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.

Instagram copycat

Washing our hands, doing our part

Where the sidewalk ends...and the bike path begins

The kids say the pledge each morning during their online classes; we needed a flag

You might notice that this flag only has eleven stripes.  Thankfully I noticed and fixed it before Brian or the blogosphere made fun of me.

Dorothy likes to "pair up" her shoes and clothes

The Sunday Funny

We have an electric pencil sharpener, and Dorothy received a small manual pencil sharpener among her valentines.  She used it for the first time and announced, "It didn't make any noise, but the pencil is sharp!"

At the end of each week we're supposed to send Dorothy's teacher proof that she completed her worksheets

Home work man

Homework girl

Amaryllis

Today's schedule

We decided to join the many who are creating schedules for their days at home.  This is how you read it:

9 a.m.  Play Dr. Panda games

10 a.m.  Take a walk

11 a.m.  Listen to an audiobook

12 p.m.  Lunch

1 p.m.  Arts & crafts

2 p.m.  Read Bob Books and Betsy & Billy

3 p.m.  Playground

4 p.m.  Play ABC Mouse online

I forgot I was filling the tub

The Sunday Funnies

I was reading a Frozen 2 book to Dorothy.  "This book doesn't tell the whole story of Frozen 2," she said.  "Right," I explained.  "It's an easy-reader book with small words so young children can read it."  "Oh, so it doesn't tell the whole story," she observed, "just facts."

Dorothy and Willa were blowing, chasing, and popping bubbles.  "I love how the bubbles shatter," Dorothy said.

Dorothy was asking questions about why a villain in a movie wanted money, and eventually I admitted that I like money -- enough to have a house and a car and Dorothy's school and food and to take trips to see our family, I said.  She brought to mind my pottery bowl on the bookshelf that holds my coins, and said, "Mom, I know you have a whole bowl of money, but it's not really that much."

And when I picked her up from school there was more bling added

Posing for a Saint Paddy's Day party picture and she saw a bug

Friendly pup at the playground

Leprechaun traps

Making binoculars this weekend

The Sunday Funnies

Dorothy is no stranger to the Dollar Tree; neither is her mama.  Gram & Big Daddy sent a few dollars for Valentine's, and I suggested that we visit the Dollar Tree to buy a treat.  With a wry smile Dorothy posed, "Perhaps a broom?"

Dorothy came home from school and wanted to share a song that she had learned.  She started:
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red brown yellow black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
"That's called Jesus Loves the Little Children," she finished.

Brian brought shamrock shakes to Dorothy and Willa.  He described it to Willa as "fresh mint."  "That's funny," Dorothy said, "because it's a refreshment."

Brian needed to change the battery in his car which was dead in the Walgreens parking lot.  Dorothy and I went into the store and then I told her she could mess around in the car while I held the flashlight for Brian.  She immediately sat in her car seat and waited patiently.  When we were finished, I climbed back into the car, and Dorothy asked, "Mama, what did you mean when you said I could 'mess around' in the car?"

Instagram flashback explosion

Dorothy's show-and-tell for the letter Ww

After writing "Will", she considered cutting out the letters Y-U-M in order to complete his name.

Over the course of a rainy afternoon, the girls went from playing with the Barbie Dream Townhouse to playing with the Barbie Dream Townhouse while wearing swimsuits.

The flowers are beautiful here

But we are not enjoying them because we are suffering from super allergies.

Big, Big Dreams

Video:  https://youtu.be/ou6GGMm84Ew
(Turn up the volume.)

Meeting Baby Will

Shamrock shake

Frozen capes

Mardi Gras

Try-on day

The Boxcar Children