We are being visited by a very fierce late winter snow storm and it is a perfect day to stay inside and work with clay. Julia and I found an interesting clay book – Ceramics for Kids, by Mary Ellis – with lots of ideas for projects and lots and lots of pictures. We are due to go to our ceramics shop – Fired Up – tomorrow (depending upon he weather of course) and I want to see if we can bring a clay creation or two to fire. Or to see if it can be fired. Our directions have been simple enough but I figure that we will do everything wrong for the first few times. What is there to do wrong? I have no idea; if I did I wouldn't do it.

We had a great time at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells yesterday. It was warm inside the water park, it was crowded but not jammed, loud but not unbearable. Julia did not seem bothered by the intense sensory imput although I needed to go to a quieter place for lunch. We spent the morning in the kids' pools, the lazy river, and the hot tubs. I asked Julia if she wanted to go down the big slides and she refused. After lunch when we were in a hot tub, Julia saw that some of the big slides used rafts and she wanted to go down those slides. We went down three different slides a number of times each and I was the one who had to call it quits. At some point, my tummy decided that the speed and zig-zagged journeys down the slides were a strain and I certainly didn't need to get car sick on a water slide. Julia was or acted very disappointed to stop sliding. Last night when David put Julia to bed, she told him, “No more slide” and “Back to the puppy house, no slide.” Maybe she was not so very disappointed afterall.

There are a few words that I have told Julia I don't want her to say. I made this rule a few months ago when she brought home the word “stupid” from school. The words include “Stupid” and “shut up” and if I remember correctly, I had the same rule with Cheshire at about this age. Julia has not used these words since I laid down the law but I did not think much about it. A few nights ago we were watching Ice Age in which both words are used (Yes, I know “shut up” is not a word!) and Julia reminded us that both were bad words. So my little girl listened and is obeying my rule.

Tender Shadows

Is it spring yet? Maybe. Maybe. The daytime temperatures are in the high 30s the last few days. We saw 40+ twice last week, and oh so shockingly, 40 feels like I should be expecting something, like, like green growing things. Maria, my next door neighbor, has bulbs coming up on our side of her house. Green shoots about an inch or so high. Oh, they look good. There is still snow on lots of the yards but near the houses and near the sidewalk, it is melting. Fringes on both sides. Our highest terrace has only a little bit of snow and the side of our house around the corner is pretty bear. But no bulb shoots.

David was saying today that he saw a guy up the street raking some of his flower beds and he chuckled about over enthusiatice gardners. I had to admit that I had been planning to get out next week and do a bit of that myself, where ever the snow has melted, just to be doing it. My plan was to do it during the week when most folks are at work, thereby saving myself from getting caught by the likes of my dear husband and chuckled at.

It has been a long winter. Even for old time Wisconsin-ers. A friend commented that the first snow was greeted with glee for all the expected winter sports, more snow just meant buckling down and doing the Wiconsin snow-thing diligently, more snow brought a bit of silence among even those who professed a great love of the fourth season, and now melting snow is bringing lots and lots of sighs of relief.

We watched the original Peter Pan, with Mary Martin, with Julia. She watches most animation well but doesn't really watch live- action movies apart from Annie and a few others. She loved Peter Pan – the singing and dancing was all so exciting, but the story, the kids, the flying, and the pirates were even move. Julia has a muppets pirate ship that she plays with so pirates are already part of her vocabulary of imagination. She even knew a few of the songs because they are sung by kids singers and we play them in the car. She loves the lullaby “Tender Shepherd” but has no idea what a shepherd is and so sings “Tender Shadows.” I tried to correct her but she said “It Peter Pan song.” And she is right – Peter loses his shadow and Wendy sews it back on. I think she will be singing “Tender Shadows” for a long time.

Cheshire will be a New York City school teacher next year. She clicked the box online and took the job. This was a hard decision, and I am very proud that she has made it. Brava, my girl!

Lists, swimming, and a snow blower

Two Julia things –

I have been using a daily list of activities with Julia during the winter break and although she can be a bit resistant to making the list, once we get started, it is good for her and she is enjoying. Today, our list was shoveling snow, food shopping, visiting the Y, swimming, shopping for a snow blower, playing a game, working on the number 3. I draw pictures of each activity on our small chalk board and we cross off activities as we do them. It is surprising to me that such a simple process works with Julia.

We joined the Y today – took the tour, signed the check, and went swimming. Julia was beside herself with joy. What a fish she is. I almost felt guilty that we have waited so long to find a place to swim with her. Definitely, we are going to sign her up for classes. One facility Julia is not old enough to use at the Y is the hot tub. There was no age limit at the JCC and Julia always enjoyed the hot tub, especially in the winter. Now she has to wait until she is 16. I’m also expecting to make some good use of the Y once Julia goes back to school. A good time for new year’s resolutions.

We bought a snow blower today. Ummm, getting in touch with winter? I guess we could have suffered though the winter, and as long as I am not working, I could take care of the walks and driveway, but I am not sure how we could handle it once both of us are working. And my mother’s been after me to look for something that we could use. Thanks, Mom.

I did the research last night, and ran into a neighbor early this morning who was using the Toro model that I was interested in. It is a smaller blower but this neighbor has used it for a few years and said he was very happy. That was all I needed to find a shop with some stock and sales help who could answer questions. And now we have a new machine!

Midday snow pictures.

The house in the snow. I first thought that the house was a bit wildly painted, then I grew used to is. Now, I positively love the way it looks in the snow.

Last week, I heard on the radio that we WILL have a white Christmas. I guess that means no melting. That got me to wondering about the amount of snow on every street and piled in ever parking lot and lawns, etc. David says they seem to be trucking snow away downtown. I wonder how high the piles get and what doe the city look like in February. We were up last February but it was bitter cold and I just didn't notice how much snow there was. I also think that last year was a light snow year. When David moved up in April, there were stlill snow piles around town. Sure if they are 10 or 12 feet high, those piles are going to last a long time. There was, however, no snow by June.

Here is Julia and Daddy get ready for Julia's first sled ride. David dug out his childhood sled that we've carried from place to place. David used it as a kid; Cheshire used it as a kid; and now it's Julia's turn. She loved, loved, loved the idea of the sled but was pretty excited just being pulled along our street. Our street does slope up and we dragged her all the way up the street and then turned around and went down. It was a very slow ride down, but it was plenty for our girl. She laughed and cheered and loved it.

I think we have to build up to a real hill, but I guess we will have plenty of time to do that. I am sure it looks a little silly to see two grownups pulling a 6 year old up the street. I think most kids this age are on the hills, but Julia n needs the tuning. When Cheshire was a little one, I thought of her as finely tuned. She didn't need lots of admonishment or yelling and never any hitting. She was very atuned to her teachers' and parents' disappointment. She was the first one to say that someone yelled at her when all that person did was raise their voice slightly. (This did change in her teen age years. LOL)

Julia on the other hand, is hardly tuned at all. I am now telling her to make sure she responds to my first calling or admonishment. She wants to please but doesn't really know that I don't want to yell at her forever! I keep reminding her to listen and respond immediately and she is getting better at it.

As for experiences, like the sled, she has no idea how to respond. She can be unwilling to try anything new because of her excitment and I am sure, fear as well. Today's ride up and down the street was a exciting as a big rollercoaster. I do wonder what it would be like for her if she had siblings and was expected to just join into the fun. Seeing other kids doing these exciting things might make her more comfortable, but then again, it might not be that simple. She might need the very one-on-one care that we give her.

And that is why two old grownups were pulling Julia up the street and down again this afternoon.