The perks of being right there

Odd little ducks, kids are. Over the last month, the kids in Lily's class seem to have just discovered that we back the schoolyard. Now every recess and lunch hour that I'm home, a whole row of them will stand on the fence and yell until I see them. Every time they ask for something to eat but because we only stock ingredients, no pre-made snacks, I really have nothing to give them. Today they asked for seaweed – which I do have – plus a little bowl of fruit that they eat took a piece of. Then off they ran...

Left to right: Rachel, Lily, Kyra, Rowan and Saul

When I pick Lily up at lunch, I'm always involved in at least three conversations with as many or more children. Today a boy came up and said, "I like you." To which I replied, "I like you, too." He said, "Do you remember my name?" I asked for a hint. "It starts with H," so I easily guessed it was Holden. Very charming indeed. I'd also brought Grace's poncho to school that she'd left in the sand behind the fence on Thursday before the long weekend so she was happy to see that.

It's good to know the kids that Lily spends her days with. They watched me pull weeds and ready the garden beds last week. They boys want to talk the most. They want to come and jump on the trampoline. They wanted to meet Chris and they all politely introduced themselves.

We had Rachel over on Monday and wow, what a different dynamic that was from what we're used to. They are very similar, very shy and quiet so they did quiet things. It was wonderful...except for the part when I thought they'd been kidnapped from the schoolyard park, but that's best left unsaid. Rachel and Lily are absolutely best friends at school. They hold hands and hug a lot. It is very sweet.

Lily has been doing lots of things with her classmates – from grade one and kindergarten. Emily invited her to come to karate class with her. She was also invited to Joleen's hot tub surprise birthday party. And Jenifer's birthday party at Dino Bouncers. Her social network is expanding and she's only just completing her second year of school. Just imagine what's next...

Hitting the big time!

Last night you learned to ride a two wheeler! Finn got a new bike, you rode Carly's old bike and Carly rode her bike. You guys went up and down the sidewalk while Dad cut the grass. When he was done, we all went to the park. Before we even hit the grass, you were off! You probably rode five metres. It was a huge success and I was SO proud. And you glowed with pride. I can't wait to see you do it again!

She wins a prize!

After art class week in a completely unrelated event, Lily and I were walking down the hall at school to retrieve her boots when we walked past her winter picture. They'd been hanging on the wall for a couple weeks, but apparently they'd been judged that day and Lily won second prize! Her prize was a 36 set of coloured pencils, including lots of metallic colours! She wouldn't pose beside her picture, so I finally just got her to pose with her pencil crayons.

 

In other happenings, yesterday was report card day. We told Lily we'd take her out for supper if she did well – and if she didn't, she'd have to make us supper and clean the house this weekend. When we picked the kids up from the sitter, she eagerly waited for me to read her report card, asking "Did I do good? Can we go for supper?" And of course she did good. Improved a couple 3s to now be 4s, which is what they rate out of, and she has many more 4s than 3s so she's at the top of her game for the most part. Her French reading and comprehension is at a 3, whatever that means. In English, she can read almost anything proficiently. I'm so impressed at her development over the course of this past school year. Unfortunately, I have to hide things that I don't want her to read now. And we can't spell things we don't want her to understand, but I suppose that doesn't last forever...

Lily of the Valley

You are now six and a half; it was official on the day before Valentine's Day. After we plunked some candles into a muffin when Finn turned 18 months, you wanted to know when your half birthday was. Now it's "a thing" and we celebrated with beet chocolate cake with beet icing. Delicious and fudgy and a perfectly good excuse to eat cake.

Things change with you almost as fast as they do with Finn, though they are things that could easily be missed. Not asking me or Dad to call and ask for Carly, but just asking yourself. Just going over to Carly's without anyone to knock on the door for you. Eating supper or lunch at Carly's with her family.

You've just started an after-school program one day a week called Artrageous Minds. It impresses me that you make your way there, all by yourself, without prodding or help. You went to Sparks camp for a day and thought it was the funnest thing ever. You cooked your own lunch, you played games, did crafts. You actually really like Sparks so it looks like you'll go into Brownies in the fall. You worked a tea about a month ago and though it was a little frightening to ask people if they wanted more cake, it got easier as time went on.

