I forgot to pack my toothbrush for Pennsylvania.
This wasn't the only thing that was left behind. Mom's loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, intended to be shared with all the Davises, is still in our fridge at home. The coffee I had roasted for the trip is still in a kitchen cupboard. And apparently my very worn-out purple toothbrush is still in the bathroom.
My toothbrush isn't worn out because it's old. It's worn out because I am, apparently, an extraordinarily vigorous brusher. J commented on this several times before I believed her, and experience has proven her right. If we both open new toothbrushes at the same time, hers will still look relatively new one month later, and mine will look like I've been punishing it by jamming the bristles into a food processor.
So I went downstairs and asked J's mom if she had a spare toothbrush anywhere, and being a thoughtful host, she had a whole drawerful of extra toiletries for needy/forgetful guests like myself in a dresser drawer upstairs.
But in Owen's room. Where Owen was sleeping.
I slowly turned his doorknob, careful not to make any clicking sound as I pushed the door onwards, even lifting up on the handle in case the bottom might run against the carpet. I tiptoed over to the dresser, and gently eased out the 2nd drawer down. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pressed the home button--not the full flashlight, lest Owen should happen to be sleeping with his face towards me, but just the little glow of light that came from my Unlock screen, by which I could distinguish several new toothbrushes in their cases lying in the drawer.
I picked one up, put it in my pocket, and tiptoed out of the room. I shut the door behind me just as quietly as I'd opened it, then went into the bathroom and pulled the toothbrush out of my pocket.
"Boy, this is kind of girly." I thought to myself.
"In fact, it looks just like J's."
I saw J's toothbrush lying on the sink.
Light pink, light pink.
Oral B in blue letters, Oral B in blue letters.
Relatively new looking bristles, relatively new looking bristles.
I'm going to have to brush my teeth even harder than usual so that we can tell them apart.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Owen Helps With Chores
I. Laundry
Dad-Collects laundry from bathroom, Owen's room, James' room (James: "What are you doing? Oh. Shut the door all the way when you leave."), sorts into lights and darks, carries down to the basement in three trips, starts laundry.
Owen-Plays with bathroom sink, eventually taking off shirt and submerging it under the running water.
Dad-Changes Owen's shirt, throws wet shirt in dirty laundry.
Owen-Rides in baskets of dirty laundry down two flights of stairs three times, explores basement in sock feet
II. Tires
Dad-Goes out to car to move all-season tires from trunk to basement
Owen-Waits at the kitchen door for Dad to come back, slams door on him just as he is about to step into the house with a tire on each arm
Dad-Goes to powder room to wash grease off of hands
Owen-Also goes to powder room. Throws a hand towel into the sink as Dad is washing his hands.
Dad-Puts hand towel in dirty laundry basket down in basement
Owen-Takes off shirt, runs water all over it in powder room sink
Dad-Locks powder room door, changes Owen's shirt, puts shirt in dirty laundry
III. Trash and recycling
Dad-Takes recycling bin out to curb
Owen-Slams kitchen door shut just as Dad is about to walk back into the house
Dad-Collects trash bags from all over the house, including the powder room, where Owen shredded an entire roll of toilet paper the previous day
Owen-Carries tied off trash bags to the kitchen door, including the bag full of wasted toilet paper, complaining "I's 'eavyy...."
Dad-Takes waste bin out to curb
Owen-Slams door in Dad's face just as he is about to step back into the house, runs away laughing.
IV. Work Emails
Dad-Writes a long work email to a choir member about worship planning and choir recruitment.
Owen-Walks up and presses the power button to the laptop just as Dad is signing his name and getting ready to hit send.
Dad-Collects laundry from bathroom, Owen's room, James' room (James: "What are you doing? Oh. Shut the door all the way when you leave."), sorts into lights and darks, carries down to the basement in three trips, starts laundry.
Owen-Plays with bathroom sink, eventually taking off shirt and submerging it under the running water.
Dad-Changes Owen's shirt, throws wet shirt in dirty laundry.
Owen-Rides in baskets of dirty laundry down two flights of stairs three times, explores basement in sock feet
II. Tires
Dad-Goes out to car to move all-season tires from trunk to basement
Owen-Waits at the kitchen door for Dad to come back, slams door on him just as he is about to step into the house with a tire on each arm
Dad-Goes to powder room to wash grease off of hands
Owen-Also goes to powder room. Throws a hand towel into the sink as Dad is washing his hands.
