Poodling

If it's Memorial Day weekend, we're up north at Poodle Camp aka Tante's lake place.

We arrived with Pants' friend MP and her mom DP on Friday afternoon, set up the tent, made a gin and tonic and got down to the business of relaxing. Pants and MP were in or around the water all weekend and the weather was glorious. Good thing it was warm since ice-out on this lake was just two weeks ago. Welcome to camping in the Northwoods.

All in all, there were six Sr. Poodles this year and 10 Jr. Poodles. I tried to get away with not being classified as a Sr. Poodle since there are as many years between me and some Sr. Poodles as there are between me and some Jr. Poodles, but just ask them, the Jr. Poodles will attest, "duh, you're a Sr. Poodle."

And, Pants caught Bobby the Perch as well as Larry, Loni, and Linda the Leeches. Please tell me why we name our parasites? She did not find the lone tick name-worthy. Pretty unimpressed with that critter.

We saw and listened to the Baltimore Orioles sing, we saw a bald eagle flying high overhead, and heard an owl too. Pants and Tante took a nice nature walk together - they are good friends. But, the piece de resistance is the Sauna. Authentic. Finnish. Cedar. Sauna. MP and Pants enjoyed their sauna then ran like crazy girls off the end of the dock and jumped in. (Reminder: they are naked and ice-out was 2 weeks ago in these parts... the water is COLD.) So we adults felt compelled to do the same. ;) We are worthy of being called "The Ultimate" for our naked sauna dash into the lake. Twice. Two nights in a row.

First step toward emancipation

Our Pants graduated from her preschool yesterday. As another parent put it, "Her first step toward emancipation."

As another mom and I looked through the program we agreed that we had a lot of history with these names listed down the left hand side of the program.

The friendships formed here have never felt stronger than this year. Five years of being acquaintances - passing each other at drop off or pick up - became more personal. We attended birthday parties together, lamented over the search for Kindergartens together, made more personal connections with child centered play dates and the occasional grown-up centered adult date. I'll miss seeing these friends and their children every day.

There was a slide show with pictures of each child and their families - some beautiful and moving photography. As I saw each toddler picture flash, I was struck by that "ah - ha" moment that "HEY! They don't look like that anymore! They're big kids! When did they do all that growing up? I've been watching the whole time."

They sang "You Are My Sunshine" for us and I cried. It was sweet to see these kids, so proud of their accomplishment, standing tall and singing on their special day for the special people in their lives. For the actual graduation, Mr. Nathan stood up front and introduced each child who in turn walked up from the back of the chapel with their graduation cap on to receive their diploma.

"Pants"
Pants' favorite time at school is nap time. She wants to be a mom when she grows up, 'there's no better job' she says. Pants will be attending Park Elementary." ... and the sweet girl marches up front to receive her diploma then sits cross-legged and watches her classmates do the same.

Did you hear that?! "A mom" she says. "There's no better job!" she added. All along she's been sticking to her "I want to be an artist" story and then in a moment she makes my heart explode with the "I want to be a mom." She loves me, she really loves me!

"Sam"
"Sam's favorite time at school is ten o'clock. He wants to be a 'karate-guy' when he grows up. Sam will attend Lowland Elementary." 'Ten o'clock'... what a sense of humor!

"Aaron"
"Aaron's favorite time at school is 'area time'. He hopes to be a garbage truck driver when he grows up. He will be attending Liberal Lakes Elementary." His mom must be so proud.

So all diplomas are awarded, the children come sit with their parents for the final tearjerker of a slide show. As all the pictures come up, Pants is whispering her narrative: "That's Sam. That's Maria. That's Mattie. He's a vegetarian. And he has two mommies." Thank you for that ... and just so you can picture my true chagrin at the sweetly whispered moment: both of Mattie's vegetarian mommies are sitting directly in front of Pants. I'd like to think they didn't hear.

We're a movin' on up...

Our lovely Wonder Nanny of 3+ years has graduated from college. We were invited to her family graduation dinner and when her dad gave us the ultimate toast, introduction and compliment all in one there was not a dry eye in the room. A bittersweet time for her as she has had SO MUCH FUN in college! Now onto the job hunt and, well, nannying for us in the meantime. Is it wicked to hope she doesn't find a job? So little toast to her and some of my favorite memories and qualities:

Interview question: "Do you cook?" Yes? You're hired.

Questions from interviewed to prospective employer:"Will you come over to hunt mice at 11pm?" "Will you come over and do a jell-O shot with the roomies and me before we go out?" Yes? I'm hired.

This sweet girl would show up at our home at 5:30pm to babysit dressed in college sweats but when Mister and I rolled our sorry selves home at 11:30pm she was showered, hair all done, going-out makeup and cute cute clothes on. She'd happily take her cash and head to one of the local establishments. Seriously, do you even remember the days when the evening BEGAN at 11:30?? I digress...

So Wonder Nanny is moving to a "grown up" apartment (a far cry from the college crash pad or mouse infested hovel) that she's been living in these days. A tribute to her dining room table. This explains Pants' propensity to say "Chug it! Chug it! Chug it!" as she finished her glass of milk.

They share secrets in Pants' "diarea" (that's diary but it comes out diarea hee hee.) Wonderful things are shared in there like the time WN kissed a boy she *gasp* wasn't married to! And Pants' confession that the scratch on her forehead was indeed caused by the cat, as suspected, and not "myself" as relayed.

One of the first summers WN nannied nearly full time she made a tentative phone call to me at work, timidly asked, "How do you discipline Pants?" Understanding that our pint size Beach House cruise director was getting the best of her captor, I promptly assured WN, "Honey we are not paying you to take shit from a 4 year old if you know what I mean. Do what you need to do, we trust you." From then on Pants clearly understood who was "the boss". Love it!

One of my favorite memories: one of her first days, WN blows into the house, loves up the kid, traipses into the kitchen, helps herself to a plate, sets Pants a plate and helps herself to the meal Mister had made for them. I stood there with my mouth open thinking, "I love this girl who is so comfortable in our house!" I'm also confident that the remainder of said meal went home with her in a doggie bag for lunch or dinner the next day.

Her self confidence, her presence of mind, her warmth and engagement is so rare for young women. I am so proud of her and she will go far in this big world. Congratulations!

If Your Friends Jumped Off a Cliff, Would You?

Okay, everyone now has a blog, so what the heck... I'm in. Just don't share with anyone outside the family until I'm out of politics.

For my first post (until I'm brave enough to get more personal), I give you Miss Pants' Spring Recital. Mister suffered through the very first recital where she squeaked out "The F# Song" (essentially the first 4 notes of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). The next year she played "The Bread Song" (again, the first 8 notes of TTLS). He leaned over after her stellar performance and noted, "Hmmm... 4 more notes than last year, what is that? $100 per note?"

This year I think we have it down to a very respectable ROI, but you be the judge. I proudly present to you in it's entirety, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Variation C.