Laundry Day

Charlotte likes to help with the laundry.



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Family

Eventually we might be able to get all four of us in one picture with less cheese.





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Weddings

When Eleanor was almost five months old, she went to her first wedding. Charlotte is now almost five months old and attended her first wedding yesterday.

We had a blast at the wedding yesterday. Eleanor enjoyed dancing, the kids' table with crayons and play dough and of course the cake. Since she hadn't been to a wedding since she was a baby, we had been telling her about what to expect. On the way there, she asked, "Does everyone get some of the cake or just the people getting married?" By the end of the reception she had decided, "I like weddings."

The top picture is Charlotte with Dave and Tera. The bottom picture is Eleanor with Amy and Brandon.

 

 

Sidewalk Chalk

A Glimpse Into Our Life from m lumpkin on Vimeo.

Happy Valentines Day

I can't write or read "Happy Valentine's Day" without thinking of Outkast.

Eleanor made Charlotte a Valentine. Charlotte read it carefully.

Eleanor loves holding Charlotte. Charlotte is generally less thrilled about the arrangement. Charlotte had just spit up on her shirt and we had pulled it off. I love that chunky kid.

Who's Who?

People are always commenting on how much the girls look alike. They do look very much alike, but are also very different. Eleanor was a pretty easy going baby, but Charlotte is even more so most of the time. I don't know how much of the differences are personality and how much are differences in me. I am much more relaxed this time around. I know what I'm doing and am not freaking out and consulting books and websites every time the baby gurgles in a new way. We also have to be more flexible. We cannot always be home for Charlotte's naps, which means she sleeps on the go much better than Eleanor did. Charlotte gives smiles more freely, but was slower to laugh.

For fun, guess the baby:
1

2
3
4

Sister Love

I'm pretty sure Eleanor gets her fashion sense from Paris.





Charlotte is getting very good at sitting unassisted.

Most of the time.





"Charlotte, we're going to be sisters forever."






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How We Spend Our Time (or Disjointed Thoughts and Pictures)

Eleanor has a true love: play dough. She has been begging me to go to Target to buy some off and on for weeks now. Finally, in a moment of clarity, I remembered that I could make some. This provided the fun activity of actually making the dough and then the hours of entertainment the finished product would provide.




Here's the recipe:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Mix together in pot. Cook, stirring constantly until lumps form.

We added food coloring to aid in the stain-ability.





Eleanor and I go to a play school on Tuesday mornings. Today the kids made Valentines. 'Twas fun. There are a lot of babies at play school. Eleanor wanted to hold Priscilla today. Priscilla didn't like that much.

For Christmas, my mom gave Eleanor several outfits. Today Eleanor chose pieces of three different outfits to wear. She likes to be colorful.

Eleanor is constantly teaching Charlotte. She will hold up a carrot and say, "See Charlotte, this is a carrot." She tries to explain the world to her little sister. I love watching this process. Eleanor also likes to hug Charlotte. Often. Charlotte doesn't like to be hugged as much. One day Eleanor brought out some dolls to explain to Charlotte why she should like to be hugged: "See Charlotte, if someone bigger than you is squeezing you, they aren't trying to be mean. They are trying to be nice."


Off and on since November, Charlotte has had a diaper rash. I have tried 4 different brands of paper diapers, two types of cloth diapers, 5 or 6 different salves and ointments, and a couple of brands of wipes. I changed her soap, detergent and let her air as much as possible. Finally in desperation, I went to the fabric store and bought a couple of yards of flannel. I sewed up about 30 wipes and bought some of this. After about three days of no commercial wipes, she is finally rash free. I think she may have sensitive skin. Maybe.

But she's super cute. She now weighs 15 pounds and 10 ounces. Chunky baby. She smiles and laughs a lot. She loves watching Eleanor and Eleanor loves being watched. It's a win-win situation.

Sorry these pictures are so bad. My phone is the easiest way to upload posts, but the picture quality just isn't as good.



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Schools

Though it's hard to believe, in about 7 months, this little baby will be starting school. (That's Eleanor, not Charlotte, by the way.) Eleanor will begin kindergarten in September, shortly after her 5th birthday. We have been looking at schools to try to find the best fit for her and us. Our first visit was to McKinley School. It's a good school with a focus on the arts, which is nice since budget cuts have made it hard for schools to keep their music and art classes. This is our default school and is within walking distance (and right by Trader Joe's). There are a couple of things I really didn't like about this school, but overall, it seems like a nice place.

Also on our list of schools to visit are two public charter schools- Aveson and Odyssey. Admission to these schools is chosen by lottery. If your parent works there or a sibling already attends, a child can be guaranteed a spot, otherwise it's the luck of the draw. The school we visited today takes 44 kindergartners (22 per class) and hundreds apply.


One of the things I like about the charter schools is that they have more freedom to modify their approach to the needs of the children. While, unlike McKinley, they did not have the state standards for kindergarten posted on the wall, their test scores are still among the top in the city. We have two more schools to visit, one is a half day program. Eleanor really liked the school we visited today, but her first choice is to "stay home and have Mommy and Daddy teach" her.

The school we visited today had chickens.


And some good guiding principles.



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