Turning the Page

Today was Sophia's last day of preschool. She's been sad about it, but she is definitely in the bargaining stage of grief. She's trying to orchestrate some superschool with her old friends, plus a new friend she made the other night (more on that later), plus her old teachers with her new classroom. It's all very intricate. That is when she isn't just saying, "Nope. I'm not leaving Samuel Preschool. Ever. I will ask my friends to stay too." Samuel Preschool has been an incredible experience. I know I've mentioned it before. It helped with our transition to St. Louis, and it has helped Sophia transition to every day school. She has made friends, and so have I. She has made academic and social progress. I am just amazed every day at what she comes home with in words, art and stories. I am thrilled to start this next chapter in our family life. I am excited for Sophia to become a school girl. Sophia's preschool does not have graduation, per se. Instead, the big kid class performs the Three Piggy Opera for their parents and the little kids. Sophia has been talking about this ever since she saw it last year. That was her entire reason for wanting to go back to school. Sophia played the Mama Pig and sent her little piggies off with grace and selflessness. However, she did instruct them to write and visit every Sunday night.

Honestly, I am going to miss every one of these little piggies. It's been an honor to get to know then and their parents. I've learned a lot this year.

Along with normal school pictures, we ordered these at the Samuel Preschool Auction. A photographer with kids in the preschool donated her services. Wasn't that cool? Anyway, we also got the disc so we can print what we want. Problem is, I'm not sure what I want. I'm going to order some wallets. Let's say you were to get a wallet sized photo of Sophia. Which of these would you rather have? A

B

C

D

E

My fav is "E", the black and white closeup. Sophia's fav is "B", the colorful full shot with her pleased grin. I get it. That's particularly cute, too, but it's not as artistic and intense. Both poses show sides of her personality. Rather than doing a poll, I wanted people to comment. Assuming anyone is reading and/or gives a flip. Exercise your right, people. Vote! I may or may not listen.

School Pictures

(also, my scanner's not working, so it's a picture of a picture. Classy, no?)

Back at the Park

We had another lovely day today. It's strange to get into January with 70 degree weather, but I'll take it.

Just after she got out of preschool, we had a picnic at the playground with several of her classmates. Each time we moms are together now, we talk about how sad it's going to be to break these kids up next year. Of course we know they'll make new friends in their separate kindergartens, but the chemistry of this class is so great that we hate to see it end. Here's Sophia with her friends Tommy and Anna.



As soon as we got home, Sophia wanted to go back to our little park. I certainly didn't want to object. For the day, she decided she's have an imaginary friend come with us. Her name was McKenna, and Sophia "called" her to let her know that we were on the way.



She spent much of the time explaining McKenna to me and calling her on her pretend phone. She rarely stops talking on a day like this. It was fantastic. As long as I can keep up with her, she's happy.

Highlight of My Week

 

It's been a good week. The weather is cool, and the sun came out today. I don't mind the first few days of chilly rain. I actually find that I'm more productive on those days. Once the rain hangs around, my productivity plummits. So, the sun is a good thing.

Anyway, today I got to go to Sophia's school and be the guest reader. Every Thursday, Sophia's class hosts a guest - usually a parent, grandparent or older sibling. This Thursday was my turn. I let Sophia pick the book. Children Make Terrible Pets.

I was excited to go to Sophia's class, but my excitement was nothing compared to Sophia's. When she got up this morning, she was already talking about where she'd sit and how much everyone would like the book. As I read the book to the class, I had a lot of fun. I really like those kids. But the best part was watching Sophia's face. When I would get to a funny part or ask for interaction, her face would light up and she'd look around at her friends with a look that just warmed me right up. I guess it would be pride in her mama.

On our way home, I asked if I did a good job. Sophia replied, "No, mommy, you did a GREAT job!"

Oh, the possibilities

Sophia is almost through her first full week back to school. We have both survived rather nicely, I think. Sophia is still exhausted at the end of the morning, but she's having fun at school.

Yesterday was a cool, rainy day here, and I could not have enjoyed that weather more. I'm happy to see the sun today and the wispy white clouds, but there is something about a fall rain that is cleansing and symbolic of the change of the seasons.

With my week of mornings, I have cleaned, cooked, napped, eaten, rearranged my living room and helped a friend. I knew that I was going to like having my mornings, but I forgot all the things you can get done in three hours. So I'll spend the next few weeks experimenting with the possibilities.

Hope everyone nearby is enjoying the shift of weather as much as I am.

