August 2, 2012

  • Chewlee And Her Picnics

    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    Chewlee loves to picnic.  In my computer room.  On the floor with one of her special blankets as our picnic blanket.  We must make a menu for our picnics.  They vary from day to day.  We must have at least four items, not including our drinks.  She invites her pets...Katie the kangaroo and Katie Kitty are the usual suspects.  Sometimes there's Katie the baby doll.  She seems to like the name Katie.  What do you think? 

    One day I had to make her a salami sandwich (I had bologna).  I had to put them on small plates and she put them at our places on the blanket.  She grabbed two tangarines (one for each of us), the tortilla chips and some Pecan Sandies cookies for dessert.  She drank chocolate milk, I had some regular milk and then my coffee.

    Chewlee took the lead and got upset when I grabbed a section of orange.  SHE hadn't said it was time to eat our oranges.  I couldn't believe how upset she got over that so I told her *Sorry...I didn't know I had to wait.*  Then she told me, *First we eat our sandwiches and we can have a couple chips after we eat HALF.  When that's all gone, THEN you eat your orange and you can have TWO cookies!*  I told her she had to tell me the rules for the picnic or I would make a mistake.  She settled down then and moved Katie Kangaroo next to me and said Katie liked me. 

    We sat and watched TV and talked.  She talked mostly about going to big kids school (as she calls it) and her worries about taking a bus because she doesn't have a map to give the driver (I assured her that the driver knew where to pick her up and take her after school).  She worries about things she shouldn't at times and she's sincere in her worries.  At times it's hard to allay those fears no matter what you say.

    After we finally finished eating everything, I was allowed back at my computer.  Then she climbed in my lap and we had to play *MY* favorite game, Clue.  It's actually HER latest delight.   It's a hidden object game on Pogo and there are always six parts to it.  Five scenarios with a dozen items to find and then a split screen one where you have to find 15 differences between them.  The whole game is timed (60 minutes in total).  Chewlee is very good at finding many of the items that are hidden.  But she surprised me at how good she is at finding the differences on the last scenario.  I mean it!  She's incredible at that one.  In some of the other scenarios, the items you have to find are ones she isn't familiar with so I always take the time to show her so she will know for the next time.  Today it was an artichoke that comes to mind.  She also didn't know what a bust of Napolean was but she does now.  Also the Eiffel Tower.

    I told her that she was really good at finding the differences and she just glowed in pride over that.  She told me she would get better at finding things...just watch and see!  I love to watch her thinking and concentrating.  Her mind is a little sponge.  She told me today that she didn't like when her mommy gets mad at her but sometimes she does bad things.  I didn't ask her what bad things.  I figured she will tell me when she's ready.

    I found out why she's become so strange about having her hair back in braids or a pony tail.  She told her mother that *I* told her she had monkey ears.  I was shocked because I have NEVER told her that.  I have told others not to make fun of her ears sticking out because it will make her oversensitive and hurt her feelings.  She may have heard me being upset over someone telling her she had *monkey ears* and thought I was saying that about her.  Now I have to find a way to get that out of her head so she can wear her long hair in braids or a pony tail and not be self-conscious about her ears.  **Sigh**

    Sheepie called me today wondering if the aunt that the Beast was visiting was a patient at the rehab center where she works.  It seems she has a woman there with the same name as the aunt.  When I told her HIS aunt lived in North Carolina, she was relieved.  She said she just was a bit worried that she had a relative there at HER nursing home that she didn't know about.  LOL!

    I called the Beast who, it turned out, was at the nursing home playing cards with his aunt.  It relieved me to find out that she hasn't been moved home....at least not yet.  I hope the Beast DID discuss some of the alternatives with his cousin and that she looks into it.  Of course, what bothers me is, if it might take money out of their pockets, she won't do it.  She's really money hungry and hangs onto her money.  She will spend AM's but this close to her mother possibly dying, she's not going to want to give any more of it away than she has to.

    Love you all.  Be smart and kind to yourself and others in all this heat.