January 7, 2015
I’m a week late here, but Happy New Year, peanut! You were excited to ring in the new year and get to say 2015 instead of 2014, as you guys say the date every day at school. You and your sister actually amazed me on New Year’s Eve. You both made it to the 11:00 NYC ball drop, and you loved the festivities. We had party hats, noise makers, and we even shouted out the door to celebrate the turning of the calendar. I went to your first little school performance last month – it was a drumming show, and you did a great job. It was actually a lot more fun than I was expecting, especially since it was at 6:00 on a Friday evening in the high school auditorium. Your class had been learning from an artist-in-residence at your school that week, all about drumming and general fun with music. On stage that night you did little routines that he had taught you during the week, and you stood front and center the whole time. I could not have been more proud. By the end, however, Lana wanted to get up on stage with you guys, so we quickly exited stage left as soon as your portion was over. It was the first performance of many, I know, but it was a really fun start.
***
January 19, 2015
Friday night we were all sitting around the dining room table after dinner and a dance party, and you said, “I have a happy feeling in my heart.” I about burst into tears, it was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I hope you always have a happy feeling in your heart, my beautiful little girl.
***
January 28, 2015
I constantly get a kick out of you guys. Last weekend I got a new robe, and you told me you liked it because you “like the detail of it.” Then a few days ago we went to the zoo and got a couple smooshed pennies. The first one we wanted was the tiger, but it wasn’t working so we had to settle for the lion, which we already had. When we got in the car you busted out with we got a duplicate of the lion penny we already had. I didn’t even know you knew that word, yet you used it perfectly.
***
February 26, 2015
You are learning by leaps and bounds at school, peanut. Yesterday you came home with a little paper book titled “Foods I Like” that you had made in class. Each page contained an “I like…” statement with 2 foods on it. You sat down with me and read the whole thing all by yourself! I was blown away. You’ve started working on a new word each week, and it is definitely sinking in. You read it to Daddy when he got home, too, not missing a beat. We are so proud of you!
***
March 4, 2015
Your sight words vocabulary is getting bigger and bigger. This week is Dr. Seuss week at school, and yesterday you came home with a Green Eggs and Ham book you guys had created. Again, you read almost the entire thing to me by yourself! Excellent job, little one.
***
March 26, 2015
We just got back from the dentist, and you have 2 wiggly teeth! I had no idea! Your bottom front 2 teeth are just slightly loose, so it looks like I’ll have to be putting the Tooth Fairy on the payroll soon.
***
April 7, 2015
You are getting to be such a grown-up kid, sweet pea. Your reading is getting better daily, and you can now almost read the entire book of Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? all by yourself! You can also get in the car and get your seat belt on by yourself, which is an incredible help. I got you a new (used) car seat a week or so ago that’s exactly like your other booster seat, except it has a back. So when we go on longer trips, your poor little head no longer has to flop down onto your chest, which always looks like the most painful position ever. But you can pull the belt through the shoulder strap loop, across your body, under the arm rest, and get it clipped with ease. Nice job, peanut!
***
April 22, 2015
Hi peanut. Sorry I don’t write on here much these days. I don’t have a whole lot to report today, either, but figured since I’m actually on here I’d say hello. 🙂 You are really getting excited for your little brother or sister, and I can’t wait to see you be a new big sister again. You still say you want a little brother, so we’ll see who you get. You are going to be the most wonderful helper and continued incredible big sister to 2 little ones now, and that thought makes me so happy. I love you so much!
***
May 13, 2015
Today you brought home your ABC book from school, which has 1 page for each letter of the alphabet. You guys have worked on every letter separately this year, and you made a little picture out of each letter. Then you made an “ABC Book” cover and bound them all together, and I think it’s the coolest thing. Seeing how far you’ve come since September and how much you’ve learned has been absolutely amazing. You are the brightest, funniest, most beautiful little girl, and I love you to the moon and back, as your Mother’s Day picture said to me this year.