School is going well. You've been bringing home lists for weekly spelling tests. So far you've only gotten one wrong. But you're happy. You have a crush. Some girls drive you bonkers. You think M. Dubé is funny. And you criticize, rightly so, Mom and Dad's French pronunciations.

On a book front, we've been reading chapter books. In the fall, we read some Ramona books (by Beverly Cleary) that were mine when I was little. On Sunday, we just finished all 79 chapters of Peter and the Starcatchers, a prequel to Peter Pan. Now we're reading Charlotte's Web, also mine. We have Peter and the Shadow Thieves reserved from library, the follow-up to the Starcatchers. It's super fun to share these books with you.

You surf Pinterest, madly pinning all the cute animals and babies. You and Dad (and Carly sometimes) play Minecraft constantly. You eat frozen mangoes and raspberries and smoothie popsicles. You jump across the couches. You walk home from school by yourself. You can be sweet and fiery. You throw tantrums and ignore our barking orders to get dressed, brush your hair, brush your teeth. Good days and bad days. But we enjoy them all.

Warm and fuzzy

Things are abuzz with holiday activity. We have Lily's Christmas concert next week, but it's not called that anymore. Now it's the Winter Celebration. Since they've taken religion out of the holiday season at school, I don't feel as bad for Lily's lack of exposure when she exclaims, "I just saw a bunch of people in a cave on that lawn!"

That, people, was a nativity scene. Oh, the innocence of a child...

Excerpt from the first Grade One report card

There's no going back...

Lily started grade one last week. She'd been waiting for it for a long time. Aside from a stolen (borrowed) flip-flop incident and only riding the bus once thus far, I'd say it was pretty successful. She even stayed for lunch on Wednesday.

She loves having three recesses (including the lunch one). She thinks having her own desk is pretty cool. She also thinks that it's great to have markers, crayons and pencil crayons to carry out her artistic endeavors. Her teacher, Monsieur Dubé, is very funny. He'd better have a sense of humour because there are 26 kids in that class.

I like seeking her out from our backyard on the playground at recess. Then I can see who's she's playing with or what she's doing. Otherwise, I'd never know... Typical answer to "What did you do today at school?" is: "I don't remember." Suppose I'll just have to get used to that.

Here's Lily's first after-school snack. Her brother was happy to have her home.

Six years old

Happy birthday, Lily! On Saturday, Aug. 13th you turned six years old. As soon as you woke up, you were excited to open the presents from us and Finn. We got you an overnight bag full of clothes (for both you and your Barbie-type dolls) and a glitter tattoo kit. Finn got you a Fur Real puppy whom you immediately named Popcorn after a white puppy in an old book of Uncle Nigel's. While you loved the clothes, you were enamoured by this little pup. She's your new best buddy (when Carly's not around) who barks and walks and whines.

We had a party that afternoon to celebrate and there were a whopping seven kids, having invited a couple more than we thought would come due to summer holidays and such. This year's theme was ice cream so we had some ice cream-related games and other outside water-related games to keep everyone busy until it was time to build our own sundaes. Everyone ate lots. Finn ate his waffle bowl before Dad could even get ice cream into it. The worst part was that you burned your finger on the sparkler after it burned out. Ouch. And then there were the presents. Everyone was getting a little over-excited and wanted you to open their present first. You put an end to that when you told them to relax - it didn't matter whose got opened next - they would all get opened. It was a good day that we ended in supper at Dairy Queen upon your special request.

      
           
Over the next few days, you would look in the mirror and note how you look more grown up. That your eyes have changed shape and how your face isn't as chubby. It's true. Sometimes we look at you and can't believe how much you've grown and changed. Sometimes - sigh -  you look and act much older than your six years. The other day, you felt something different in your mouth and asked me to take a peek. There, at the back on your right-hand side, was a little slit in your gums and a molar was peeking out. Over and over again, it's these little things that end up making you big.
           
Unlike your birthday, there are some days when nothing goes your way and you collapse into a heap of screams and tears - up to eight times in a single day. (We'll be well practiced for when you become a teenager.) A lot of your misery hinges on whether we let you play with Carly or not and if you can hinges on your behaviour. 99% of the time when you're not sleeping or eating, you and Carly are playing. You both have big, grand plans that usually involve me doing some sort of work for you, like your grand lemonade stand that made $27 in June, but mostly you'd both just be happy to go to the park. It's nice that you have a best friend that lives only footsteps away and right now, it's always the highlight of your day.

