D – Page 2 – Jocelyn Rau

September 6, 2017

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy

Unfortunately, those days are over for us this year, as school started for both Della and Lana yesterday. Waaahhhhh!!!!

I really hate seeing summer go, but I’m actually looking forward to this school year. Both girls are so excited – Della has been ready to get back for a while now to start 2nd grade, and Lana is happy to be going with her big sister this year for her turn in K4. Lana got the same K4 teacher Della had, who we loved, so we’re all really happy about that. And we’ve heard some great things about Della’s teacher, so she should have a great time, too.

Della’s so happy to be back seeing her friends every day, and it fills my heart to exploding to see her thrive at school. Lana is just such a goofball, I am beyond curious to see what her experience is. I’m just so grateful that we already know her teacher, so I am perfectly comfortable telling her anything and everything and making sure I’m giving and getting enough feedback for how Lana is doing. This is pretty surprising to me, because I honestly thought I was going to be a mess sending little Lana, my fairy girl, off on her own. But thinking back, I was much calmer than I thought I’d be when Della started K4, too. So who knows why my mind thinks the way it does.

But please stay tuned. I have a whole post planned about our summer, including plenty of pictures; I just haven’t had a chance to get it written yet for the world to see. Life has been busy around here lately, but it’s coming, I promise. In the meantime, I’m hoping we get a little taste of summer warmth to enjoy again before it’s gone for the year!

August 9, 2017

Seven!

Della turned 7 years old on the 1st, and she is growing into the most wonderful, smart, adorable girl.

She had a couple things on her birthday list, but at the top was a gift from Daddy. She wanted him to teach her how to make lasagna, about which I was so excited. I love lasagna! And if my kids can learn how to cook at this young age, I will be thrilled. It’s a skill I somehow never acquired, and Ryan is so good at it they can’t have a better teacher. So we got all the ingredients, I got her Hello Kitty apron out for her, and they got to work. Ryan said Della did about 85% of the work, and it turned out deliciously! I was so proud.

There’s really not much to say about this girl besides singing her praises. She loves school and can’t wait to start 2nd grade; she loves to read and is an excellent writer; she loves to ride her bike and play outside, especially if she can turn cartwheels and practice her gymnastics; she loves to help around the house and is always asking for a list of chores (seriously?? how did we get so lucky?!); and she is the best big sister to Lana and Morrison that could ever exist.

Happy 7th birthday, my peanut #1! We all love you so very much – to the moon and back doesn’t even begin to describe it! You are a blessing, and our family is so very lucky to have you in it!

September 1, 2016

1st grade

Della started 1st grade today, and I missed her the second she walked through those doors to begin this new school year.

I miss her like crazy every time she goes to school, but I know she’s going to have a wonderful year again. After meeting her teacher, Mrs. Tauscher, the other night at meet and greet, she is dying to get started on their classroom travel adventures and getting her passport stamped.

One of her good little girlfriends from K5 is in her class again this year and they’re even sitting at the same table, so Della is very happy about that.

I hate it when these giant chunks of my heart leave me to walk around in this big, wide world all by themselves, but at least I can rest a little easier knowing she’s in such good hands at this school. I just pray that it forever stays the safe haven it has always been for her and all the other kids there.

Good luck this year, sweet pea! 1st grade looks beautiful on you! (feel free to slow down on this growing up thing any time, though…)

August 9, 2016

Six!

Our beautiful firstborn turned 6 on August 1, and she just keeps getting more amazing by the year.

This past year has definitely been one of much growth for her. Not only is she getting taller by the day, but she had her first year of all-day school with K5 and absolutely loved it. She adored her teacher, Mrs. Murphy, and really thrived. She is such a good student and loves to learn. She’s so looking forward to getting back there in a few weeks and starting 1st grade!

She loves the monkey bars, riding her bike, scootering all over the place, running around the yards with her neighborhood friends, any show on PBS Kids, America Ninja Warrior, Masterchef, and still all things Frozen and Hello Kitty. She has become the best reader, with the Magic Treehouse series being her favorite. And she is the most wonderful big sister, constantly playing with Lana and Morrison.

Della is one of the kindest, sweetest, most conscientious, and gorgeous people I know, inside and out. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my daughter. The size of her heart and the limitless expanse of her mind inspire me and make me prouder every single day. She truly is a friend to all.

Happy 6th birthday, our sweet Della Jolee!! Words can’t even describe how much we love you!

September 10, 2015October 23, 2015

The real deal

Della started K5 last Tuesday, and it’s the real thing, folks. All-day school. Wow.

Just like last year, I had no idea how I was going to bear having her at school, let alone for the full day now. The night before the first day, I was a complete wreck. I couldn’t focus my mind – get her backpack ready, get her dress out for the day, get her snack in her backpack, make her lunch, figure out what time to get up so that I was able to get ready before anyone else needed me, how to get us all to school on time, where to go now that she goes in the doors in the back of the school with all the other kids, how to survive the back of the school with all the other kids.

