Psychological Evaluation

Norah drew a picture the other day. I'd include a copy of it if I thought it to be instructive in any way.  Nothing was really discernable in it, so no need.  I asked her what it was and she said it was a 'tv robot with a bloody hand'.   Hmmm.  This from the child across whose transom a PG-rated movie never has crossed.

Vivienne was singing herself a lullaby the other night.  It was a strange mix of mushy princess ideals and terror:

'And my hearrrrrrrrt
Feels looooooovvve
But a Bad Maaaaaaaan
Will Take You Awaaaaaaay
Go To Sleeeeeep
Good night!'

Teddy, who generally plays outdoors all alone by himself at night until his legs ache and he has to rest,
stayed inside all last night grinding out violin practice, god bless it.   He drove himself a bit mad and  in a frenzy of violin passion he tried to get Karl to learn 'Song of the Wind'.  When Karl could not get it on the first try he came downstairs and told me that 'Daddy said I was a bad violin teacher.'

The kindergarten teacher asked the class 'what famous person is on a penny?'  Anyone have a guess?
Norah guessed:  'Peter Pan?'

Vivienne has now been exposed to Disney.  Disney movies are all based on the mother dying, it seems. Viv's quite comfortable with this.   "Are you my mother?'  You are going to die!"   I'm like, 'gee that's sad.'  She said cheerfully,  "that's okay, I'll just get another mother!'   Meanwhile Norah will be humming along quite nicely when she'll just stop all happiness with a screeching halt and turn on me accusingly:  'MOMMY.  I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE. EVER!!!!'   When I try the old, I won't, not until I'm 100 years old etc etc  it's not good enough:  'I don't want you to die even when you are 100 years old. EVER!!  'WAAAAAAH!!' She really believes that I can change the ending to this story. 

I brought the kids lunch the other day at school.  I kind of surprised Teddy.  He turned red when he saw me and I gave him his subway sandwich and said 'Can I sit with you?'  He wasn't sure what to say.  He said 'yeah.'  Then he said 'Can you not sit with me?'  Then he said 'No wait you can sit with me.'  So I sat with his boy table and they are still young enough that they all wanted to talk to me and tell me stuff.  I was completely accepted in a warm 3rd grade boy lunchtime embrace.   By the end of the lunch period Teddy was twirling my hair and proud of his mother.   It's hard to keep up.

I was sick yesterday.  Norah was so kind about it and kept telling me to rest.  But when she could not take my lifeless gaze anymore she got really mad and said things like 'you don't like me as much anymore!'  'you're not doing anything anymore! you didn't even make me dinner!'  I said in my post-vomiting for hours voice:, "i made you pork chops."  She said 'yeah but then you didn't even put them on the plate.  DADDY had to do it.!' waaaaaaaaaaah!  I went to sleep at 8:30 and she was still throwing quite a dramatic fit for Karl about my failures as a mother.  He got her through it and we all slept and today is a Brand New Day.