Fall ball tournament

We spent nearly 7 hours at the softball complex yesterday. With all 3 kids in tow, and all 4 grandparents joining us, we took in Regan's end of the season fall ball fastpitch tournament.

I simply cannot believe how far she has come in just 5 weeks. She has worked hard, but her coaches worked just as hard.

 

 

 

She has 3 coaches, two amazing head coaches-Sarah and Brad and one assistant-Mark (former Texas Ranger pitcher), and man alive they are one heck of a group. All Mark ever cared about was that the girls had FUN. And I mean that in the best way possible! Even during a tournament game, where Sarah disputed a call by the ump, Mark says "'let's just have fun and get some more hits!".

 

They all knew how to motivate those girls as a team. And to get them excited about ball and to be a good sport. Never once was there a thrown helmet, or tears, or frustration.

 



Poor Lincoln took a couple of short cat naps in the comfort of the stroller where he was roasting. He had no other option and took it all in style, but see that wet mark just at the right of his head....yea, that's sweat. And yes, he's holding a bottle of lotion, because after 6 hours, he was bored with all the toys and mad that I wouldn't let him put chewed up sunflower seeds in his mouth so he stole Grandma Jan's lotion and finally closed his eyes.

 



 

Regan is so blessed to have the support of all of her grandparents who made the trek up to watch her play hard for 3 games. They cheered and got excited with each at bat. I poked fun of my mom who was dressed more for the country club with her white shorts...sitting on dirty bleacher benches!

She's pretty stylish like that ;)

 



I don't have Regan's official stats for the tournament, other than to say that every at bat, she got a hit. Every. Single. One.

I feel compelled to brag a little, because at the start of the season, she struck out every single time.

Every. Single. Time.

And Mark has logged many hours working with her batting. And no one is more proud of her than he is (well, and maybe us too!). She sure wins the award for most improved hitting.

It's machine pitched fast pitch, but there's a lot she had to learn to gauge that speed, seeing as though this was her first experience with fastpitch. But I think she's hooked. She loved it!

 

This was the bracket. Their team went into the tournament at 4-0. And then won their first two tournament games to move onto the championship game. Regan took a hard hit grounder to the chest playing outfield, but she knocked it down and got the ball back infield, never stopping to whine about being hurt. They were tied up 7-7 at the end of the game and went into extra innings. Sadly, in the end, they lost by 1 run and took home second place. It was a nail biter but those girls need to be proud of themselves. They had one heck of a season!

 

 

Hats off to this amazing league that Regan joined. I'm so amazed at what these kids did this season. They worked hard, they improved, but most importantly...they had FUN!

 

 

Congratulations Regan! We are so proud of you!

 

11 months

Our dear sweet Lincoln is now 11 months. He's the happiest baby on the block, and is a light in our lives. 

I've asked the girls several times, in several different moods, what they think of having a baby brother? Are they happy?, do they still like him? (I know they love him....but I have wondered if they ever felt left out). And not once, never ever, have they said anything except "I like him!" Or "he's the best!"  Even when they are huffy and crabby because I can't give them 100% of my attention in that moment.

And my heart melts a little each time. Because he is the best, and I'm so glad that they love him so. Regan picked him up today and said "I want to keep you a baby forever!"  It really resonates to her that he is growing, and quickly. And it amazes me that she gets it, and truly wishes he would stay little just a while longer. 

But his personality is bubbling, and he's happy and so much fun at this age. I believe in my heart that the girls are loving each stage he goes through. From the adorable itty bitty (ok, so he maybe never was that itty bitty), to the standing and slobbery kisses. He ranks high on their lists. Sometimes at the end of a long day, Sidney will be crabby at bedtime and tell us she "won't say goodnight to mom and dad, just Lincoln".  No matter what, she will always grab a kiss from him; she even has her own nickname for him..."chubsers" (she may or may not have heard us call him that too;)

I love how they love to see his new developments. Like when he stood momentarily for the very first time and they catch a glimpse and scream "Lincoln's standing!" or today when he got into a 4 point bear walk, up on all fours, they squealed "Look what he's doing!".  It would be easy for them to feel left out; I get it. He's cute and adorable and a baby so everyone gushes over him. But instead of getting upset and sad that he steals all of the attention, they jump right on that band wagon and tell people how cute he is or his newest discovery. They've joined the party of loving him up and it makes the mother in me so very happy. 

