Day with Kate

Kate and I spend Friday together, but often she naps, or I have to work at least some, or both. Today she didn't nap and I didn't work, so here was our day.

- Went to Dunkin Donuts, which is typically a positive start to the day. She happily got her shoes and jacket on and went to the bathroom, things that occasionally involve resistance. "C'mon, Daddy!" she hollers, as I tie my sneakers. She sings something or other in the car on the way there, and then we hear the dance song of the week on the radio (Love in a Hopeless Place, in case you're wondering...Jack erroneously calls it Love in a Homeless Place, which is kind of amusing), and Kate lights up even more. "Daddy, it's your song!!!" Waiting in line she danced around and announced which kinds of donuts she wanted. Momentary shyness when we had to sit at a table close to strangers. But she rallied when I explained her donut eating depended on it. We brought donuts home for Jack, too.

- Went to the liquor store, me for wine (medicinal purposes you understand) and her to see the parrot. As I'm browsing I hear her say, "Daddy, Daddy! He flapped his wings!" As I looked over, the store's pet parrot did indeed flap his wings. Thrilling for all of us.

- At home we did a puzzle, then Kate said she wanted to take baby for a walk. So we got the stroller out, popped her baby into it, and walked around the block with baby in her stroller. We both wore hats and winter jackets because it was cold, but baby didn't seem to mind. Her beatific smile remained fixed on her face.

- We had lunch. Kate made her own peanut butter and jelly sandwich and also had milk, a cheese stick, and an apple. I had basically the same, although one of us wasn't full afterward.

- After lunch we were going to draw, but first Kate took out a Peter Rabbit coloring book and gave us each a page. We colored with markers; she makes a very bright Peter Rabbit, with different rainbow colors for his ears, nose, eyes, cheeks, paws, sleeves, etc. Her Farmer MacGregor kind of looked scary since she gave him a red beard and green eyes. We colored for about half and hour and I've got to say it was really peaceful.

- We drew porcupines, with me following her lead (she learned how to draw one from an art book Jack brought home). If I did it wrong, or at least wrong in her eyes, she'd look at it, say "No, Daddy." I'd say, well, I already did it. And she'd sigh, and then say, patiently, "It's okay." We made porcupines with crowns ("It's a King Porcupine" she explained) and with other porcupines on their backs, and I got several sighs followed by, "It's okay."

- We went to get Jack, and she ran around the playground at school. About the happiest Friday we've had together in a while, I think.