I'll just be in my study, with a good book

Shedding and adding layers

When getting dressed, Hazel has a strong and longstanding preference for layers - multiple shirts, shorts over pants, pants over pants. In some ways, it's a convenient trait for a baby or toddler. Spill food all over your top shirt? Just peel it off, and you've got another shirt underneath.

She's started sleeping out of her crib some nights, and one morning I found her wearing literally every single pair of underwear she owns. Getting her undressed to change her diaper felt like a cross between a clown car and a matryoshka doll. I just kept taking underwear off and laughing harder and harder at each new pair I discovered. She had on 11 pairs of underwear. All that elastic actually pinched her fat thighs so much that she was complaining her legs hurt, and a week later she still has red marks on the outside of her thighs.

Today she was wearing the perfect Hazel outfit: a short-sleeve shirt over a long-sleeve shirt, shorts over pants, and a dress over everything.

Karaoke rock stars

This is from Juniper's birthday trip to Legoland. I hadn't realized it until writing this blog post, but maybe more than anything else, what this picture shows is how over the top Legoland actually is. Can you find a Lego anywhere in this picture? I can't.

It's also a pretty cute depiction of a great friendship.

Who is this big girl?

Aaron: Please don't throw our clean things down on the floor.
Hazel: I'm not throwing it down. I'm throwing it up in the air, and then it's coming down.

Reading gives you super powers

One of Aaron's favorite Juniper stories: a couple of years ago, after reading a Dr. Seuss book about all the amazing, wonderful, silly things one could be, Aaron asked Juniper what she wanted to be when she grew up. Juniper thought about it for a moment and replied, "When I grow up, I'm going to be able to read all the words."

Hazel's favorite

Hazel: Tigers are my favorite.
Sally: Tigers are your favorite animal?
Hazel: Grasshoppers are my favorite animal.
Sally: Oh, I didn't know that. What about grasshoppers makes them your favorite animal?
H: They make me laugh.
S: What about grasshoppers makes you laugh?
H: Because they can give me corn.
S: Oh really! How can a grasshopper give you corn?
H: With her feet.

Independence

We let Juniper make her own decisions about how to spend her allowance. For some reason, she was determined to spend all of her money today. I pointed out that she just had a birthday and that she still has books she has not yet read, Legos she has not yet assembled, and science experiments she has not yet conducted. I pointed out that she might get more enjoyment out of her allowance by waiting to spend it when she hasn't just gotten a bunch of exciting birthday gifts. Nope. We were going to the Fernbank Museum, and she was determined to bring her allowance. All $6.00 of it. That's a lot of money for her.

Whenever we go to Fernbank, Juniper is fascinated by the photo booth. We never pay the $5.00 for photos. Never. Once, when she was two, Jason took her and Violet into the photo booth. I believe that is the only time in her life that she has done the Fernbank photo booth. The instant she saw the photo booth today, her face reflected the quick firing of synapses putting together the facts and coming up with a very desirable outcome. "I have my allowance, so I can do that today."

I pointed out the relative value of photos and Legos. I reminded her about the bonanza of birthday gifts at home. I stalled, hoping that by the time we were done looking at the new exhibit she would have forgotten about the photo booth. I stalled again once we were done with the new exhibit, this time with muffins for snack. When Juniper finished her snack and the other kids were still eating, she took her wallet and walked over to the photo booth.

It's amazing how often I underestimate my children. I remained seated and watched Juniper, assuming that she would not be able to figure out the process. I hoped that she would come back and ask for help, and I braced myself for the complete meltdown if the $5.00 was wasted on failed photos. After a few minutes, she came back with photos, pride, and happiness. I was completely wrong about the relative value of photos to Legos and the wisdom of spending large sums of money the week after one's birthday. I can't think of another $5.00 purchase that would have given Juniper that much satisfaction.

She spent her remaining dollar on a token. I was dismissive of that idea too. Then Juniper came home and gave her other museum token (from a trip to DC last summer) to Hazel, so that Hazel would be able to put a token in her penny collection book. Apparently, I know nothing about how children should spend their allowance.

The sheet of photos came with three identical strips. I paid Juniper $1.75 for one of the strips. They look like independence to me and are as beautiful as any of Aaron's best photos.