Adventure day

All ready to leave for the morning! With her 'best friend' Tigger the tiger (her cake top decoration) who came along in her coat pocket.

There was a story hour at the library. Half-way through the circle time they started the singing, and she froze up and came and dived into my lap saying she was scared and wanted to leave... I told her if we left we were going home. She did not like that idea. Eventually she decided it wasn't so bad and she went back into the circle and cooperated for the rest of the time. When we used to go to the story hour none of the children were as young as she was then (age 2-3), and she did not fit in well.  Now, most of the children are under three and there was only one other one her age... very strange dynamics going on!

We went to the Chinese restaurant after that, and while walking on the sidewalk the bell began to ring at the courthouse. She grabbed her ears and said that sound was going all over the world it was so loud - and she wanted me to make it stop. When it stopped she couldn't stop talking about how it went all over the world - into every town and it was still going in the air.  She did about as well as can be expected for her third 'real' restaurant experience ever, and maybe under ten occurrences of 'eating in' anywhere at all... I had to encourage her to eat anything that didn't look normal, ask her not lay down in the booth and put her feet in the air, not say the food was scary and cry we had food at home why are we here etc etc..  But she did like the umbrellas and the red ceiling.  I am sure if I do this more often with her (and more places like this that are not 'milkshake and french fry' places ) she will figure out it is not so bad and cooperate with that idea more.

"curious george smile" after she climbed up and did it well...

Another girl came along and showed her how to spin down on this pole - which she did finally get but she was being a rightful scaredy-pants about it as it was six feet up in the air.

She had a big story about being a 'drinkman' at the counter (shown behind in this picture) and I would give her five cents, or one cent, or a quarter - and she would give me drinks and be the drinkman. She went up in the bridge over several 'days' going to sleep, bringing the drinks, selling them to 'farmers' and their cows and other drinkmen, and then going back to her house to go to sleep at night. Eventually, she decided she was really a drink lady, and she would marry a drinkman, and they would give out drinks together at the counter.

This is the 'Paris' park, with the mini Eiffel tower in it.  I asked her 'pretend you are in Paris;, which got her to give me a 'huh what do you mean' look...

Swinging

Esme's attempt at using the camera, since this was the lightweight older one we had put away for a while... not too bad of a job!

We went to the Robertson's decorating center after the park to look at things and describe them - smooth things, mirrors, chickens, statues, beds, chairs, couches.... she loved the idea you could go up the stairs and walk all around in a circle.  As we came out the bells in that town, McKenzie, were ringing for noon and she looked at me and said 'See, all around the world.  I told you.  Just like that.'  I nearly fell over laughing and she was a little upset that I did... but I told her that was very funny.  She bought a basket and I bought a yard of cotton upholstery fabric there.. then we went home.

notes// She is working at drawing her thank you card to her Aunt Dot, and I will ask her to draw something else later.  She has told me she wants a giraffe and a spaceship for her Santa List.. but I have told her she will have to sit down and write that letter soon so she should decide well what is going to be on it.

Language note

This morning as I voted Esme got the sticker that said 'I voted' on her sweater.  She looked at it, looked at the lady who had put it there and said 'Hey, I'm an Esme - this not say Esme.'  She thought it was a name tag and it was wrong!  Ha.  A week ago she told me she liked 'juice with air from tongue'... and she wanted me to know that - she didn't want any, just wanted me to know that some juice gives air on the tongue, like blowing out - she blew out and said air like that.  I asked her if she meant inhale air, and she said no - (exhale) air - like that, just like that, the air the juice gives it.  I told her I didn't know that -- I just could not think of what she might mean.  She said 'You gotta believe me.  It's the truth!  Daddy, it's truth!'  Eventually I figured out with Grandma's help that she meant pop... the carbonation bubbles were 'giving air' on her tongue, carbon dioxide!  I have never heard her say 'believe me' or 'it's the truth' before either...  Another thing I hear often is 'don't check your email Mom...' which is a new combination.  'I'm just a kid', 'I can't type that, but we can do it faster (when we are out of time), you hurt my feelings, you make my brain mad, I'm trying to talk to you! (when we are explaining things she does not want to hear usually).' etc.. I hear also.

She is trying quite a few new words, I still correct her a lot on things like he/she and to/for/from and other little words and grammar.  I just don't think she will completely 'get' that until she is in a group of kids that expect her to say it right and she starts being self-conscious about it.  Esme being self-conscious is a hard thing to think might happen - as in, I really can't see it because she is just so confident about what she thinks and then stubborn abut it if someone doesn't see it her way.  She also just decides it doesn't matter if the person doesn't agree with her sometimes, and changes the subject to something else perhaps they can agree on.