On our work days when you are at daycare, you are happy to spend those entire days with Carly and barely even see or notice what Finn spends his time doing. We couldn't have been luckier to find the same sitter as Carly and her little brother, Jack. The summer there has been full of sun and fun, walks to the park, a few field trips on the bus and exposure to movies on Netflix that we never would have thought of. Like Annie. I think you watched it three times in one week.

On the Tuesdays and Thursdays when it's just you, me and Finn, your expectations are happily lowered. You draw and write stories - and complain about no one pushing you on the swings or jumping with you on the trampoline. I love watching what you create and above all, I am amazed how well you sound things out when you spell them and how well you can read. Everywhere we go, you read signs. We're super proud that you just picked it all up on your own, too.

Cheers to being six. We're so excited to see where this year will take you.

Woo hoo!

It is truly a landmark day. Today, for the first time in her almost six years, Lily Julia Anderson slept in until 8 a.m. – an entire 2 hours later than her usual waking time.

This is cause for celebration. Perhaps next she'll willingly brush her teeth and hair. (But it's unlikely.)

Success!

I've been validated in my efforts to wean our family (but mostly Lily) off of processed foods. Yesterday at lunch it was official - Lily declared that she likes mom's mac 'n' cheese (whole wheat macaroni, old cheddar and bit of butter) more than Kraft Dinner.

No really. This kid - who could eat KD morning, noon and night for weeks unend - said that OUT LOUD.

I am so proud.

Our girl - What five and a half looks like

I feel I've been neglecting you – or at least neglecting writing about you. With Finn turning into a toddler at the speed of light, your changes are more subtle.

Sometimes when we are with other five year olds, I see how mature you are – or how young. I find myself saying to both myself and your dad, "She's only five." Other times we say, "You're five now. You need to be able to do this."

Speaking of things you need to be able to do, you've just completed your first Lily of the Valley sticker chart. (You named it that.) A month's worth of daily tasks that each receive one check mark for each accomplished item and a sticker when you get all your daily check marks. It took four months to get all the stickers. There were five things to do each day: brush teeth/hair, put away dishes, eat a vegetable, hang up coat/bookbag, and clean up your messes. For your reward, you chose to go to Plum Garden for the Chinese buffet. For the next sticker chart, we've upped the ante. Not only are there now ten things to accomplish each day, the reward will be Go Go My Walking Pup. (A useless toy by my standard, but the pinnacle of rewards for you.) The hardest point this time around? Eating five fruits and vegetables every day. Thank goodness we give you chances to earn stickers you've missed...

School. You love it so much. You were layed out sick on the couch all weekend, but when I said I'd probably have to keep you home from school on Monday, you immediately showed that you indeed could walk (instead of being carried) and wouldn't need to miss school "because there's gym on Monday."


A couple weeks ago, you got your second report card which was followed by the student-led conference at school. You were unusually nervous about bringing Mom and Dad to school and showing us what you do every day. It was a little rocky at first, but twenty minutes and a couple of stations in, you were feeling more comfortable. You showed us your portfolio, sang us songs from your song book, did the calendar and the weather, took us on a tour of the art you had hanging throughout the classroom, showed us your math skills and finally we settled at your favourite station for playtime - the art centre. You and Dad drew pictures for each other before our hour was up. We know how bright you are, how easily many things come for you. The fact that it was all "en français" made it that much more impressive.

Your French is very impressive indeed. You speak it every day. You point things out in French; at the library the other day you said "look (at the book covers) – les arbres, les fleurs." You even scold your brother in French."C'est ne pas!" And you always ask, "Do you know how to say ______ in French?" Then you immediately tell us. For right now, your Dad and I know the answer. Soon we probably won't...