 

Now onto his 11 month update:

* sleeps 9pm-7am (or thereabouts), fussing at times but getting himself back to sleep for the most part on his own.

* likes his pacifier, especially when he's tired and ready for a nap

* eats table food x 3 meals and maybe some puffs for a snack. Still nurses 3-4 times/day (7am, 1pm, maybe 7pm and before bed).

* just started cruising along furniture....usually trying to go after someone's electronic or the TV remotes

* I am his human jungle gym, he is constantly climbing all over me.

* loves to play with balls, stacking items (well, we stack, he knocks down), my water bottle, books (favorite is Baby Boo!), farm animals/tractor.

* is able to put items back into a container, but prefers to take them out. We only know he is capable of this because he can put a ball into the basketball hoop or a chicken ball into the farm. Stinker. Any other container he just empties out.

* doesn't yet crawl, but gets himself around; mostly by pushing himself backwards when he's on his belly. Or by going from sitting to belly and back to sitting and eventually gaining enough ground to be where he wants to be. This is a sight to see, and so hard to describe to people because I call it "scooting".

* loves to go for a ride in his red car, and still a fan of stroller rides and swinging on the playset

* says both mama and dada, but dada isn't for anything in particular, whereas mama is definitely for mom.

* claps his hands; especially this past weekend at Regan's softball tournament! He had a great time clapping away and was so proud of himself for acting like the rest of us cheering her on. 

* waves bye bye, mostly at cars, but sometimes at people too :)

* gives kisses and snuggles like nobody's business; and I'm so in love with them. When he hugs me, he pats my back and it just gives me such a warm heart.

* things we're working on: identifying body parts (nose, toes, etc); so-big (this one is hit or miss), blowing kisses, walking, crawling, climbing stairs. And he has two awesome big sisters that just love to help him.

* wears size 12 month and some 18 month clothes, size 3 pampers cruisers

* weight: ~23 lbs

* heights: about 31" ?



 

He's a heart throb, this 11 month old cutie!

 

Sever's 2014

We met up with some great friends and headed out to Sever's this year to see what the hype was all about. And I'll admit, I was pretty excited to see all the pumpkins out front set up for a cute back drop. The kids obliged and let me take their picture :) 

Once inside, it was corn pits and giant slides, corn mazes and pig races. We opted out of the camel rides after seeing how short of a trip it really was (and the extra fee was a bit pricey for a 30 second ride). 

Sidney and Emerson rode down the giant slide together and giggled the entire way. Belly laughs, that I could hear from the bottom; they were contagious and I couldn't help but laugh right along with them. 

The kids were overly excited jumping around at all the attractions, it really was hard to keep track of all of them. Inside the exotic petting zoo, Regan waited patiently for a llama to lick the last remnants of some food from her hand. She was giddy to be up close and personal to all those animals.

Lincoln napped most of the afternoon, and when he was awake, he was the easiest kid in the group. No whining from him, no crying, no dashing off to the next attraction. At one point I heard "is he really always like this?, just mellow and easy?"

Although when I stuck him in the corn pit for a quick picture, he was quick to try a nibble of corn. Before he got his hand to his mouth, I emptied the corn from his hand. He attempted the same with the other hand and I was just as quick. He looked up at me with the "what the heck mom?" look. Sorry buddy, that stuff would be bad on so many levels! 

It was a beautiful 'fall' day, with temps into the 80's. We fully expected to be in jeans and sweatshirts when we planned this outing. But instead, there's a bit of sun kissed cheeks and tan skin across our pictures today. 

It didn't take any of us long to realize just what an icky place that corn pit really was. Ryan said "wonder how many mice are in there"....gee thanks! 

