Sugar and Spice

Bug has been struggling at swimming lessons. As much as she loves to take a bath and splash in puddles, she seems to hate being in the pool; or at least hates being at swimming lessons. She cries, screams, whimpers, clings and acts afraid of anyone who speaks to her. It is all very un-Bug-like. It got so bad last week we actually got out of the pool and went home. So last night there we were again, in the pool, kind, doting teachers surrounding us and mama trying like hell to act gleeful and chipper singing "Babies in the pool go splash, splash, splash" while Bug cries uncontrollably. Now, despite the hysterics, Bug dutifully fulfills each of her pool tasks. She walks the wall sobbing. She knocks down the turtles whimpering. She holds her breath and "swims" under water with tears streaming down her face.  She just seems to hate every minute of it (as do I). As we are checking off tasks on her chart, the teacher gets the idea to let her start jumping in to me. I

After what can only be described as a frigid winter (3 ice/snow days with actual ice/snow!!!), we are happy for longer days and sunshine!  I can finally quit having the same argument with Pumpkin every single morning before school ("Can I wear a dress today?", "No, it's too cold," "What if I wear tights?", "No, it's too cold," "What if I wear a jacket?," "No, it's too cold, maybe next week," "What if I wear boots?" "Fine, but it has to be a long sleeve dress," "But I'm wearing a jacket...") I've said it before and I'll say it again (but only here, where she can't hear me), there are times (many times) when I feel truly out-smarted by her. She is only 3. I have the advantages of vocabulary and literacy now, but sometimes I wonder what I will do when we are on more even ground (like, when she learns to read next year). A perfect example of her outsmarting me came as I