The Last Hoorah

 

Today is the last full day before Sophia's last year of preschool. Tomorrow is just a warm-up day, but since I have to get dressed before noon, I'm calling that the beginning.

Samuel Preschool starts significantly later than its counterparts here, and we've had the benefits and disappointment of that these last couple of weeks. The benefit has been fewer kids at all the kid places, like the zoo yesterday. Even on a gorgeous day, we didn't wait in line for anything. The down side, of course, is that Sophia and I have been on our own for the most part. We're both ready for a little outside interaction.

Like most moms, I love and hate sending her to school. I'm glad it's just for the mornings, but I'll still miss her. Of course, I have enough experience to know that five minutes after we're reunited at noon, either of us could be exasperated. Even though that's true, I may shed a tear Monday morning. Just before I go to the coffee shop with a book.

Last Day of School

Yep. It's today. Sophia's done with her complete first year of preschool. The first half at Little One's Day Out. The second half at Samuel Pre-K. Both fantastic experiences. Sophia absolutely loves school. Of course, I know she'll forget how much she loves it by the time it comes around again. But I can rest in the knowledge that this part of our transition has gone absolutely swimmingly. She made friends. The teachers loved getting to know her. She danced and shouted her joy after almost each day of school. Can't get much better than that.

On to the summer. I've got my work cut out for me to keep her entertained and active. Without a reason to get out, Sophia would be happy just lying around, watching TV, having me read or play with her here at home. She says she doesn't like the summer because it's too hot and the sun gets in her eyes. Fortunately, after this weekend, she's all about going to a pool. I think we will get a summer membership at the Clayton pool. The cost, which is not as much as I thought it would be, will still be enough to encourage us to get our selves out there on a regular basis.

It's going to be a weird summer, without a doubt. This is the time of year that I normally spend the majority of the week with my friends and neighbors. I am excited to get to explore all that St. Louis has to offer this summer, but I will miss the ease and understanding of hanging out with all my Columbia people. Really, really miss it.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all of the moms I know had a wonderful day today. I've had a lovely Mother's Day with the girl who makes me a mom and the guy who keeps it doable.

I had a feeling I was going to have a fantastic Mother's Day since it all started with a Muffins for Mom event at Sophia's preschool on Friday morning. She has been talking about it for weeks, keeping it secret what they were working on. When she told me about it, she said, "It will be the best day ever!" And, if I'm honest, it came pretty close.

There is just no substitute for being told you're the best mom ever, especially when parenting a 4 1/2 year old who makes the job interesting. When we walked into her preschool, each mom found a picture of their child in a frame made by that child, along with a list of things that each kid knows and/or loves about his or her mom. Here are Sophia and her friend Tommy with their work.



Most of the kids were satisfied with the admiration of their own mothers. Sophia, on the other hand, felt that each and every mother deserved a chance to admire her particular picture frame. Before I really realized what was happening, Sophia started approaching each mom and bringing her over to look at and admire her picture frame. There are about fifteen kids in Sophia's class, so she realized there was a more efficient way to get the job done. She picked up her frame, tucked it behind her back and walked up to another mom. Mind you, she has never met most of these moms. She would ask, "Do you want to see the picture frame I made?" Before a response was often offered, she'd hold it out and wait for the coming accolades. No exaggeration when I say that every single mom in that room saw Sophia's picture. It was a pretty entertaining scene. Sophia's teacher said that she was the first kid to do that. Somehow, I think she'll probably be the last. Here she is showing one mom her frame.



It's a gift and a memory I'll cherish.

My day today has been everything I could hope for. Sunshine and heat. Plenty of time outside and enough activity to remember the day! We started the day with a trip to Laumeier Sculpture Park. We haven't been there since Sophia was born, but it's a place that I really enjoy. This weekend is their Art Fair, so we got to enjoy the music, booths and food as well as the normal sculptures. I had forgotten how much fun I have at that particular park. It's such a great combination of nature and art.



We got pretty hot there, so it seemed like a good idea to head to City Garden to cool down at the splash park. We met Sophia's friend Tommy's family there and had a really great time - until he fell and hit his head. He'll be fine, but neither Sophia or Tommy recovered.

Since getting home, our afternoon at home has been relaxing and refreshing. I am just so grateful to be Sophia's mother and to share parenthood with Erick. It's never simple, but it's always interesting. And more often than not, it's a genuinely good time.

I love school pictures

A couple of weeks ago, Sophia had school pictures. I forgot about it until a few days afterward, so I was just hopeful that Sophia did a good job dressing herself that day.
I should never have doubted her sense of style.

Best Valentine Ever!!

