Pomp and Circumstance

On Friday, June 15th, bearing balloons and dressed in her finest, Hallie arrived at school for her last day of preschool.  It was graduation day!  After two months of practice, the families of the Children's Center students piled into the church hall to bear witness to the first of many school milestones their little ones will meet. Sharing in Hallie's achievement were Grandma, Grammie, Grampa, Aunt Charlotte and Auntie as well as friends Jeff and Alex (her 'other' family). This was not merely a cute ceremony - it was an EVENT - designed in a way that afforded every child his or her own moment to be seen, heard and shine a little in the individual spotlight. With about 30 children, it was no short affair.  

It began with two slide presentations (we won't get into WHY there was a second slide show) that chronicled the fun and learning the kids have experienced throughout their time at preschool.  Then, Hallie and her classmates marched in one by one and found their seats on the stage.  After the last child took his place, the audience was greeted by students and asked to join in saluting the American and Christian flags. Hallie and two of her classmates donned special hats and, accompanied by the rest of the graduating class, sang America the Beautiful.  She even had a line! (but-proud parent mantra- no one was more special than anyone else...) After Hallie asked everyone to be seated, we were led in prayer and formally welcomed.

The children sang a Christian song in honor of Hallie's teacher who passed away at the first of the year and who always chose a song with a

Christian theme for ceremonies past. They signed as they sang Step by Step and followed with We are the World*.  

The ceremonial diplomas were given and while returning to their seats, the children each stepped in front of the microphone to announce what they would be when they grew up. Only one child hesitated... yup, it was ours. 

Ordinarily, one would just assume that she was nervous or stage struck but let me provide a little background here so you can understand that neither was the case.  You see, during the course of those two months of rehearsal, Hallie shared her thoughts with us.  She was going to be a teacher or a dentist or a scientist.  We told her she could be whatever she'd like.  Well, about a week before graduation she came home and announced she wanted to be a nail painter. Now, all parents should encourage their children to be whatever they want to be and I didn't mean anything by it when I asked her 

'what happened to being a scientist?'  Other than asking her who was also choosing that, I let it go. Please don't be offended if you or your best friend are a 'nail painter'.  It's just that I don't paint my nails often and not since I became pregnant have I used the stuff so what does Hallie know about the occupation of manicurist - especially since she doesn't know the word? So, when it came down to it and she paused, albeit seconds, I thought 'Oh, that's my fault-my first (and by the way, recorded evidence of) scarring and crushing the dreams of my child.  I later asked her if she forgot what she wanted to be and when she said no. I asked if she tried to answer what Daddy and I wanted and held my breath.  She said 'no'. Hmmmmmm.  Then after a minute she told me that another student (who went before her) copied her.  I asked her if he had been saying scientist during all the practices, too. She said, 'No, he wanted to be a builder or something.  I was trying to remember one I didn't hear yet.'  Lucky for us, but what a mind on her!

The ceremony ended with remarks and the presentation of flowers to the parents.  Upon handing off their flowers to parents they were hard pressed to find, the graduates were handed balloons and sent to the courtyard.  
The balloons were let go with wishes and hopes and dreams for the future in kindergarten and beyond.

Ultimately it was the greatest testamentto how much those children are loved and cherished by their teachers and evidence of the truth that may be forgotten in future ceremonies - that no child is better or more significant than any other. No one child was going to be the star. Every child was the star. Each had a role to play and each had a chance to be heard. Each was a gift for us all to share.  It was innocent, sweet and endearing. It was one of those times that leaves you wondering when you stopped thinking you could be a robot (uh huh, someone said that) or a rock star when you grew up.  It was one of those times we will cherish and keep.  So yes, it was lengthy but, it was a beautiful thing.

* What kind of children of the 80's would we be if we didn't include the original? This was HUGE!  On the radio, it was a game to try and guess the artist, at school half the students were walking billboards with their USA for Africa shirts and on TV well, if you didn't have MTV (back when they actually played 'M') you felt like you were part of the problem.  Aside from being amazed that we can remember something over 20 years old, we laugh at the clothes and hair we witnessed in Jr High/High School and how good everyone looked before all the plastic surgeries.
(original We are the World)

9 month (and 54 month) portraits

They're finally here! As always, it's almost time for the next sitting but they're always cute (and VERY telling)!

