Girls' lunch / 19-months-old

It's late and I need to get some sleep, but it feels like day after day just passes without my being able to record the specificity of my children at these particular ages.  It's probably some strange first-world historical anomaly that I think I need to do so, but I already know how much I treasure the few moments that I've been able to somehow preserve (in photos or in words) of each of them at various ages.  

Today Gillian and I went to Allison Clare's school to eat lunch with her in the cafeteria as a surprise.  She had been eager for me to visit her at lunch, but I couldn't do it while my classes were in session.  Gillian and I wanted to go on Thursdays because they are usually cookie days, with fresh-baked cookies available for $.50 (alas, today was an exception).  Gillian was being sort of fretful before we left the house--first she didn't want any of the lunch options I read her from the menu, then after we packed her a lunch, she didn't want to change out of her favorite fancy gauzy summer sundress.  I told her she could just as well stay at home with Little Guy and Daddy, but after changing her mind several times within a few minutes, she came along.  

We went to the school and waited by the cafeteria doors.  I knew that AC had been counting down the weeks until my classes ended, but I hadn't told her we were coming today--she and I had even discussed the prospect of lunch some day this morning on the way to the bus.  I saw some students from her class come around the corner, and then a little gap in the line and then Allison Clare came skidding joyfully around.  "Mommy!  Hi!"she shouted as she sailed right by us and went on in.  So, I dutifully trotted along after her, shy Gillian practically pasted to my side.  Allison Clare cheerily bounced through the line, ordering politely and confidently and gathering her lunch.  I bumbled my way through as well, pausing to top off her lunch money account and then clambering over the bench to sit across from her and Gillian at the picnic-style table.  

Allison Clare instructed us in the ways of the cafeteria--that everything you need for your lunch (utensils, napkins, condiments, and some carrot and celery sticks that seemed like they were of absolutely no interest to any of the kids, nor had they been of interest to any of the kids in the previous lunch periods) was at the table on the side, and that when they call your teacher, you get a one minute warning to finish "But if you don't finish, you can have five more minutes." This intelligence she repeated several times through the meal, but when they actually did call the teachers, I noticed that there were no stragglers. I am certain that this is one of those situations where Allison Clare has somehow finagled some kind of exception for herself.  

Gillian tucked away her English muffin silently, dipping also into the applesauce cup she'd whispered she wanted in the line, but as several people came over to us to say hello--a couple of lunch ladies and the cafeteria janitor who each confided that they just "love her!" because she is "always so happy!  And so loving!  And every single day she comes and gives me a big hug and says [in the case of the janitor], 'Hi Mr. Harry'"  It was nice because sometimes living with Allison Clare is, I confess, trying, due to her temper and mine, but she is truly an affectionate and happy creature, and I'm glad that she is able to be her best self at school.  Some of her friends and the lunch staff wanted to know Gillian's name too, and I could tell Gillian was really warming to the whole experience, loving the strawberry milk and the kindness and the excitement, because when they asked, "And what is your sister's name?," Gillian would actually answer the question instead of clamming up completely. She loved the applesauce and wanted to have more when we got home, school applesauce somehow being such a delicacy that it even inspired greater interest in our ordinary, home applesauce.

Little Guy was at home with his dad having guy time, apparently.  It seemed to involve Little Guy getting to eat at the kids' table instead of his high chair, which he's growing increasingly opposed to, and watching Thomas the Train, which he adores.  He had never been interested in TV at all until the past month, when he discovered Thomas.  Now he points to the TV and asks, "Taaas?" It sounds similar to his pronunciation of "trash," another obsession.  He loves finding things and putting them in the trash and coming out of the pantry (where we began hiding the trash so that he wouldn't empty it when he was younger--now we hide it more so that he doesn't put things into it) clapping his hands, and holding his hands high to show you that you should clap as well, while stating in an instructive manner, "Yay.  Yay." if you are not forthcoming enough with your praise. Today he came out of his room doing his slow-clap and saying "Yay." I asked him what he had done, and he said, "Trash" and I had to go see what he had thrown into the diaper pail while I was washing my hands.

He is learning so many words so fast that I can't even keep up.  He had his ear surgery June 10, and immediately started picking them up.  Through the summer, it seemed he learned a few a week, and by the fall, he was learning words the first time we tried to teach them to him and often picking them up by overhearing us.  He is very observant and often knows how to do things that we didn't realize he was watching us do (e.g., he had noticed that I always use the same particular pot to cook oatmeal, something that even Sam had never noticed, and he brought it to me one day when he wanted oatmeal, saying "Meal?" when we had not taught him the word).  Now he is constantly surprising us with things he knows how to say.  Today he pointed at my camera and said, "Cheese" because he wanted his picture taken.  He's recently learned "self" (sounds like "Souse") and "mine" (gleefully).  He loves to tell us when things are his.  He also has learned "Too" and says it whenever he suspects the girls are getting something.  He knows "candy" ("nee") and when he hears them ask for candy or dessert, he starts saying "Too!  Too!  Nee!  Too!"  Yes, you too, little one.