Dad-Puts hand towel in dirty laundry basket down in basement
Owen-Takes off shirt, runs water all over it in powder room sink
Dad-Locks powder room door, changes Owen's shirt, puts shirt in dirty laundry
III. Trash and recycling
Dad-Takes recycling bin out to curb
Owen-Slams kitchen door shut just as Dad is about to walk back into the house
Dad-Collects trash bags from all over the house, including the powder room, where Owen shredded an entire roll of toilet paper the previous day
Owen-Carries tied off trash bags to the kitchen door, including the bag full of wasted toilet paper, complaining "I's 'eavyy...."
Dad-Takes waste bin out to curb
Owen-Slams door in Dad's face just as he is about to step back into the house, runs away laughing.
IV. Work Emails
Dad-Writes a long work email to a choir member about worship planning and choir recruitment.
Owen-Walks up and presses the power button to the laptop just as Dad is signing his name and getting ready to hit send.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Fear Itself
Things That James Was Afraid of Today:
The soundtrack to Return of the Jedi
The possibility of ghosts living in the backyard
Brushing his teeth by himself
Not being able to button his pajamas
Owen getting into the Christmas tree
My stubble
The likelihood of his having a beard some day
My African-American trumpet student
Falling over on his bike
A type of Wegman's pizza he'd never tried before
Things That Owen Was Not Afraid of Today:
Walking around the house without pants
Walking around the backyard in the dark without a flashlight
Getting into the Christmas tree
Flying leaps off of the sofa
Flying leaps off of the stepstool
Climbing onto and walking across the dining room table to retrieve a sippy cup on the other side
Eating semi fossilized food he found under his high chair
My African-American trumpet student (or, as Owen thinks of him, his new friend)
Toilet-related bacteria
Pillow fights with anyone who would fight back
The soundtrack to Return of the Jedi
The possibility of ghosts living in the backyard
Brushing his teeth by himself
Not being able to button his pajamas
Owen getting into the Christmas tree
My stubble
The likelihood of his having a beard some day
My African-American trumpet student
Falling over on his bike
A type of Wegman's pizza he'd never tried before
Things That Owen Was Not Afraid of Today:
Walking around the house without pants
Walking around the backyard in the dark without a flashlight
Getting into the Christmas tree
Flying leaps off of the sofa
Flying leaps off of the stepstool
Climbing onto and walking across the dining room table to retrieve a sippy cup on the other side
Eating semi fossilized food he found under his high chair
My African-American trumpet student (or, as Owen thinks of him, his new friend)
Toilet-related bacteria
Pillow fights with anyone who would fight back
Monday, November 28, 2016
Conversations
I. Conversations with Owen
"Ah wahn ah-dee."
"You want...Daddy?"
"Umm...no. Ah wahn ah-dee."
"Candy?"
"Nooo! Ah nee' ah-dee."
"Potty?"
"Ummm...No! Ah-dee. Ah-dee, Mahmmy, ah wahn ah-dee!"
II. Conversations with Clowns
Wendell is a nonogenerian friend to the boys at my church. He is rather frail and mostly deaf, but he always waves hello to them and asks about them when they aren't there. Last Sunday I brought them into the sanctuary in the fifteen minutes between the end of my rehearsal and the beginning of the service so that they could each have a piece of "nah-ee." (Candy) They picked out tootsie pops, marveled at the big Christmas tree, and then set about rolling around under the pews and smearing sucker gloop all over their mouths and hands.
Wendell walked over and sat down beside me on the pew. He told me how well behaved they always are, and about how he used to get kids to laugh when he was a clown. And I smiled and asked, "You used to be a clown?" And then Wendell told me ALL about being a clown. About how his costume was blue and yellow and he had it specially made, and he donated all his old toys to the church and they were probably still in storage, as far as he knew. And how he taught lots of other clowns, but there was some fierce competition to see who the best clown was. And how his biggest rival was a clown called "Apples," and that Apples loved to see his picture in the paper and that was why Apples knocked him down one time when Wendell was visiting a sick girl in the hospital and a newspaperman tried to take a picture of Wendell the clown and the little girl, and Apples didn't even like kids and called them "little bastards" when they weren't around. (James and Owen were still rolling around underneath me.) And then he told me all about driving down to Florida for a clown competition and how all the clowns were dancing in a circle, at least 90 of them (this is the point where J would be desperately trying to wake up from her nightmare) and he had forgotten his clown shoes on top of the car, but Apples was still bounced out of the circle ahead of him, and that made him cry because Wendell was still in even though he wasn't even wearing his clown shoes.
