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2/11/1999 Good for the SoulYesterday Tab noticed that the oven dial was missing. We've removed the controls from the front of the stove so that little hands aren't able to turn on the oven or the burners and set the house on fire. I had baked bread on Tuesday so I had used the oven control then, but it had since disappeared. This morning I looked for it because I needed to bake cupcakes for Daniel's Valentine's Day party tomorrow, but I searched in vain. I had to set the oven on by turning on the little metal prong that is supposed to hold the dial in place, estimating the position of 350 deg. for the cupcakes. I wondered whether one of the twins had absconded with the dial, and I asked them if they had seen it. Stephen said no, but Matthew nodded and smiled. He claimed he had put it under the couch, but I couldn't see it there, even after I looked with the flashlight. I wanted to yell at him, but I was stopped by the memory of a similar occasion in which Matthew claimed to have taken something but actually had not. I'm glad I didn't yell because tonight Tab found the oven dial up on a small shelf where I must have placed in when I finished baking the bread. Matthew the Confessor. Let's hope he doesn't turn out to be one of those folks who call police stations and confess to crimes they did not commit. This afternoon I went to the rescheduled parent/teacher meeting with Daniel's kindergarten teacher, while Stephanie stayed with the kids. Dawn said Daniel is on track academically, and is particularly fond of art and math periods. His handwriting and other fine motor skills have improved, as has his behavior. Only occasionally does she have to remind him to use a quieter voice and not to hug and kiss the other kids all the time. After his behavior problems last October, this comes as a relief to me. I think he must have been testing limits with her last fall, but when he realized that Miss Dawn was communicating with us, he ceased his reindeer games. I stopped to get cards on the way home from the meeting. I bought six cards--3 valentines for Tab, a valentine for the boys to give to Stephanie and one from them to Great Nana, and a birthday card for Stephen to send to his godfather--and the total was over $21! It galls me to spend that much money on greeting cards, particularly as money is tight for us right now. I told Tab that from now on he shouldn't get me cards since we could put the money to better use. I think I'll make my greeting cards from now on. Jerry Falwell's ridiculous attack on the purple Teletubby, Tinky Winky, is in the news today. I don't like the Teletubbies, never did, but this has to be the stupidest pronouncement from a conservative since Dan Quayle slammed Murphy Brown. The Teletubbies always seemed neuter to me; I didn't realize until recently that two are supposed to be male and two female. That the Teletubbies are somehow subversive because a few homophobic, hate-mongering zealots think that Tinky Winky is supposed to be gay role model is as pathetic as it is ludicrous.
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