Water Babies

Formal Portraits
COMING SOON

Where has the time gone? We're not sure but, here we are.... Anna - 91/2 months old already and Hallie - a precocious 4 1/2. Anna is almost walking on her own (for more than 3 or 4 steps at a time) and wants to feed herself with a spoon and use the computer.  Hallie has learned to swim with a kick board, is about to graduate from preschool and is headed to kindergarten in the fall. She changes her mind daily as to what she wants to do when she grows up and we love it! The best part.... they are happy, healthy and they like (or should we say LOVE) each other better than ever!

For the third year, the high school swim team held a fundraiser to offset their summer costs. So for a few dollars and eight afternoons, children (mostly those of district employees) were provided with one-on-one swimming lessons. Hallie was lucky enough to have the same teacher she had last year and she literally jumped right in! It's fun to see the progression of photos and movies from ages 2-4.  At 2, every time her teacher tried to get her to jump off the side she shook her head, negotiated and sat down on the side.  At 3 she would jump in a few times but clung to the teacher's neck for a good part of the time.  This year, at 4, Hallie was tall enough to walk in the shallow end and, though she regressed in the area of jumping, she would hold her breath, put her face under and stroke and kick while trailing the teacher.  She learned to kick off from the wall and with the help of a kick board, she can kick off the bottom and make it all the way across the pool!  We are going to have to spend more casual time in the pool this summer so she can explore and experiment on her own.

After a few days, we realized Anna was chomping at the bit to get in the water.  She even let practical strangers walk her over to the pool's edge!  Anything to get there and splash a bit. We broke down and put her in her suit, shed our shoes and waded with her on the steps.  You'd think that would be good enough for a baby who's never been in recreational water.  Nope.  We neglected to consider the 'big sister factor'.  If  we weren't holding her, she would have leaped out into the abyss to catch up with her idol.  She much preferred our leaving the steps and hanging her into the water from poolside.  So after swirling her around and dunking her proved to be less than satisfactory, and Hallie's lesson was done, the teacher scooped Anna into her arms and swirled her and splashed with her while walking and bobbing around the pool. 

Now, I'm not positive but, I think we have another water baby on our hands. 
She is signing the word bath a little now when she hears the word, as did Hallie at this age, and if the bathroom door is left open she is upright, tub side, banging on the edge and trying to climb over the edge.  She likes bubbles, having her hands washed (as long as we remember not to squish her stomach over the edge of the sink) and likes to be sprayed or squirted with water - even if it gets her in the face. This of course poses a challenge to us as we are making sure the four year old can get to the bathroom in time or to prepare for bed yet we need to close the door to keep out the littlest mermaid. I just wish these challenges didn't come so fast. I'm thrilled at how quickly (and, I might add, ahead of the curve) the girls develop, explore and meet their milestones but we can't seem to get a grip before they move on and throw down the next gauntlet. It's never gonna happen, is it? Didn't think so.

Hallie's got class!

That's right! Every Tuesday and Thursday at the community center, Hallie's got class. She's got a busier calendar than Mom. First, you should have a little background information on 'why now' as opposed to 'then' or 'later'. A year ago we registered our little tactile-kinesthetic darling for a 'creative movement' dance class through parks and rec and asked to be refunded a week later. You see, what was described in a couple sentences was a class to teach rhythm and movement. What we received upon registration was a letter from the teacher stating that parents were not allowed in the room (which I understand COMPLETELY), and that it was preferred that girls have a leotard and ballet shoes but, if needed, could wear shorts and borrow shoes. Borrow shoes? Ewwwww! Anyway, we felt that "suggesting" a uniform (which, incidentally, cost more than the session) and not allowing parents in was perhaps a little too intense for parks and rec so Hallie had to dance in all her usual places; school, the market, Toys R Us, any open area with music playing...

