Scenes from City Park

We ran into Becky Heuer, a high school friend of Aunt Marty's.  She was experimenting with her new camera and took these beautiful photos.  Thank you, Becky!

Barnboard

Helpers

Taking it off the barn

In transit

Siding the house

Somebody likes chicks

Fantasy baseball

Isaiah draws team names for draft order

There you have it, folks.

Grandpa: "I think it must be hard to be two.  Is it hard to be two, Kateri?"

Kateri: "Not too bad."

Curtains

Morning snack

Mess with Mara, and you'll have Kateri to deal with.

Sitting at the breakfast table with Mara in my lap, I told Kateri I had to leave for a minute to put clothes in the dryer.

K: "Can you leave Mara here?"

M: "No, because she can't sit in the chair by herself.  If I put her in the chair by herself, she would fall on the floor and bump her head."

K: "Mama, if you do that and Mara bumps her head, I will hit you.  OK?"

Date night

Ploughshares Brewery in Lincoln.  The beer, wine, and food were good.  Mara was well-behaved, so the establishment tolerated her.  All told, it was a nice evening out.

Lessons

At the beginning of preschool, Bernadette was furious when I tried to tell her which hand to use to make the sign of the cross.  "I don't care!  I can use whichever one I want!" she informed me.  At the end of the lesson, she climbed into my lap, mumbling gibberish.  I kissed her and said, "Bernadette, I think sometimes you want to be grown up and sometimes you want to be a baby."  After a thoughtful pause came the response: "I always want chocolate."

After reading a picture book about the Stations of the Cross, I heard two different reactions.
From Bernadette the Defender: "If I had been there, I would have said, 'Don't bother my Jesus!  Just leave Him alone!'"
From Isaiah the Pragmatist: "That just would have gotten you into trouble!"

Interpretation

Bernadette's animated retelling of "Godzilla," which was showing at the sushi restaurant in Lincoln where we ate last week:  "He was very irritated with buildings." Also: "I think he pulled someone's hair."

First tooth comes out

If you look closely, Isaiah is holding it. He wiggled it loose in the car before church at noon. Just yesterday he was drooling and fussy in New York while the first tooth came in.

Children's museum

Sushi night

Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy!

Bernadette discourses on art and nature.

B: "Is Peter Pan really alive?"

Mama: "That's a very good question.  Do you think he is?"

Pause.

B: "Bats come to our house at night."

Katewi Gwacie

Original girl

Kateri: "Bernadette's wearing gloves."

B: "That's because I'm original."

Some like it hot, and then again, some don't.

After blowing for a few seconds, Kateri gingerly tested her tea with a fingertip.  The report: "It won't stop hotting!"

A sisterly hand

Non Sequitor

Bernadette: "Without comic books, I don't know what's happening."

Mealtime conversations

Lunchtime. Isaiah wants a hot dog. I find three in the fridge and ask if he wants one or two. 

"Two," he says, "and that leaves one for you."

"Thanks," I say, "but I don't like hot dogs very much. I'm going to have tuna."

"Mama, no! A hot dog is a celebration in a bun!"

Later, around the supper table...

Isaiah: "Bernadette always calls chocolate milk cold chocolate milk."

B: "When I was half-little I called it that."

Mama: "What are you now?"

B: "Half-big."

Red tulips

They were an early Valentine for me.  Bernadette kissed them good night; wiggled her finger inside the petals to tickle them ("I like to call them laugh-y bloomies"); and blew on them ("to give them some fresh air").

A conversation about a conversation

From: Anne Tascio <anne.tascio@gmail.com>

I think it is because Magda has a fashion flair. Only Bernadette knows. Or maybe Magda can knows. 

Liz Tascio wrote:

I bet it's because Magda does what she darn well pleases in life, and Bernadette is going to be just like her when she grows up! ;) 

Marian Friedrichs  wrote:

Tonight she told me, "Sometimes when you're not looking I wear my pink tutu outside.  It's sort of like a Polish sort of a thing."  

"What does Polish mean?" I asked.

"Well, Magda was born in Polish."

"Right, but why is wearing your pink tutu outside sort of a Polish sort of a thing?"

"I don't know."

Anne Tascio wrote:

Oh, they are dried up!  Just wonderful to hear her chatter on.  Life is so exciting when you are past that toddler stage!!!!  :) 

 Liz Tascio wrote:

Oh, wow -- that is a lot of sweetness!! I love how she wasn't sure whether you could have a photo of her in new ballet costume. And how very, very sweet that she was looking for you in a group photo, Mom! 

Marian, quick, tell Mom some Bernadette stories that will dry up her tears ;) 

xoxo

Anne Tascio  wrote:

Bernadette and I had a chat this night - and it concerned, among other things;

Did the batteries she gave me work in the dragon?

She remembers sleeping at the apt. with her mom on the bed and she on a mattress on the floor - she didn't think I was there. 

They have more batteries at her house if I need any for the dragon.

And she asked if I had a lot of toys at my house - and I said, pretty much.  And she asked if Aunt Therese had a lot of toys - and I said, No.  And then she told me how they had so many toys at their house they had to give some away! 

We talked about snow and snowmen and swimming and lots of fun things.  Mostly I listened. 

We talked about photos - how i have the same photo of her when she was born - (she informed me that Kateri is in the toddler stage, but she, Bernadette is no longer in the toddler stage). 

I asked if I could have a photo of her in her new ballet recital when she gets her costume and she wasn't sure. 

