Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

First Day of School – Ever!

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Here is a sweet little Kindergartner.  She carefully selected this spot in front of an upturned and half painted doghouse for her first portrait.  Questionable taste in back drops aside, this kid is perfect.
She was a little distressed that people were lumping her siblings in on her first day.  I had to explain to her that, though they had both been in school previously, today WAS their first day back, but that it was her first day EVER.  This explanation satisfied.  Please note the giant name tag that she will be wearing until her teacher is comfortable with everyone’s name.  Eden was not pleased that it featured Curious George.  I asked why.

“I don’t like monkeys,” she leveled her gaze, “because of their bottoms.”
Can you blame her?
“I know some kids like monkeys because they don’t know about the bottoms.  The kids who have been to school before have apples (she had noted the first graders’ name tags) but I think we have Curious George because we’re curious about learning.”  There was a tone of respect for the purpose behind the mascot (pun unintended) if not for George himself.  

Here’s a side view of her gigantic Hello Kitty backpack that only some fast and deft P.R. on my part replaced the My Little Pony one, she had her eye on initially.  
You can’t fathom the horror.

1/2 Birthday

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Well Eden’s 1/2 birthday or “fake birthday” as Torey called it is almost over.  She had a wonderful party.  Normally Paul and I double team for parties, but he wasn’t able to come home and I hadn’t expected him to, but he was missed.  Torey was here, but she was busy with Willa Z. who was refusing a nap.  

When Paul got home from work he offered to take all the hellions (including Ren who is having a sleep over) to McDonald’s for dinner so I could decompress.  I said whoopee thank you and passed out as soon as they left.  I haven’t left our bed since.  I’m contemplating one last foray to get the Legumes in bed, but I don’t know if I have what it takes.

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Today we are preparing for Eden’s half birthday, her “Friend Party”.  She has been busy gathering streamers and rifling though the cupboard that contains all our baking supplies.  Just a moment ago she called out, “I want to use this to put my cake on.”

I had a feeling that “this” was the antique glass cake pedestal that I store on the top shelf of the baking cupboard.  I hustled into the kitchen to find Eden squatting on the counter with the pedestal beside her.  She was smiling widely and seeing her rang a sort of bell, but I wasn’t sure what.  I rifled my visual memory for photographs of her or her sister and then I realized, she was making me think of me.  Squatting there on the counter, a sweet and utterly satisfied smile on her face, she was an echo of a younger me, except with Paul’s blue and sleepy eyes.
I don’t usually look for myself in my children; producing three near clones of their father has kept me from that.  And yet there are times, like this morning, where our likenesses flash out and I see, if for only a moment, that I am not just a conduit, but a spring, a well.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/07/419/