This year we had a few more options available to us and the pediatrician suggested gymnastics so we enrolled Hallie in tumbling and cooking. She was thrilled about cooking each week and though the enthusiasm for tumbling waned, she was still happy to be rolling around on those mats and springing from the trampolines. Each was well worth the $30+ as she emerged from the experience with some new skills and added maturity.


Tuesdays she tumbled. and ran, and jumped, and rolled and bounced. She built up some arm and leg strength and though there were (too) MANY children in the class, she had plenty of turns on the various apparatus and listened well. Stretching was not a favorite activity as it requires too much of the sitting still for her but she tolerated it. She watched Coach Eric carefully and quite accurately mimicked his motions. She was good about waiting in line (most of the time) and was SO polite and respectful in comparison to many of the others in the class. Given some of the parents as examples, the kids were horribly accurate mimics as well. We won't get started on those OTHER parents though lest we take away from the glory that is Hallie's. This was, as are most childhood events, a learning experience on many levels. Best of all, she gained some willingness to try new equipment and learned to do a somersault! She'll be happy to show it off! She is so proud.


Thursdays were for a weekly food services experience just down the hall from tumbling. Hallie dipped right in (pun fully intended) as the first class recipe was hot spinach artichoke dip and chunky fruit punch. I have to admit that when she came out, all smiles, with her plate of chips and dip, I had to put on my game face and eat her creation. It was good - just not a fan. She and Daddy polished it off with ease and I asked for more after it was all finished. The weeks went by, each with a new menu item to experience. The chef really had it down to a science. She had enough pre-made that it could be accomplished in a half an hour while allowing the children to cut mix and portion the food. By the time the class had run it's course, Hallie and her culinary cohorts had made vegetable quesadillas, minestrone soup and garlic bread, a s'more like muffin, chocolate cupcakes and fruit & nut dreams. All were delicious - especially since Hallie was so proud to share her accomplishments with us.


It was very amusing to see Hallie's demeanor change when she entered that building for cooking rather than tumbling. She was more subdued and patient for the teacher to begin. Whoever thinks teachers are just bodies in front of a room and are overpaid, glorified babysitters (plenty of offense taken) should see the difference in something as simple as a 4 year old's approach to each of these situations. Cooking class had expectations, a curriculum, lesson plans and a female chef who mapped out each lesson using a repeated format and schedule. Do you think a 4 yr old can't rise to those expectations? Ours can - wow! Who knew? Now, the tumbling class wasn't bad at all but, it was overcrowded, different each week and had a male coach. Not better or worse - just different. Each had exceptional experience and patience for preschoolers (that yours truly does not possess) as well as an obvious enjoyment of the job. There was a bit of teacher mentality vs. coach mentality and, though not mutually exclusive, one skill usually outshines the other. Clearly each was in his or her proper place. Both were teachers and had the best interests at heart as well as an awareness of some pretty individual needs. They did an amazing job of learning the names of the children they needed to and knew how to read the room. How's that for community center classes? Pretty good.

Dining Out

It is an interesting experience - eating out with babies and, for that matter, more than one child. We of course don't eat anywhere but chains anyway so it's not a challenge to find a child friendly restaurant. A note of comfort....... If you go to a chain place with crayons, even though people still give you the "I hope you don't sit next to me on this flight stare", chances are you're not the worst in the place. As a matter of fact, I realize a certain amount of relief when I turn to see whose obnoxious child just disrupted the entire section 'cause that means it's not ours. It seems as though we were just freed from bearing the burden of 'the backpack' and it's out again for one more run. It is loaded with a complete set of objects that make it easier for us to be out and about with someone who can't yet order from a menu and doesn't know that public tables and chairs are not meant to be shown the same affection as the furniture at home. Of course, that is, until we have to leave and follow our trail by picking up all of the items of convenience. Hooray for Take&Toss. With Hallie being so 'portable', it's hard to switch back to the involvement and planning Anna's presence requires. Though the family oriented places are great about having plenty of seating near the kitchen and bathrooms for those with babies, they have a way to go.

