The Ask Julia and Henry questions have been piling up in our inbox, so Henry and I are finally going to answer them all. I'm up first, but before I start answering, I have a health update. Both Henry and I are still holding on to those colds we've had for three weeks now, and I added a new wrinkle to the mix when I came down with pinkeye on Saturday. Mom diagnosed me very quickly and got me started on drops before I could infect Henry, but for the next day they wouldn't let me touch my little brother at all. It was 24 hours of torture - all I wanted to do was reach out and touch Henry! I'm okay, aside from the eyedrops I have to take the rest of the week. Meanwhile, Henry's face broke out thanks to a virus that was brought on by his sickness. It was quite a crazy weekend.
Here we go. First up is Aunt Paula:
You have such beautiful dresses. Do you always wear dresses to school? What are they teaching you?
No, I don't always wear dresses. They're teaching me lots of things at school: songs, new words and phrases...and how to get pinkeye.
Are you still eating lemons? Do you like lemonade?
I still eat lemons, though not as ravenously as I used to. And no, I've never tried lemonade. If you're not sucking the lemons yourself, what's the point?
Are you still helping mom sort the laundry? You are sure a good helper.
I try to help whenever I can, but they don't always let me. The nerve!
Have you picked out your Halloween outfit yet? Do you think that Henry will go trick or treating with you?
I have a few ideas, but I'm still keeping my options open. And yes, I think Henry will go. But I'm going to hold his candy for him.
Now it's Grandma's turn to ask away:
You sure are a very loving sister to your little brother. You're always thinking about Henry, talking about Henry or affectionately touching Henry. I hope this fondness for your brother continues (especially when he starts crawling after and grabbing your toys!) What keeps you so attentive to Henry? Is it his constant appreciative smiles? It's very easy to see how much you love him and he loves you.
This is a very good question. I'm not completely sure. Partly it's because I love him so much and I'm very protective of him, and partly it's because he's like a big ol' toy for me to play with.
Can you tell us a little more about school? Most importantly, do you have snack time?
Yes, there's snack time. We almost always have crackers, apple juice and water. We also do puzzles, have story time, and have lots of playtime.
Currently, what is your favorite TV program treat?
I'm back to loving Angelina Ballerina, but I've also been watching a couple DVDs that have ballets, like Nutcracker and Swan Lake.
And finally, there are a bunch of questions from Aunt Rebecca:
Do you have a nice nursery school teacher? The reason I ask is that Diana's first nursery school teacher was very nice, but Kathy's was nicknamed Mrs. Meanie.
I have five nursery school teachers, and I love them all, but especially Miss Alicia, Miss Benson and Miss Burnett . They are all very nice.
For Halloween this year, are you and Henry going to dress according to the same theme, or are your costumes going to be completely different from one another?
I keep saying that I'm going to be a princess and Henry's going to be a prince, but I don't think Henry is completely on board with that plan.
Are you good for Mommy when she comes home from work? Your mommy misses you very much,but she has to go back to work, and you can help her out by being helpful. That includes not passing on your nursery school germs to Henry, you know.
It's too late to tell me not to pass on germs, as the damage has been done. But I'm always excited when Mom comes home at night. As long as she tells me what I want to him (namely, that I'm allowed to do whatever it is I'm asking her about), then I'm very good to her.
Is Daddy going to take you to the Yankees playoff games?
Nope. We've been watching a few games, but I usually make Dad put on Angelina Ballerina instead. I hear they're doing great though!
Do you believe in the "Curse of A-Rod"? Will the Yankees fail to win a World Series with A-Rod on their roster? Will Teixeira make the difference by taking the pressure off A-Rod?
Unless the questions are about my two favorite Yankees - Joba and Derek Jeter - I can't help you out.
Why didn't Daddy take you to the Springsteen concert?
Mommy and Daddy saw Bruce and Clarence again last Friday! They said the concert was very loud, but maybe next time I could come if I had headphones on. They said a little girl was at Friday night's show. I don't know if I can stay up that late, though.
What is your favorite outfit that you like to wear?
My ballerina outfit, without a doubt. I like to put it on when I watch TV, especially ballet!
What is currently your favorite food?
I don't have one favorite food, but I'm a big fan of yogurt these days. My favorite is the squeezable kind, that you eat right out of the package:
I also like eating sherbet, especially when it's in an ice-cream cone!
Have you ever gone apple picking?
Nope, but we went to a farm yesterday to buy pumpkins. It was packed! I'll talk more about that later this week.
Are you being cooperative at bedtime now?
I'm doing much better at night, in large part because I'm so tired from the day. Usually after Dad leaves the bed, I curl up under the covers, turn my back to the door and quietly fall asleep. I'm not completely back to where I was in June, but it's pretty close!
