For about a month Lorelei has been asking to get her hair cut. It’s annoying at this length because she always needs clips or the hair is in her eyes or her mouth. She repeatedly said she wants it ‘short like mommy’. Her hair was SO beautiful I got really emotional about cutting it all off. But she was insistent. Pip suggested we do a professional photo shoot to commemorate the before hair. We did that last weekend and this weekend we got her hair cut. She still looks beautiful, but this is far more practical.
The other big highlight since my last post was a visit from Uncle Becca. When Moriarty was 3ish he got aunts and uncles mixed up and called her Uncle Becca. She LOVED it so that’s her name permanently. She and I spent a few days away from the kids so I could recharge, but we also spent lots of time with the kids. We went up the Space Needle, which none of us had ever done. A trip highlight also involved eating many cookies, many biscuits and there were a lot of hugs.
Moriarty has had a big couple months. He started 2nd Grade. His teacher is really great. She uses colored cards for the kids to show their emotional state without words. They just put the card on their desk and if the kid is having a harder time she goes and touches base. They’re allowed to stand or wiggle while they’re doing work. All of this is really helpful for him. He is riding the bus again and insists recess is still his favorite class. But his reading is improving it and he’s sharing it with Lorelei.
We’re trying to tame the chaotic fighter he pretends to be a lot. He started tae kwan do lessons. He’s been interested in ninjas and Minecraft weapons for a long time. We have had at least 20 cardboard and tape swords made and destroyed. So Pip and I thought real martial arts lessons would teach him some self control and respect, in addition to hitting and kicking things. The dojo we picked also has a parent class (at a different time) so Pip already started and I’ll be starting in another couple weeks.
Pip and I are also sharing more fun things with him. Moriarty and I have done several baking classes but nothing since Covid. He and I did a cake pop making class which was so much fun. We also showed him Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back for the first time. I think the only take-away was light sabers are cool.
Their brains are changing and they’re trying to integrate more of their world together. Pip and I were watching a comedy Youtube video with Moriarty where a guy opens his coat and is hawking more coats (a la rolex street hawkers). Moriarty made a drawing of a Pokemon, taped it inside his shirt, then offered it to Pip just like in the Youtube video. We DIED laughing. Lorelei often gets snacks to bring to nap/bed because she’s ALWAYS hungry after we put her down. For a while the snacks got scattered around from her being 3 and I chastised her saying we could get mice this way. We need to throw the food away. Well, for weeks after the snacks got scattered and we stayed frustrated. Last night Pip asked her, ‘do you want mice in here?’. And she sheepishly looked back and said ‘yes’. To her the mice are exciting fun friends like in her books. OMG. They fit what they see/hear into their worldview even when it leads to hysterically unexpected results.
Photos are here, password ‘mal’
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