Pretend

One of Atticus's favorite games nowadays is pretending to be a dog. He even has a doggie name: Ruffer.

Ruffer likes to play fetch, be walked by Edith and, of course, ruff. "Doggies can't talk," Atticus tells me.

Our household is entering a kind of golden age of playing. No surprise, but playing pretend is tops. A plastic golf set yesterday was used not only for putting, but also for hockey and as crutches. Magnetic shapes are stuck together and formed into "cakes" and then put into the "oven" (the bottom shelf of an end table) to bake. And the toy kitchen in their bedroom is always a fan favorite.

Puzzles are also a hit. And trains. And stuffed animals. Coloring, crafting, whatever. And best of all, the play TOGETHER. I can routinely leave them be for an hour with minimal disagreements. We are firmly out of babyhood, and even toddlerhood has nearly passed us by. I have two kids who can happily play *without me.* Yay!

Presidents Day, President Books

Seems that Presidents Day is what really inspires me to keep on truckin' with Paul's and my goal to read a biography on every president.

Last year I reported that I started a biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt on Presidents Day. This year, I finished a biography of Harry Truman on the holiday. Slowly but surely, we're making our way through the lot of 'em.

My next presidential book isn't exactly a biography, and certainly isn't in order -- Eisenhower by rights is next. However, "Fire and Fury" about Trump's White House is due back at the library soon, so I'll be reading that next. By the time I get through the rest of the presidents and Trump's biography is next on the list, chances are he'll be long out of office.

Off to See the Wizard

 
Our Monday plans fell through, and we unexpectedly found ourselves with a free afternoon. So the kids and I headed to Easton Town Center for its temporary Wizard of Oz exhibit.

An indoor/outdoor mall isn't the best destination in the winter -- and truthfully isn't so great in the summer when it is very, very hot. So I haven't been to Easton since ... I'm really not sure. I went to a restaurant on the outskirts a few years ago, so maybe that counts.

But Edith likes the Wizard of Oz, and from what I read the exhibit is pretty much a big play area. That was accurate. The kids could create a giant rainbow, play in a farm area (with fake vegetables), crawl through a dark tunnel to test their courage (like the Cowardly Lion), slide, climb and a lot more. The voice altering microphones were hit or miss. (Edith liked listening to her voice as a Munchkin, but it took Atticus a bit to warm up to the Wizard-like voices!)

We stayed a couple of hours, and my kids made fast friends with another group of kids who were there too. We might just have to make another stop before the exhibit leaves town in March!

The Next Step to Kindergarten

The next school year starts in about seven months, but it feels like it's just around the corner.

We officially registered Edith for kindergarten yesterday. This is a bit more stressful than it seems, since the elementary school we are zoned for gets oversubscribed early. Enroll too late, and you'll be sent to another school. But yesterday was the first day of enrollment, so we're set.

Of course yesterday also had to be a Level One snow emergency in Franklin County. Nevertheless, we bundled up and grabbed the folder full of paperwork -- birth certificate, proof of address, immunization record and the like -- and made our way downtown. The appointment itself was easy peasy.

Her kindergarten is only a few blocks away (not even far enough to qualify for a bus) and starts a half hour later than preschool. If anything, our schedule will be even easier next year. Of course the big difference is that she'll be there a full day -- or the 6.5 hours that counts as a full day in elementary school.

So now Edith is almost a kindergartner, even though we're barely halfway through preschool!