Berry Boy

Jeff picked up the kids yesterday afternoon and took them to Costco where they met up with the grandparents. Jeff reported that they ate a lot and screamed a lot. Poppy was in charge of pushing the kids around the store. Jeff could hear their melodious voices from across the incredibly large building. They LOVED the "cold department." They enjoyed eating taquitos (four rounds...both Jeff and my mom felt compelled to buy some given how many samples they ate).

When I arrived home, the kids were at the dinner table. Henry's hair was completely soaked. I kissed him on the head and told him that he smelled good. Jeff said, "Does he smell like berries?" I guess Henry had decided to dump berry juice on himself. A bath was mandatory after dinner. Miss R was in a mood. She said that she didn't want to wash the conditioner out of her hair.

MISS R: NO LEAN BACK!
KATE: OK, R. You are not allowed to lean back. Whatever you do, do NOT lean back.
MISS R: Aaaaaaaah! [Bursts into tears.]

My reverse psychology techniques didn't have the intended effect.

On Thursday morning, the kids happily went to their classes on the playground. In the afternoon, I picked up Miss R and took her to Gadabout. Jeff picked up Henry and took him to get his new glasses.

Every time I pick up the kids, I ask them "How was your day?" Miss R rarely says anything. But today she said, "Good. How was your day, Mommy?" I was surprised and pleased. Miss R was very cute at Gadabout. Tammy put her on two booster pillows and then left us while she looked for some conditioner. As we waited, Miss R said "Where's Tammy? Where's Tammy?" Tammy did a nice job with Miss R's hair.

Jeff and Henry were at my parents' house when we arrived. Henry had his new glasses on. They look great. Hopefully, they will last. We went out with my parents to Chipotle. My mom got some not unexpected news but hard news nevertheless regarding the analysis of her lymph nodes from last week's surgery. Most likely, she is going to have to go through chemo this spring.

At dinner, Henry landed in timeout b/c he wouldn't eat and wanted to go to the "play area." Unfortunately, he was under the impression that all restaurants have "play areas" like the Tucson Mall. After Jeff put him in timeout, Henry settled down and ate most of his meal. At one point, he got off his chair and announced, "Bye! I'm going to Barnes & Noble" and he walked off. Jeff caught him before he got far. Incidentally, Barnes & Noble wasn't far from the restaurant.

Back at home, the kids had fun jumping up and down on Miss R's bed. They sang the pirate "Yo Ho" song before collapsing backward onto the mattress. I read them the Mickey Mouse and "The Haunted House" book. Then, lights out.