Then the service started, and the boys asked if they could have more "nah-ee" afterwards.
I. Conversations with Owen, continued
"Ah-dee, ah-dee!"
"Abby? You want to see Abby?"
"Ooh, Abby! No! Ah wahn ah-dee!"
"Umm...an apple?"
"No, no apple. Ah-dee."
"Adding?"
"Ah-dee."
"Ah-dee?"
"Yea, ah-dee. Pee ah' wahn ah-dee?"
"I don't know what it is!"
III. A different conversation with Owen
"Okay, we're going to go upstairs and turn on the TV."
"Oooh, yea!!!"
"It's almost time for the Bills game! Do you want to watch Buffalo?"
"Buh-buh-bo! Buh-buh-bo! Go buh-buh-bo!"
<sudden inexplicable sad face>
"No puh-ing."
"No punting?"
"Yea, no puh-ing."
I. The original conversation with Owen
"Ah-dee! Ah-dee! Ah wahn ah-dee!"
"Daddy? Are you sure it isn't Daddy?"
"No, ah-dee!"
"Owen...I have no idea."
"AHSS...."
"Ice?"
"DEEEE..."
"Oh, ice cream?"
"Yea!!!! Ah-dee!"
"Ice cream! That was it!"
"Yea, ah-dee!"
"Yeah, no. No ice cream."
"AHH!!!!"
"Ah wahn ah-dee."
"You want...Daddy?"
"Umm...no. Ah wahn ah-dee."
"Candy?"
"Nooo! Ah nee' ah-dee."
"Potty?"
"Ummm...No! Ah-dee. Ah-dee, Mahmmy, ah wahn ah-dee!"
II. Conversations with Clowns
Wendell is a nonogenerian friend to the boys at my church. He is rather frail and mostly deaf, but he always waves hello to them and asks about them when they aren't there. Last Sunday I brought them into the sanctuary in the fifteen minutes between the end of my rehearsal and the beginning of the service so that they could each have a piece of "nah-ee." (Candy) They picked out tootsie pops, marveled at the big Christmas tree, and then set about rolling around under the pews and smearing sucker gloop all over their mouths and hands.
Wendell walked over and sat down beside me on the pew. He told me how well behaved they always are, and about how he used to get kids to laugh when he was a clown. And I smiled and asked, "You used to be a clown?" And then Wendell told me ALL about being a clown. About how his costume was blue and yellow and he had it specially made, and he donated all his old toys to the church and they were probably still in storage, as far as he knew. And how he taught lots of other clowns, but there was some fierce competition to see who the best clown was. And how his biggest rival was a clown called "Apples," and that Apples loved to see his picture in the paper and that was why Apples knocked him down one time when Wendell was visiting a sick girl in the hospital and a newspaperman tried to take a picture of Wendell the clown and the little girl, and Apples didn't even like kids and called them "little bastards" when they weren't around. (James and Owen were still rolling around underneath me.) And then he told me all about driving down to Florida for a clown competition and how all the clowns were dancing in a circle, at least 90 of them (this is the point where J would be desperately trying to wake up from her nightmare) and he had forgotten his clown shoes on top of the car, but Apples was still bounced out of the circle ahead of him, and that made him cry because Wendell was still in even though he wasn't even wearing his clown shoes.
Then the service started, and the boys asked if they could have more "nah-ee" afterwards.
I. Conversations with Owen, continued
"Ah-dee, ah-dee!"
"Abby? You want to see Abby?"
"Ooh, Abby! No! Ah wahn ah-dee!"
"Umm...an apple?"
"No, no apple. Ah-dee."
"Adding?"
"Ah-dee."
"Ah-dee?"
"Yea, ah-dee. Pee ah' wahn ah-dee?"
"I don't know what it is!"
III. A different conversation with Owen
"Okay, we're going to go upstairs and turn on the TV."
"Oooh, yea!!!"
"It's almost time for the Bills game! Do you want to watch Buffalo?"
"Buh-buh-bo! Buh-buh-bo! Go buh-buh-bo!"
<sudden inexplicable sad face>
"No puh-ing."
"No punting?"
"Yea, no puh-ing."
I. The original conversation with Owen
"Ah-dee! Ah-dee! Ah wahn ah-dee!"
"Daddy? Are you sure it isn't Daddy?"
"No, ah-dee!"
"Owen...I have no idea."
"AHSS...."
