Again I was up way ahead of everyone else this morning. I am stuck on my work schedule but they are used to sleeping in all morning. For the girls this works out as they see me in the evenings more. But for Dominica it doesn’t work as we miss our weekend mornings together and it is tough to go to bed at the same time because she is never tired when I go to bed.
We went out shopping as a family around two this afternoon. We decided that we just had to do something about seating in the basement so the first trip was to Big Lots in the hopes of finding some bean bag chairs. We actually did great and found all kinds of stuff. It was a good haul. Lots of kitchen supplies like cups and, the big find, a cheap toaster oven! Now we can actually heat food up with some convenience. We did find the bean bag chairs too, we got a pink one and an orange one. We needed those today because Dominica found that the Fiftieth Anniversary Episode of Doctor Who was released to Amazon Instant Video today so we have to watch it this evening. But we have nowhere to sit and the only device on which to watch it is the computer in the basement (thank goodness for a 27” monitor at least!) so we are in tough shape.
We also hit Best Buy because I needed to pick up a low cost USB joystick for the computer too. That was very quick.
We stopped at the New City Diner and had our lunch and/or early dinner there. We were one of only about four tables there having dinner so early in the day. Works very well when you have restless little girls to keep happy. New City Diner has an aquarium with three itty bitty turtles in it that they love to watch too. Such cute turtles!
We got home and it was almost straight to Doctor Who. We’ve been waiting a long time for this one. We set up the bean bags and the computer monitor in the middle of the basement. Dominica and I took the bean bags. Liesl took the office chair and sat right between us. Luciana went for daddy’s lap and snuggled. And we all watched the seventy five minute fiftieth anniversary Doctor Who special. It was awesome.
After Doctor Who we watched the cheesy new Disney made for TV movie “Teen Beach Movie” which is a modern Disney Channel attempt at an homage to the 1960s beach movies that Dominica and I once watched in excess, surprisingly, back when we lived in this house in Peekskill. How odd that of all times we decide to watch this throwback. It wasn’t very good, but it wasn’t horrible and Liesl enjoyed it. She danced all over the basement while it was on. We had seen posters for this movie while we were in Walt Disney World which is the only reason that we knew about it at all.
After that, the girls were off to bed. I read to Luciana and then put Liesl to bed. It occurred to me that because I would be off to work in the morning before the girls woke up and because they are heading out to dad’s in the morning for Thanksgiving that as I kissed Liesl goodnight tonight – this is the last time that I will see four year old Liesl. I am joining the family in Frankfort on Wednesday night in a rush from the office in the hopes of seeing Liesl on her birthday. So this is it. The last time that my baby will be four for me.
It seems like only yesterday that Liesl was crying and crying about how she was scared to turn four because she had loved being three and I had to console her that being four would be fun too. For weeks before turning four she dreaded her birthday and the thought of growing up. Now, turning five doesn’t even phase her. I’m not sure that she is really certain that her birthday is even this week. Last time it was such a huge deal and this time it is mostly like a non-event. But having to go without seeing her the last days of her being four makes me sad. Four year old Liesl was so much fun. She is growing up so fast. Turning four was just like an older three. But five makes her school aged. Even though she is home schooling, this makes her a school kid. Things are different.
After the kids were asleep and Dominica was all packed for tomorrow we went back to the basement and watched three episodes of Sleeping Hollow and then were off to bed ourselves.