Toys, Theater and Tantrums

Busy day today. Started with me getting my massage (heaven! but I am sore now) and C and the girls heading out for a "Daddy date", which usually consists of lunch out and shopping to blow allowance money. The girls each got some more of these littlest pet shop toys, or whatever they are called. They are little animals with huge bobbing heads and they are actually quite cute despite my description. A is so into animals. I think E is just along for the ride since she wants to be like her big sister. Don't get me wrong, she loves her penguins, but I have a hunch animals are not the passion I see them being in A.

After we all got home, C played with the kids on our bed with their new toys (snuck in a short nap) and I emailed friends. I wrapped a gift and made a card for my friend's baby shower which is in the morning. I guess I picked a good weekend to start this blog, since we have so much going on. Usually life is not quite this exciting!

Anyway, we all got ready and headed out to go to a Ballet performance at an outdoor theatre at one of the state parks here. It was not a full ballet like Swan Lake or the Nutcracker or anything, but a bunch of short parts of various ones. It was actually quite good and I was surprized to see how much variation there is in ballet. Before the show starts people picnic on the grass that serves as the seating area. We got there early to get good seats and we ended up right down in front of the stage. I don't think I have seen a live performance of anything so close before. It was great to see the costumes and the facial expressions so clearly. The girls really enjoyed it. Before the show started they were running around dancing because the ballet dancers were doing their warm-ups right on the stage for us all to see. A was looking very polished in her moves and this little girl who they were sort of playing with asked her if she was a ballerina. She did look like she knew what she was doing! It was more her composure and grace than the actual moves. I guess she takes after her Aunt K!

On the way home E was crying because she was cold and wanted a blanket and a pillow, now. Then when we got home, she was hungry but didn't want what I offerrred. I was too tired to offer much! She lay on the couch crying and saying "I need somebody". C was upstairs and called down "She is pulling a Miranda". "In a good way", he quickly added! I am starting to really see and remember my own childhood enough to realize that E is just like me. So, I went over and did what I knew she needed me to do (since I have been there myself, more recently than I care to admit). I was nice and asked her if I could give her a hug. She got off the couch and grabbed my arm and we walked upstairs together with her apple slices. She happily ate her apples by the light of a glow stick while I settled A in and then fell asleep quite quickly. If I can just remember to treat her the way I like to be treated when irrational (PMSing for example), gently, I will be the kind of mother I wish to be.