***
June 22, 2015
It’s hard to believe that your first year of school has been over for a week and a half now. You said you didn’t want to move up to K5 because you wanted to stay with Mrs. Koch, but I assured you that she will tell all the K5 teachers everything you know and like to do, and you can go visit her any time. You are, however, loving summer vacation! You rode your bike when we walked to the beer garden yesterday, and that was quite the ride for your little legs – 4 miles round trip. I was watching you play outside in the play house and on the swing set yesterday afternoon, too, after Lana had gone down for her nap – you were making up little stories and having a great time on the swing by yourself. I just love you so much.
***
July 10, 2015
Your first trip to urgent care came this afternoon. You’ve been complaining of a sore left groin/hip area and limping since we left to come home from Colorado, so I called your doctor’s office to see if they wanted to you come in to check it out. When the nurse called back at 4:30, she said go to urgent care that night before it closed. That, of course, freaked me out, but she said it was more to rule things out rather than to discover a big problem. She said it might even be a sign of a bladder infection, pain down that low. So Daddy took you over before he went to dinner with his friends while I stayed home with Lana and Morrison. Thankfully you are fine – all the X-rays came back great, showing no trouble. It might be a possible ligament sprain or strain, but hopefully that’s it. (i’m actually writing this a week later, and you’re still wearing your hospital bracelet because it has your first and last names on it. you weren’t scared a bit – it was a big adventure)
***
July 14, 2015
You rode your bike without training wheels for the first time tonight!! Daddy took you up and down the sidewalk in front of our house a bunch of times, and I couldn’t believe how proud I was. It made me cry.
***
July 16, 2015
You rode all the way around the block on your bike without falling! Daddy’s helping you get the hang of starting and taking the corners still, but I think you have the riding part down pat. Excellent job, peanut!! Lana and I were watching and cheering for you the whole time.
***
July 23, 2015
You’re a pro! 2 days ago we went for about an hour-long walk and you rode your bike the whole way. No falls, did all the starts and stops on your own, and then practiced corners by going around the block later that afternoon. By that evening, you were riding circles around our neighbors’ driveway with their son and your friend Boden. I’m amazed! Today we went for a run on the bike path and you rode your bike the entire way. Great job!!
***
August 1, 2015
Happy 5th birthday, Della! You are so excited for this birthday and your Elsa cake, I hope the day is everything you want and more. You are such a smart, beautiful, silly, conscientious, happy little girl, and I wish that none of that ever changes. There is no toddler left in you, that’s for sure! You just learned how to ride your bike with no training wheels, you adore your new little brother and are the best helper and big sister he could have ever asked for, you’re looking forward to 5k next month, and you are living this summer to the fullest. We are so proud of you, peanut, and we love you so, so very much, our big 5 year old!
***
August 5, 2015
You made my heart absolutely swell tonight, peanut. We were walking over to the final ice cream social of the summer, and you said, “These are the best days of my life, and this is the best summer I’ve ever had!” You’ve been so happy because we had your birthday/summer party last weekend, then you went to a friend’s birthday party the next day, then the following day was your Junior Zookeeper day at the zoo with that same friend, then we’ve been playing in your new swimming pool, and today we went to the library in the morning and back over to the park across the street from the library for the ice cream. Plus you’ve been out playing with all the neighbor kids on our block practically every day, which is awesome. I love to hear words like that! The pure joy and innocence of children makes a parent happier than anything, I have discovered. May you keep that always.
***
August 27, 2015
You are getting to be such a big kid, peanut. Now that you don’t take naps anymore, I love seeing what you like to do with all that free time. Usually I let you watch half an hour of egg surprises on YouTube Kids like you always did between Lana’s nap time and yours, but then you have to do something else now. Yesterday you watched a movie, but then you and Lana started playing after she woke up. You began recording sayings on your Leapster, and when I heard them I practically cried. They were all about love, love in your heart, how much you love your family, how much you love you, and anything else you could say about love in the allotted couple seconds of recording. I was so proud. I hope I can help you always keep that love in your heart, my biggest love.
