A threat to Daddy

I had a function tonight, so Landon picked the girls up from campus and brought them home. They played, he bathed them and was trying to dress them, when Quinn decided to start wrestling. We're trying to dial bedtime back an hour, so he was trying to keep their rough housing to a minimum. Quinn took a run and tackled Cora; Cora laughed; Landon told them to quit and peeled them apart. Quinn stepped around and from a different angle tackled Cora from behind; Cora laughed, he told them to quit and peeled them apart. Quinn did it again and caught Cora the wrong way; Cora started to whine; Daddy got frustrated. 

Landon used a harsh tone when he told Quinn, "Quinn, stop it! That's enough!"

Quinn burst into tears (because she is hardly ever scolded). 

Cora (as always; it sounds like this story is on repeat) went to Quinn and started talking softly and sweetly to her, "It's OK baby, don't cry. It's OK Quinnypoo."

Landon was sitting indian style (criss-cross apple sauce? the description just doesn't work for a 33 year old man) on the floor.

Cora walked over and stood eye to eye with Landon. "Don't you EVER scare her again". 

He protested, saying that Quinn might hurt someone and he had to tell her to stop because it is bedtime. 

Again, deadpan and serious, "Don't you EVER scare her again".

Don't mess with little sister, folks, cause big sister is watching!

A basket of Quinn

For the record , I spent 6+ hours scrubbing that grout in the background today. I took this pic right before I started...

To Quinn, no entourage needed

Dear Quinn,

When Cora was born, we pretty much didn't have anything else to focus on, so we spent a lot of time focusing on Cora. Every 3 months I took her for professional pictures. I noted every milestone in her baby book, complete with pictures. I blogged about motherhood.

Today we were at the water park and I saw a toddler going down the slide with three doting adults following closely and cheering, one taking a picture. You waited patiently for your turn. Then you sat up on top of the new toddler tortoise slide, taking in your moment as queen of the mountain before sliding down. I cheered. But with two kids to chase, there's hardly ever a time when we have a free hand for a camera, especially at the water park.

Today, at 17 months, you went down the 4-lane-racer slides with no hesitation. It was awesome; I'm biased, and probably have selective perception, but you were years younger than the other kids on those slides. You did it on repeat; daddy and I took turns catching you at the bottom (one of us needed to escort you up), so that we could each get the reward of watching your face on the way down. It was awesome. I never want to forget it.

We didn't get pictures or a video. I'm not sure you aren't coming out ahead. I'm glad we weren't distracted by a camera. You looked beautiful, and brave, and athletic, and delighted, and anyone who wasnt watching sure missed out. Take my word on it.

Signed,
Mommy

Ps: This pic is from 2 weeks ago when you went crazy over the sprinkler. Different day but same swimsuit... Does that count?

Rescue from time out

Quinn flung "The Going to Bed Book" at Cora's head. Straight to time out... Which admittedly hasn't happened to Quinn much... So I put her in her crib to contain her.

Of course, when it first happened Cora screamed for justice. As soon as Cora realized Quinn was in time out, she went in to the rescue.

I hear from the nursery, "Quinny, that hurt Cora. You can't hit people with books; you really hurt me. No hitting, Quinny. Ok? You're sorry? Ok. I love you Quinny.... Mommy you can come get Quinn!"

When I walked in, I picked Quinn up and said a strong '"no hitting!"

Cora did not appreciate. "Don't say NO HITTING. I already gave her a talking to. Just say, no hitting Quinny-poo".

****

Below... Cora insists on sitting at bottom of slide to catch Quinn.

Concern for the Clingy Child

This is not what I should be doing right now. I should be working. But...

I have a friend who sometimes complains that her child is too clingy, and isn't very excited about going to school. She said this, and I proclaimed that I have the opposite fear... that my child would be the one who walked into the room, shooed me away, and never looked back.  

Cora started preschool today. There were a few questions on our way to school. 

"Where is Quinny?" 

"There isn't a baby room? When I was a baby I stayed in the baby room all day long. Why isn't there a baby room?" 

"I have two blocks at my old school. How will I get them to my new school?" 

"We're going to Mommy's work?"

And then there was one glorious statement: 

"You're going to work today? But I want you to be my teacher".

And that was it. We walked through the garage ("Mommy, it's dark in here"), down the block and across the street ("We wait for the white person to walk, right Mommy?") and straight into the building. 

I worried that she wouldn't want to put her lunchbox in her cubby - but she did. 

I wanted to help her unzip her lunchbox to pull out her water bottle ("Oh, I forgot to put your name on it, Cora!"), but she didn't want my help. And the teacher said they'd find a marker.

I worried that she'd protest when she was told to leave her water bottle in the basket with the other water bottles out by the table. She didn't protest. 

