Posted on

Opinions?

There is a fine art to respectfully disagreeing with someone. It has become apparent over these last days that there are many adults that still are learning how to speak their mind and not expect to be agreed with. The people that are the most private about what they believe politically or spiritually are often the ones that I’m most curious about.  The squeakiest wheel tends to be the one that is heard the most. . . 

Anyhow, Maggie has not yet learned to be calm or even respectful when she doesn’t agree with us. Some days it is really funny how strongly she feels about certain things (like trying food or changing her clothes). Other days, like today, it is hard to find the humor in every “I don’t want to________” or “I don’t like_______”. If I’m feeling particularly smart I can play The Opposite Game with her and usually get her to do what needs to get done. Some day she’ll be able to respectfully tell us how she feels without melting onto the floor if things don’t instantly go her way. . . that day just isn’t today. 

In other news, I haven’t mentioned how grateful I am for Maggie’s caregiver while I am at work. Her name is Jessica and she is everything we were looking for plus a bit more. She is also an artist and has started a series of amazing projects with Mags. Most importantly, Maggie really, really likes her and is always happy to see her. We’ve got a Jessica Box of projects going and below is a photo of their butterfly mask they made last week. (Maggie is also wearing a crown they made as well.) 

It’s Wednesday and feels like Monday, so I guess I’ll be happy when Friday rolls around sooner than later. 

P.S. Barry finally got his on library card (after always using mine or Maggie’s) and is SO proud. Maggie insisted he check out a book about goats (seriously! goats!!) when he got it. Twice today he’s mentioned that he now has a library card….it’s like he’s a kid. (Only took 6 years of living down here to get it….) Read on, B.Mills, read on. 

Posted on

That Mouse

Trick or treating brought a gift from Sue that has suddenly become Maggie’s favorite. The mouse from “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” has come to live at our house and Maggie has attached herself to the red-overalled mouse like nothing she’s loved before. That mouse has now become woven into the fabric of our lives, and he hasn’t even lived with us for a week yet. Yesterday we were all loaded into the car to go run errands and Maggie suddenly remembered that she’d forgotten her mouse on the couch. As we backed down the driveway, both Barry and I tried to console her by telling her that the mouse was guarding the house, usually a job for Sydney, but that only made the tears worse!  We backed ourselves back into the driveway, turned the car off, unlocked the door and rescued the poor mouse.

“You okay now, Mouse,” said Maggie to the mouse. 

I sent the following to Sue to tell her about the love-fest Maggie is having with the Mouse:

Sue, 

The mouse has so far:
been to costco
been walked around the block in maggie’s baby stroller
been read to (lots)
been invited to sleep with maggie (this never happens with anything else)
driven to emery’s house 
left  in the car all day while barry was at work
 
Seems like a perfect gift. 
 

H

She responded with this:

The mouse has so far:If you give a mouse to Maggie he will:

Go to Costco which will make him really cranky

So you will have to take him around the block in maggie’s baby stroller

So then he will be so tired he will need to be read to (lots)

That will make him sleepy and you will need to invite him  to sleep with maggie (this never happens with anything else)

When he wakes up in the morning he will want to be driven to emery’s house 

This will make him so excited he will accidentally be left  in the car all day while barry is at workWhen he finally gets home he will be so hungry he will eat all of the snacks and you will have to go back to Costco.