day out and potatoes

New potatoes freshly dug

We were kind of worried by how many white spots were in the potatoes.  So, we looked it up. They are 'normal' for newly dug potatoes that have been in wet weather conditions or soil with poor drainage.  The wetter the soil is, the more white spots, or lenticles - or pores, the potato needs for the exchange of gasses.  Also, the more it has - the harder it is to keep for long storage.  So, we are eating these as mashed potatoes tonight.  Esme even ate some - she said that it wasn't like potato - it made her face different, and her skin feel beautiful.. she was sure there was a difference, and even told Grandma so when she went for a sleepover.

This morning we did quite a few errands.  It is important for me to take her out 'on our own' once in a while and have her follow my cues, listen to my directions and boundaries for yes we will do this but not that etc...  I find it hard sometimes to find my balance with this and not rely on Daddy or Grandma, so it's good for both of us to just have one-on-one.  Also, we can sometimes stop and take a timeout for some things she wants (like eating IN at a restaurant, or going to a certain place to see what it is) that we don't usually do with Daddy.  We stopped to see a new city park fountain today, which she loved.  And she ate an entire chicken taco by herself - which I did have to hurry her along with, but is a 'big' thing for her to branch out and do some new things. 

When we are out together, just the two of us, I can use big words, or make funny stories - etc etc... I know sometimes it can be boring, as well, or 'educational'.. like making her try to count the change, or estimate how much the bill will be at the grocery store - down to reminding her to use full sentences when she wants to ask something etc.  She read a story out of a kid's magazine and sounded out author names on lots of books quite better than I thought her level was right now.  But, she had a lot of trouble remembering the names of the children she met, and then it was hard for her to talk to them because she kept mispronouncing their names.  They were all quite older than her, and focused on the summer reading program.  Finally she took that cue and picked several books to read and then I picked a few more to get her limit.  The librarian gave her a special bag to keep her books in since they are on her OWN library card.

The rest of the produce from the garden today was a long radish, green beans, and sweet peas.  Esme got a few sweet peas with her meal, too, and sausage and canned peaches.  She is doing so much better at eating more variety, but it takes work to keep it going.

Now I am going to relax some... and back to work tomorrow.  I have a set of new pillowcases I sewed last night in the washing machine, and have finished the copy net string bag for the person at work.  I got a couple of greek mythology books for me to read, as well - so I can try to tell some of them to Esme as stories.  We did Odysseus and the Cyclops last year or so.. but she doesn't remember.  And last night she watched Percy Jackson, and it reminded me of several myths she should hear the 'first' versions of, just like the 'first' versions of fairy tales we have been reading compared to the Disney versions and Fractured Fairy Tales she has seen on tv etc..

tiny bits

We started Wind in the Willows on a reminder from Grandma that it is in the same set as the Wizard of Oz.. I'm reading it to her and explaining words she doesn't know, like 'predicament', 'delighted', 'fascinated'... see if she absorbs any of it.  Esme got two 'happy faces' for the week, which means no time out for those days, and about evened out the actual time from last week even so... but to celebrate we went out to the fast food with the playplace, and returned our books at the library.  The Jacqueline Kelly book 'Return to the Willows' was one that I picked up at the library, which led to finding the original in her set.  While at the library Esme actually went and picked a book out this time, instead of beelining for the blocks and computers.  That is something to note.  She picked out a Clifford book, and I found two more appropriate 'read it together/myself' variations.  She heard me tell Grandma that she needs more book than what they were giving her at school.. she made sure to lean forward in the car and say she heard that - she needs more books.  She has told me more about where things are at school, her cubbie, her pouch in her chair, her hook on the wall.  I like hearing her describe those clearly.  She is working on her letters and on following directions a bit better.

Need to start looking at counting by 10s.  After we got home, Esme was very sweet before we went to the lake she brought us both drinks again - she keeps bringing me the green ones because she knows they are my favorite - green things etc.. *ha*  but I poured up tea this time instead.  She ran laps at the lake, we rowed the boat a little, then home for an apple pie and cartoons.

I work the weekend, and have I think Tuesday and Wednesday off.  I should sew out of my fabric pile but it appears I'm still recuperating a little because I chose Minecraft instead today.  Also starting to have inklings of organizing a few things for birthday... but definitely not doing a child herding experiment.. might just have her give out cupcakes and light sticks at school and then get a few presents after school at her Grandma's house with a homemade cake again.

I dropped my ring downstairs and Esme helped me find it.  She asked me where the writing was in it - to say I was married to Daddy.  I told her there was no writing in it, it was something I remembered each time I looked at it...and Daddy had one that looked like it, and they matched.  I said maybe someday she would have a baby and a ring that said she was married to someone...when she was all grown up,  to which she stood up straight and said 'I will tell the baby 'no no you be good' and it will look at me, and the little child - that is mine - that child, will it be a boy, or a girl?  Which one Mama?'  I told her she will have to wait to find that out - a long time... and she seemed satisfied with the idea.