bits and pieces of our life

* J learned to tie her shoes a couple of weeks ago, well actually she learned to tie my shoes since hers have Velcro, but the effect is the same :)

* M came home last week with a paper where she was writing the things that she likes, she told me that she stretched the words to spell them herself. My favorite said "I like tow swem" (to swim)

* M has discovered Checkers. A friend taught her to play in the after-school program and she's fascinated. She wanted J to play with her on Sunday. J is way too young to play checkers, so I'd end up playing with M. It's hard for me to play with her and teach her how to focus on the big picture, not one player. I always end up winning by taking out all her pieces and she's only jumped me once or twice. I'm not a very good teacher, but I'm better at it than G -- who just gets frustrated and snaps at her.

* J was playing last night and she found a "dress-up" earring. She walked around the rest of the evening in her PJ's with 1 earring, 2 bracelets and a necklace on. She looked hard but couldn't find the other earring. I told her maybe she'd get some new earrings for her birthday or Christmas.