The duck dives.

Illustrator:  Jack B. H.

Maria’s grin couldn’t have been bigger yesterday when I picked her up from preschool. Proudly, she thrust out her chest and across it were three stickers: “I know my birthday!” “I can tie my shoes!” and “I’m a SUPER STAR!”

Maria, as she will proudly tell you, is the first Super Star in her class of 4-year-old preschoolers. This means that she has accomplished the five things necessary to achieve this honor:

• She knows her address
• She knows her phone number
• She can write her name
• She knows her birthday
• She can tie her shoes

Of course, she had an advantage over the other kids – she’s Jack’s sister and only a year behind him in school. This means that she learned nearly all of the above things last year when Jack was learning them. The name writing and shoe-tying were the tough ones.

Maria’s great success has taken a little wind out of my own sails… I was pretty proud of myself the other night for being the Champion of the Waterplay Toy. (I was able to get all of the rings on the spikes!)

So what if it’s a child’s toy.

This afternoon while were were playing outside, Luke kept saying something that I just could not understand. So, I asked Maria what he was saying.

“He’s saying gonga!”

“Gonga?” I asked. “What does that mean?”

“It means… chimney in Spanish,” she says. ?!?!

A few minutes later, it dawned on me that Luke was saying “gone.” “Gone, gone, gone,” he said when he finished his popsicle. “Gone.” “Gonga.” Whatever.

…that bubble bath is not to be used in a jacuzzi tub? I did, which is why I’d never do it.

However, I discovered today that just a tiny bit of baby wash on a pouf shouldn’t be used either!

It’s been several hours. There are still bubbles in the bottom of my tub.

… That Jack can climb a tree? A really tall tree? A really tall, flimsy tree? I mean, do you see how skinny those branches are and how high up he is?

I’m definitely seeing the ER in my future (especially since my first instinct is to run for the camera rather than spot him as he climbs down.)

…that it is absolutely hilarious when a 15-month-old pulls his sister’s hair? (To the 15-month-old, anyway.) And, when she escapes – after being scalped repeatedly – it’s almost as fun to crawl over and try (hard) to pull your brother’s ear off?

Really, that’s what Jack and Maria get for being sooooooooo completely absorbed in a TV show.

…that I really wish you people would leave me a comment or two?  I mean, it’s nice to hear you say you like my blog and it’s nice to get the occasional email.  But, I’d really like you to post it here so the whole world can read it!  (Not that I’m looking for an ego stroke or anything.)

How he managed to pull himself up like that, I’ll never know.

Guess I better go get some cups washed…