There’s one thing I didn’t cancel – a lunch trip to American Girl Cafe on Michigan Avenue. I was able to reschedule and I brought Cameron along for the fun. Amazingly enough, he was tolerant of the pink and the girly stuff. Why? Well… the food was yummy and Cam had a great sense of humor about it all. Plus, while Jordan’s special doll got a high chair, Cam asked one for his sock alien doll. He didn’t mind if it was a pink high chair. Classic. They both thought it was pretty cool to be in a fancy restaurant that has food kids like.

The tables were decorated with napkin holders that turned into new hair bows for Miss Jordan. Her doll got to use a little plate and mug during the lunch. Also, our dessert at the end of the event was a TON of yummy sugar. Cam was the only person to eat it all.
Here’s the kids at our fun lunch:

Along with the sweet lunch, I let Jordan pick out one outfit for her doll and a matching outfit for herself. A total splurge… But I bought it large enough that she’ll fit in it for the next two years! She’s very proud of the new outfit.

Yup. Her arm. It’s the first thing you may notice but Jordan is obviously not her arm. She is who she is. The arm lets you remember, but her personality helps you never forget.

She’s having a blast at the pool and even though she’s around a lot of new kids who don’t know her, she’s handling the questions very well. She only hides her arm when really young kids won’t stop asking or staring. Most kids at the pool really can move past it once they ask a question.

But poor Cam. He’s learning it will take a little more to be memorable at the pool. He was unforgettable at school this year – for not always the best reasons. But I’m sure he’ll find his way beyond being “Jordan’s big brother.”

This was Jordan’s first chance to see a musical. It was Cameron’s second (I took him to the traveling broadway show of the Lion King back in 2006). They both enjoyed it a bunch. But they both got pretty darn scared by the Wicked Witch of the West. Then I had a bit of a realization… I used to watch Wizard of Oz every year because it was on TV once a year. Why isn’t that on anymore? This was the first time my kids had ever been introduced to the story line. Am I a bad parent? Did our culture move away from this story? Heck, my kids needed to see this so they can go to Wicked some day!

Jordan and her brother Cameron are going through a phase… And I realize it’s a phase that will last through the majority of their childhood. It’s a combination of total love and complete and utter rivalry and unexplained anger. The two of them will have a sweet moment like this picture I captured last week and then minutes later they’re arguing over the pronunciation of a word or whether a circle is a square. I swear they will argue over ANYTHING. I’m not sure how to stop it beyond asking them to go into different rooms.

I have three different tactics when they argue.
1) Beg them to stop. (Or demand they stop.)
2) Order them to separate.
3) Let them battle it out. (I usually have to leave the room to let this happen)

The letting them battle it out usually ends with one or the other kid finding me and tattling on the other sibling. Honestly, Jordan came down this evening to tattle on Cameron for calling her a tattle tale. I’m not kidding.

I realize the sibling rivalry thing is a part of parenting that requires a high level of patience. I also realize this is punishment for the years of fighting between my brother and I. But seriously. They should at least fight over more productive things. I don’t know what those would be. I’ll let you know when I can think of that.