Ten on... Wednesday Night

1. This week, Juliette started full-day pre-school two days a week. Since it was the same place she attended a morning summer day camp, it was a relatively easy transition. For some of us. Me, not so much. There is a big difference between a morning program and all day. The only time she's struggled is the same time she struggles at home - after nap. I spent both days fretting, but all in all it seems like she's really enjoying it.

2. What a difference a year makes. First day of school 2009/2010:

3. Next week, she'll start her other two-day program, at the church pre-school. It's two hours each day, and while she's going to have to spend some time in my office before and/or after, I'm flexing my schedule so as to take those two afternoons off instead of taking one full day. I love that she'll be right down the hall from me on those mornings. Love it.

4. The stained glass in the front door of the education/office wing of the church campus:

5. Which reminds me, I plan to check these books out of the church library:

Elmslie was the architect who designed the sanctuary. The beautiful sanctuary, I should add.

6. From roughly 1982-1998, I obsessively drew people - mostly just their faces, though an occasional shoulder found its way into a few portraits. Juliette seems to have inherited the people-drawing gene.
7. We have such abysmal television reception that we've pretty much given it up, save for Juliette's morning dates with Sid and George. (For the life of me, I can't figure out when Sesame Street airs, but the science kid and the curious one suffice.) That being said, we did just discover that we can watch the most recent episodes of Project Runway online. Starting midway through the season is less fun than starting at the top, but two episodes is enough to know that Gretchen is craaaazy.

8. I fried plantains for dinner tonight. They were okay. I think I'd rather find a good Peruvian place and let other people do the plantain frying.

9. Last night's dinner will go down in the family history books. Juliette's imagination has exploded recently, and her play has developed accordingly. She started playing with her cashews (not standard dinner fare, but I usually reach for the nuts when serving her dinner on a tray, as something has to be in each compartment). Instead of being good parents and telling her not to play with her food, we proceeded to listen in awe as she went on... and on... and on. I started writing down the dialogue between Juliette and her two cashewpeople:

This is my friend, Bubba.
Hi. Hi!!!
This is my friend Ody.
Hi!
How's your day?
I help you. [Helps Bubba jump off the rim of her milk cup onto the table.]
Bye! [Eats Ody.]
Hi Mr. Daddy.
Yes, this is my friend Sally.
Hi!!
Hide and seek. [Hides Sally under her plate.]
4 6 7 Here I come!
6 7 8 9 are you running?
Yes. Uh Oh!

We laughed so hard at Ody's untimely demise we were afraid we were going to disrupt the show, but Juliette was so completely engaged in her play that she didn't even notice us hiding our faces in our cloth napkins.

10. A certain Mr. Daddy and Mrs. Mama went on their first date nine years ago yesterday. We'd never have known then that it would be the start of so much goodness. Happy everything, my dear husband.