Scattered Update

The doin's here:

1. Did I mention that Urban Kid 1 lost her first tooth on July 27th? The tooth fairy left her a Sacajewea (sp?) dollar. She was immensely proud, and we called everyone we could think of to share the news. Bless all of their hearts, they gushed beautifully over it. Her godparents even called back from Spain when they got the message!!

2. U-Kid 1 and U-Dad went to Lincoln Park today. They took her bike... sans training wheels. By the end of it, she was going about 200 yards on her own. However, she leans to one side. Two women watched, then approached her with high fives and, "you go, sister!" U-Kid 1 felt very grown-up to be called "sister" by them. The plan is to go back out tomorrow to fine tune the accomplishment. When U-Kid 1 got home today, she went into her bedroom and sat on the end of her bed, looking very serious. When U-Kid 2 came in looking for her, U-Kid 1 said, "I can't play right now. I have to think about how to stop leaning on my bike." Follwed by more quiet, serious contemplation while sitting on the end of her bed.

3. U-Kid 2 tried art class today at The Paintbrush. She was immensely shy, refused to wear a smock (gotta love a hand-me-down tee from Target), got paint in her hair, tried to lick the paint off of her hands, and her work may take a week to dry because she laid it on so thick. But I could tell from her expressions that she was thinking, "I don't know where we are, but I like it!" So I'm thinking that both U-Kids will be doing art this year.

4. U-Kid 2 is also potty-training. I am convinced that potty-training is a form of birth control. We've put off actively doing the training til now for a few reasons. 1.) it's warm enough to let her "fly without a net," aka: don't give her any pants whenever we're home, 2.) U-Dad is around so that we can divide and conquer, thus avoiding a single moment of U-Kid 2 not being watched like a hawk and 3.) we're home from the Annual Road Trip. After several days of being convinced that she will go to college in a pull-up, she seems to be getting it now! And in the course of this process, we've investigated a few videos -- hilarious! In one, some poor teddy bear is flipped tush-side up while the kids "wipe" it with toilet paper while singing about wiping from front to back. And the Elmo one seems to remember that an adult is likely in the room with the occasional comment like, "now where did your mother put the air freshener?"

Anywhooooo, without getting too graphic, no accidents today. No flip-flops to clean up, no kitchen floor to wipe up, no bleach wipes had to come out, no laundry put into a plastic bag. A good day on the potty-training front. I have hopes that someday I can see her in underwear and not hear "tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick." I have hopes that I can someday not center my day around a kid's back-side!

5. Do not read The Velveteen Rabbit to your small child. Unless, of course, you are prepared to hold a sobbing child in your arms and to frantically make up a different ending. (stupid me for not checking it out more closely first)

6. I have before mentioned that the U-Kids are natural blondes. More proof:

A few nights ago, U-Kid 1 wandered out of bed. I was downstairs on the computer; U-Dad was on the back deck reading. So neither of us were immediately apparent. U-Kid 1 panicked and began wailing, bringing us running from opposite ends of the apartment. This led to her wanting me to hold her for a while. I went into her room and held her in her bed. After a bit, I suggested that she turn on her right side so that I could spoon up next to her.

She scooted over to the right, but still on her back.

"No, honey, turn over on your right side."

She scoots over a little more, closer to the edge of her twin bed.

"No, sweetie, turn over on your right side."

She scoots over until she is balancing her spine along the edge of the bed, looking rather confused and about to plunk over onto the floor and whack herself on the bookcase next to her bed.

"No," and I start using a hand gesture of whirling my hand in a circle. I also turn onto my own right side and point up and down the length of my own body. "Turn onto your. right. side. Like this."

"Oooooooohhhhh!" She turns, giggles at herself and is asleep about two minutes later.

Don't know where she gets that. (nervous a-hem)

Will try to post some vacay pix soon!