Her reading is pretty good when she tries.  She sounded out the word 'drinks' today and I've seen her sound out other words with a pretty good accuracy.  She can spell quite a few simple words, as well, but likes to pretend she can't unless she is in the right mood.  If she is not into the idea - she would rather run off and play games or change the subject to some tea party or Spongebob cartoon.  I think that will help with peer pressure in school, as well.  It will be March or April before they do her Kindergarten testing.  I am much more confident now than I was last year that she will be able to do things alongside the other kids with the same instructions and be understood when she tries to talk to the teacher.  I am not convinced that she will be 'ready' to do so...  In fact, I am certain her intense energy, unique point of view on everything and stubborness will come back to visit us at that time...

other notes: //  I was impressed by something Esme built in Minecraft.  She made a house with a bed inside, a 'light' glowstone with a switch, a stove and a chest.  Then outside that house she had a 'pool' of water lined with light glowstone around the bottom inside.  She had that wired to a switch so she could turn the 'pool lights' on.  She said it was just like the game with the diamond and stars.  Sims.  She made a 'proper' Sims house in Minecraft.  I nearly facepalmed at that one except it was a very cool idea using the glowstone like that.  I guess it deserves a golfclap instead.

note: /// She has told me she wants two stuffed giraffes for Christmas, for Santa to bring to her, or to have one that is stuffed and moves.  I've found baby wind up lullaby toys that are moving giraffes on Amazon... and not too expensive.  Considering how much she loves the dreamlight and other things to take to her bed with her - it sounds like a good deal.

5th birthday party

Esme is five years old today - it is really hard to believe all of this time has gone by... Grandma allowed us to have it at her house (thank you!) and her friend Gwennie came to help her celebrate. They had a blast running laps all over Grandma's house and being little girls...at one point they both were crawling under Grandma's bed and bumping their heads - and at another they were running around with balloons caught in their ponytails trying to find the 'balloon that is getting them.'

Gwennie helped Esme open up her presents and they were both delighted in them. Grandma gave Esme some beautiful books including Cat in the Hat and Dick and Jane, a bubble machine that was a big hit once we were home and a pink lamb to hug at night. The dreamlight Unicorn was the big thing Esme had asked us for - for months.. and to see both little girls squeal at it was a hit. Gwennie had one already - so she was eager to show Esme how that worked. Gwennie mom brought squealing balloons and that was an occupation for about ten minutes pumping them up and letting them squeal across the house.

Esme also got Simpsons figures and Disney pirate figures from Mom and Dad along with books and socks. Both little girls were just gearing up after two hours to go play outside when it was really time to go home. We've called it an early night here -- something about running frantically around the house for hours has put Esme down to sleep long before ten pm... I am wondering what that will mean tomorrow! I'm almost ready for bed myself, too...

Super butterfly and dragon for Halloween

The pink spiderman kitty butterfly just wasn't quite going well... so I opted for Super Butterfly (seen previously with different wings and no antennae) for Halloween.  We found a dress in some handmedowns from long ago that had butterfly sequined images on it - and it sealed the deal.  She is enjoying it and saying she is going to fight zombies in her Super Butterfly costume, and save the day.

Super Butterfly!

As I was putting the photograph together she said she just wanted one of those Esme's to come be her friend and they would be in the dark together and not be scared because they would be two friends  Poor kid - she did want to be twins, I think.  As her expressiveness continues to improve she has told me this story often about how we need to go have another Esme to play with her and have her live here in our house so she will not be sad. 

She has her party today at the school - the teachers were in costume and they had a table full of food in the inside gym.  It looks like it will be fun.  Still thinking about what we might do later... the weather is quite cold!

Having a thoughtful moment

Surreal life of dragons who sew 

 Little girl took a nap - and Daddy said I needed a costume, too. I built this out of a knit hat I already had and a baseball cap from work.

Other notes:  Yes - I bought the cake mix today.  I can stop mentioning it and reminding myself of it now  Oh, wait, now I will have to remind myself to make it with the decoration, the 'five' candle and the pink gel for writing her name on it :)

I woke her up from her nap and the hat was scary!

 

It wasn't all that scary...

And here we are posing together before we take off...

Note://  We went to a local trunk or treat on invitation from the daughter of one of the Trunkers.  I still felt guilty because no one knew us, felt like crashing  We did half the round and then went out for a milkshake and a french fry  Esme had a good time and she talked about it a lot.  She is really making headway with understandable sentence structure and was able to describe a lot of what we had done all day over the milkshake and french fry.

Butterfly costume preview

She is a super Butterfly that fights zombies.  I have her hair freshly washed but have to brush it out and braid it up tomorrow morning before school.  We've been given the '411' on an event later on tomorrow night but are not sure if we will attend... see what happens.  She has a velvet dress with sparkly butterfly rhinestones on it that I hope she will fit into - or her black dress with silver sequins... which may actually be more 'fitting' and I know it fits her as well. 

Other notes:  working on the quilt top... have wednesday thursday off.. Esme is playing Skyrim with Daddy and telling him to get his guy puddle power so he can splash in the water.  I still need to buy the cake mix for the party and the other groceries...

Booked

This was Mark's project yesterday when I was at work. He decided to take it up himself and did a great job. All of these were the hardcover fictions... the non-fiction and softcover fictions were already sorted when I came home. Esme met me at the door and said 'Daddy is making a new house!' I thought she meant on a game.. but she proudly showed me in the door and said 'See?' and lo and behold, it did look like a different place. 

One of the walls of the house. He put up more shelves because we were running out of space. This is also that six gored red skirt I made a while back - on me in the picture. 

We might need to build more walls to this house just to get more bookshelf space! 

These are the non-fiction lining the wall near our desks. He plans on sorting and organizing the rest of this fifteen foot wall up and down because he knows we will acquire more.