 

 

On Valentine's Day, we got a piece of mail from Sophia's preschool that said "Mom and Dad." Of course, my first assumption was that they forgot our names and were telling us about the next tuition date. So imagine my surprise when I opened it to find Valentines from Sophia! A picture of her at school, too. So sweet. In her own hand, "Mom, I love you." and "Dad, I love you." Then we find out why. Erick's is definitely less conditional "Because you give me hugs and kisses all the time" than "Because you read me books." But, to be fair, I am really good at reading books. Seriously, it was the sweetest thing I've ever received in the mail.

It made my month. Thank you, Sophia!!

One Goodbye at a Time

Here's the thing. With my friends and neighbors/family, I have to prepare for a goodbye or a farewell or something of the sort, but at the same time, I am confident relationship will continue. It will be different, with much more time between face views, and not as awesome in many ways, but relationship will be there.

That's people. But with some things, there is no continued relationship. Like Sophia's preschool. Her first preschool experience was brief and stellar. I had my parent/teacher conference on Tuesday. "Sophia is the class social butterfly." "She is friends with all of the other kids." "Sophia is a great presence in our class because she encourages the other kids to participate." Those are obviously awesome things. I loved hearing that about my sweet girl. I just hated that we are taking her away from a place that recognizes and encourages those traits in her. Miss Katie is her teacher, and Sophia and I both adore Miss Katie. Sophia said that she would miss her most of all. I don't worry about Sophia making new friends. I hope beyond hope that we can manage to find a teacher who sees Sophia for who she is the way that Katie did.

At Sophia's last day today, she got lots of hugs from the other kids. They each made her a painting with sweet goodbyes, and Sophia assured them that she would miss them and be back after Christmas. Yep. We have talked a lot about finding a new school that she will start after Christmas. Apparently, she heard that she was going back to her school after Christmas. Damn.

So, on the way home from school, Sophia said, "That was a fun last day of school. I'll be back after Christmas, right?" I told her again that she'll go to a new school with a new teacher and friends after Christmas. "Oh. I told them I'd be back." Then she told me how much she would miss Miss Katie and that she wished they could always be together. Then she cried. Now, with Sophia, I'm used to tears. She has the dramatic gift to create them on a whim. But I could see the difference. These were tears of realization. They mixed with my tears of grief. Grief over the fact that no matter the greatness of Sophia's next preschool, it won't be the one that my friends send their kids to. It won't be the one that Aaron and William graduated from. It won't be the one where they already embrace her for exactly the tutu'd, bouncing, dramatic girl she is. Tears.

She's moved on for the moment. Currently living on the high from having been the center of the classroom for the day. Oh, she was all about that. I know that she'll be sad about it again. For now, we'll just take one goodbye at a time.

Ladybuggin'

In all the madness that is moving, life in Columbia continues to roll on. One very fun example of that was Halloween weekend! I have never experienced a Halloween weekend more full of activity and candy. I am most grateful for the fact that Sophia isn't a big candy lover. Since amassing an entire pumpkin full of chocolatey and sugary treats, she has ingested only two or three treats. This makes me happy because she needs no help in being hyped and/or wired.

Our festivities started at Sophia's preschool on Thursday. They got to wear their costumes and march around the school.



It was very cute, and Sophia was insanely excited. She couldn't keep her feet on the ground at the same time, so she looked more like a jumping bean than a ladybug. Costume idea for next year? This is Sophia's friend and classmate Eden.



Friday night, Columbia's downtown hosted "Halloweenie," which I think is a spectacular name. Most of the stores were happy to offer sweets for Columbia's kiddos. This is our third year participating in the downtown trick-or-treating, but it was by far the craziest. I think because they made this year different than Halloween night, more people were available or something. It was packed and lots of fun. In the past, we've gone with our friends the Chandlers. Since they're in Seattle, they couldn't join us. However, Sophia was joined by Wolverine and Minnie Mouse, also known as Braeden and Sophia, and we had a lot of fun!





Saturday was a non-costume day, but Sunday we did the normal Hy-Vee trip and a cruise around the neighborhood. It was a great Halloween, and Sophia loved being a ladybug. It was a fitting costume for the flitting and buzzing girl that she is.

The Pumpkin Patch

Sophia had her first field trip yesterday. Her preschool went to Peach Tree Farms, and I went with them. It was my first foray into field trips, and it was exactly what I thought it would be. 7 parts insanity, 2 parts brilliance, 1 part misery. That may be a slight overstatement, but that may be exactly what it felt like!

Sophia had a great time once she got past the "scariness" of the goats. (She's meant for city life.)

