I'm still crying

Once Phoebe managed to bite her own finger while eating spaghetti--so hard that she sobbed with those agonizing silent spaces in between cries. I held her in my arms until I thought she'd recovered. When I encouraged her to return to eating, she began to wail, "I'm still crying." It caught me as so hilarious that I began to cackle. At first this shocked her, and she went silent. Then she began to laugh too--but not without returning to the refrain, "I'm still crying," in between her giggles.

Threats and Observations Regarding Leafhoppers

• I'm going to put leafhoppers in your hair.
• That's not a car. That's a leafhopper.

Awesome Questions

• Is this beef or meat?
• What is a butt called?
• What word starts with "man"?
• Why do mans wear seat belts?
• Remember when I was a tiny baby, and I was stuck, and Daddy cut my belly button off?

I don't have words.

After one day back at school, Phoebe announced, "I'm a little bit sad, Mommy." When I asked her why, she said, "I don't have words." I asked her if she wanted a hug. She said no and continued sitting with her back to me on the little couch in her room. Finally--after telling me a rambling story about a time when I had been sad and she had tried to give me a toy (which I don't recall ever happening)--she told me, "I think I'm a little girl. But I'm in the big kids' class."

The Little Reader

This summer I read The Book of Learning and Forgetting by Frank Smith. He argues that learning is natural and based on the company we keep. We learn to be readers by joining the literacy club, the group of people around us whom we see reading and talking about reading. The day after I'd been up nearly all night writing a reflection on the book for one of my reading classes (and was rushing Phoebe off to daycare so I could get to that class), I heard a little voice from the backseat asking me why I had been writing in my book. Before I could finish my gobbledygook about transacting with the text, she asked for the book and my pen. She opened it to the title page and drew me a balloon (upside down).

Happy Birthday, Grandma Dene

After a long hiatus from the web, here's Phoebe making Grandma Dene a birthday cake (which she later told me was strawberry) and singing "Happy Birthday." Unfortunately, I cut off the part with her blowing out the candles at the end.

One thing I had to do today

Text Britt from class with the location of Phoebe's blankie: the freezer.

Hey, Diddle Diddle

I can't believe this!

Yesterday Britt had to remind me about one of the most amazing moments we had this week--had to remind me because the days and nights of battling the sleep abstainer, and finishing my second language movie, and planning for my classroom had all begun to run together.

One night this week--I can't remember which--we devised a method of locking Phoebe in her room. Phew, we thought, she might protest, but eventually, she'll wear herself out and fall asleep. Silly us. She wore us out first with protests of, "I can't believe this!"

That may have been the night I ended up driving around, collaborating with the artist in residence over the phone, while desperately hoping Phoebe would fall asleep in the back seat.

Some reasons why the salad course was delayed

1. Britt decided it was time to vacuum the rug.
2. Phoebe decided it was time for "banilla" yogurt. She rolled her tricycle over to the washing machine and used the seat as a stool to climb on top (possibly unrelated to the banilla yogurt quest).
3. Britt threw Phoebe's owl into the kitchen to get it out of the way of the vacuum. It hit the rim of the yogurt bowl, which by this time I had filled up for Phoebe, and bounced out after skating across the surface of the yogurt. I had to clean his ear.

Eats Snow Like a Lion

I never would have guessed that Phoebe's primary occupation in the snow would be eating it. But then I remembered my own snow-eating days. I think we flavored it with maple syrup. Phoebe takes hers straight up.

March Snow "Storm"

I guess March really did come in like a lion this year. Laugh if you like, Minnesotans, but we're "snowed in" and loving it.

More . . .

Brought to you by the fastest rope slinger this side of the Rio Grande.

A word of advice--pay special attention to the pose she tries at the end.

The Jump Rope

What can I say?

Tiny Baby

Lately, Phoebe has been asking to get in the Maya wrap. In this shot, believe it or not, she's completely inside the sling with only her toes sticking out. No joke. She's almost 3, dresses herself, goes pee-pee on the potty, can climb to the tip-top of the jungle gym "all by myself," and she still (sometimes) wants to be a tiny baby.

Who's busy as a bee?

Cowgirls for Obama

Thanks to Mr. Barry for this treat!

Promises

Tonight Phoebe told me some interesting things as she was sitting on the potty.

"It is very good to eat food and rice," she said.

"Especially brown rice," I said (because I thought I should).

"You like yellow rice," she said.

It's true. I admitted it.

"You like creamer," she said.

"I do not."

"Yes, you do. You promised."

Final Take (I wanna see Evie.)

Phoebe's filming this one (in case you couldn't guess). Hope it doesn't make you too dizzy.

Take 3

Take 2

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

We love you and hope you have a very happy birthday.

That's my cool trick!

Phoebe has learned about "cool tricks" from watching Yo Gabba Gabba. Here's one of hers--a thing of beauty.

Phoebe's Best Moves

I've been reviewing Phoebe's moves from the last year and a half, and this definitely ranks among the best.

Where's My Doggie?

Phoebe was so excited to pick Scutter up from the vet today. When we got home, she invited him into her bed where she read Grace for President to him. While it didn't make for a great nap, it was awfully sweet.