But oh it makes for some gorgeous pictures....

We're happy to have experienced this festival, but I think we'll stick to the smaller apple orchards in the coming years. Just something about them that makes us want to go back. 

On parenting

This parenting stuff....it's not easy I'm here to say. Some nights I reflect on the day and wonder if we did all that we could. There's so much packed into each of our evenings that I feel like I'm on a hamster wheel, going no where.

Take for example Regan's homework. She's in 3rd grade and our elementary school is high strung on a new model called "Megan Stone Theory". It's all about the kids taking responsibility for their own homework. As such, as parents, we are not to go into their backpacks. Rather Regan (and Sidney) are to dig out their folders, homework, daily planners, etc and review them with us, get it done/signatures and return them to their backpacks. Simple.

Or not.

Because what happens between the "go get your backpack" to "we're done", is a whirlwind of activity. On a non-activity night, we have 3 hours together as a family to prepare dinner, eat dinner, nurse Lincoln, do homework, shower/baths and get into bed. Not to mention we like to do something fun as a family such as a walk, a swing or running in the back yard. And on most nights, we have a practice for at least one of the kids (softball, dance, etc) which leaves even less time to do all that is required.

So while the kids are trying to do homework after we get home, and Ryan is still at work, I'm preparing dinner and entertaining Lincoln all at the same time. It's like a juggling act some nights where I feel like all of the balls come falling onto my head at the same time: smoke alarms (no joke...having one of those new fancy smoke alarms just means it goes off every time I cook, or make toast for that matter!), kids whining that their home work is too hard, that they can't find the "right" pencil, Lincoln tugging at my hair that I forgot to pull back while giving me slobbering kisses and lunging for the hot pot on the kitchen stove, Sidney having to poop mid-meal (every.single.night), you name it, we're a circus over here.

Sidney's homework is simple: handwriting. And the kid is a genius in my eyes conquering her handwriting no problem.

She's writing out her sight words on the white board now too, just for a little extra fun.

 Regan has a math worksheet to do each night, which is sometimes easy, sometimes not. Often requires a little coaxing from us to complete, or at least a little direction. She also has a Writer's Workshop assignment each week which is roughly 10 problems involving writing. This is thankfully given on Monday and not due until Friday so we can work on it in bits and pieces. She has to read for at least 20 minutes/day too. This is our easiest piece of homework. The kid adores reading and we put her to bed at the same time as Sidney because she spends at least 30 minutes reading in bed. Currently she's breezing through my old Babysitter Club series...and loving them! 

But on top of all that, we are working hard on her math facts, those darn timed tests, and she dreads it. "It's so hard!", she complains constantly. And so I'm thankful when her softball coach incorporates math facts into practice. No lie, yesterday I heard "we're going to do this 3 times, with 7 balls, so how many good throws should we have? 3x7....". Oh, and on top of that, she gets a list of spelling words to conquer each week in time for her test on Friday.

Really, we're only in 3rd grade and I feel like she has a solid hour of homework each night. Now if this little girl could get on the ball with the "Megan Stone theory", it might make things a little easier. But she has very little internal fire to take responsibility (opposite of Sidney), and she has a serious lack of effort in math. We're making progress, bit by bit. But it's a challenge many nights. And sometimes I collapse on the couch and my heart is heavy, hopeful that she's succeeding the best that she can. That we are doing at least something right. Because at the end of the day, I want our kids to know how much they are loved, and how their own actions result in their success. In the meantime, I'll keep up my nightly juggling act and hope that I can keep everything in the air and know that I'm probably not alone with our crazy circus act.

Last official weekend of summer

While the calender is telling us that we have just wrapped up the last weekend of summer, we are going to hold onto these days for as long as possible. 

Today was one of those days where we soaked up all that this summer day had to offer. It wasn't super warm, although don't tell Sidney that. She insists that if the sun is out and there isn't snow on the ground, it's hot outside. And today, we rolled with it. 

