End of Summer

Junie's back in school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and she loves it.  She takes her role as one of the "big kids" very seriously.  In the days leading up to the start of school, she talked each day about how she was a big kid, so now she could take care of the "babies" (the three-year olds) who were scared about preschool.  She said that she wanted to hold their hands and tell them not to be scared because their mommies would be back to pick them up at lunchtime. 

Last year, Cosette knew Junie went to school, but it didn't bother her.  This year is a whole different story.  She sobbed on the morning of the first day of school because she wanted to go to school, too.  She also kept crying that she'd miss Junie.  Each day now, she fusses when we're getting our shoes on to leave for drop-off.  She says, "I wanna go school too, Mama.  When Junie goes Kindergarten, I go preschool, right?"  Poor kiddo.  During the three hours that Junie is gone, she'll ask me repeatedly, "I miss Junie...where is Junie?"  The way they greet each other at pick-up is so sweet...they run and give long hugs and sweet kisses. 

The girls and I check out so many library books each week...we're up to two huge bags of books at each visit.  Sometimes we do twice a week.  The librarians always laugh when they see how many books we have.  I was ready to do what my mom used to do and bring a huge laundry basket to fill...but then they'll just get even more to fill it up, so that idea is out.  When we stand there checking out our books each visit, they sing "We are book nerds!  We are book nerds!"  And if you mention reading to Junie she says, "I'm a book nerd!"  Cosette uses the statement in all situations.  Each night after she finishes dinner she asks us if she ate well.  When we tell her she did, she throws her arms in the air and says, "Yay!  I eat well!  And we're book nerds!!!!" 

Cosette had her hand surgery on August 9th.  She did great!  We had no issues getting her to keep her bandage on.  She was very protective of her hand, and I just changed the outer wrap once or twice a day (depending on how filthy it got) and the inner bandage once a day.  She had her post-op visit near the end of August, and doctor cleared her to resume life as normal...we went to play in a huge sandbox the very next day!  Now that she has full range of motion in her thumb, she has been LOVING peeling stickers off of sticker sheets and sticking the stickers everywhere.  She couldn't do this with her right hand before, so now that she can do it, it's the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up: "I wanna color and do stickers!!" 

Recent memorable moments from the girls:

Junie:  Cosette, what do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?
Cosette:  Dirt!!!  [long pause]  And rocks.  I love rocks and dirt.

***

Mom:  Juniper, why are you naked in the kitchen?
Junie: I had to go potty.
Mom:  Ok, but why are you naked?  In the kitchen?
Junie: I'm a monster and I'm chasing Cosette. 
Mom:  So you have to be naked to be a monster?
Junie:  No.  It's fun to be naked.  Don't worry about it.  Settle down, Mommy.