Katie was allowed to take her backpack (Minnie Mouse with wheels) to school for show-n-tell the other day, and ever since she has been obsessed with the thing. The backpack has been packed and re-packed with the most random things she chooses about a million times, and it has to go everywhere with us. It's funny that neither of them has really had that one thing that they use as sort of a "security blanket," but now I can relate with those people who have to have back-up blankets or toys in case something happens to the first. She would be devastated if it broke, which is very likely since it is one of the most cheaply made things I have ever seen. It is kind of strange that a backpack is the choice - but she can roll it around, take things with her, and it seems to make her feel like a "big girl." The unexpected bonus is that we finally have something to take away. That sounds horrible, but until now we didn't have anything that she wanted enough for it to be a consequence if she wasn't allowed to play with it - but now we do :)!
Katie said to Tyler this morning, "Ty, I am going to be good so I can take my backpack in the car." Two funny things about that, to me. One, she is now telling Tyler she is going to be good too, because he has started to try to "parent" her on the way to or at school, copying the things we say - even going so far as to say "I am proud of you for being good today, Katie" when we were praising her for a good day the other day. Two, that she has taken to calling him "Ty." I don't know if she has heard someone else calling him that, or if Tyler is just too long for her these days, but I started noticing it earlier this week and it has continued. I don't really mind because that was the original intent of the name choice for me way back when (we had names picked out years before the kids came along). Lance, on the otherhand, prefers to call him Tyler and says that is why we named him that (although that argument would hold more water if his sister wasn't called not her "real" name Katie).
No pictures, although we had a fun day and I wish I had remembered my camera. I had a tennis match this morning and met Lance with the kids at Taco Bell since he had a full day showing houses in store once I was done. I mention Taco Bell because the kids thought that was one of the more fun things they did today - it was all about the swiveling chairs! We then went to Red Caboose Park and finally found a park with a sandbox which the kids loved. I know that I am bordering on helicopter parent when I am at one of those places, but I just can't help it. It has lots of nooks and crannies and is really spread out - which means that it is really easy to lose sight of the kids. Most of the other parents were sitting on benches chatting or reading while their kids were playing. I, however, was running around frantically trying to keep eyes on both of them which proved impossible. Anytime I plan to go to the park I envision them playing, and me sitting and enjoying watching them - but to date that has never happened! I just can't seem to handle not being able to see them both at one time, or relaxing and just trusting that they can play and have fun without getting into mischief. We went to the Franklin Main Street festival, too, this afternoon and the kids loved that. We got sno-cones, went to the petting zoo area, and watched some dancers perform. Needless to say, the kids are worn out, and so am I! We had a great day, though, and I definitely needed it - we had a successful event at work last week, one of two big grants were submitted, we were awarded a grant that was iffy on getting, and the Parent Fair is over, so I was looking forward to the weekend and am glad I got to spend the day with reasonably well-behaved, very funny children who never cease to amaze me in how they look at the world (and how they remind me to look at it too)!
