TEACHER CONFERENCE (-21 DAYS)

Momma attended her first teacher-parent conference at S's preschool with Miss Jennifer. Miss Jennifer described S as a big-hearted kind gentle person. Momma was pleased to hear that S found a place for herself among the students, mostly with the girls playing babies.

WHAT GOES ON IN THE WORLD OF S (4 YRS - 21 DAYS & COUNTING)

Momma and daddy often wonders what S does at school. Often, when asked "How was school?" the answer is "nothing" or "good." Or, "What did you do today?" the answer is "nothing" or "play".

Recently, momma got a little glimse into S's school world. Driving home from school on Tuesday, S told momma that she played with Susannah today. Momma asked what did she and Susannah do. S continued with, "We can't play Keep Out at school. Keep out is mean." Not sure what to make of this, momma followed up this remark with, "What is keep out?"

"Keep out is when you don't play with other kids," replies S. Momma continues with, "Do you and Susannah play keep out?" "Yes," says S, but adds that "the teachers say we can't play keep out. Keep out is mean."

Later that night, S added "the teachers don't let us use potty words, or play super hero." Momma does wonder sometimes what goes on at school, but she's not too worried. The teachers seem to be doing a good job.

STREP? (3 WKS TIL 4 YRS OLD)

Well, after going to the doctor twice to get S's itches checked out, she was diagnosed with strep. It wasn't worms! It wasn't yeast infection! It was strep! Since strep is travels via air and via touch. The doctor guessed that it got in her bits by touch.

Momma wonders if S got it from momma? Or, momma got it from S? Who knows?! But both momma and S were on a ten day heavy dose of antibiotics. S just finished her medicine yesterday! Within 24 hours of the medicine, S's itches were better. It took longer for the redness to go down.

One of the good things out of this experience is that S washes her hands and wipes herself well after using the potty!

P.S. The funniest incident about worms happened when Aunt Fiona was taking care of S. They were in the potty at Jumpy Gym when S tells Aunt Fiona that she had worms. A statement like that got a lot of stares.

EAT! (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

Despite recently becoming a picky eater and refusing to try new foods, here's a list of the food she does eat:

- any soup as long as either has beans or noodles in it
- spaghetti, for that matter, anything pasta, e.g. alfredo, lasana
- brocoli, green beans, peas, carrots (as long as it's in small cubes) and corn
- onions, if she doesn't know about it
- seaweed
- tofu (in any form)
- meat! including seafood, e.g. shrimp, squid, ...
- beans, any type
- asparagus, califlower, spinach (if in lasana or casserole, e.g. hidden somehow)
- all fruits
- tomatoes, if it's in a sauce only
- dairy, all things dairy, especially ice cream and P. Terry's shakes
- soy milk
- potatoes, yucca
- eggs
- mayonaise (it gets its own listing)

Momma would be more worried about S becoming so picky except that most of the time she eats everything offered to her.

WORMS! YUCK! (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

After two nights of checking for worms, there's no sign of it! Unfortunately, in the process of trying to explain what momma and daddy had to do, now, S is worried about pin worms and keeps asking momma and daddy to check her.

Momma thinks the culprit is the S's recent lackadaisical attitude towards proper hygeine, which has cause the itchies down there.

READING (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

Momma thinks S could read if she wants to, but thinks the problem is that S is too smart for own good. S doesn't seem to understand why reading is necessary because she usually memorizes the entire book either by the first or second reading to her and often recites the books with momma and daddy during bedtime. Her new favorites are Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.

P.S. One of the games momma plays in the car is "spell it." Momma says a simple three or four letter word and S sounds it out and then spells it out, e.g. dog, cat, bug, pest, fish.... But, yet, S will not pick up any book to read.

Momma has to remind herself, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Ecclesiastes III).

AFFLICTED (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

Everyone seems to be afflicted here. Momma has strep. Daddy injured his elbow and has a bad rash in a very sensitive spot. And, today, Dr. Ward think S has pin worms. At least there's medication for us all.

CAMPING AT BRAZOS BEND (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

Camping at Brazos Bend went well over the weekend (April 10-11), despite the 5:30 am drive. S enjoyed petting the baby alligator, geo-caching, and touring the observatory. Unfortunately, S woke up several times in the night crying on Saturday. Momma thought it was a bad dream, but on Sunday morning realized that S wasn't feeling well. The camping trip ended early.

