Christmas! -- lil' e

HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS??? Can it be moving any slower? Just when I wake up to think it has finally come, I'm told it's still not here. Baby Jesus must be feeling like it's FOREVER until it's here. Did you know it's His birthday? He must be so excited. It's not clear to me how old he'll be since he's up in heaven but I can't wait to have His cake. At His birthday party, I'm going to dress up like a donkey, at least that's the animal I'm hoping to be.

To help pass the time until Christmas, my Mom has been running me around as if I am a donkey. I think I may be making the trip to Bethlehem as I go from party to party. Luckily, there are lots of nutritional grasses for me -- donuts, sugar cookies, chocolate chip pancakes...the list goes on.
Here's one party where I sang, or was supposed to sing. My sleeve tasted much better than a song.

 

I really hope this is the way we can pass the time next year. Yesterday, we went on a boat ride to find sea jellies and see the Christmas lights along the canals. I've posted my two favorites -- a Santa face and the Family Griswald house (if you look closely you can see the dad hanging off the house -- how he stay up there?)

 

 

 

I hope Mr. McGregor celebrates Christmas. Maybe he'll finally catch Peter? I can't help but be a little bit disappointed when all those bunnies get away. What can you expect? I have coyote pillows on my couch that my Grandpa and Dad took out (meaning -- killed, bam, no longer). Let me tell you something, though, all other Beatrix Potter books without Mr. McGregor, complete bore. I don't want them in my collection anymore. ONLY MR. MCGREGOR BOOKS!

On that note, I can't wait for Christmas. I hope I get all the things I've been putting on my wish list for the last year. I can't remember a thing on them but every time we go into a store, I let my Mom know all the things I want on my wish list and there are just too many to remember. I will say, I can't wait until one day I can write it down because my Mom tells me she won't write everything. She told me I didn't need baby bouncer, but I told her I could still fit in it and listen to music when she needed me to sit in time out. I'm not holding much hope that made it to the list, but oh well.

Can't wait to go to the snow!!! We've been praying for more -- we've got to make an igloo or I'll be so disappointed. Gotta practice my building technique so off to do Legos.

Later,

lil' e

Fall Festivities -- Big E

I'm happy to report that this fall has been one of the best ever. Not only do I get to stay home and go to school for most days of the week, but I also get to do lots of gymnastics. I do them in the living room, the dining room, and anywhere large enough to flip my legs into the air. I find it is most convenient to start doing hand stands or cart wheels when it's time to do the dishes or clean up my room. It's hard to argue with someone who explains she can't clean up yet because her coach says she needs to practice her handstands. While I can't completely get away from doing my chores, it does delay the painful reality that I don't have servants so I have to do chores myself.

Speaking of servants, my mom, who I really do enjoy as my teacher most of the time, can be a bit rigid at times. Rigidity can be a real joy killer to someone who has a creative spirit like myself. Her rigidity can even take away my joy about my favorite subject, math. For instance, what is the big deal about always getting the exact answer? Really, is there a big difference between 4250 and 4256? Does it really matter when I'm this close? Or, how about the division problems with remainders? Who needs a remainder? What happened to rounding? Rounding was the IN thing in 2nd grade how can my Mom expect me to throw out this wonderful technique and remember my remainders? Sheesh. Rigidity has really been the downfall of many great people, think past president. At any rate, I hope she isn't on a slow steady decline towards old aged thinking.

Check out my Pictures and Until Next Time,

Big E

Some favorite pictures from the fall:

My floor routine at Level 3 State Championships.

 

A trip to the Spider Pavilion with my family and Aunt Michelle:

 

My heart's treasure:

 

Floor Baby -- lil' e

As I've gotten older it has been fun to reminisce about my younger days. Here are a few of the things that I've told my Mom about. They are especially important memories when she isn't letting me do something that I know I've done before.