I have noticed, however, that I think you’re definitely getting ready to head back to school. Your stretches of not listening and pushing the boundaries of what you think you can do and get away with around here are sure signs that you need to get back in the classroom. I’m just so happy that we had such a great experience at your school last year and you loved Mrs. Koch so much. We found out your teacher for this year in K5 is Ms. Murphy, whose classroom is right by Mrs. Koch’s, which made you very happy to hear. We also know 2 of the little boys from your class last year who are your friends are in your class this year, too, so that will be fun. As much as your little micro-rebellions drive me nuts, I am so going to miss you all day. I can’t believe I have to give you back up in less than a week already! You keep counting down the days until the first day of school, but I’m going to start counting down the days until the last day of school.
***
September 1, 2015
Today was your first day of K5! All-day school for you! I can’t believe it. It’s so strange having you gone from me all day, from 8:15-3:10. You’ve always been my helper, my pal. And now you’re gone for all those hours. I was so nervous this morning – could I get us all ready on time, could I get everything ready to go and not forget anything, could I get your lunch made how you like it and not leave it in the fridge on accident, could we get there on time, could I get you in the right line, could I let you go without crying? Fortunately, all was a success. You rode your scooter with your special first day of school dress on, and you were so excited to be going back. You got kind of quiet while waiting in line and I asked if you were getting a little nervous, but you said no, just excited. I wasn’t even sure we were in the right line since we were all the way in the back on the edge of the playground, and when you got up to the front by the door and stairs to go in you were the only one left from your class save 1 person behind you! I was so scared you were going to get lost in the shuffle, all by your little self. I told the teacher who was helping direct everyone, “Here’s another one for Mrs. Murphy’s class,” and she cheerfully ushered you into the correct door, right next to your principal, so I knew you were in good hands. Still, my mama heart was so sad to see your little body disappear into that big door, knowing I wouldn’t see you again until pickup that afternoon. All day I wondered what you were doing then, if you were having your snack of lunch, if you went out to recess, if you got a nap at rest time.
When you came out that same door at the end of the day, you all looked like little zombies! The all-day schedule combined with the blazing heat (of course!) totally wiped you guys out. You had a little panda sticker on your forehead as you walked out the door, and you showed it to me once you were dismissed from your line. You were very proud of it, and you had gotten it for sleeping so well at rest time. Ha! Coincidentally, that was also your favorite part of the day. Oh, my love. You had a wonderful first day, though, because you told me all about everything you did during the day on the walk home, something I wasn’t expecting. Then you were in the best mood tonight – running around and playing, and you, Daddy, and Lana had a squirting fight in the swimming pool. It made me so happy. You already can’t wait for day #2, and that fills my heart right back up. I love you so much, peanut, and I could not be prouder of my big kindergartener!
***
September 4, 2015
It’s the end of your first week of full-day school! You and I both could not be happier with the way this school year has started, too. You are absolutely loving your new teacher and your class, you love telling me how everything went each day, you get stickers for good resting, you love playing with your friends on the walks to/from school each day, you have a ball playing with Lana once we get home, and I love reconnecting with all the parents and friends I haven’t seen all summer. Maybe this full-time school won’t be quite so scary for me after all.
***
September 15, 2015
Today was picture day! Last night you picked out the dress you wanted to wear and said you wanted pigtails, and you looked cute as could be this morning. You said your class went out for recess before you had your pictures taken, though, which might not have been the smartest move for a group of K5 kids. Ah well, I’m sure they’ll still turn out great. I can’t wait to see them!
***
November 3, 2015
I just read my entry above – we got your pictures last week, and they are adorable!! Yesterday was your first Daisies meeting, and you had so much fun! I’m the treasurer for your troop, so at least I feel a little more involved than I normally do, since I can’t volunteer for many things during school days. I think you’re going to love this. A bunch of your friends from school have joined, too, so it sounds like a great group of girls.