Lincoln on the other hand, might have been a little more appropriately dressed this evening as we took in Regan's softball game. He was too busy picking at the grass to look at the camera; I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of his sweet innocent face. As I set him directly on the grass, he reached for the grass and waited to hear "no-no Lincoln" as he proceeded to pick the grass. When he didn't hear it, he picked away and just stared with wonder at what he came up with after each tug. His blonde locks are turning darker as our time in the sun is fading. We all giggle at his curly hair flipping around his ears, looking like wings. But no way are we giving him his first hair cut...not yet anyway.

Regan had a heck of a game, going 3 for 3 with one particular amazing hit into the outfield! She's wrapping up her fall ball experience, and her first season of fast pitch. Her coaches are patient and amazing and have worked hard with the girls on fielding, throwing and hitting. One of the coaches is a former Texas Ranger pitcher; he is so very passionate about ball and practice after practice he patiently helps the girls. He was beaming with pride tonight about Regan's awesome game and went out of his way to talk to us afterwards to tell us (and more importantly her) just how proud he was! I know she went to bed with a smile across her face as she thought about her accomplishments.

Way to go Regan! 

Here's hoping Mr. Weatherman is correct and we have hope for a stretch with some 80's in the forecast....

A visit from gramma

It's been a bit of a crazy week around here. Tonight as I rest my head, I thank my lucky stars for my mom who has always helped me out tremendously, but definitely in the last week. With Ryan out of state for work, she swooped in like the angel she is tackling painting projects, sewing up seams on pants, helping with pick up/drop off and homework assignments for the girls. Oh, and tending to a little guy who we pulled from daycare for a couple of days...and this little boy is starting to move so he sure surprised her. We were so happy to have her company while Ryan was away. 

What a week! 

Thanks Gramma!  

And he eats

We've heard all the comments when it comes to Lincoln and his rolly-polly thighs and his adorable chubby cheeks. People say "boy, he doesn't miss a meal", or "look at those rolls!". 

Yes, yes, we know. 

And we have to agree, it's pretty stinkin' cute. 

Funny thing is, he doesn't eat any more than our girls did....maybe less if you are comparing to Sidney (that girl STILL eats constantly). 

But lately, we've transitioned him away from baby food and onto table food. First it was just a taste of things here and there. Now, he's into full fledged table food. Eating all 3 meals with the family. And the other day, it was spaghetti. Boy did he love it! Slurping up his cut-short noodles and making all sorts of silly sounds as he happily got them in his mouth. 

And to say he was a mess.....well, that's an understatement! 

The not so little man

Little Lincoln isn't so little anymore. He's getting bigger and stronger by the day. And we are so much in love with all the joy that he has brought to our lives. Ryan chuckled this morning as he walked around the corner and Lincoln flashed his smile and giggled at him "you just have to walk into the room and he smiles!".
That's our boy. He's amazing in every sense of the word. 

He gives some pretty awesome slobbery, full of drool, open mouth kisses when I picked him up after school. Or when he's feeling extra lovey (which is really most hour every day). 

He loves to be held and loves to play hard. His still adores getting pushed in his swing or going for walks either in his stroller or the red car. He giggles at the girls and will play catch for hours on end. He's working on bending down to pick up a toy (while holding on) and I caught him twice this week let go with his hands and momentarily stand on his own! He never even realized what he was doing. He won't willingly move his feet (ie: cruise) unless he's in the exersaucer and then I think he's more lunging at toys than actually walking. He rocks back and forth when placed on all fours but hasn't started crawling yet. Somehow he manages to scoot towards whatever toy he's aiming for. 

And at the end of the day, when he's grown weary of playing, he still falls asleep in our arms....

right where he belongs :) 

Happy Birthday Sidney!

Oh boy oh boy our little girl turned 6 this week!

She's so stinkin' funny, we could just eat her up.

The day before her birthday, she woke up and announced "tomorrow is my birthday!" in the most giddy voice she has.

That night, after she had fallen asleep, I filled her room with balloons of all different colors. They floated across her floor from the nearby fan that was making them move. And she woke up in the morning, stumbled into our bedroom where her entire family was standing and sleepily asked "why are there a bunch of balls on my bedroom floor?"