She asked her friend Ella to ride with us, and they were two peas in a pod. Ella kept up with Sophia's incessant rambling and matched her crazy remark for crazy remark. It was entertaining to say the least. The two oldest girls in their class, they look a little alike too.



Next came the highlight of the trip for Sophia - the hayride! It was the highlight for me as well. As a few of us moms stood around waiting for the wagon to come back, hoping none of the children had jumped, we remarked on the peace and quiet of the moment.



That didn't even last until Sophia could get off. Here she is telling me all about the ride and her ideas about what to do next.



Sophia was also very excited to pick out her own pumpkin. The first thing she told Erick was that Elliott's dad had cut her pumpkin off for her. All the kids were very excited about that part. Sophia and Jimmy are showing each other their names Sharpie'd on the bottom of the picks.



No visit to the pumpkin patch would be complete without a stop to visit the rabbits. No visit to the rabbits is complete without... making funny faces at them? Apparently, that IS the case.

First Day of School!

Today was the day that Sophia started preschool. She was so excited that I couldn't help but be excited for her too! I just hope it lives up to her expectations. Anyway, I got her picture in front of the house, and this is how she looked at me. Definitely hiding her giddiness...



When I told her to show me her lunchbox and a smile, this was the response.



However, here is all the proof I need that her excitement was untempered. Honestly, she didn't hold my hand for a second (but she did look both ways).



So I followed her inside, hung around for a minute or two, hoping for some show of her desperate need for her momma. She allowed me to take the obligatory shot of her. Again with the fake smile.



Then I asked if she was ready for me to go. "Yep!" So, here I sit. Waiting to hear if her hopes were fulfilled. I have a feeling they were. It's a whole new world for my baby girl.

Preschool Test Run

 

Yesterday morning, Sophia and I went to a Play Day for new students of her preschool. She had been excited about the whole prospect, but once the morning came, she kicked that excitement to a new level. Every thirty minutes or so, she would turn to me and say, "Mommy, you didn't forget what we're doing today, did you?" Now, I won't go into her reasons - justified or otherwise - for thinking I may forget something on our schedule. The point is, she was excited! So excited that she changed her outfit three times before we left!

Once we got there, she held my hand for about twenty seconds and was off on her own! It really was a huge relief for both of us that she took to it so well. Now, that's not to say that she won't have some hesitations on mornings that she doesn't feel like going, but getting that good start was a huge deal.

She officially starts next Tuesday, so I'll let you know how it goes once it's official!

The School Career

I've been quiet this week because my mind has been stuck on one track. Preschool. I visited four and researched several more. That doesn't sound like many, but when you're going around with a 3-year-old who wants to participate in each and every activity she sees these incredibly lucky kids doing, it gets a little tiring. Not to mention the prospect of handing my baby over to one of these people in the fall. Anyway, it's been a good process and a lot of fun in some ways. In others, I'll just be glad to have it over with and move on.

I meant to start this all in the fall. I have several emails in my box that prove the process started in October. I've been stalling and pretending like it would take care of itself. It hasn't.

I don't feel obligated to send Sophia to preschool. I realize there are benefits and detractors to every choice. It's my belief that preschool will provide a good balance to the environment of our home. We operate fluidly. Structure isn't my thing. I value it highly, but I can't sustain it, so I don't try - that would be counterproductive. But I do think Sophia would benefit from exposure to a more structured environment, so that's my main criteria in choosing a preschool. Well, structure and gut. In visiting the schools we did, we didn't encounter too many core differences. There were a few, mind you, and I liked some things better than others. Still, when it came down to it, I had to admit that it's more important to me how I reacted at a gut level to the people to whom I'd be entrusting the development of my own preschooler.

Sophia has been in heaven through all this. The first preschool we visited is still her favorite. Every time we visit a new one, I ask which is her favorite. She responds, "Remember, Mom? I already told you I like William's school." Yep, her favorite is the school that her cousins have attended. She knows that the boys won't be there while she's there, but she still likes it best. It didn't hurt that they had a table filled with rice in the room that she'd be in. Digging and pouring have been her favorite things to do since she was a baby.

Even though she's biased to that school, she has fully enjoyed being the center of attention in many new classes. She isn't shy. She has scored a couple of art projects and a free book out of the hunt. However, even she is through with the process.

Anyway, I'll have lots more feelings and thoughts about the preschool thing when it approaches. Just wanted to let you know what's been keeping me distracted. The good news is that I plan to have a decision made and a spot reserved very soon. That way my brain can get back to things like relationships and cooking dinner...