Quick Update

We're full into Gommie's visit and very busy, but here's a sketch:

• Saturday @ American Museum of Natural History: the kiddos loved showing Gommie the dinosaurs and the bunnies in the dioramas (in fact, for the first half hour, there was much pulling of Gommie this way and that). Bud kept exclaiming over the dinos on the 4th floor, which he hadn't seen the last time, "I never knew there was so much to see." And he could name most of them (luckily, he can't read, so we didn't have to read every label). Sis was a bit scared of the huge dinos, but hung in there (and was fascinated by the pterosaurs hanging from the ceiling). Two highlights--eating dino nuggets (Gommie didn't actually believe they would all be in the shapes of dinosaurs--Sis bit the heads off all of hers) and visiting the Discovery Room, with its "nesting dolls" (matryoshka), build your own Kwakiutl-inspired totem pole (they liked showing the real ones to Gommie, though Bud still doesn't like that dark gallery much), the fossil dig and dino reconstruction, and the Baobab tree with its animal search worksheet (which Sis completed fully with Gommie before reading the rhythmic This is the Tree). They also really like the Hall of Meteors and the film narrated by Sally Ride, with Sis identifying the sun and earth as they appeared and Bud constantly marveling at everything on the screen. Bud came home with dino book and plastic playset, plus a poster featuring the various dinos on exhibit, while Sis had an arctic animal playset (yep, not quite equal, but what she wanted).
• Sunday @ Bowling: Yep, the kids went bowling, Duckpin Bowling--smaller balls, shorter pins (?), and luckily with bumpers in the gutters so almost every ball scored (Mama remembers going candlestick bowling as a child with family in Boston--those pins are straight up and down sticks, not curvy pins). With the house lights down, disco lights on, and kids' music blaring, it was a great happy birthday to two of our little friends (including Miss T's son, all the way from GA). Bud took to bowling right away and would wave and flap his arms and dance while the ball rolled down the lane. He would shout "goal!" or "score!" when pins would fall. Sis was more serious but not as dedicated in her bowling pursuit and spent a lot of time with Gommie, munching on snacks, and looking at the arcade games. And she devoured all the crust on her pizza and icing on her cupcake.
• Today: we're heading to playgroup this morning and then over to our housebound friend's house this afternoon to deliver her dinner. Otherwise, it's an "at home" day.
• Tomorrow: school and maybe shopping with the $10 Gommie brought each of them, all in singles, which were quite impressive as they fluttered to the floor from the cards.
• Food w/Gommie: we've made Gommie's famous baked chicken with rice and gravy (the latter two being the favorites), baked a pumpkin pie from scratch at Sis's request, and made oatmeal scotchies to take to playgroup this morning. Later today, we will make chocolate mousse and stuffed shells for our friend's dinner.
• Gifts from Gommie: Gommie's suitcase is filled with treats: Easter PEZ candy "depressors" that the kids have come to expect, gel window cling forms for Easter which now adorn their bedroom windows, Easter bags with a bunny and with sports balls (I'd bought the same $1 bags at the store a few days before--great minds), books on dinosaurs and on art (which actually came earlier via post), and, perhaps most special of all, holiday pillowcases for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter for each of them from Gommie's good friend Granny Q. These not only will adorn their pillows for the holidays but serve as toy sacks on the other days (we already have Halloween and Christmas, which they love using and playing with). There's also those $10 which we'll take to the store later for books or toys.
• Music with Gommie: Bud's already introduced Gommie to the musical numbers of the "movie prizes," and they've danced to Bhangra on our iPod. Bud's also performed to the "marmalade song." And Sis and Gommie have played piano, learning the "Brontosaurus song" together--of course, Sis remembered all the words at one go but Gommie still doesn't remember. (Aunt Banana, please email or call us with the words to the T. Rex song of Uncle Soccer's--nobody can remember past the first line.) Finally, there's the ever-present "Willaby Wallaby Woo" wrhyming song and our mealtime family song. And, of course, Gommie's morning wake-up, "You are My Sunshine" (which is, in my opinion, much more morning-welcoming than Pop's bugle calls of my childhood!).
• Gommie as childcare: I'm grateful to Gommie for cheerfully and heroically watching the kiddos while I've gone to the orthopedist, had a blood draw, gone grocery shopping, fetched things for Bud when he was sick, and made quick visits to see Miss T. Best of all, she babysat for Mama and I to go on two dates, to the book store and to the Ethiopian restaurant (which was wonderful--I liked the yellow split peas and also the lentils, Mama liked those plus the green beans. And, of course, the injera spongy sourdough-like crepe bread. It was great to get out and try something different; we hadn't had Ethiopian since living in Chicago and had forgotten had vinegary/sour and delicious it is.)