"Ice?"
"DEEEE..."
"Oh, ice cream?"
"Yea!!!! Ah-dee!"
"Ice cream! That was it!"
"Yea, ah-dee!"
"Yeah, no. No ice cream."
"AHH!!!!"
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Thanksgiving Week
I.
James turned five yesterday. It was a very James birthday. He laid in bed until we came in to his room at 7:30, I suspect hiding under his covers and grinning for a very long time. Then he charged down the stairs and didn't say anything in the first person for about five minutes, but just let "George" talk about how excited James was to open presents. He opened a bicycle, talked about how it was his favorite color and how he would ride it, and then choked back tears when he realized it was the only present. Then he got over it and immediately began arguing with Owen over who would get which box. (The bike came in a big huffy box, which was delivered in an even bigger Amazon box.)
He had his favorite cereal for breakfast, helped me put the bike together, then got on, chickened out, got off, then worked up the nerve to get back and ride it again when Owen started trying to climb onto it and rode it throughout the the downstairs. (We moved our dining table into the library, or as James has started calling it, the "third room.")We went out and shoveled the driveway, then came in for more biking and Owen joined him on his scooter, and they basically rammed around all morning until Nama and Papa arrived for lunch. James showed off his bike to them and sat down for his favorite lunch--fried chicken with ketchup, peas, and chips and guac, followed by chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake. He did kindergarten (his idea, not ours) and wrote sentences in his writing book about what he'd done on his birthday so far. Then he brought the bike with him upstairs during his book nap, so that he could look at it while he "slept." Then he came back down after nap and rode the bike around some more. He asked for a peanut butter and jelly for dinner until I reminded him that he could request whatever he wanted. (i.e., a chicken pizza from Salvatore's) and he decided that was, in fact, a better idea. He and Owen both freaked out when I brought it back inside, and James exclaimed "I hope there's a house inside!" He always gets excited by the little white plastic tripod spacer that the pizzeria puts in the box to keep the pizza from moving around or getting squished. He calls it a house, and insists that he hold it. This has been a thing for as long as he's been eating take-out pizza. We opened up the box, and, per our request, the pizzeria had made a big number "5" with a couple dozen "houses." He ate his pizza and loved it, and Owen was so messy that we had to change his outfit completely. Just like we did at lunch. And at breakfast. We've got to housebreak this kid. When my student arrived, James greeted him and his Dad simply by walking into the living room in proud silence and holding up five fingers.
II.
A Greek poem on a snowy afternoon
Inscribed on a Coan lady's statue of Aphrodite
E Kypris ou pandemos. Hilaskeo ten theon eipon
ouranien, agnes anthema Chrysogones
oiko en Amphikleous, o kai tekna kai bion eiche
xynon. Aei de sphin loion eis eto en
ek sethen archomenos o potnia. Kedomenoi gar
athanaton autoi pleion echousi brotoi.
This isn't the popular take on sex. But when you're
trying to do right in matters of love, remember the spiritual.
This statue is from Chrysogne, the faithful wife
of Amphikles and mother of his children.
First they did right by each other in bed, as the goddess would
want, and ever increased their happiness through the years.
For those who take a concern in what the gods would want
are better off for it themselves too.
James turned five yesterday. It was a very James birthday. He laid in bed until we came in to his room at 7:30, I suspect hiding under his covers and grinning for a very long time. Then he charged down the stairs and didn't say anything in the first person for about five minutes, but just let "George" talk about how excited James was to open presents. He opened a bicycle, talked about how it was his favorite color and how he would ride it, and then choked back tears when he realized it was the only present. Then he got over it and immediately began arguing with Owen over who would get which box. (The bike came in a big huffy box, which was delivered in an even bigger Amazon box.)
