With june and july being the peak months for hand-foot-and mouth disease, emma has still not returned to preschool yet this summer. But we've tried to find ways to keep the days fun and full of opportunites to see friends. Our weekly schedule usually includes one day with Clara Anne and Chloe, one day with Peter, Alex and Savannah, one day with a picnic lunch and one day of running errands by bus - to the post office, grocery store, the market, etc. The girls love riding the bus, everything from swiping the bus pass and the "ding" it makes as it takes our money to holding on the hand rails to making friends with the driver.
But nothing beats playdates, whether it's playing baby dolls with the girls or learning the specifics of making train tracks with the boys. Several weeks ago when clara anne and chloe were here, I thought I'd try one of the activities I'd been putting off for a while - body paint.
I mixed some powdered tempera paint with johnson's baby soap, took most of their clothes off and stuck them all in the bathtub. The result was a bathroom full of nonstop shrieking, the fullness of three-year-old delight. My own face hurt by the time it was over because I was smiling so much at their enjoyment.
Paint gets squishy in your fingers...and feels great...
It's so much fun to laugh with friends...
Chloe has had enough (mantha didn't want anything to do with it from the start!)...
dirty hands, dirty feet, happy girls!
The beauty of it - I mean, aside from the obvious joy - was that at the end of this grand party, I cleaned the girls off, walked out of the bathroom and shut off the light...knowing that it would all be magically cleaned by my house helper this afternoon. Why go to preschool when you can do this!
4 comments:
I wish I was a little girl and you were my mommy. You REALLY are truly awesome, Rach. Clara Anne & Emmy are so cute and what fun it must be to come to Emma and Mantha's house. Chloe and Mantha just seem to be more refined with their fun. :)
Nana and Papa were good about letting me have all kind of adventures when I was little.
Can you beat getting to go to the annual Rattlesnake Hunt in Waurika and all 4 females sitting up on the top of the car...fearing for their lives..yet...hoping for a glimpse of "the snakes?" Or..going to the drive-in with all your cousins and sitting in lawn chairs or on blankets eating "from your own home hot dogs, popcorn, chips, and pop?" Who knew they had a little snack shack out on that immense parking lot??
When you get to see the home videos where you have Holly and Katie at age 3 and 4 and Dustin at age 9 or 10 be in the "plays" that you wrote and directed and had a "cameo" in from time to time...you will also laugh until your face hurts. They are priceless.
So..what I have decided is..even though you all are very far away..your girls are having a great time growing up. They will have great memories and get to read and look at what their life was like when they lived so far, far away. We love you and so enjoy your blog. I guess I'd have to say..we couldn't live w/o it!
Love.....MOM
So fun! Wish we could come over for a play date!
all I have to say besides what a fun mom you are is....househelper....the missing piece to my life thus far.
Emma looks just like Holly in that first picture with her shrieking! I still think of all you guys as little... Katie has to keep reminding me.
You are such a fun mom to let them play with red paint in the tub. My older two kids were like 8 years old before they even knew what ketchup was (thanks to Mindy) and that spaghetti was supposed to have sauce on it.
Post a Comment