Police dog in our backyard

We had some excitement today as the police chased 4 burglars through our neighborhood.  There was lots of fence-jumping from the cops and the perps, plus a helicopter search.

I was looking through my phone screenshots last night and apparently Dorothy took lots of pictures while FaceTiming with her cousin using a silly app

Make-your-own kaleidoscope kit

Morning light

I saw on Facebook that people still dressed up for Easter Sunday, so I dressed Dorothy up on Easter Monday

(Happy Easter) Sunday Funnies

Dorothy is interested in nicknames.  She is tickled beyond measure that her cousin Maggie is really named Margaret.  "Do you think her sister Mary Claire knows that?" she asked.

Dorothy's teacher was talking about patterns, and she encouraged the kids to use objects at home to make patterns.  She said, "You could make patterns with anything, like beads if you have some."  "WAIT," Dorothy said to me, eyes wide, "some people don't have beads?!"

I love it when Dorothy gets words wrong.  Her class does a little song that names foods, including, apparently, "petsaroni pizza".  (This might be because we don't eat much pepperoni; then again, we don't eat many pets.)

Dorothy was playing around with a broom and told me that it was her broom's birthday.  "Oh, that's cute," I said.  "How old is your broom?"  "Two and a half," Dorothy informed me.

Our washing machine is a little off-balance, and when it thumps it sounds like someone is knocking at the door, which fools us occasionally.  This morning the washing machine thumped, and in these Corona times, Dorothy announced with relief, "At least that wasn't friends!"

Chillaxin'

As I get older I realize why my grandparents liked playing cards with me so much. The sitting.

Strawberry smoothie

Little bunny at the school party

Dorothy is not interested in her ballet class's online videos, so for the third attempt I let her preview her recital costume

We made an egg tree

The Sunday Funny (Joke's on Dorothy)

So, we've been in the house for a while, and really, it's going fine.  But Dorothy is inclined to turn-down options; she doesn't want to go outside when I suggest it, and so forth.  I've come up with a solution that's working so well I practically feel guilty.  I call it "mystery card".  I have written activities on index cards and each day Dorothy gets to draw a card and do that activity.  Now, these are just basic fun that Dorothy would normally reject, like "paint with watercolors" or "blow bubbles", but dang if when I put it on a card she doesn't look forward to it, beg for it, and then enthusiastically do it.

I've also invented a part of our day called "oldie but goodie", where she needs to find a toy she hasn't used in a while and play with it.

Mystery card:  Mama's little watercolors

Brian made a pie

A through X came from school; we made Y and Z at home!

The end of the (alphabet) road

Doll dress-up (Dorothy is holding a prop and hiding)

Dorothy is totally into ants lately

The Sunday Funnies

Dorothy picked up a flower that had fallen on the path.  "That kind of flower is called fluted," I said.  Then she dropped it and gasped, "I dropped the fluted!"

Dorothy was crying because she noticed that her toy had one eye that was printed more darkly than its other eye.  "Sit right here," I said, "because you need to eat breakfast.  I can see you melting before my eyes."  "Don't mention eyes!" she yelled.

"P.E. is an easy word to spell," said Dorothy.  "Yes, like OK and PJs," I responded.  "PJs," said Dorothy, "is that P-J-J?"

"Do you know what I wish for?" Dorothy asked as she appeared from bed.  "A mom who will go to bed with me and help me fall asleep every night.  What do you wish for?" she asked.  "A daughter who will go to bed and not get out again," I said.  A full 24 hours later, at bedtime, Dorothy reflected, "Remember when I told you what I wished for and asked you what you wished for?  Really, I wished for the same thing you did.  If I had a mom who would go to bed with me, I would never have to get out of bed."

Are the Dean/Lasseters getting punchy? You be the judge.