Saturday, September 24, 2011

A Little Bit of R

Silvermist, the Water Fairy

~ Reagan is NOT good at saving her money.  It burns a hole right through her pocket in seconds.  But she informed me the other day that after she saves enough money for this Strawberry Shortcake doll she has been wanting, she would like to then save for a trombone.  Really, a trombone?!  So I reply,
   "OH!  That's cool.  You want to learn to play the trombone?"
   "Mom, I already know how to PLAY one.  I just need to BUY one.  You just go like this! (as she is sliding her arm back and forth in front of her body)

~ Reagan and I walk to school together every morning, have since the beginning.  (now that David has started working downtown, we take B with us in the stroller.  It's nice girl-time!)  We walk down this long sidewalk under the trees, then around the sidewalk that borders the circle-drive in front of the school.  Last week while we were walking the circle-drive, she rattled off something that made my inner calculus teacher REALLY happy:
   "Mommy, you know what I noticed??  When we were back there on THAT sidewalk, this one looked curved.  But now that we got up to it and are walking on it, our steps are still straight!  Huh."
   Then we were back to normal morning-routine-chatter.  Just mentioned that little bit of info randomly and matter-of-factly.  (FYI, calculus is fundamentally about taking straight lines and putting them together at different slopes to form a curve.)  She's no genius, but I thought that was some pretty good thinking for a 5 year old first thing in the morning!

~ R got the very first progress report of her life this past week.  Got an E for Excellent in every academic category and behavior category.  WAY TO GO, Reagan!  And she is working really hard on spelling words.  I think if she sat down and actually tried to read a whole book, she could do it by herself.  But, she just doesn't seem that into it.  But she LOVES to write.  Will sit and write out an entire paragraph to go with a picture she drew.  Now... it is nowhere NEAR close to spelled right, but she writes it phonetically how she says it.  And with her speech impedements, it gets really interesting sometimes!  But she loves it, and we love it.  And, I write her a note everyday in her lunch, and she has started writing me a note back sometimes and putting it in there for me to find.  Precious.  I've saved a few... like  I (heart) LUV YOO TO MOMMY.  (heart) REAGAN

~ And please say a little prayer for R... every morning of last week she went in to school in tears.  Not sure what the deal is with that, and I am not sure HOW to deal with that.  For 3 years, she has always loved school, but this week she has not wanted to go.  David and I think it is a combination of things... the new-ness has definitely worn off, she's young for a kinder-kid, academically the work just isn't that interesting to her yet, and she misses being home. She's cried every morning at the door that she misses me and doesn't ever get to spend enough time with me anymore.  Be still my heart.  Now, she still is all-smiles when I pick her up, so she IS enjoying it.  But, it's been really hard on her lately to WANT to go.  I want her to love school, and she will, but we're praying for some sort of "spark."

Sweet Big Sister, playing babies in the tent



So proud of my sweet, silly, smart big girl!

Thursday, September 08, 2011

My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore

Grrr.... blogger deleted this post originally for some reason, so I had to start over.  That is my official excuse that I am just now posting her first day of school 2 days later.
Tues was Brooklyn's first ever day of school, and let me tell you, she was SO EXCITED.
"I ready to school now!  I ready to school now!"
Funny faces during our photo shoot.

?????
We got in the door, and she looks at me... "Mommy, mark.... set.... RUN!"  So, this is our running to class!
She had NO problems.  Went straight in and hit the dress up box! 

Picture with my big girl and her CHEESE face!
I had no problems either.  Of course, I miss her when she is at school.  And I miss her being a baby.  But, David and I both agree that the girls are getting so big and so fun, that we woudn't go back!  I love babies, but I LOVE my big kids!  So, no tears about school.  But I did have a "happy tears" moment in the car just because... hello, I just dropped my 2 year old with spina bifida off at PRESCHOOL.  With no walker, no real speech concerns, no caths, no meds, no WORRIES, just normal 2 year old!!  3 years ago, during all the gloom and doom of the pregnancy, this seemed absolutely impossible.  Such an overwhelmingly WONDERFUL feeling today!  I am so happy for her and feel so blessed.
~
Then, came our wonderful day!  David doesn't start the new job for a week and a half, so we had 5 hours just US.  We had breakfast at one of our favorite places (BBQ brisket tacos... pure heaven) on the patio with 75 degrees and a breeze that almost made me cold.  Drank coffee and watched espn on the screens outside.  THEN we went to drive some minivans because Mommy needs new wheels.  It was SUCH a glorious day. 
~
This was Brooklyn today for school, wearing the same outfit Reagan wore on HER FIRST DAY of preschool when she was two.  Brooklyn is 7 months older here than Reagan, but I just love comparison pics.... couldn't help but put them together.  (R looks SO little!)


Speaking of R... Brooklyn has gotten a lot of "press" lately, so I will make up for it and do a Reagan post next.  :)  For now, things are awesome at the BeaverDam.  Girls love school, transition is going well!! :)