He had his favorite cereal for breakfast, helped me put the bike together, then got on, chickened out, got off, then worked up the nerve to get back and ride it again when Owen started trying to climb onto it and rode it throughout the the downstairs. (We moved our dining table into the library, or as James has started calling it, the "third room.")We went out and shoveled the driveway, then came in for more biking and Owen joined him on his scooter, and they basically rammed around all morning until Nama and Papa arrived for lunch. James showed off his bike to them and sat down for his favorite lunch--fried chicken with ketchup, peas, and chips and guac, followed by chocolate ice cream and chocolate cake. He did kindergarten (his idea, not ours) and wrote sentences in his writing book about what he'd done on his birthday so far. Then he brought the bike with him upstairs during his book nap, so that he could look at it while he "slept." Then he came back down after nap and rode the bike around some more. He asked for a peanut butter and jelly for dinner until I reminded him that he could request whatever he wanted. (i.e., a chicken pizza from Salvatore's) and he decided that was, in fact, a better idea. He and Owen both freaked out when I brought it back inside, and James exclaimed "I hope there's a house inside!" He always gets excited by the little white plastic tripod spacer that the pizzeria puts in the box to keep the pizza from moving around or getting squished. He calls it a house, and insists that he hold it. This has been a thing for as long as he's been eating take-out pizza. We opened up the box, and, per our request, the pizzeria had made a big number "5" with a couple dozen "houses." He ate his pizza and loved it, and Owen was so messy that we had to change his outfit completely. Just like we did at lunch. And at breakfast. We've got to housebreak this kid. When my student arrived, James greeted him and his Dad simply by walking into the living room in proud silence and holding up five fingers.
II.
A Greek poem on a snowy afternoon
Inscribed on a Coan lady's statue of Aphrodite
E Kypris ou pandemos. Hilaskeo ten theon eipon
ouranien, agnes anthema Chrysogones
oiko en Amphikleous, o kai tekna kai bion eiche
xynon. Aei de sphin loion eis eto en
ek sethen archomenos o potnia. Kedomenoi gar
athanaton autoi pleion echousi brotoi.
This isn't the popular take on sex. But when you're
trying to do right in matters of love, remember the spiritual.
This statue is from Chrysogne, the faithful wife
of Amphikles and mother of his children.
First they did right by each other in bed, as the goddess would
want, and ever increased their happiness through the years.
For those who take a concern in what the gods would want
are better off for it themselves too.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Updates
I.
James' birthday is Monday. He received some birthday cards in the mail yesterday and decided that he would wait to open them until his actual birthday. Then he decided that he wanted to open them right away, after all. But then when I wouldn't let him, he said it was okay to wait until Monday, but was Monday the next day?
"No," I told him "tomorrow is Saturday, and then Sunday, and then Monday is after that."
"I know. But I wish it was next day."
While we were all apart last weekend I wrote him a letter and told him that he was going to get a special surprise for his birthday. He's been asking about this surprise a lot.
"I can't wait to get a present for my birthday!" he says
Owen says: "Me toooo!!!"
II.
"Owen, how old are you?"
"DTWO!!!"
"That's right, you're two years old now!"
"Yeah, dtwo! 'Ow you, Mahmmy?"
"How old am I? How old do you think I am, Owen?"
"Fahv!"
"Oh, you think I'm five?"
"Yeah."
"Owen, how old is Daddy?"
"Uhh...Fahv!!!"
"Oh, okay."
"What about James, how old is James?"
<Owen looks at James>
"Demsh i' DTWO!!!"
"He's not two, you goofball."
"Owen, I'm not two!"
"Yeah, Demsh DTWO!"
"Owen, how old are you?"
"Ah'm FAHV!"
III.
James came down the stairs this morning carrying a dump truck. Inside the dump truck were George, Steven, and a toy garbage truck.
"Mommy, I need some breakfast."
"Remember your manners, James."
"Mommy, I--OHH NOOO!!!!!"
He put the dump truck down and bent over, discovering a hole in the toe of his right sock.
"Mommy, can you get another sock for me?"
"I'm getting Owen breakfast, go get one from your dresser."
"But I need you to get for me!"
"You can do it, James. You know where your socks are."
"Daddy, can you get me a sock."
"You heard Mommy, just go get one from your dresser."
"But if I step on the wood floor--" <begins to cry>--my FEET are going to get COLD!!"
<Collapses on the carpet beside his dump truck and begins wailing in earnest.>
"PLEASE, Mommy, PLEASE go get me a sock!"
"Go upstairs and get one. Just go quick!"
"I NEED YOU TO DO IT!"
"James, just go over to the pantry and grab one from the mismatch bin if you don't want to go upstairs."
"But my feet will get cold that way TOO!"
"Well, looks like your feet may need to get cold."
"I am so HUNGRY for breakfast."
<cries, briefly stops, looks up to see if anyone is paying attention, resumes crying>
<eventually stops crying, picks up dump truck, loads in George, Steven, and garbage truck, walks upstairs>
<comes back downstairs still carrying the toys, wearing a new sock>
James' birthday is Monday. He received some birthday cards in the mail yesterday and decided that he would wait to open them until his actual birthday. Then he decided that he wanted to open them right away, after all. But then when I wouldn't let him, he said it was okay to wait until Monday, but was Monday the next day?
