A Few Updates (Mainly for Grandparents)

Ice skating: E has become an enthusiastic and generally upright ice skater! Her mitten remains in her mouth, though Saturday she insisted on taking off her mittens for much of the time, and very daintily managed to fall without getting her hands on the ice, though I was terrified of a broken wrist every time. But mainly she skittered across the ice, as fast as she could, even occasionally getting a bit of a glide in there. Occasionally she stopped at the benches and told me to skate by myself and when she was on the ice again, she'd be ready to skate. I'd go around once, maybe twice, and then there she'd be, on the ice, ready to go.

Valentines: I got E red cardboard hearts at the five and dime and told her all she had to do was put stickers on them and write her name. I said I'd help. M said she'd help too. We all sat on the floor, and M wrote the other kids' names on the red cardboard hearts. Then E directed me in sticker placement, placed some stickers herself, made artful heart-shaped-ish holes with the cool heart-shaped hole cutter, and wrote her name--on every single one. I think it worked because we focused on valentine making, not on valentine philosophies. Whatever.

And for anyone yearning for news of M, I hereby formally announce that she has entered the string stage. There's been a string around her neck for about six weeks now. It's just a plain white string, and it's always there. About a week ago, it was joined by a narrow yellow and orange friendship bracelet on one wrist, and this weekend she put a thick friendship bracelet that she bought for me last year on the other wrist (I said it was ok, because, you know, I'm really glad she bought me a friendship bracelet, and I did wear it a few times, but the permanent tied-on-your-wrist friendship bracelet thing just isn't my look at the moment). On Saturday, she gave her friend S a friendship bracelet kit for her birthday, so I'm anticipating more friendship bracelets before the week is out.

Ah, the string stage. I wonder when she'll get to her ankle. That was always my favorite.