The fact you can read as much as you can is so impressive. We were on our way to the Bulk Barn one evening to get our dose of oats, flour, raisins, etc. and you smelled something out the window. You said, "It must be from that pizza place. I can tell it says that because of all the zeds at the end." Then there's the grocery list. The other morning you asked, "Why did you do this (put it in a starburst) to the dill?" When asked how the heck you knew what it said, you told me that that's just the sound the letters made. Nice. (Oh, and I put the dill in a starburst as it's been on every grocery list for the last three times and Chris has missed it everytime. And every graphic designer knows that when someone wants something to really get noticed, they ask for a starburst. And it breaks our designer hearts...) You love spelling and constantly spell words for us or ask how to spell things so you can write us notes.

Those notes. They are all over the house. You produce upwards of twenty a day and for the most part, they are all the same right now. To Mom (or Dad or Finn). I *heart* U. From Lily. Something you get fancy and put them in envelopes, always with our name in big letters on the front and usually with an ink stamp in the top right corner. Your Dad insists on saving each and every one of them because they are so cute.

In other happenings, your tastes in clothing are changing. Fortunately we need to buy you new clothes anyway as you've grown two inches since November – three and a half inches since last May. Yikes. Anyway, you've recently picked up some swank gray cowboy boots for $6, plus a gray sundress and a black and white striped sundress. All the while, I am actually wearing less black... (for the first time since I've been buying my own clothes). You shun any pants that aren't leggings, preferably capri leggings despite there still being snow on the ground. You'll also wear the same clothes to school for three days in a row, especially since you got a few new and awesome t-shirts. I hear that's not taboo in France, wearing the same clothes, and your Dad and I do that all the time if we're not covered in snot or bananas... We really need to go to France. Really.

The biggest, most impressive thing about you these days? The fact that you are sleeping in your own room in your own bed until exactly 6 a.m. every day. We've tried moving you from our bed off and on for the past couple years, but you always found your way back. Guess you weren't entirely ready, but like everything else, you make it clear when you are.

Five and a half isn't lasting long. You've been making plans for your 6th birthday party for many months now. A planner! A girl after my own heart...

The second missing tooth

It had been loose for almost as long as the first one has been missing.

First I noticed that it was really leaning toward the half adult tooth beside it when we were at the library this afternoon. Then it started bleeding when she bit down too hard at snack time. Then I was tickling her and she smashed her mouth into my knee. That made it bleed profusely. She was hoping it would hold out until her show and tell on Monday...

No such luck. One last wiggle and out it popped. She was so thrilled.

UPDATE: Lily couldn't bear to part with her tooth so she decided to leave a little note for the tooth fairy. Thankfully, the tooth fairy totally understood.

A very fairy visitor

Oh yes, the tooth fairy came to visit! When you woke up on Wednesday morning, we found a very loose tooth in your mouth. We made a few movies of how wiggly it was because I thought it could come out at any second – or at least by the end of the day – and we didn't want Dad to miss it.

Turns out it hung on until you were in swimming lessons at 5 p.m. You excitedly ran over to me and dropped this tiny little tooth into my hand. It had just fell out onto your tongue. I was SO happy, I couldn't stop smiling; I just held this baby tooth in my hand before tucking it securely in my pocket for the journey home. Nana, Dad and Finn were there and you delivered the news by holding out your hand with the big reveal.

That night the tooth fairy must have come because when you awoke, under your pillow in the bag you left your tooth in was a twoonie! And that hole in your teeth was just perfect to go back to school with that day.

You'll be a wealthy girl if all those teeth keep falling out...

A little fuzzy on the definition

When we got home from the dentist yesterday, Chris asked Lily, "How was the dentist? Perfect checkup?"

"Yup," said Lily. "Only two cavitities!"

Wiggle, wiggle

We were munching on lunch yesterday when Lily said, "Ow. My quesadilla hurt my teeth." So I asked, "Is there a bone in there?" With a very disapproving look she responded, "You put bones in there?" And when she said it, I noticed her bottom middle right tooth was crooked. I stuck my finger in there and sure enough, it wiggled!

I almost burst with excitement, her dad and I both telling her how awesome it was and all about the tooth fairy and how big a girl she is to start losing her baby teeth and how cool it will be to stick her tongue in the hole. But she burst into tears. She was suddenly terrified about losing her teeth after talking about them feeling different, sore, over the last few weeks, that maybe they'd be loose soon.

After some hugs and reassurance, she was as excited as we were. Standing in the mirror, wiggling it with her finger, she made a list of all the people she could tell. First it would be her swim instructor, then Nana, then the kids at school.

