Skipping Town

Lucia is just too funny these days. She's learning so much and all her new knowledge--from the bus, from her new friends, from her teachers, from her six-year-old life--sometimes filters out in hilarious ways. Two examples from today and yesterday: At the dinner table last night, I was talking to the girls about the wedding this weekend, instructing them on good manners and etc. Greta announced that if the bride approaches our table during dinner, she'll give the bride a big hug. Lucia thought about this for a moment, then said, "But what if Greta hugs the bride and she has SAUCE on her hands???" Too funny. Today, in the car, Greta was having a four-year-old moment and kicked my arm as I reached back to unbuckle her seatbelt. When I suggested she apologize, she refused. Then Lucia said, "What if, instead of saying 'Sorry,' you say 'Sorry, buster!'" I'm still laughing over this one. I have no idea where she got that. Sorry, buster! L...

Dear Grets, Happy birthday! You're four! Four seemed so huge when Lucia was marking this milestone--but you are still undeniably my baby. You've been awash in birthday celebrations for two weeks now, and your birthday and Lucia's birthday kind of blur together since I just split up a lot of the gifts between the two of you. Nonetheless, today was your day, and it was a fun one. You got to open one present this morning, a large plush Princess Luna (Lucia got one too). I was the helping parent at school, and you wore a sticker announcing your birthday and also announced it yourself as each of your classmates arrived. I brought cupcakes for your class, and everyone sang to you. This afternoon, once Lucia got home from school, you got to open the rest of your gifts. Your favorites were a tiny sleeping Applejack in a bed and a variety of blind bag ponies. At your request, we had waffles for dinner, and then a cake you'd picked out from the grocery store (which, tire...

Dear Lucia, This is a two-weeks-late letter, better than no letter at all. The start of school made September a blur; I'd counted on getting my footing in October, but the insanity of your birthday and Greta's birthday back to back makes October pretty crazy too. But: you're six! Five was a watershed birthday, but six is showing even more transformations, coupled as it is with the start of kindergarten. You've become such a kid these past two months, and you were beyond excited about your birthday. Daddy was in Germany on the big day, and he hated not being home to celebrate with you. But Gra and Pop-Pop came to NJ for a few days, and I can safely say you had a wonderful birthday. In the morning, I gave you one present before you left for school--a large Princess Celestia plush you'd discovered when we were in Ocean City, MD, and which we secretly bought for you (and Greta). I was a lunch helper at school, so I got to see you during the day--you were wearin...