1/30/2011 9!

Not much happened today for Gabriel's birthday, on the surface. But it was a great day for that reason. Julian was at a rare playdate, and this made life MUCH easier around here -- no pestering little sister, no fighting with brother.

(Katrina is reading every word I'm writing over my shoulder and repeating it aloud as I type...ok she got stuck on "shoulder"...)

I took Gabriel to Toys'R'Us so he could buy "Bey Blades," an old rage in new plastic wrapping, a Japanese take on the old "battle tops" games. He's been absorbed in that all day.

This morning before Bey Blades invaded our house, I heard Gabriel playing the piano and singing, and snuck in to take some video. He noticed me partway through the video, but was overall undaunted. (She doesn't know the word "daunted" either.) He does this for an hour at a time - he sure does like his blues!


Katrina is reading super super well, especially for being only 4-1/4. Most people are impressed at her apparent kindergarten-readiness based on that, but Dave and I are increasingly nervous about a much more serious and meaningful kindergarten-readiness metric: she's been "leaking" in her pants more and more. Today she went through three changes of clothes, and would have had more without numerous reminders. Regardless of reading level, no school will (or should) take her if she's still acting like a new potty-training toddler.

(She's reading all this as I'm writing and giggling, which tells me she comprehends it, and tells me again how much she cares about this problem: not at all. Yeah hah hah very funny.)

Maybe by the time she's 9 we'll be done with this. Meantime, we have a birthday to celebrate!


1/30/2011