"No," I told him "tomorrow is Saturday, and then Sunday, and then Monday is after that."
"I know. But I wish it was next day."
While we were all apart last weekend I wrote him a letter and told him that he was going to get a special surprise for his birthday. He's been asking about this surprise a lot.
"I can't wait to get a present for my birthday!" he says
Owen says: "Me toooo!!!"
II.
"Owen, how old are you?"
"DTWO!!!"
"That's right, you're two years old now!"
"Yeah, dtwo! 'Ow you, Mahmmy?"
"How old am I? How old do you think I am, Owen?"
"Fahv!"
"Oh, you think I'm five?"
"Yeah."
"Owen, how old is Daddy?"
"Uhh...Fahv!!!"
"Oh, okay."
"What about James, how old is James?"
<Owen looks at James>
"Demsh i' DTWO!!!"
"He's not two, you goofball."
"Owen, I'm not two!"
"Yeah, Demsh DTWO!"
"Owen, how old are you?"
"Ah'm FAHV!"
III.
James came down the stairs this morning carrying a dump truck. Inside the dump truck were George, Steven, and a toy garbage truck.
"Mommy, I need some breakfast."
"Remember your manners, James."
"Mommy, I--OHH NOOO!!!!!"
He put the dump truck down and bent over, discovering a hole in the toe of his right sock.
"Mommy, can you get another sock for me?"
"I'm getting Owen breakfast, go get one from your dresser."
"But I need you to get for me!"
"You can do it, James. You know where your socks are."
"Daddy, can you get me a sock."
"You heard Mommy, just go get one from your dresser."
"But if I step on the wood floor--" <begins to cry>--my FEET are going to get COLD!!"
<Collapses on the carpet beside his dump truck and begins wailing in earnest.>
"PLEASE, Mommy, PLEASE go get me a sock!"
"Go upstairs and get one. Just go quick!"
"I NEED YOU TO DO IT!"
"James, just go over to the pantry and grab one from the mismatch bin if you don't want to go upstairs."
"But my feet will get cold that way TOO!"
"Well, looks like your feet may need to get cold."
"I am so HUNGRY for breakfast."
<cries, briefly stops, looks up to see if anyone is paying attention, resumes crying>
<eventually stops crying, picks up dump truck, loads in George, Steven, and garbage truck, walks upstairs>
<comes back downstairs still carrying the toys, wearing a new sock>
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
The Yule Ball
Here's how much JK Rowling gets done in one chapter, the chapter which happens to be the midpoint of the middle book of the series:
-She changes Hermione from a girl to a young woman in one event, and does a brilliant job astonishing Ron and Harry along the way.
-She somehow exactly captures what an actual evening of dancing his like--how there's a lot of fun and people look forward to it, but for Harry it ends up being awkward and socially tedious, and how painful it is to not be particularly good and the dancing and small talk.
-She introduces the Ron-Hermione-Viktor triangle storyline
-She brings in Percy and uses him to carry on the Barry Crouch storyline while also keeping him present as an important secondary character
-She reveals Hagrid's parentage and sets up the wizard-giant storyline that's important in books 5, 6, and 7.
-She introduces the Room of Requirement very subtly, which is enormously important to books 5, 6, and 7.
-She continues to play up the Karkaroff plot line as a foil to Moody/Barta Crouch Jr.
-She uses Snape to introduce the Dark Mark
-She uses Viktor to teach her reading audience how to pronounce Hermione's name
-She changes Hermione from a girl to a young woman in one event, and does a brilliant job astonishing Ron and Harry along the way.
-She somehow exactly captures what an actual evening of dancing his like--how there's a lot of fun and people look forward to it, but for Harry it ends up being awkward and socially tedious, and how painful it is to not be particularly good and the dancing and small talk.
-She introduces the Ron-Hermione-Viktor triangle storyline
-She brings in Percy and uses him to carry on the Barry Crouch storyline while also keeping him present as an important secondary character
-She reveals Hagrid's parentage and sets up the wizard-giant storyline that's important in books 5, 6, and 7.
-She introduces the Room of Requirement very subtly, which is enormously important to books 5, 6, and 7.
-She continues to play up the Karkaroff plot line as a foil to Moody/Barta Crouch Jr.
-She uses Snape to introduce the Dark Mark
-She uses Viktor to teach her reading audience how to pronounce Hermione's name
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