We all laughed as she rubbed her eyes and finally Regan said "Sidney!, those aren't balls! They're balloons; it's your BIRTHDAY!".

She gleefully accepted our hugs and singing her Happy Birthday, even though it wasn't yet 7am. She raced downstairs to open her presents, check out her birthday sign for the day and get ready for school.

Ryan and I were able to sneak away from our offices and bring her Subway during lunch. She was super excited and we were thrilled to see her smiling face and meet some of her new awesome Kindergarten friends. Delightful group of kids I must say. She told us all about their interesting morning at school (it was their day to practice all the drills that they have to practice in school these days...) and my heart was heavy, hoping she wasn't scared on her birthday. She moved right on to telling us about the crown that her teacher provided and more singing. She said they even announced her name on the speaker during morning announcements! So proud that little girl is.

She's chosen the dreaded Rainforest Cafe for dinner, and so, we'll go on a non-weeknight when we have more time. So we spent the evening in each other's company and had a great time celebrating her birthday. I picked out an uber large peanut butter cup cupcake for my chocolate lover and we all shared it for dessert. It was the first time that I went to work on her birthday, and at first she wasn't excited that she didn't get to spend the day with me; but afterwards, I think she was delighted to hear "Happy Birthday Sidney" from everyone around school. She had a pretty perfect day. And I'm proud of the girl that she is becoming. I love you my little peanut!

6 things we love about Sidney

She's funny, makes us laugh constantly. Undoubtedly hilarious.

She's energetic (and probably the reason she's barely tipping 40 lbs)

She's friendly. Meeting new friends comes easy and she has at least 4 new BFF's at school.

She loves make believe play. Listening to her play barbies, or American Girl, or any of her made up games is music to my ears. This girl has a creative mind.

She's determined. Independent. Passionate. 

She's sweet and loves her family to pieces. Just as much as we love her!

Birthday eve

Tomorrow, our baby girl will celebrate her 6th birthday!

Six

It's so cliche, but really, how did that happen?

In all honesty, it seems like she has been 6 for a while now. 

This girl of ours...she is wise beyond her years. Asking questions about things she shouldn't know anything about, and we can almost see those wheels spin when she is thinking about something. 

And smart. She can remember routes around this metropolitan city like nobody's business (really, it's impressive); plus she's quick to learn something new, with some common sense that most adults don't have. 

And adorable. Oh boy is she cute! With blonde curly locks to go along with her sweet smile.

And responsible. Jumping right into this Kindergarten deal and remembering all that there is to bring each day, making sure her water bottle is clean and ready and ensuring she has packed up her uber healthy lunch each day. Yes, she packs it. And yes, it includes a host of her favorite foods: fruits and veggies.

And super honest. Not in a tattle-tale sort-of-way, but in an "I'm really telling the truth" kind of kid. 

Our Sidney is determined. She can handle the challenge that's put in front of her. But she is tender and sweet just the same. She's growing up quickly and I'm soaking in her ever-developing personality. We love her so much and cannot wait to see what the next year brings her way. 

Happy Birthday Eve my beautiful little girl! 

Holding on to summer

We're holding on to every second of summer over here. It's no secret that summer is my favorite season, with winter in dead last. And by that I mean, way way way down there. We love the sun against our faces, the water around us and the smell of fresh air.
And the girls' sun-kissed faces. Oh it's like no other. 

So as the temps rose to almost 80, we turned up the heater on the pool and told the girls that it was likely our last weekend to swim. Saturday we hosted some great friends for one last hoorah. 

And Sunday, it was just the 5 of us. Enjoying the laughter of each other and taking in this gorgeous summer like day. Sadly, the evening was approaching and it was time to climb out. Regan started tearing up, then crying, then downright sobbing. You see, she's a bit like her mama. She doesn't want winter to arrive. 

"It's not fair!" 

"Summer is too short", 

"why can't we move to Florida?!", 

were statements she said through sobs. Crocodile ears streaming down her face. 

