Clear Butterflies & Trails;"
"From My Sketch Book Paper Notes 1" tab;
Sahlin Studios "Frosted Acrylic" alphas;
Font: Century Gothic, Segoe Script.

Catching up

I really hate that I don't make time in general to write down all these mental blog posts that come to mind throughout the day. I just don't prioritize it. Even now I struggle with not getting off the computer RIGHT NOW and going to bed. Still, I think if one more thing happens I will forget darn near all of it and/or my head will explode, so here's a quick catch-up for me:

* this winter has been so incredibly wet and colder than most. I look forward to Spring. And lots of bluebonnets in a month or so :)

* at the beginning of the month Mapi had a performance at school (K kids singing in the PTA meeting). Catherine was sick so she stayed with Mom while I picked up Mapi from school, took her to music class, took her to dinner at Las Palapas and then ran her over to school for the meeting. At the restaurant Mapi read a few words off the menu to me - new skill! A few nights later I gave her a phonics reader she'd never read before and had her read it out loud. She did great, with help from me or Papa, and later admitted that while she'd read before in class at school, it was always "listen to the teacher read the story, remember what she said, then recite it back to her" more than "decode these letters/words and make them into a story for me." So that night was her first "real" book reading :) So exciting!

* we bunked the girls' beds this weekend. Catherine is still sleeping in bed with me, but Mapi LOVES having reign over a little kingdom we call "top bunk."

* Mom and Manuel and I painted the foyer (terracotta) and the dining room (warm beige-khaki) late January. Love it.

* right after painting we fostered a puppy for a week. really sweet puppy. Result: we are not ready to adopt a dog. I am TOO LAZY.

* I am really thinking again about homeschooling Mapi instead of sending her to school. I am also really comfortable with NOT making any decision on that front for several months, now. Don't even need to think about it some days.

* Catherine is starting to become a little more independent re sleeping. She let Manuel put her to sleep twice this past week (one nap, one nighttime), and after throwing a fit in bed and splitting my lip open with her (thrown) SIGG bottle, Catherine is starting to see that maybe we should reconsider our dorming options. She's asked to sleep with her sister, which we accommodate right up to the point where she gets so tired she can't stand change and again insists on sleeping the way she always has...with me. Baby steps.

* Remember that concern about forgetting all the things i wanted to remember to write down here? It's happened. I am officially *done* for tonight. Well, save spell-checking, that is. Lucky you!

POTTY TIME!

Our great excitement yesterday evening revolved around...the potty.

Part One: Catherine, whom I sometimes fear will *never* get out of diapers, took off her diaper after dinner and was walking around the house. After about 20 minutes she came running to me, saying "Mama! Mama! Poopoo! Peepee! My BUTT!" So we ran off to the restroom and, for the first time i can remember, she ACTUALLY used the toilet when she said she would! TOO EXCITING!

Part Two: Apparently there was an incident this evening that involved a LOT of toilet paper being put into the hall bathroom toilet. When Mapi went to use the *facilities* before going to bed, the toilet threatened to flood the room. As she watched in horror, the (dirty) water rose higher and higher with no signs of stopping. Mapi is a rather sensitive girl. This incident just about sent her over the edge. She did NOT sleep well last night, though bravely made several attempts to use the bathroom after *the incident* in spite of her fear. (((hugs))) My sweet baby!

Of teeth and teeth

It has been COLD! And we have enjoyed so much visiting with friends and family this holiday season. As it wraps up, the kids are still interested in family gatherings and above all love getting together with my brother and his family. COUSINS!!!!!!!

Yesterday Trey and his crew came in to Mom's for a family dinner. Sadly, the kids were not dressed properly to play outside in the cold and dark, so they were inside and YOU COULD TELL they had been inside for TOOOOO long, if you know what I mean. Mapi has lost three teeth in the past month and had a fourth one loose when she was playing with her cousins, maybe a little too rough, when that loose tooth got kicked out by Michael. Mapi was hurt and cried, but I am greateful she didn't have a bust lip to go with the now-evicted tooth. I need to get a picture of her this afternoon - FOUR teeth missing! Two front top and two "right next to front" bottom are gone, baby (teeth) gone. My baby (5.5 y/o) is getting so big!

