Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Meanwhile V.....

....has joined a new group of bigger kids at Kindergarten("Grosse Gruppe!" she chirps), and she's using more English words--she's even starting to settle down enough to look through books and play by herself for long seconds at a time.

Anette have paid so much attention to Adinah and all her new responsibilities for school that we haven't quite noticed how much V. is growing and adapting. She's starting to be a little more independent of both us and her big sister. She's still loud and rambunctious, but she's also more self-possessed.

I like to think it's because of Operation Huggy Bear. If she screams or whines, I try to pick her up and hug her instead of chiding her. I try to remember that Adinah will talk without commas or periods if we don't ask her to pause and let V. tell us something about her day. I'm trying to see her, and make room for her in this family. Or maybe we're trying to help her find her place with us.

But maybe she's calmer because she feels safer with us. I dunno.

Either way, V. more mellow mood, combined with the cool Autumn weather that's been rustling through Wienertown, has made our place very, very cozy indeed. As opposed to the screaming, whooping, crying and pooping caterwaul it has been in previous seasons.

The other morning, a Sunday, Anette was in the kitchen making black bean soup, Adinah was at her school desk drawing, V. was playing with a puzzle, and I, improbably enough, was assembling Adinah's new bed in another room. It was quiet. For about five minutes. Then Anette walked into my room and said, "This is heaven."

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