(e: lil' e and M: Mom)

e: Can I watch Diego?
M: No.
e: When I was a floor baby I used to sneak out and watch the TV when you didn't know. I even watched scary stuff but I wasn't scared.

e: Can I have chocolate chip pancakes and whip cream for breakfast?
M: No.
e: When I was a floor baby, I would eat whatever I wanted and you couldn't stop me.

M: You need to pick up your Legos.
e: When I was a floor baby, I threw my Legos and and you picked them up.

M: It's time to go to bed.
e: When I was a floor baby, I stayed up as long as I wanted and you couldn't make me go to sleep.

e: Can I go ride my bike?
M: Not right now.
e: When I was a floor baby, I used to sneak out of the house and go in the backyard when you didn't know.

e: I don't want to take a nap.
M: You'll need to have quiet time in your room.
e: When I was a floor baby, I didn't like you.

e: Can you get me a water?
M: You know how to get water.
e: When I was a floor baby, I had the longest tongue, it went up to the ceiling.

e: I want to do spelling with Big E.
M: You need to learn your letters first.
e: When I was a floor baby, I knew all my letters.

It's nice to know that my Mom has loosened up on things. When I was a floor baby, she was always telling me to stop eating things off the floor, to stop licking my shopping cart and to get my fingers out of my mouth. I keep letting her know that I don't care if I get germs. When I get sick, I don't have to go to school. I get to eat on the couch for all my meals. I get to watch Diego all day long. Sometimes I even get to sleep in her bed OR she sleeps in mine. Now, instead of telling me to stop, she just stares at me and says nothing. It's nice to know she finally gets me.

Later,

lil' e

I'm 9 -- Big E

I had the coolest party ever for my ninth birthday. I had eleven of my great friends with me at Paint and Glaze, a fun place with ceramics that you get to paint. One of the greatest things about the party was that they made a cat on my sign AND a peace sign!!! My Mom didn't even tell them that those were my favorite things right now. They just knew! As soon as I saw the sign, I knew it was going to be a great party! I bet you can't guess what I picked out?...let me give you a clue, "it says meow" and I can drink from it. That's right, it was a cat cup!!! I'm trying to get over my Mom and Dad refusing to get me a kitten so I'm hoping that having a few more kitten stuffed animals will smooth my broken, broken heart(birthday presents by people who know the deepest desires in my heart and feel very sad for me that I have such strict parents).

It's so hard to sum up what this year has meant to me. It was very, very hard to move in the middle of the school year. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It was hard to leave my favorite tree that is probably turning a sunset red and orange color right now, well, if it ever turned cold that is. It was also hard to have to get up extra early to make it to school right before the bell rang. It was also hard to say good bye to my neighbors who will also be having parties right now because there were about five of us with September and October birthdays. With the hard times though, have been some good things. We have a community pool and I learned to swim. I get to ride bikes and my new scooter in the front driveway and in our street. I have new, great neighbors that I can play with. I don't have to get up early anymore except on Fridays because most days I do school at home. I also have my own room so lil' e can't destroy as many of my things (except when he goes in there when I'm at gymnastics or at school on Wednesdays), but he's learning that I have some cool things and if he destroys my stuff then I won't play with him and he doesn't like that.

Regarding my birthday, my ACTUAL birthday, Grammy rescued me from the tyranny of my mother. She doesn't realize that when you do a pseudo-homeschool model that you CAN take a day off. She made me do school work even though it was a national holiday AND it was my birthday. But, Grammy stole me and took me to my favorite restaurant, In 'n Out and then we went to my favorite dessert place, Tutti Fruitti yogurt. She saved the day.