I asked her as we were waiting in line that morning if she was getting nervous because she had gotten really quiet and I could tell she was looking around at all the chaos, trying to take it in, but she said no, just excited. I’m glad one of us was, because I still wasn’t even sure we were in the right line! I couldn’t see her teacher for all the seemingly millions of parents and kids back there. Then when she walked up the steps and that giant building swallowed her up, I thought I was going to lose my mind.

But thankfully, as usual, she put my mama heart at ease at the end of the day when she chattered the entire walk home, telling me everything they did, step by step. She had walked out the door after school that first day looking like a little zombie with a panda sticker on her forehead, and she was very proud to show it to me when she was dismissed from her line. What’s the sticker for? I asked. For sleeping so well at rest time! Coincidentally, that was her favorite part of the day and continues to be thus far. I think she’s secretly happy she gets to take a nap again.

As I was tucking her in that night after her first full day of school, she was saying how much she liked her teacher, and, as if she were telling someone else how much they’d like her, too, she said, “Mrs. Murphy is the best. You’d just be amazed by her.”

I hope you feel that way about all your teachers, peanut. And I hope the excitement with which you’ve embraced kindergarten is something you’ll carry with you through all of your school days. I love you so much, sweetheart, and Daddy and I could absolutely not be prouder of our big kindergartner!

August 14, 2015August 14, 2015

Five!

LATE! Again, I am beyond late with this post, but I just cannot seem to get on here in a timely manner anymore. So please forgive my tardiness and enjoy this post about our magnificent first-born, who turned 5 almost 2 weeks ago now.

5 years and almost exactly 2 weeks ago, I was about to go into labor with the original Goonie. My, how unprepared I was, but how I felt an instant and overwhelming instinct to be a mother the second she was born. Maybe that’s why we now have 3.

Della turned 5 on August 1, and she is simply the most incredible, beautiful girl in the world. She’s smart, she’s silly, she’s extraordinarily kindhearted, she’s beyond conscientious, and she’s just wonderful.

She was a fantastic biggest sister to Morrison before he was even born, she and Lana adore playing together and have had the best days ever this summer (her words), and she is the amazingly innocent epitome of a kid.

She learned to ride a bike with no training wheels just a few weeks before turning 5, and she could not be prouder. She’s now a pro on that thing! Frozen still rules as her favorite everything, and she’s getting more excited by the day to start K5 in September. For as much as it kills me to know she’ll be away from me all day every weekday now, I know she will thrive at school. K4 was great for her, and I hope every grade continues that way. Now if only all the other kids she’ll encounter along the way would be, too, my heart would rest much more easily.

Can you believe how tall she’s getting??

We love you beyond words, Della Jolee, and are so very, very proud of you. Happy belated 5th birthday! May you have many, many, many more!

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014 (sorry this one’s tiny)

2015

September 3, 2014September 4, 2014

The blink of an eye

That’s seemingly how long it took us to get here…

Della started K4 on Tuesday, and I still can’t believe it’s really happened. Each year as the girls age, I say it doesn’t seem as if time has completely flown by to get to that point. I feel like it really has been just over 4 years that we’ve known Della and almost 2 that we’ve known Lana.

And I don’t mean that in a bad, oh-my-gosh-I-can’t-take-another-day-with-these-two way. I mean that in the absolute best way possible – that even though time in general feels as if it flies by most of the time, my days with these girls haven’t felt so. This time has felt just right, something for which I am grateful.

But this whole school thing? Hoo boy, has it crept up on me something fierce.

Not once in her lifetime until just recently, and especially not even when I started staying home with Della and then both once Lana was born, did I realize that their school years were going to approach so quickly. It felt like we had eternity to be together at home, on our own schedule, doing whatever we wanted and whatever the days allowed.

Why, I have no idea, because all along I’ve fully known at what age kids go to school. And around here I’ve always known that K4 is included in our school system, so our kids would naturally be going to it.

But here we are. Back to school.

And I don’t really like it.

Yet.

I know this will be a wonderful experience for her and for all of us, but it’s just going to take me some time to get there mentally.

I will admit, having these first 2 half days under our belts does make me feel a little better. Like ok, we really can do this. But tomorrow is her first full 3-hour day, so I have to get us up, ready, and out the door to be at school before 8:15. Good luck.

And I did meet some new parents today who seem really nice and easy to get along with, so that made me infinitely more at ease about this whole 14-year process. Yes, 14 years. That’s how long she will be in the public school system now. Class of 2028, anyone? I about die every time I hear that.

There was 1 thing, though, that did make my heart soar when I heard it. Today as we were walking home, Della said, “I love going to school.”

And exhale.