First, let's address the food choices on that happy little menu with activities too hard for any child to be self entertained. Yes, children typically are not drawn to items with goat cheese, rosemary or shitake mushrooms (neither am I, for that matter) but it is a must that they like one of the following items if they are to be fed while in a restaurant. There are typically six choices presented with a variety of side dishes and clever names: chicken fingers/strips/nuggets. pizza, mac 'n' cheese, hot/corn dogs, spaghetti, and grilled cheese. If you take the time to break the transparent code - anything that covers the actual food or dresses it with cheese is considered kid friendly. Amusingly, with frequent restaurant experiences due to squeezing in visits with family. Hallie knows what she can get at each local chain place as well as whether or not they have the flavor of juice she fancies at the time. Luckily, it is in our favor that Hallie chooses to order milk and knows that if she wants fries, she has to have something NOT fried as her main meal. She also likes to munch on our salads for more than just the croutons. Good for her. Kudos to Olive Garden for having grilled chicken and broccoli as a choice - which, I can proudly say, Hallie chooses on her own.

Second, is the actual process of getting the food to the table and in the child easily. I suppose that the poor 17 yr old servers have been on the receiving end of some pretty rude behavior, children involved or not, but do they really think that an infant needs a kids menu? Even if they could eat the food, can they read the menu? If you were to give it to a being who requires being strapped into a chair so as not to fall to the earth, he/she would end up eating the crayons and ordering would be unnecessary. Now, once the food has been ordered for the toddler (Hallie now knows to wait for the food to cool) it is up to the parents to ensure that the child is not scalded by the high voltage, heat lamp warmed food. Here's a tip if you are a server, when you see us coming..... know this. We tip BIG if we don't have to blow on, stir, douse with ice or otherwise cool a plate of food. See, the child is usually starving as well as impulsive so they - big surprise - will reach for the food when it is set DIRECTLY in front of them, WITHIN their reach. Did I say we tip BIG? If we are met with a blank stare when we ask for the food to be taken out early (and must specify out in the KITCHEN, not to our TABLE) we know we will have an interesting time of it. On those golden evenings, when a server nods and says "would you like me to cool it in the refrigerator for a few minutes?" we go to the ATM to get more for the tip.

Third, is the issue of actually getting to eat. It is quite the balancing act to feed from a jar, break off/mash pieces of prepared food and attempting to keep the things in the mouth and on the table. All this is happening while trying to keep a screeching infant/toddler relatively quiet. Between that and taking turns walking the baby and taking your other children to the bathroom, when do you eat?




So much is available to us these days and it has all been created in an effort to make children more mobile and a parent's experience more pleasant. Oh yeah, and to make a few dollars. As with everything, if things are too specific and involved, they are more trouble than they are worth. Luckily, we have not been taken in by too many of these objects of modern convenience. They weren't around much with our first and now that, by our third, babies are as big a market as weddings, we know what we will actually use and for how long it will serve a purpose. One thing is still missing though. When I noticed how often I was reaching across myself to wipe a child, spoon a mouthful or catch a falling cup, I was reminded of a scene in "The Music Man" where Prof. Harold Hill charges the town hooligan with inventing a music holder for a marching piccolo player. If there was a sandwich holder then it would be presented to you for a luscious hot bite each time you took a swipe at the child.

Kid friendliest by far, no surprise, is Disneyland. Not only have they changed their menus to smaller portions and fruit and vegetables instead of fries but they have a little kid bathroom/nursing rooms and sell diapers, formula and baby food in the park. We totally missed it the first time around but between Hallie and Anna we are attempting to take full advantage. Sure, it's not free but it's nice to be able to spend a buck each for a diaper or jar of baby food that you don't have to carry around all day. Now, if we could just get restaurants to provide high chairs that are actually for eating and carry a line of baby food. Instead of the menu that also serves as a 'Fun Page', one could be printed on a disposable bib. And, instead of a bundle of crayons, how about a bundle made up of a sipper cup and spoon - tucked right inside the menu bib? Write your congressman (or local Denny's)

By the way, if you haven't been there with her yet......Hallie's number 1 choice, all around..... Red Robin