I think my Mom is growing. After all, she did let me go with Grammy. She does give me more breaks during school but we still work until 3 or 4 pm. Just an aside, the house isn't getting any cleaner when we end sooner. I've caught her in her room reading her books, something about a hornet's nest and a girl. When I ask her when she's going to clean HER room, she never answers me. She just says that when I'm the adult, I can make my own decisions but for now, my room has to stay clean even though hers doesn't. I think she uses the same standards for cleaning as she does with sugar. When we're sick, we don't get any sugar. When she's sick, she says she needs it to keep mentally sane. She says that she's willing to pay the price of being sick a few more days, because sugar helps her parent us better and use a good tone of voice. As you can imagine, she doesn't allow me to use sugar for a better tone of voice with my brother. Instead, if I'm too mean, I can get my sugar taken away. There again, different standards. My wish is that in this year of being nine, the rules will be more equal....AND I'll get my kitten.

Until Next Time,

Big E

Homeschooling Creations -- lil' e

I'm not sure you can imagine the torture Big E must go through with my Mom as her teacher three days a week.  I assure you, Big E gets plenty mad at me because she says that I get to play all day, of which my Mom will agree before she adds, "You didn't even go to school when you were his age."  This quiets her up and I'm once again not the object of her very focused eye that tries to watch what I'm doing.  Here are a couple of creations I've made while Big E is being made to do workbooks (!).  I've already told my Mom, I refuse to do workbooks, besides I'm a Montessori preschooler, they DON'T believe in workbooks at my "kool."

Chicken

Picture of Squished Dinosaur -- T-Rex Stepped on it

Dinosaur Eggs

Top:  Dinosaur that got stepped on

Bottom:  Big, Big, tiny egg

Top: Triceratops that Died
Middle:  Tiny Eggs that will Hatch into a Bird
Bottom:  Bird

Big E has been saving up her stories so hopefully she'll write next.  Mom has been starting school at 8 am and end between 4 and 5 pm.  We think it's because she has more fun teaching than cleaning the house and this justifies it getting messy because she's "working" a full-time job.  At any rate, Big E has no time for "free activities," like blogging.  She's hoping Dad will rescue her by coming home early from work one day and he'll see the truth behind this 8 and 9 hour madness.

Later (and thankful to be only 3),

lil' e

More questions for God -- lil' e

I've been doing some thinking and have some more questions.

We have a different sun everyday. How does God do that?

How does God make strawberries so good?

Why does my mom make her vegetables hot? They are yucky! Cold vegetables are the way God made them and they are yummy!  Thank goodness my mom lets me eat all my veggies cold!  She's nice that way.

God, why are all the men at the Getty Villa naked?  It looked weird.  They need underwear.  Can you help them with that?

 

How can Big E do this?  I keep landing on my head.

 

How do starfish stick to the glass?  They don't even fall off if I pound!

 

Would my mom really throw me in the shark tank if I didn't listen to her?

 

How did you make brownies taste so good?

 

Why did you make me so I can't stop picking?  I tell my mom and dad that my forehead just won't stop bleeding.  I told them that I just go to sleep and I wake up and I've picked it.  I tell them over and over again that I can't help it but they won't believe me.  God, I need you to tell them that you make some kids to pick, like me and they just need to ignore it when I do it!

Later, 

lil' e

What I did the last two weeks -- Big E

Here's a bit of what I've been doing over these last two weeks. It has been very busy and I've hardly had time to sleep.

Here is a picture of what I've done with my dad at least three times a week. He can throw me much higher than my mom. Of course, he's taller so he has an advantage because I think my mom is stronger.

We went to the aquarium where we enjoyed fish like this...

touched jellies like this...notice our two fingered touch

My mom said that if we didn't listen to her she would throw us in the shark tank. I think she was serious.

Next she took us to the Natural History Museum where she told us we were very lucky to be living in modern times because otherwise we might be an appetizer for this T-Rex.

Here's lil' e taking pictures with his camera. He was copying me, of course. He does that with everything.

This animal didn't fair so good. He was lunch.

My friends, Megan and Maggie's dad is a scientist at the Museum so we got an amazing behind the scenes tour.