We tried coaxing her back into the pool for another 5 minutes but she insisted it would just make her cry again when she had to get out. And so, we let her cry it out. And eventually, she will be excited for sledding and shoveling snow. But until then, I'm with her....why can't we just move to Florida!?

Sun-kissed cheeks and baby splashes in the water. 

Florida sure sounds nice :) 

Angelica-Twins Game

Angeli...what?! 

So the new word in our house is Angelica. It's the name of Regan's choir. We all getting used to this new activity of hers. 

Last spring, she came home all giddy telling us that she was going to sing a solo in her upcoming music program. Oh boy. We were a little nervous for her; but she was confident that she deserved this. And come time, she did great. Amazing! We were beaming with pride and her confidence level took a boost. She loves the stage, and now she loved singing on stage. 

Close to the end of the school year, her school music teacher handed her a letter inviting her to try out for the metro wide choir Angelica. We debated. 

Was she ready for this? 

Was she good enough? 

Did she really want to go to choir practice each week after school? 

Could I figure out how to get her to mandatory practices? 

After much talking and discussing, we figured it wouldn't hurt to let her at least try out. 

We had nothing to lose. 

And then she made the cut. 

And so, it was back to debating all of those questions before we finally decided that we couldn't hold her back from something she was truly excited about. I'll figure out a way to get her to practice each week, and we'll pay the astronomical tuition fee.

Just as choir was about to begin for the year, we got word that Angelica would be singing the National Anthem at an upcoming Twins game. Oh my word! What an opportunity for her! They practiced only twice, and she listened to the Anthem a million times on YouTube to memorize the words (she's 8, it's not like she had them memorized before). Sidney chimed in during this time of practice with "...by the donkey's light" instead of "...by the dawn's early light". She knows how to keep it real :) 

This week, in the midst of the chaos of the first week of school, was the Twins game. 

The girls were giddy with excitement. And thankfully, we have some pretty awesome coworkers/supervisors at work who were 100% supportive of this opportunity and thought nothing of us leaving early to corral our troops, gather at home and head downtown. 

I think we took a picture with every Peanuts character along the way to the Pre-Game Meeting spot. 

Every. Single. One. 

Lincoln was his easy/mellow self throughout the evening. Just taking it all in around him: sights, sounds, and smells. He's so easy! 

And then it was Regan's time to get onto the field and sing the Anthem with this amazing choir. Gosh they sounded awesome! I'm so thankful for this experience for her, it's something she will remember forever. And us too. She was nervous, visibly nervous. Playing with the strings on her jeans, looking around for us during rehearsal and trying hard to remember the words/melody. But she admits now that although she was incredibly nervous ("because all those people were looking at me!"), she was also very excited. She's so proud, and so are we! HERE is a video of the choir. Pardon the shaky-ness, we were a long ways away and Ryan was trying to zoom in, which gives a sea-sick feeling while watching. 

She's in the above picture, front row, 4th from left. 

A close up is below from the Jumbo-Tron:

A big Thanks to all the Grandparents for joining us. And really, they didn't want to miss out on this show either. I insisted we stay until the 5th inning even when my dad was getting antsy to leave. Little did he realize that his name was about to scroll across the banner announcing a big HAPPY 42ND ANNIVERSARY to him and mom :) 

What a night to remember!  

Videos lately

The bummer of an ill-functioning iPhone (speakers blew out by some wonderful little girls over a year ago), is that I cannot take videos because there is no sound. And so, we take videos the old fashioned way. It works just fine, but getting them uploaded takes extra long for me :)
I finally got around to doing it, and here are a few for your please
Click HERE to watch Lincoln laughing hysterically.
Click HERE to see what happens when the girls take videos (just don't let Ryan know they were playing with the video camera....)
Click HERE to listen to Sidney, reciting a favorite line of hers. She's saying "Farkle" which happens to be the name of the boy on one of their new favorite shows "Girl Meets World". Let's just say her "Farkle" sounds a little like,.... well,.... just listen for yourself :)

Back to school

Like every other person in the state of Minnesota, we headed back to school after Labor Day. It's a bittersweet moment for us, as we send off Sidney to Kindergarten this year. Bitter as she is growing up, much too fast. And sweet because she is growing up, maturing into a beautiful little girl (that and the fact that our daycare costs are reduced exponentially!).

