Third Day of School

Today went fantastically well! Lots of happy and cute to go around. I wasn't quite sure at first... since our lady vamp resisted letting any light into her room at 7:20 a.m. I heard soft pleas of "Don't turn on the light! No...Not the shades!" In forced wake-up situations like this {when I can't let Bleu leisurely wander down for breakfast in her pajamas}, my new trick is asking her to help me with something.


Bleu loves to feel needed and helpful and, most especially, motherly. Whenever I spy early signs of crank, I'll ask her to reach an object for me--urgently--or search for my "lost" keys or love on her baby brother for a moment while I grab a diaper. She luuuuuves to be in my business, whatever that is, and is quick to demonstrate her nurturing instincts.


This morning I walked up to her bed holding Ollie and placed him right on her belly. I said, "Morning Sunshine. Will you help hold up the babes for a sec?" Buby and Bleu know I have rules about not picking up each other or the baby--ever--so for this super critical task my girl was honored to sit right up. I never left the bed, but I did manage to whip up the shades and a whole lot of laughter while she ogled her "sweetie pie" 10 month old.


Two out of four of us were dressed {Ollie and I still in jams} when My Sweets yelled up that our kitchen was flooded. Apparently five straight days of rain can do this to our old house. So breakfast was interesting and hurried and wind-tunnel loud with five fans and two dehumidifiers on high. I threw down beach towels, tossed each of the school kids a Kashi toaster tart, Stonyfield yogurt tube and fruit, slipped jeans on my legs and a toothbrush in my mouth and off we went. The umbrellas were up, and I'm pretty sure the kids were digging all the excitement. When we arrived at school the Directress commented that I looked like a mama duckling with all her baby chicks in tow. Buby and Bleu ran in all hyped up to see what was in store for them.


When I arrived back at the school at 11:30 for Bleu, she greeted me with a huge gaspy grin and sprinted into my arms so lovingly I almost fell over. And it wasn't a thank-God-you're-here-I-missed-you-too-much sprint. It was a MAN!-I-had-the-best-day-EVER!-and-can't-wait-to-tell-you! sprint.


Yeah for her! Yeah for me! I assumed she'd want her signature pb&j at home, or tuna with celery and onions, but instead she asked if we could stop at the deli next door for a sandwich to go. {I'm sure it's because she knew Buby went there with his class earlier in the day to practice the life skill of ordering and paying for his own food. She saw us decorating his wallet last night.}


Anyway. The way my normally clingy three and a half year old marched ahead of me so confident and secure--and on her way to order lunch--that was my rose for today. I am so glad I took a sec to capture it before shouting "freeze!" and offering a mini refresher speech on not walking ahead, watching for hidden driveways, etc.


P.S. Buby had a good day, too. He completed several challenging works in math and language, wrote in his journal, illustrated quite a bit, and started Spanish. {This will be his fourth year of Spanish and he's only in 1st grade---love that!}