I knew that the fall would bring many changes to our lives, London would begin Kindergarten and Zoe would start preschool. Our lazy mornings would suddenly take shape around a clock and lunches would be packed in Hello Kitty and the Littlest Pet Shop bags. We savored our beach days and readily accepted pool date offers from friends in an effort to stockpile the fun and sunshine into our very beings. As we transitioned into our new schedules, we discovered exciting new things, people and opportunities.
London met a great friend the very first day of school, Keira. They began talking outside the classroom while hanging up their backpacks. It was a sweet moment as I watched my daughter make her first new school friend and I was proud of how she introduced herself and took on this unknown territory with a shy confidence and strength. Kindergarten turned out to be her total cup of tea. London loves the wheel program that teaches her computers, sports and music. She comes home with stories about her teachers and classmates, as well as tons of facts and figures that she learned. It's exciting for me to experience with her in so many ways.
Helping out in London's classroom gave me a better idea of what her day is like and what she is learning. Pre-reading, beginning addition and subtraction, and sorting of patterns were some of the items being taught. I particularly enjoyed working with small groups and helping the students fill in their word sheets with silly games and crayons. These five year old's are magical, funny, and endearing. One of my favorite moments was when London walked up to her class in the morning and a group of girls came up, said hello to her and gave her good morning hugs. She had a big smile and it made me so content for her.
Zoe began preschool and found herself at home with the cinnamon play dough and art supplies. She was a little quiet and careful about investigating her environment and the children around her. Zoe wasn't going to dive in and be her zany self right off the bat, it would require some acclimation. As the weeks went by, she found her comfort zone. One day when I arrived a few minutes early to pick her up, I watched from the door while crouching down and to the side to avoid being spotted by her. I was not the only mom doing this. She was holding hands with two other girls and jumping up and down laughing her head off as they played a game together of "dance to red light green light". That's the Zoe we know and love!
To be continued...
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Family
The green trees, a lighter shade of green with lots of yellow in it instead of forest green, stays on my mind. The soft grasses, large space between houses and a feeling of openness are what I keep remembering about going to Boston. A suburb just outside of the city was our destination and it felt like I was 3,000 miles from home. Part of me feels at home on the East Coast because I spent a great deal of time growing up there, in various states, and it is familiar in little ways. The accents, the city life, and the landscape stay with me.
The purpose of the trip was to see my 95 year-old grandmother and to introduce her to Zoe for the first time. Gramma had only met London once on her first birthday and we hadn’t seen her since. I cannot imagine having a great granddaughter and not meeting her. We had to fix that. Gramma fell in love in the first three minutes as soon as the girls both ran up to her and gave her a hug of their own accord. It was a sweet moment. The city is charming as expected. Historical brownstone buildings covered in ivy, intricate ironwork on the stairs outside, and gardens that rest atop the buildings for the fortunate ones that can live there. The Commons is a gorgeous park in the center of the city that houses friendly squirrels and is filled with dogs out for a stroll on leash. Boston is a smaller version of New York with shorter buildings and more charm. Scott and I could have spent days exploring and photographing the old churches and life in the streets.
My Cousin Emmy gave me a huge hug when I saw her and it was like old times again. We always pick up where we left off and talk at an accelerated pace with an explosion of things to share with each other. She feels like family to me and it’s fun to be together. Her dog is considered a German Shepard but I think he is a scientific experiment of a new breed. His size far surpasses that of any German I’ve ever seen before. He is mammoth!!!! He kept licking little Zoe’s face and was a total love. Awesome dog.
My Uncle Paul and I only met once before, nearly twenty years ago. He and his wife Jean invited us for a family breakfast on the last morning of our visit. We pulled up to a charming house that was built in 1860 and a matching barn sat beside it. A large front and back yard surrounded it with a pink Dogwood tree nearby. Colorful fish swam around in the coi pond in the front. The home was cozy and filled with beautiful stained glass pieces that Jean has crafted over the years. I was surprised to see some art from my dad and my grandfather on the walls as well. There isn’t much of it to see now, so it’s special to get a glimpse of.
Our family had breakfast together and then went outside to see my uncle’s bees up close. He encased me in a special suit and then guided me through the process of checking on the bee’s production and see if the Queen’s had been released yet. It was a new experience for me and I liked the excitement of trying something new. Things went smoothly and no stingers were lost that morning. The girls chased each other in the grassy back yard and then gave Morgan, the Golden Retriever, a lot of attention. This was a normal day in so many ways but very special for all of us. I was sad to leave because I know we could have enjoyed more family time but I was grateful for the experiences that we did have together. My grandmother now knows her great-grandchildren and that is so important.
The purpose of the trip was to see my 95 year-old grandmother and to introduce her to Zoe for the first time. Gramma had only met London once on her first birthday and we hadn’t seen her since. I cannot imagine having a great granddaughter and not meeting her. We had to fix that. Gramma fell in love in the first three minutes as soon as the girls both ran up to her and gave her a hug of their own accord. It was a sweet moment. The city is charming as expected. Historical brownstone buildings covered in ivy, intricate ironwork on the stairs outside, and gardens that rest atop the buildings for the fortunate ones that can live there. The Commons is a gorgeous park in the center of the city that houses friendly squirrels and is filled with dogs out for a stroll on leash. Boston is a smaller version of New York with shorter buildings and more charm. Scott and I could have spent days exploring and photographing the old churches and life in the streets.