Always one to think of her brother, she said, "It's like, when I loose my teeth, Finn grows them! Like we're trading!"

The 2010 winter concert

Lily said it's not called a Christmas concert anymore because not everyone celebrates Christmas. Fair enough. But it was just as sweet. There were two performances; the first at 1 p.m. that Nana, Finn and I attended and the second at 7 p.m. that just Chris and I went to. (And yes, that second one started 15 minutes after Lily and Finn usually crawl into bed...)

Check out their entire performance in less than three minutes:


Lily's xmas concert performance 2010 from Hood/Anderson on Vimeo.

In other news, Lily said she was falling in love with three of the boys in her class today, so if we include Creeson, she now loves four boys. Oh my.

Style notes: Nov. 2010 edition

After some ruthless clothes purging, Lily has adopted many of my "fancy" shirts as dresses. Throw in a little up-do and a tiara and you're set!

Looks like we missed October, mostly due to the illnesses that would never end – and then there was the ear infection that she's still on antibiotics for:

But we're practically all healthy now. Just in time to make Christmas presents and goodies... And go to Christmas parties and concerts where there will be ample opportunity to make fashion statements.  Like this one:

Lily was a purple princess for neighbour Carly's birthday party.

And what's better than wrapping a scarf (left) or a shawl and a piece of fabric of Mom's to make you feel all dolled up? She spends many an afternoon getting gorgeous...while I chase her around and ask for just one picture for her website... Isn't it worth it?

It's a party!

Your printing is getting more effortless. Next on to lowercase letters!

Today Brynn finally had her 5th birthday party...not quite a month after she turned five. You made her this card, we put together a photo album of all your pictures together since you first met, and we gave her an Ariel heart locket that we bought at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disneyland. How nice to be home and have time to do this stuff.

You're explaining the card you made...just in case she didn't get it.

You wanted to look so nice for the party and picked out this shirt well in advance. You even had Nana curl your hair after you specifically requested to have a bath so you could wash your hair. (Huh? That's a first!)

  

You did look nice. Always our little fashionista... Nothing better to run around in than a skirt!

Three of a kind

You know, it's not very often you have friends since birth – or very close to birth. I was approximately 14 weeks pregnant with you when Jamie, Creeson's mom, told me she was newly pregnant. Shortly thereafter, Jamie told me that Carla, Brynn's mom, was pregnant, too.

Jamie and I worked together and were quite a sight when we went for coffee, two gals with very pregnant bellies. Or so we felt. Carla and Jamie were good friends and Chris and I had known Carla and JP just slightly less long than we'd known Jamie and Mike...less than a year after we'd moved to Regina and about six months before Jamie and I began working together in the Communications department at SGI.

You were two and a half months old when we got the call – Creeson had been born, though he didn't have a name yet. We scurried to the hospital to find out that Brynn had also been born – twenty minutes or so after Creeson – and Carla's room was right across the hall!

Though we've had lots of playdates with just Creeson and lots of playdates with just Brynn, it's so nice to have the three of you together, to watch you grow up together. Wow. 

Dec. 2005 – Creeson, Brynn and Lily...screaming because Mama put her down.

April 2006 – Creeson, Brynn and Lily at our house.

Dec. 2006 – Lily, Brynn and Creeson celebrate xmas at Brynn's.

March 2007 – Creeson, Brynn and Lily at Brynn's house.

Dec. 2008 – Brynn, Lily and Creeson around xmas at Michele's.

Aug. 2009 – Creeson, Lily and Brynn taste the icing at Lily's fourth birthday party.

Oct. 2009 – Brynn, Creeson and Lily celebrate Creeson's fourth birthday at It's a Blast!

Oct. 24, 2010 – Creeson, Lily and Brynn at Creeson's 5th birthday at the Science Centre.

And the winner is...

Lily! Thanks to all the peeps who bought magazines from her school fundraiser, which raised a whopping $131.82 for her school, Lily won this "wonderful" fiber-optics lamp. Well, she had to choose between this and a Webkinz and since we're not hip to what Webkinz even are, the lamp it was.

Her dad was so proud that she was the only kid in her class to win anything, but then he realized that she didn't even really do anything...except maybe to understand that the more you participate, the better you'll feel about your school.