My other tooth story? On the way to mom's house yesterday (in the cold), Catherine (2.5 y/o) was shivering. She described it to me as "Mama, my teeth are bumping!" Sweet little girl :D

TR Preunion fun

Well, keeping tabs on the holiday season via blog entries didn't really pan out this year. Huge surprise. I *will* say proudly that I managed to keep up...sorta...with a "December Daily" scrapbook challenge. "Kept up with" meaning I finished more than half and have plans for the remaining pages. Live and learn.

Yesterday (day after Christmas) I had the pleasure of meeting up with some wonderful friends from high school. We have our 20 year reunion coming up in June and took advantage of holiday visits to catch up with one another (families included). A few of the clan were missing (one notably absent Allison just adopted a baby boy last week and was back home introducing him to his new digs!), but they were in our hearts. Sarah has promised to post pictures from the gathering so I will leave you with my first attempt to post a scrapbook page here on my neglected blog:

Passing down traditions - making and baking

I am supposed to be working on one of my class lessons for PSE, but am having trouble focusing. So I will write instead *wink*

12/2's HIH prompt is:
"Do you remember making any specific recipe with older family members? What was the experience like?"

My short answer: no, not really. Not until I was older, anyway, and then it was more of a "you are in charge of this" (making rolls for holiday meals) kind of thing than a "let's cook/bake together" situation. I could be forgetting something, but really I did not participate much in cooking with older family members until much, much later. AS in Mom taught me a few tricks before I moved into an apartment my Junior year in college later. My grad school friends are who really taught me to cook and enjoy a greater variety of foods.

I do remember having a special bond with my Grandma V over the preparation of artichokes. I would help her snip off the sharp tips of the outer leaves, then she would boil it and later we'd set out the artichoke and butter dip on a plate to pick at on the bar. Artichokes were our "thing" and she even gave me my own artichoke plate when I was older.

While I was mostly kept out of the kitchen as a child, I did have older relatives teach me many things outside the kitchen. I especially enjoy visits with Aunt Charlie Belle, my Grandpa V's sister. Aunt Charlie Belle lived in Dallas and was very crafty. She also always smelled very nice (not craft-relevant, I know, but decades after her death I still think of her perfume when I think of her). Charlie Belle made felt ornaments that my parents still use on their tree today - they were the ornaments *we* were allowed to put on the tree even before we could handle the breakable stuff. One trip to Dallas, Cb taught me to crochet. I think I was about 7 or 8, and looking back I am very impressed that she took the time to teach me to work with yarn and hook. While I never learned to "properly" hold the yarn on my hands the way she instructed, I did get a basic knowledge of crochet down that serves me still today. I had to teach myself a couple of years ago how to read instructions, however, because Charlie Bell just had me do basic projects from verbal instructions that I may have jotted down or memorized on my own!

My Grandma D always had craft supplies and projects at her house as well, and we would work on that each time I'd go to visit her (sometimes for a week or two at a time). Grandpa D taught me about fishing (with Grandma, who actually took me out a lot and who taught me to crab). I wish Grandpa D had taught me to play harmonica before he died, but he didn't. Grandma V taught me to play rummy (cards) probably around age 8 and Grandpa V taught me to play checkers around 6 I think. Grandma V. took me to the SA Zoo and on the train there often enough that I associate that childhood activity with her. Mom taught me to love reading. Dad taught me to change tires on my car and to drive a stick shift (to the tune of "I took a tire off your car, now put it on before you can drive again" and "I dropped your new stick shift car at your college apartment and took your old, auto car home with me to sell - see you back in SA when you learn to drive it!"). I also credit Tina (my roommate) and Eric (my boyfriend) with teaching me to drive that standard car "for real."