And just like that, she walked into her classroom. There is a one-way observation room (it's a research center associated with the college), and I was able to stand and watch her for a few minutes. Follow the instructions to wash her hands before she started playing. Sit right down next to the teacher and start playing with a peg/puzzle toy. Watch the other kids play with her inquisitive, taking-it-all-in, look. No anxiety whatsoever. 

When the teacher sent an afternoon update, she noted that there weren't many tears except for at naptime. Then I worried that I didn't send lovie... maybe I should have? A few minutes later the teacher sent me a personal note, "Your adorable daughter hasn't shed a tear.  She's been most helpful and caring to her few sad friends!  :)" I almost replied, "Not even ONE tear? Not ONE?!?!?!"

It's not like I wanted her to by clingy and needy, or sad to see me go (she sometimes does the fake crying thing at Miss Aimee's, but we all know it is just for show). And it's not like I think that it's better that she wasn't clingy, or that we've executed superior or inferior parenting, or anything like that... 

I'm just saying that I REALLY liked that one fleeting moment when she asked if I would be her teacher. That's all.

Leaving Cora at daycare. Surprisingly traumatic for Mommy, even though we've been doing this "going to work/going to daycare" thing for the past 2.5 years...

Preschool behavior

Cora starts preschool at ECDC today. Last night, while we were cleaning-up dinner, Cora sat on the kitchen counter and we were talking about her new school. As I bear-hugged her to put her back on the ground...

Me: Cora, you are going to be SMART and FUNNY and NICE...
Cora: uh-huh... And NO hitting!

She's honest

This morning I made the girls breakfast. Cheese eggs, blue berries, fresh sliced peaches. For some reason Cora took serious issue with the peaches, protesting when I put them on her plate (peaches?!?? She loves peaches. And they were good ones, too).

Landon came in, tasted eggs... "Wow. You've really gotten better at these eggs".

Cora, pointing at the peaches, "well you haven't gotten better with these."

Do I say that?

Cora and I were having a disagreement, I can't even remember about what.
I had told her to do something, and she was telling me that she wanted to do something else...
And then she ended her announcement with:

"That's how it's going to be... right mommy?"

Reason my 2 year old cries

Cora: where's my boo boo? Itwasright here on my leg and I WANT itso I can show it to you. Somebody must have found it and I WANT it!

Princess Quinn

There are two reasons we should start calling her Princess Quinn.

The first is that Quinn has this elegant wave. It isn't exactly enthusiastic, although she is enthusiastic to do it any chance she gets. It's more nonchalant. Some examples.

We got out of the car when we were living at the apartment... (we're living at the house now! Too too too much to blog about, and too much to do to blog)... anyways... we were living at the apartment, and I got Quinn out of the car. Her head popped over my shoulder. She looked down the lot in one direction, casting her casual wave. No one was there. She looked down teh lot in the other direction, switching to the other hand to send her wave. No one. So Quinn popped her paci back in her mouth and went back to cool-Quinn-demeanor.

Landon is at this exact very moment upstairs rocking the girls. I just took up some more milk. Quinn squirmed hard to get her paci rested up on the edge of the crib (which was weird, because Quinn never gives up paci), then with her hand freed, began blowing kisses.

I don't know how to capture it. The wave is enthusiastic, yet very cool. It's like she feels like people expect her to wave at them, so she obliges.

The second reason is her birthmark. A little 1 inch birthmark right in the center of her chest, perfectly shaped like a crown. She might grow out of it, but right now, the shape is distinct.



Speaking of cool, Cora has been talking A LOT about her friend Gavin at school. She goes through phases. Sometimes she blames Gavin for every bad thing that happens at school (I doubt he is really the culprit), but lately, she has been announcing that Gavin is coming over for a "playdate" to play with her toys. The first time she said it, I thought Landon would throw a conniption. He practically banned the word "date" in any form from being used in this house, even if it's to say "playdate". I told Gavin's Dad about her announcement, asking him if they would come over to grill out after we're settled. Yesterday, they were leaving school at the same time as us. Gavin and his dad were on their golf cart.

Gavin's Dad: "Gavin, say good bye to your girlfriend"
Gavin: "Cora? Yeah, she's cool"


And, finally, I wish I had a picture. Quinn got in the mud out front today while I was pulling weeds. My cell had died, and my camera is dead (I just found the charger; we packed the wrong one during the move), so I didn't get a picture. But hands, arms, and shirt were black. Princess, but a tomboy princess...

Little redneck interpretation

Leaving church, Landon on phone with friend for impromptu brunch at our house.

Landon(on phone): come at your leisure, but we were shooting for 11. ... OK... Great, 11:30. See you in a few.

Cora: daddy, what are we shooting?