This is the head of an ibex. I'd ask to see it on our private tour because I was reading a book about the stone age with one in it. I was lucky because they usually don't have one. However, they had just gotten it the day before from the LA Zoo whose ibex had died recently of old age.

Afterwards, we were so energized that we lifted a truck!

Next, we went to a Colonial Farm with our good friends, Marin and Brooke. This woman is teaching us etiquette. She is quite funny and spit food and water at us! Talk about manners.

We learned about writing with quills.

Here are lil' e and my mom's letter to us.

I learned how to weave.

We also went to the Getty Villa. I know! Yet, another adventure. We were in heaven. We're planning our tour while Mom waits for us to make some decisions about what we want to see. I've made it very clear that only things that are interesting are worth looking at. I don't want to see "the normal." How boring is that?

We appeased her by posing at the end. lil' e never wants to stand next to me.

Now, this was where the action was!

You have to be quite brave to explore the Villa!

My mom has enrolled me in a charter school, which I love because I only go to classes twice a week and then she gets to teach me the other days. I love everything about it except when she speaks in a mean tone and tells me that I'm not working fast enough. But everything else, is the best!

Until next time,

Big E

When I grow up -- lil' e

When I grow up...

I'm going to be a dragon queen.

I'm going to grow long hair like my Mommy.

I'm going to have a big, big tummy so I can eat lots and lots of food.

I'm going to reach the ceiling with my head.

I'm going to be a Mommy.  (at least I'm talking to God about this.  I don't want to be a boy.)

Later,

lil' e

Things I want to talk to God about -- lil' e

1.  When I get to Heaven can I do more than on squirt of soap to make more bubbles?  Here on earth, I'm restricted to only one squirt.  This is extremely unsatisfying.

2.  Why can't I wear a bra like my Mommy?

3.  It's not really fair God created all the animals.  I want to make my own animal -- a shark/ elephant mix.

4.  I don't like all my teeth.  I only want one big tooth to eat my food with.

5.  Why does gymnastics have warm-ups?  I hate warm-ups.  They make me sad.  So sad that I lay in the middle of the floor and the other kids have to run around me.

6.  Why can't I be big now, all the way up to the ceiling?

7.  I can't wait for my Mom to shrink.  When does this start to happen?

8.  Thank you, God, for making my mom so nice.  She let's me sleep under my bed for naps.  It's much darker under there.  It makes me sleep. 

Later,

lil' e

Things God told me or I Discovered Myself -- lil e

Things I discovered myself....

My mom cries if I pull out our lily pad flowers.  I told her I'd ask God to bring them back.  She told me he won't give them back to me because I didn't take good care of them.  I was very excited when a flower appeared several days later.  I told her, "See Mom, God listens."

Shirts and Pants look better when worn MY way -- With no picture in front and the zipper in the back.

Anyone can have Justin Beiber hair, put your head in the sink, run your fingers through your hair from back to front and then fling your head around.  It's a little wet initially, but after that you'll look just like him!

You can make flowers with your poo-poo.  (in the toilet, of course!)

"We need bats in our house because we have flies in it.  We need to leave the doors open when it gets late so they can come in."

Things God told me:

I'm going to be a dragon queen with good hearing and strong legs.

"to be quiet and only talk to Him because He listens."

"that water goes down my throat and then back up, through a hole and into my brain.  That's how I concentrate."

Later,

lil' e

Things I don't Understand -- Big E

Things I don't understand...

 

why my parents let lil' e do dangerous things.

 

why my parents didn't teach me to ride my bike sooner.

 

why my dad can't spot deer.  They're so easy to find. 

 

why I can't get a kitten.  This makes me sad.

 

how my mom picks up snakes.  

Some things I don't understand but couldn't take pictures for....

why lil' e needs to get naked before going to the bathroom.

why my mom needs to be so serious.

why my mom doesn't listen to my parenting advice.  

(She just needs to put him in time out....a lot.  

Besides, this would keep him from ruining my forts, stuffed animal homes, etc.)