broken thoughts, random musings

Puddles of bathwater dripping on the mat Julia queries, "Do you like me, Mommy?"

"LIKE YOU? I love you to bits and pieces," I respond with a squeal, "But the real question is: do you like me?"

"I lub you, you silly Mommy."

"Oh good. Then we're gonna be just fine. Now dry yourself before you catch your death."

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Further evidence that exercise IS bad for you: I started a mild situp regime in late June that consisted of 10 per day to start, I am now able to do 100 situps without stopping but last week I was rendered immobile for 3 days due to back pain. Last night I slept wonky as a result of a different muscle in my back deciding to disagree; it seems that my back is resolutely against my having abs of steel.

I choose to take this as a sign that I am not exercise material.

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me: Jules, how was school today?
her: um, I dunno.
me: Well, what was for lunch?
her: hmm, I'm not sure.
me: Who did you play with?
her: I don't remember.
me: (WTF!?!) Honey, I just picked you up. You don't remember what you did?
her: Actually, I think I played. (pronounced ACK- Chew- A- ly)
me: Oh, well, okay then. Good enough.

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Interesting tidbits regarding schooling in Hungary which initially shocked the shit out of me but which have taught my stubborn preschooler many important things, like dressing oneself without complaint, and therefore, of which I am now an advocate.

1.You have 3 pairs of shoes for school: outdoor or the pair you wore to school, the pair that stays in your cubby and that you wear inside the classroom, and your gym shoes. If I need to enter the classroom, I am required to take my shoes off and go barefooted into the classroom, which is, for me anyway, counterintuitive as I wear flipflops exclusively in the warm months rendering my feet equally dirty.

2. Lunch is served in the classroom on porcelain plates with real glass glasses. It is a 2-course affair consisting of a soup followed by a main course. The children (aged 3-7) are appointed as daily helpers to set the tables and every child must clear their own spot without dropping or breaking anything. Also served on porcelain are both the morning and the afternoon snack, leading me to believe that they are less likely to spill because they've been empowered by responsibility.

3. Numbers, counting, and adding are taught before the alphabet. This works well for us as Julia is numerically inclined and has gone so far as to numerically sing the alphabet. i.e. A is for apple and is no.1, B is for bear and is no.2, etc. and usually quite a jazzy interpretation. She will go so far as to write your 'name' using only the numerical representation of the letters.

4. Starting in Pre-K all children have a gym bag that stays there and twice a week they change into their gym clothes for class. They also keep pj's and a pillow for naptime.

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My muscle relaxer has finally kicked in, my attention has been lost, I'll take it as a cue.