And then she spoke about a photo where she couldn't see me in it, there were a lot of people, but not me.  She couldn't see my white hair or anything. 

I told her I'd send a picture.  And she explained I could send a picture from my phone to her Dad or Mom's phone and they would show her.  :) 

Bernadette doesn't miss a beat. 

Kateri spoke with me and I hardly understood unfortunately - but she seemed happy to talk - but happier to push buttons on the phone and pretty quickly relinquished the phone by hanging it up. 

I will have to get brave and Skype - but truth to tell, I did get a little teary listening to Bernadette.  :) 

Anyway - Aunt Therese and I are going to try to get out to see you all in the Spring - late Spring.  and give and get lots of hugs and kisses and stories. 

Have a good night all.

Love,

Mom

Happy Sphinx

Oh, hi!

An Evening with Kateri

When Daddy and Grandpa took Isaiah and Bernadette to town to watch the Super Bowl, Kateri was napping, so she and I got to have an evening alone (alone with Mara, that is).

I have to admit that at first I wished Kateri had timed her nap earlier so she could have joined the Super Bowl party--especially after she woke up just as Mara was nursing her way to blissful baby sleep in the glider.  Kateri was not happy to be awake; she cried loudly and relentlessly for half an hour straight.  But we got through that, and after a supper of hamburgers and apple slices, settled on the couch to read stories.

She "read" me a couple of picture books and then permitted me to read If You Give a Moose a Muffin.  In fact, she allowed me to read it twice before she took it out of my hands, saying, "Mama, I show you what to do."  She began by announcing the title: "Fings You Can Do Wif Your Muffin."  Unfortunately, I barely understood and cannot remember the rest of her version of the story.

What with all the reading aloud we were both doing, several water breaks were necessary.  During one such break Kateri peered thoughtfully into the water glass and explained, "I will put my socks in da water. Den you can make marshmallows in da cup."  Thankfully, neither of those things ended up happening.

The rest of the family is still out, Kateri and Mara are asleep, and the house is quiet.  In that quiet I have thanked God about a dozen times for my time "alone" with our one-of-a-kind Kateri.

Snapshots of the week

After a long school day, Isaiah and Kateri went out with Daddy and Grandpa; I could hardly keep my eyes open and was preparing to lie down with Mara, when Bernadette asked me to read more of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  "Oh, Bernadette," I said.  "I really need a breather."  Pause.  "So," she said, "I'm your breather?"

As I tried to finish getting supper on the table tonight, I asked Bernadette to check on Mara and let me know if she still seemed happy on the living room floor with her play gym.  Isaiah must have taken it upon himself to check as well, because a minute later he came up to me and reported, "Mara's look is solemn."

Last night, during a lively game of Go Fish, Bernadette insisted she had the full set of Angelfish cards.
Grandma: "You have three.  There are four Angelfish.  You need one more."
B: "NO!  I have ALL the Angelfish!"
The above dialogue was repeated a few times, until the furious Bernadette began throwing cards and Grandma decided it would be wisest to proceed to the next player's turn.
G: "Your turn, Kateri."
K: "Bernadette, do you have any Angelfish?"
Epilogue: B handed over her three cards without a fuss, and K happily laid the full set of four Angelfish cards on the floor in front of her.  I don't remember who won the game, but there was much laughter.

Leaf pile

Still fun in January

Night, night

notes

Enter stage left, running: Bernadette in pink polka dot dance outfit with lacy cape that flows down her back and a couple of feet onto the floor. Exit stage right.
Enter stage left, running: Isaiah, silver (play) dagger in hand, spewing various pirate exclamations. Exit stage right.
Repeat multiple times, adding "Let it go" sung by Bernadette on the fly after a couple of passes.

Kateri is rage and the machine is going to lose

  

I may be the parent if the least athletic kid in the gym, which is awesome

the creative (non?)fiction of seed catalogs

Warm day: Bernadette plants a popcorn seed from lunch so we can grow our own this year. Isaiah asks for me to pitch him baseballs.

Kateri at the hotel: "I put my shoes in the microwave."

Pajamas

The new way to wear them. That's not a monster. That's a fashion decision.

Making donuts

Christmas quotes

Isaiah places Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning. "There you go, buddy."

In church on Christmas Eve, Kateri points out the "princess" on top of the Christmas tree.  Walking home, she notices the sky full of "sparkles."

New Year's Eve morning--
     Mama: "What do you want for breakfast, Bernadette?"
     B: "I would like buttered toast.  With butter on it.  Toasted, please."
     M: "You want buttered toast with butter on it, toasted?"
     B: "Yes.  And I deserve the best."

Heavenly peace

Swinging

Pile of friends

Headwear

A bag Marty made is now a hat.

Sleepy

Piling on

Quotable Kateri

K (to Isaiah): "Poopyface! Poopyface!"

Mama: "No name-calling, Kateri."

K (still to Isaiah): "No name-calling, Babyface!"


Matt and I were disagreeing about where to put the couch after he had moved it to make room for the Christmas tree.

K: "Mama, why you screaming?"

M: "I'm not screaming."

K: "Mama, why you whining?"

Ice impressionistic portraits

The hatchets were ceremonial

Poking at the ice

Cute and cozy

Post-flu shot

Low fever, multiple long naps. Better than the flu. Right?

Not a baby

Yesterday I (Marian) answered Kateri with "Yes, baby?" To which she promptly and emphatically responded, "I not a baby!" Sigh. It's true. And she picked out this outfit, complete with hair bow, herself. She is officially a little girl.  Not a baby.  And so much fun!