Regan started 3rd grade this year. She was eager and ready and not really nervous at all. Coming home after school she said her only complaint was that she didn't have enough time to have a "real conversation" with her teacher. Yea....she likes to socialize. That's our Regan, the one who is in right field at a softball game and talking to the coach about everything and anything. Or the one who strikes up a conversation with an adult about whatever is on her mind. She likes to talk (though not so much listen!). 

After school, she told me all about her day. I've learned that the less I ask, the more she tells me. She said she had gym class and described the game that they played (kind of like a meet-the-class game where you say something you like and the rest of the students that also like that object, run to the nearest cone. She said she liked pickles.). She has oodles of friends in her 3rd grade class, having made new BFF's each year. Throughout the evening she mentioned lots of names of children she talked to, played with and sat next to. As for learning, they're working on cursive: letters t and i. She proudly wrote them in her daily planner and had me sign my name to prove that we looked at it together. Her school is striving for student independence and ownership....I'm gonna like this :)

When asked the following questions, here are her answers as we start the new year:

I'm 8 1/2 years old

I want to be an: artist

My favorite food is: donuts

My best friends are Danielle and Kailey

As for Sidney, she had a mock first day on the Tuesday after Labor Day. More like a one hour orientation where she got to spend time in her classroom, organize her school supplies in her cubby and meet a few classmates (not everyone goes at the same hour). She was nervous, but more just unhappy that I didn't let her wear flip-flops to school and other students wore them. Such a bad mommy. I spent most of that hour meeting with the principal, PTA president and school nurse. We spent the rest of the day together at home, reading books, playing games like Hi Oh Cherry Oh. She helped me clear out flowers and put things into the attic. I'm going to miss this helper of mine as she ventures into the real world of school. 

At night before bed, we read 3 more books: one about Kindergarten, and the other two heart wrenching books: Someday and If I Could Keep You Little. Why do I do this to myself!? The girls hate those 2 books, because they make me cry. And they hate to see mommy cry. Such sweet girls.

Her "real" first day was Wednesday; and again, she was upset that she had to wear tennis shoes. When we explained that she might have gym and needed gym shoes on, she tried telling us she would just go find Regan and have Regan tie her shoes. Sorry kiddo, that's not going to work. She obliged and wore tennis shoes.

I was disappointed that her first day of school had rainy weather and we couldn't do our traditional pictures, so we had to go out back and take them under shelter. But they will work. 

After some photos, we all walked in together to her new school. She found her hook for her backpack, took out her lunch and waterbottle (she changed her mind early this morning and wanted home lunch on her first day. I obliged because there was just so much new to her, I felt she needed control of at least this one thing). We gave a few quick hugs, took one last picture, and into her classroom she went, briefly waving to us. We peaked in after her.

There were no tears. No looking back.

Just excitement as she wandered around her classroom searching for her table spot with her name. Which meant there really were no tears for us either. She's brave, that girl. As I drove away with Lincoln to his daycare, tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about how much growing she will do over this next school year. I'm telling you, speaking from experience with Regan, the things that these kids learn and do over the next 9 months is simply amazing. And I'm so excited for all that she will learn. But secretly, I just want to hold tight to this little girl who is growing up so fast!

When asked the following questions, here are her answers as we start the new year:

I'm almost 6 years old (birthday next week)

I want to be a teacher

My favorite food is: cucumbers and mommy's home made lemon poppyseed muffins

My best friends are Natalie and Madilyn (neither of which attend her new elementary school).

And today, when I picked her up after school she announced "I like Kindergarten!" and quickly followed with "I'm excited to go back tomorrow". 

We all just breathed a big ol' sigh of relief.