Thursday was another swimming lesson day. Michel works so hard in swimming lessons and really seems to want to please her teacher. Treading water was definitely a challenge for her today, but that is what she chose to practice during her free time at the end of her lesson. After swimming, we came home for lunch and a little play time before heading to a friend's house. Just as we were leaving, I noticed huge puddles of water streaming from either corner of my refrigerator. This delayed us for about an hour, as I worked on troubleshooting the problem. Once again, Michel tolerated the unexpected delay with no complaint or misbehavior. She entertained herself by cleaning up the basement (all of her own accord) until it was time to go.
Michel seemed to enjoy the playdate at my friend Crystal's house. She has an almost eight-year-old daughter and two younger boys, along with another older girl and baby boy for whom she does day care. Michel didn't hesitate at all to join the children's games. They played hide-and-seek, and she was quick to figure out the various methods the kids used to determine who was "It". Language hardly seemed to be a barrier at all! She also enjoyed a game of "Statues in the Garden." I don't know if I've ever seen a child hold so perfectly still! She enjoyed "Mummy Mummy" as well, and did not seem uneasy to wander around someone's basement, eyes closed, trying to tag the other kids.
Crystal correctly suspected that Michel might be craving some "girl time" after hanging out with our boys for a week. Michel joined the two girls in playing with American Girl dolls and dressing up in princess clothes. She braided the doll's hair quickly, easily, and much more evenly than I could have done. (With two boys, it's been a loooong time since I've braided anyone else's hair!)
Michel enjoyed playing with the older kids, but she also gravitated toward the baby and toddler. When the baby woke up from his nap, her face lit up when she was offered the opportunity to hold him. She supported him properly and bounced him gently to elicit smiles. I also noted that when the toddler and preschooler cried (for whatever reason), Michel responded almost immediately to direct them back to their mother. I was impressed at how attuned she is to the needs of younger kids, and that she understood when they needed mom. I've seen her do the same thing in other group settings as well.
Toward the end of our playtime, we all walked across the street to an area filled with wild blackberry bushes. Michel had never tried blackberries or raspberries, but she was quick to become a fan! She carefully chose the ripest berries to pick, eating some right away and saving some for later. The only downside of the juice-stained fingers was that she couldn't hold my hand; I'm allergic to raspberries and was wary of too much contact with them. She understood and was happy to have my arm around her shoulder instead.
Before leaving, she found a jackpot of berries on the ground, but it turns out they were mulberries, not blackberries. I think they are edible, but perhaps not as tasty as the blackberries the kids had been enjoying, so we decided to leave them for the birds.
After the playdate, we hit Taco Bell on the way to the Iowa Cubs minor league baseball game downtown. She enjoyed three tacos (no lettuce!) and was surprised to see that each member of our family enjoys lettuce on our tacos. She said that she often eats tacos in Colombia, but they have very different fillings: eggs, yellow rice, and chicken. Through a series of order mishaps, we ended up with several (four? five?) snack-size bags of Doritos. Michel loves Doritos, so Andrew and Mike donated their bags to her, each not realizing that the other had also given her a bag. I glanced under the table to see a growing pile of Doritos bags in her lap! She likes to save the best for last, so she savored the Doritos after finishing her tacos.
Michel has previously said she prefers a downtown city environment to a rural countryside, so it was fun to drive through downtown and point out the some of the sights of the city. We arrived at Principal Park after the game had started, but there were still plenty of tickets left. It's a great park for a fun family outing.
Michel said she knows nothing about baseball, but she clapped when everyone else clapped because she assumed something good happened. She enjoyed an Oreo ice cream treat with the boys and loved the t-shirt cannons that shot shirts into the crowd. She was very curious about the stadium, wanting to find the bear mascot as he worked the crowd and check out the fountain and lighted scoreboards on the far side of the field. She picked out a lightweight jacket in the souvenir shop to combat the slight chill in the air. Later, she told me that she loves the jacket. The I-Cubs lost 4-1, but we still enjoyed the experience.
When we got home, Michel chose to forgo stories and just head to bed. She usually enjoys reading at night, so I knew she was tired! She writes in her journal before bed most nights, but I think she saved her journaling for Friday morning this time.
Mike took today (Friday) off to enjoy some family time and get ready for his parents' visit this weekend. Michel finished strong in her swimming lessons, mastering swimming alone across the width of the pool. She now takes the Spot It! game with her everywhere and asks to play at every possible opportunity.
Mike took Michel and the boys to Bass Pro Shop this afternoon. They were there a long time and apparently had fun. Michel picked out a new pair of shorts and a pink cowboy hat.
I think we finally tired the poor child out, or perhaps the heat and humidity and long car ride caught up with her. I asked how she was doing when she came home from Bass Pro Shop, and she said, "Bien...pero no muy bien." (Good...but not very good.) Typical Michel, starting with the positive, but also letting me know that things weren't great. She complained of a bad headache and nausea, so I tucked her into bed. She fell asleep almost immediately - at 6:00 this evening - and didn't even move until midnight. She woke up groggy but feeling much better. She met Mike's parents as they headed to bed, ate some yogurt and watermelon, and headed back to bed without complaint. Hopefully she will be feeling chipper for tomorrow's Kidsave chocolate-making outing at Chocolaterie Stam!
Sometimes it's curious to note the things that Michel is already familiar with, and the things she finds new or strange. Doors are a surprising challenge. I guess I've never noticed how many different ways you can open a door. Even just within our home, there are twisting doorknobs and turning handles, sliding doors, doors that push and doors that pull, all different kinds of locks. She often hesitates before a door, as if trying to determine how to open it. However, she immediately recognized Doritos and Oreos, and she navigates a smartphone with ease.
I have noticed Michel's great compassion on a couple of occasions recently. As we left Taco Bell last night, I managed to hit the edge of my kneecap on the edge of the van tire. (Those of you who have known me for any length of time also know my tiny kneecaps and their awesome propensity to dislocate.) It was just the right angle - or the wrong one - to almost drop me to the ground in pain. Michel immediately dropped what she had in her hands, hopped out of the van, and came to my side. She put her arm around me and asked what was wrong, and she stayed with me until I was ready to proceed. She would make a loving, caring addition to any family.
Hopefully, this weekend I will get back to daily blog posts, so they won't be such monstrously long catch-up entries. Enjoy your weekend, and check back for more adventures soon!
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