S spent Sunday night with a 101 fever and throwing up. Poor baby! At least she was home again!

POM POM (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

S often entertains herself by doing small craft projects. This afternoon, momma showed S how to make a yarn pom-pom ball. Momma had S rolling yarn over a cardboard rectangle while momma was busy folding laundry. When S had enough, momma and S tied a string in the middle of the yarn loops and S started cutting the yarn loops to make the pom-pom.

S's favorite part of the entire process was giving the pom-pom ball a hair cut. Momma tried to show S how to make the pom-pom more round, but it turned out to be a fun game of "hair cut." Momma was surprised to see how engaging it was for S and S even helped clean up the trail of yarn that she left behind in the living room and kitchen.

Momma hopes that S only does this with yarn, not real hair.

EASTER (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

S has had a week of Easters! There was a Mom's Club Easter hunt the week before Easter. S got a basket full of candy. The following Monday, S had her hunt at Starbright. For the first time, the kids did not hunt for real boiled dyed eggs. But, the plastic eggs were full of wonderful Waldorf treasures: rocks, feathers, and jewels. The food was delightfully healthy and as daddy says, probably the most healthy treats he's ever had, i.e. no sugar.

This was followed by the Wednesday playgroup hunt (a 3rd year tradition) with Talia, Scarlett, Oliva, and Emerson. Paul was the only playmate missing. Everyone had a full basket of trickets. By then, the kids were professionals of the hunt. This year, S also made it to the Gardner's Easter Egg hunt.

Probably the one that momma enjoyed best was the one at home on Sunday. S got a new yellow spring dress, a fluffly "ballerina" skirt, and some books. What made it fun was the fact that it was a scavenger hunt. Momma wrote four riddles, for four different locations hiding the Easter "finds." S had a good time figuring them out! A must do for next year!

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

When asked at bedtime what was her favorite part about today, she responded with a string of run-ons: Scarlet, making purses, and Central Market. What was your least favorite part: You (momma) not reading I-Spy on the potty (for me). Then, right before she fell asleep, she said, "Everything was my favorite part, except for falling." (She fell and skinned her left arm).

SNEAKY SNEAKY (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

On Wednesday, S had her playgroup Easter Egg hunt. She collected a big collection of trickets and candy. Momma told her upfront that she could have as many treats that she wanted at the party but once the party was over than so were the treats. She ate several pieces of candy and a cupcake.

On the way home, S insisted on holding her Easter basket filled with treats and toy. Momma said, "Okay now, no treats." "Yes," said S. As momma drove home, all of suddent she heard, a "pdfff, pdff" sound. S exclaimed, "This candy (jellybeans) has mint it!" Momma turned around and there was S trying to spit out the jellybeans as fast as she could. Momma couldn't help laughing and then said again, "no treats!" as seriously as she could.

Finally at home, S continued to harrass momma for more treats and threw a temper tantrum. Momma stood firm since S probably had four or five pieces of candy that day.

After dinner, S was in the living room playing. When momma went to check on her, she was on the step stool by the fireplace mantle, reaching for the candy balls in the candy dispenser. There stood S with a guilty expresson on her face. On a whim, momma ask her to spit it out, out came a couple of candy balls. S was reaching for more.

Momma surprised by all this sneakiness. As result, S got no treats on Thursday.
Momma's not sure if she needs to change her policy on treats or not. But, S has gotten into her head that she can go around momma.

EGG (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

S asked today at lunchtime, "Where do eggs come from?" Momma said, "from chicken."

S continued with, "Do the eggs grow up to be chicks?" "Yes," responded momma, "but not these eggs. The eggs we eat are not fertilized."

"How do the eggs become chicks?" "Well, it's like you," said Momma. "Fertilized eggs have a little bit of momma and daddy chicken in them to make chicks." "When the eggs have no little bit of daddy in them, they don't make chicks."

"OK," responds S, moving on to the next topic. Momma wonders what S understood of the conversation.

BUS (ALMOST 4 YRS OLD)

Momma and S finally took the plunge and rode the bus home from preschool today. Momma plotted out the route and made a print out of it (which she forgot to take). She arranged for a ride to school from another mother. The bus ride and walk took two hours, from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

The scariest part was forgeting the route map at home but fortunately the bus driver was very helpful. The hardest part was walking home because S was tired but she kept walking like a trooper. The best part was that S loved the bus ride. Momma and S transferred twice and she loved riding in the bus and didn't mind waiting for it.