Happy number 6

I can't believe the Bean has been with us for six years. It seems like yesterday that she was my little round headed baby with the dandelion hair. Then my muddy toddler, into everything with both hands and a big giggle. My preschooler covered in paint and chocolate. But now she's my almost first grader, the princess of why and junior bedtime litigator. I'm constantly amazed by how much she changes every day and how much we change to make sure she has the guidance and protection she needs. She told me this morning, as she has many times "I was born and made you parents, poof just like that." And it's true and she makes us moreso every day.

5 to 6 hasn't been the easiest, not just for the losses we've had but for her departure from the garden of innocence. Really that happens with kindergarten when our children have to navigate more of their days away from us than with us. They really are learning to deal with the world more as it is than as we would have it. There are kids who have more, who have less, who are happy or angry. There are kids who are obviously loved and kids you wonder about. She isn't surrounded only by our love anymore but by the world. And it seems like the world is spinning faster these days.

2002

2003

2004-2005

2005-2006

2007

2008

I'm glad you are our daughter Miss Bean, you are a new adventure daily and twice on Sundays.

Tae Kwon Do

The Bean got her yellow belt today.

The sword of almost everything.

The Bean got our her tinkertoys to build swords. OK, we go to Ren Faire and have since she was 2. And yes she does have a character on a carefully watched and edited version of world of warcraft (the alliance, not the horde) ~a pastime she enjoys with her father. I've toyed with starting Everquest again, but honestly I'm good with Mahjonng, I spend so much time on blogs and Metafilter as it is, I can't really add anything else.

OK, so she built first the Sword of Blood. The sword of blood has "more than 59 powers, it has all the powers." "You just touch someone and they fall down."

The sword of bones doesn't have "59 powers, it has almost a lot of powers but not as much as the sword of Blood." The sword of Bones "pulls all the bones out and you get to be jelly."

The "Sword of Sparkles," has "all the pink and purple powers," "It will make you float and sparkle and lots of fairies will come and visit."

The "Sword of almost everything, has almost all the powers but not all the powers of the sword of blood. It can do almost everything but not everything. "

Each one of these statements was accompanied by an entirely different sword that she went downstairs and built, then brought up to me (I was in bed with this horrid cold, sucking on a cold eze lozenge). She would show me several moves and how you touched bad guys with them and how they fell down and you didn't even need to "slish them." Or with the good powers the swords were like wands and she would do a small ballet dance and sing "la la AHhhhhhh" in an operatic fairy voice.

She didn't like her father's contribution "The Sword of Cheese." "No daddy, that isn't a good sword it just shoots cheese all over everything."

"But what if I like cheese, Bean? "

"Daddy, nobody likes cheese on everything. You can't eat a couch or the curtains with cheese all over it. Or cats. Cats can't have cheese on them!"

This went on for over an hour. She had several quests and adventures and dances, complete with costume changes (wigs, hats, dresses ) just using her own brain.

I hope I can always remember the "sword of almost everything." I love how her brain works and she flounces and feints better than anybody.

Technorati : kids

Why are some people mean mommy?

The little girl was mean to the Bean again.

"I only play with short haired girls," then played with long haired and short haired girls, just not the Bean.

Emily didn't understand.

"Why are some people mean mommy?'

And all I could say was "Because there just are mean people Bean. But you aren't and I'm proud of you for that."

"But mommy I tried to make her nice. I would have taken care of her if she hurt herself."

"Yes honey I know. But she's just mean and you aren't. What she is doing is wrong and what you are doing is right. I'm sorry it hurts and I'm sorry she's mean to you. I love you."

"Mommy? Maybe her mommy and daddy didn't teach her to be nice."

Yeah Bean, truer words were never spoken

Kindergarten

Starting kindergarten is intense for the whole family. A total schedule change, from when to go to sleep to when to wake up, how long for breakfast and even how long we can snuggle in the morning (don't like that). Right now every step is met with opposition and there are tactical difficulties (as in--how do you pick up a child who won't buckle her own seat belt and you can't get out of the car AND the person putting her in the car doesn't buckle, argh). She's excited about school and likes it, but she thinks it's too long and she's exhausted when she gets home. She is fighting the transition from summer schedule to school schedule so getting to bed is tough. She's a bit overwhelmed by all the new routines and largeness of her school so each day something gets forgotten.

It's all understandable, just not easy

Also, I have a bit more getting ready than I would usually do in the morning to cover up the cat scar on my face. That has to be timed too.

It's tough being unsure of what we're supposed to do, for all of us. Soon we'll get a groove, for now we are really freaking tired.