It's cold

We were getting everyone ready to get out the door yesterday for school. As usual, it was later than I was hoping it would be. The big kids were ready, so I sent them out to the car to get buckled (we missed the bus, I usually don't drive them). When the door opened, Gemma stiffened and gasped as the blast of chilly garage air hit her.

"Brr!" She said.

A split second later, "I need hat."

She then turned to the box where we store the hats, gloves and other outdoor accessories. She dug around as I got my shoes on and organized her backpack.

"There! Just right!" She said as she plopped the striped cotton sun hat.

And then I took her to school.

Chat with Gemma

Here is Gemma chatting away about trick-o-treating. She cracks me up!

Buttween

AMELIA: mom! Ask me to spell a hard word!
Mom: uuuuuhhhh... Between....
AMELIA: works quickly, tongue hanging out of her mouth....

I'm done!
Look! It spells between!

Good morning

Gemma's morning hair is ALWAYS good for a little entertainment.

Gemma helps

For some reason, I had this rosy idea that it would be a heartwarming memory to roll out cinnamon roll dough with Gemma. We could listen to music, chat and I would help her roll. We would laugh and have a great time. I knew it would be a little messy, but sometimes making memories is messy!

I was not expecting the level of mess.

I changed her shirt twice and ultimately ended up putting her in the tub after she pulled up her pant leg to run the flour onto her legs and between her toes. She wasn't at all interested in the dough or what I was doing. The flour was the star attraction.

I spy

Sweet Amelia was sick this week (so was William, but he rebounded quicker). She missed 2 days of school due to headaches, stomach aches and a fever.

She spent quite a bit of time in her room for 2 equally important reasons:

1. If staying home from school is too "fun", then the children will frequently be too "sick" to go to school. If you are sick, you need rest. The best place to rest is your bed.

2. To prevent infecting everyone else, namely Gemma. Gemma has no sense of personal space and no sense of limiting exposure to germs. She regularly licks playground equipment and grocery cart (when she agrees to ride).

Amelia was very understanding about the whole thing and stayed in her room without much complaint. She didn't feel like reading, she did a lot of drifting in and out of sleep.

One time, I came to check on her and found her chatting away.

Mama: who are you talking to?
Amelia: oh! Hi mom! I'm just playing a game.
Mama: you are?
Amelia: yes. Big bird and I are playing a little game of "I spy" (gesturing toward her lamp).
Mama: you are? What a great idea!
Amelia: yes, we are. I am winning.

Good bye crib

It's a little bitter sweet, but here is Gemma sleeping in her big girl bed. She has been successfully sleeping in her big bed for about 2 weeks now.

For the last few months, we have had the bed made up and offered it to her for both bedtime and naptime. She would occasionally choose the bed, but more often picked her "yittle bed". I didn't have the heart to force the issue. There really wasn't any reason she needed to switch beds other than there wasn't much room in her bedroom with the crib and the bed set up.

A few weeks ago, Gemma wet through her diaper. I didn't have time to launder her sheets that day. Luckily, we have a back up mattress pad and sheet. However, the mattress pad has to air dry (hard hitting stuff here today). The next morning, her sheets were wet again. Two things happened as a result:

1. I switched Gemma to a higher caliber of overnight diapers because changing/washing tight fitting crib sheets is not my idea of a good time.

2. There wasn't any way the air dry only, heavy material of the mattress pad was ever going to be dry in time for nap time or bed time.

And so the change was forced. Due to laundry. I suppose I could have gone out to buy a third set of crib linens, but it would be hard to justify the expense so close to the end of our crib use.

Overall, it has gone pretty well. We had a few rough nights getting her to sleep in the beginning, but all is going well now.