Fireworks for Summer's End

A lazy Sunday, little accomplished outside a trip to the grocery store.

After a small group meeting in Mason there was a mad race to see the big WEBN Labor Day fireworks show. Genevieve (who insists that she does not like fireworks) had many oohs and aahhs. We watched from stopped traffic on Interstate 71 near the Gilbert Ave. exit. Genevieve was as fascinated by the big radio tower and the fellow spectators as much as the fireworks.

On the drive home, she reminisced about a fireworks show we watched when it was very cold and Frosty was there, and it was at Fountain Square. She was speaking of watching the lighting of the Christmas tree on the square - something Daddy and I had forgotten! She always surprises us. Next she told us she doesn't like Santa because he wears a red suit.

Mixed-Up Day

A day of unexpected schedule changes turned out pretty well for Geneveieve. Grammy's card game changed to just lunch when their fourth did not show. So, rather than go on our next errand, we visited the Doepke's -which always means door prizes for Gigi. Today she was so excited I thought she might burst into a million pieces.

Olivia gave her a pink tutu! She also got her hair styled into a bun, just like a real ballerina. She also got an orange flower power to match the pink one she was given last week. What a lucky girl!

Our next "miss" of the day came with the produce co-op pick-up @ Grailville which was already picked-up. Ugh. But on our trip down Hamilton Avenue, Daddy remembered to pick up Gigi's art creation (a butterfly garden ornament) made July 4th in Northside from Happen Inc. He discovered that the studio was open for kids (and grown-ups too it seems) to use the pottery wheel. Genevieve did a great job making her cup! She followed instructions and took it all very, very seriously. (We will post a pic next week when we pick it up).

She had a ball at Church. She was so excited to tell us that snack was dirt with a worm. "I ATE DIRT... WITH A WORM IN IT!" She cheered for Kid City and ran around.

At dinner time, she announced that she was an "avocado and kidney bean machine." I asked what that meant, and received a demonstration. The handle of her fork has a hole, which she placed her lips around, and put, guess what - avocado and kidney beans - through the hole.

Cousin fun at Summer's End

Day 2 of school. Mommy came along to learn the routine. Genevieve did not even have time to say good-bye. At pick-up time though, both parents were greeted by very enthusiastic hugs and cries of MoooooMeeee! DaaaaaaaDeeee!

As an end of summer special treat, we planned a trip to The Beach water park (Mason, OH). Gigi did not want to go. She does not like water parks. She does not like to swim. She does not want to be outside. Too bad we tell her, you're going. We picked up cousin Lily. Lily really enjoyed herself at the water park. She tried every ride at Splash Mountain with great enthusiasm. Genevieve - not so much - although afterwards she commented that her favorites were the wave pool and the lazy river.

At bedtime, she recalled the snowman that Daddy built last winter at Grammy's house (Twin Lakes in Montgomery, OH). It was decorated with food items as we had just come from the grocery store. She wantged to know what happened to the food. She suggested that a pig ate the corn, an ostrich ate the peas, and a goat ate the pear. I was surprised she even remembered the snowman.

First Day of School

It was Genevieve's official first day of school. She was very upset about the dress she was wearing. She had no problem leaving Daddy. She loves her new inside school slippers so much that she cried when she got home -- she wanted her new slippers. She forgot to bring home her art; " we have to go back and get it".

This is her friend Merina -- they are cruising together on their boat.

For bedtime stories, Genevieve commanded, "Tease me!" This means when one is reading her a story that she has heard dozens of times, she wants words changed. She finds this hilarious. She then throws out some of her own suggestions, which almost always involves garbage or a garbage can or a bathroom word.

Sleeping Boo

Dear, sweet Genevieve. This is the way I love her most --still and quiet. No, really, I love her busy chatter. But this is the time I can pretend she is still my little baby.

Here she is surrounded by her "little buddies" of choice for the night. She loves her little huggems dolly (she is cuddling the foot under her cheek in this pic) and her "little lamby with the circle in his belly." (big lamby is a long-running favorite). It just occurred to me that the other three - giraffe, duck, and dragon all were parade prizes; Easter in New Orleans, and Cincinnati "pride." She is getting a good night sleep to prepare for her first day of school. She is very excited and still talking about the best rainbow card (from Miss Carmy) she ever ever got.

At the playground today she met Leela's future best friends - twins Katherine and Eleanor, born January 15, 2004, and bound for Nativity.

Genevieve asked a question today that reminded me that a father as a primary caregiver exposes a girl to some unusual things. She asked why we did not have a boy toilet in our bathroom. I don't think I even knew "boy toilets" existed until I was three times her age. She's so cultured.

She told us on our evening walk that the cicadas in our neighborhood are called "zoombas."

MAIL! EXCITEMENT! Genevieve received a letter from her teacher on a lovely rainbow card. We read it together, and she remembered another rainbow card. The rainbow card she made the day before. When it was finished, she explained to Daddy that it had to go into number three. They trotted to the mailbox, where G was upset to discover that Daddy only had a key to #4. Somehow, he talked her down.

Fast-forward to this evening when I arrived home, and checked the mail. I found G's rainbow card.

She explained each color, and said, "It's for you, Mommy! Don't you want to open it? It's your rainbow card!"

At bedtime she wanted a story about her, Lily, Ava, and Leela at the Museum wearing tutus and dancing to Justin Roberts. I was asked to tell the story, but she told me what to say, and corrected any facts I got wrong. Where does she get that?

God is Four

Last night, G was concerned about God. Specifically - was he going to come into our house? When I told her God was already in our house and God can do whatever he wants, her response was God cannot come in because he is not three, he is four --and our apartment is 3G (really it is four, but she re -numbered it 3G). Not sure why God is four, but she insisted.

Tonight was back-to-school night at G's school. As we approached, she told me, "Mommy! That's my new school!" I'm surprised all the time by the things the girl knows.

The "child care" provided was one frazzled woman monitoring the playground. G was fine with this. When I came to check on her, she was filling her new best friend Merina's white maryjanes with dirt.

Daddy's Favorite Color

As I write, G is arranging "family letters." It includes L for Lizzy, of course. It also included R for Romeo : ( , and Q for quinge. All the Volz's are covered. She thinks her name is spelled G-I-P-T. Have not quite yet successfully explained initials vs. name.

Today G needed some assistance in the bathroom. As John helped her wipe, she pointed into the toilet bowl and said, "Look Daddy! I made your favorite color!" (brown, if you could not guess). She then said "poopy poop poop" and instructed John to tell her that she cannot say that. To which she replied, "Yes I can, I'm in the bathroom." That's what we get for telling her that those words are bathroom words, right?

This afternoon was the new family picnic for her school. She met her new best friend, Merina. They both love dress-up, and talked all about their outfits. I did not permit her to go barefoot, so she and Merina asked the bigger kids for permission instead. That's creative problem-solving.