My Cousin Emmy gave me a huge hug when I saw her and it was like old times again. We always pick up where we left off and talk at an accelerated pace with an explosion of things to share with each other. She feels like family to me and it’s fun to be together. Her dog is considered a German Shepard but I think he is a scientific experiment of a new breed. His size far surpasses that of any German I’ve ever seen before. He is mammoth!!!! He kept licking little Zoe’s face and was a total love. Awesome dog.
My Uncle Paul and I only met once before, nearly twenty years ago. He and his wife Jean invited us for a family breakfast on the last morning of our visit. We pulled up to a charming house that was built in 1860 and a matching barn sat beside it. A large front and back yard surrounded it with a pink Dogwood tree nearby. Colorful fish swam around in the coi pond in the front. The home was cozy and filled with beautiful stained glass pieces that Jean has crafted over the years. I was surprised to see some art from my dad and my grandfather on the walls as well. There isn’t much of it to see now, so it’s special to get a glimpse of.
Our family had breakfast together and then went outside to see my uncle’s bees up close. He encased me in a special suit and then guided me through the process of checking on the bee’s production and see if the Queen’s had been released yet. It was a new experience for me and I liked the excitement of trying something new. Things went smoothly and no stingers were lost that morning. The girls chased each other in the grassy back yard and then gave Morgan, the Golden Retriever, a lot of attention. This was a normal day in so many ways but very special for all of us. I was sad to leave because I know we could have enjoyed more family time but I was grateful for the experiences that we did have together. My grandmother now knows her great-grandchildren and that is so important.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
A Change Is Gonna Come
As I walked into the local elementary school, I felt mixed emotions. Was I ready for this? Was she ready for this? I signed in and waited for the kindergarten tour to begin. The principal greeted us and we began to view the five different classrooms, observing the teachers and students on an average school day. I saw little six year old's interacting with each other in groups, working on projects and writing on notebooks and small dry erase boards. They looked happy and engaged. This reassured me and I began to relax a little as I envisioned my daughter there doing the same things. The teachers had colorful, relevant classrooms with visual learning aids on the walls and cute little desks and chairs.
I flashed back to a memory of being seven years old and seeing an art easel for the first time with paint and brushes sticking out of it. I was drawn to that room and wanted to jump in and create. Back to the present, I noted that London would be perfectly at home here and it was a natural progression from where she is now, mentally and age-wise. She would thrive with the new challenges and increased opportunities. Calm began to settle in.
It is bittersweet to watch one's baby grow, joyous and yet painful because you know that this time will never return. It will manifest itself in the person she becomes and in the personality and choices that she makes. I am proud of who she is now and who she is becoming. I am excited to see what each day brings and how she is so lucky to know God at such an early age and how that will guide her and give her the greatest foundation possible.
I flashed back to a memory of being seven years old and seeing an art easel for the first time with paint and brushes sticking out of it. I was drawn to that room and wanted to jump in and create. Back to the present, I noted that London would be perfectly at home here and it was a natural progression from where she is now, mentally and age-wise. She would thrive with the new challenges and increased opportunities. Calm began to settle in.
It is bittersweet to watch one's baby grow, joyous and yet painful because you know that this time will never return. It will manifest itself in the person she becomes and in the personality and choices that she makes. I am proud of who she is now and who she is becoming. I am excited to see what each day brings and how she is so lucky to know God at such an early age and how that will guide her and give her the greatest foundation possible.
Green Day
London was bursting with excitement as she told me about the leprechaun that had run rampant in her classroom, leaving a trail of green footprints, overturned objects, and general messiness in its path. She told me a run-on sentence about setting traps for it and how the leprechaun was so small, silly, tricky and messy. Her best friend then told me in a whisper that the leprechaun had visited her house and used the bathroom, leaving behind green water. Zoe quickly became interested in this tale and joined in her sister's enthusiasm.
While the girls were out of the house for a bit, I found green objects in our house and planted them carefully in various spots that would catch the girls eyes. Green mardi gras beads, bracelets, and a toy car were some of the items we found. Lastly, we checked our bathroom and sure enough, the little green trickster had visited and taken a bathroom break, leaving us with green water!
In school, St. Patrick's day was about green clothing and people pinching each other. In college it was about green beer and green food. Now, it's more fun that ever before because the kids are so excited about something that they believe in wholeheartedly. This little green person is completely real to them and they are hyped about it. How cool is that?
While the girls were out of the house for a bit, I found green objects in our house and planted them carefully in various spots that would catch the girls eyes. Green mardi gras beads, bracelets, and a toy car were some of the items we found. Lastly, we checked our bathroom and sure enough, the little green trickster had visited and taken a bathroom break, leaving us with green water!
In school, St. Patrick's day was about green clothing and people pinching each other. In college it was about green beer and green food. Now, it's more fun that ever before because the kids are so excited about something that they believe in wholeheartedly. This little green person is completely real to them and they are hyped about it. How cool is that?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