***
November 4, 2015
Sweetheart, you have to be one of the most sensitive kids I have ever known. Not that I’ve known that many kids, but still. Today after school I called you off the playground to start walking home, and I noticed that, even though you came running off the bench where you’d been sitting with your little group of girlfriends, you took a very circuitous route to the stroller instead of being right at my side like normal. Then when we got to the stroller, I realized why – you had a mouthful of something and you obviously didn’t want me to know. It startled me, simply because I had no idea what you were eating and I wanted to make sure you had gotten whatever it was from a friend and not a stranger. But when I asked you to tell me what was in your mouth, you just shrugged, gave me a nasty look like yeah right I’m not telling you stupid lady, and turned away to try to get as far from me as possible. Well sorry, kid, but that just made me mad. So I made you come back over to me, told you to tell me what was in your mouth and who gave it to you, and then you completely lost it. Instead of just telling me that you’d gotten a chocolate cookie from your friend Sophia (which, by the way, didn’t come out for at least another hour once we’d gotten home and you were able to choke out the words), you had what appeared to be a mind-losing nervous breakdown. You started crying and gasping and clinging to my leg and crouching on the ground and completely ignoring every effort I made to try to find out what the mystery substance was in your mouth or to get you to settle down. Even your friends who saw you were worried, and I just kept saying oh, she’s ok. She’s just sad because she thought she was in trouble when she really isn’t. It was actually cute how they were trying to cheer you up, but you were being a real piece of work. I was literally halfway across the playground leaving before you even made a move to get up and follow us to go home. Jesus, peanut. You need to not get so worked up, and when you do, learn how to calm back down. Or just breathe, my god. I told you over and over you were not in trouble at all, I just needed to make sure that what you were eating was ok, but that apparently was not getting through to you. Finally, after god knows how long at home, you stopped the racket when Daddy took you up to the store on your bike. Cripes.
But on a better note, you got your prizes from your school fall fundraiser today, which included a cheese pizza, a little light-up rocket rubber band thing, and a flashlight pen. You were in love with the pen, especially because you guys are having a blackout party at school tomorrow where all the classes turn off the lights and have fun activities, so you can take your new pen.
***
November 13, 2015
I watched a little video of you and Lana last night from 2 Christmases ago, and it is simply astonishing at how much you have changed. Gone are the chubby little cheeks, tiny little voice, and short little-girl hair cut of 3-year-old you, all replaced by the beautiful big girl you are today. Where are my baby girls going?? I will admit, though, it will be very fun to see you explain all the Christmas things to Morrison this year, even though he’ll have no idea what you’re talking about. The way you love him is incredible.
***
November 19, 2015
Stats from your 5-year checkup last night:
- Weight: 43.7 lbs (66.68%)
- Height: 46″ (92.05%)
- BMI: 15 kg/m2 (45.34%)
- Blood pressure: 111/75
- Vision: 20/20
- Hearing: Perfect
Next visit – 6-7 years old. Wahoo!
***
November 23, 2015
In just the past couple weeks, your reading and math skills have exploded before my eyes. You’ve been practicing math on this online program called Dream Box, and you are becoming an addition and subtraction whiz. You are constantly telling me what 10 is made up of, what such and such numbers make, etc. And reading. Wow. There are some books you can read all by yourself now. This morning as I was feeding Morrison before school, you and Lana were sitting on your bed and you started reading a Scooby Doo book all by yourself. I was blown away. You are so smart!
***
December 16, 2015
I just love watching you, my dear. Yesterday as we were walking to school, you started running ahead down the sidewalk carrying your lunchbox with your little braids flying, and it warmed my heart and made me smile how excited you get when we go to school. Your love of this Christmas season is so sweet, too. Every morning you wake up and head straight for the advent calendars, making sure each ornament and toy is in its proper place. And the way you love your little brother is just incredible. You are such a great kid.
***
December 18, 2015
You lost your first tooth last night, peanut! When you came out of school yesterday, I could tell it had gotten extremely wiggly and was ready to practically fall out of your mouth. Wiggly teeth gross me out to no end, but I tried pulling it out for you when we got home anyway. I couldn’t get a good hold on it at all, so we waited for Daddy to get home. You were getting really nervous while we waited for him, I’m sure because you were worried it was going to hurt. But when he gave it a 1, 2, 3, yank, you didn’t even know it had come out! You were so excited, and I was so excited for you. I washed up the little Tooth Fairy pillow your aunts and I used when we were little, and you tucked your tiny tooth right in her apron pocket when you went to bed. This morning you discovered she left you a big silver dollar coin and a $1 bill, plus a note with your tooth on it on your placemat at the table! Congratulations, little one, the adventures of losing teeth have begun!