fuzzy milestones

One of my reluctance to document E and A's milestones in some sort of baby book (you know, other than complete laziness) was because I'm a stickler for details. And babies aren't an exact science. So...sure...you might notice that they got a tooth on January 3rd...but who's to say that they had it for a whole month unbeknownst to you and your prying fingers!

I honestly couldn't tell you what either girl's first word was. Especially since we did sign language with both kids...did the first sign they made count as their first word or did it have to be the spoken word? And, either way, how do you know it was their first and when it occurred? What if they were saying a whole bunch of other words and we just didn't know it?

And so it is with E reading. She's been "reading" pages of books for a while. But those were her favorites, like Fancy Nancy, that we read all the time. And she could recite them whether or not she had the book in front of her. Then she started to pick up on other words in other books. But in the past week or so, she's been reading those starter books to me, with very little prompting of words or correction. Some of it might be basic memorization...but the other night she picked a book off the shelf that I can't remember reading in months and read it to me. So, I think it's safe to say that E has learned to read.

I'll mark it on my calendar.

In other where-the-hell-did-my-baby-go news...we headed to the dentist on Monday. (And, yes, A was insanely jealous. Dentist = Doctor in their little minds.) But the dentist pointed out that E's bottom two teeth are the ever so slightest bit loose. So, ToothWatch '09 has commenced at Chez Slacker!

someone turned three!

On Friday, my Sweet Baby A turned 3. I'm still stunned by the fact that I am now the mother of a three-year-old and a kindergartner. I mean, I could have sworn it was just yesterday that she was born...and now she is a running, jumping, scooter-riding bundle of energy.

The weekend festivities started off with a trip to the doctor for her 3-year checkup. The doctor was very impressed with how well she talked and not at all concerned about her cute little ways of saying things like three (free) or girl (gu-yell). She ended up having to get a shot, and the FluMist (which was much more traumatic than the shot). I dropped her off at school and then came back a few hours later to bring a snack. We than sprang E from school a whopping 10 minutes early and played outside until Grandmom and Grandad arrived.

Once they arrived, we let A pick where we should eat. And where does a 3-year-old want to eat on her birthday? Chuck E. Cheese? Chick-Fil-A? Local pizza joint? Nope. A wanted fine italian cuisine at Desiderio's, the new place that opened us near us.

On Saturday, we had A's Birthday Party. And by "Birthday Party", I mean, we had dinner with Grandmom and Granddad, Nonna and Pop-pop, and Uncle Matt and Aunt Noreen. Again, we had A's choice of dinner (ribs...or "ribbies" as A likes to call them) and birthday cake. And presents.

 

As you can see from the pictures, E was very helpful in opening the presents. We did have a few minor altercations regarding E really wanting some of the gifts A got. But, after the dust settled (and the sugar high wore off), the girls were playing (and sharing) nicely with the loot yesterday.

This week, we are back to the normal grind of things. We're definitely settling in a bit more, which is nice. In fact, E got mad at John on Thursday because he picked her up too early and she wanted to stay and play longer with her friends. So, all in all things are looking up.

my milkshakes bribe my girls not to cry

There are many things as a parent that I will not do, but bribery is not one of them. So, on Wednesday night as we discussed our days and how much fun we had at school and SAC when we weren't crying, I made a deal with the devilchallenge with the girls. If A didn't cry at drop-off and E didn't cry at SAC, then I would make them milkshakes for dessert. Mint chocolate chip milkshakes.

And it worked.

It was a bit touch-and-go for A at drop-off. As E and I turned to leave, she got a little skittish. So I scooped her (and her stuffed horsey) up and plopped her in the arms of her teacher as I reminded her of what she was working towards. She regained her composure and, knowing that she held up her end of the bargain, yelled out to her sister,

"Hab a good day, E. Don't you cwy at SAC!"

And E complied. She had a great day and didn't cry. So I broke out the blender and made us a round of milkshakes.

Tonight, we're eating out if they remain tear-free. So far, we're 50% of the way there. E better not blow this because, let's face it, I *really* don't want to cook tonight. And the place they are picking makes *fab* milkshakes, too.

A girl can get used to a life of bribery.

technically, she still loves school

So on Friday, when I went to pick up E from SAC (before and after care at school), the teacher told me that E had a rough afternoon. It seemed that my daughter, who was running and playing and smiling when I got to SAC, had spent the better part of the afternoon crying.

When I asked E about her rough afternoon, she told me,

"Well, mommy, I missed you. Why can't I just go home with you after school?"

In general, a statement like that would be a little knife in the heart...but when you are already not happy about the situation, let me tell you, I almost burst into tears myself.

After talking about what would help her feel better in the afternoon, we've let her bring in a small stuffed animal that she can play with at SAC this week. Alas, she says that she's still crying in the afternoon, although "not as much, Mama". Yay for progress?

And, hell-bent on not being forgotten in all of this, A is weepy at drop-off. John talked to the teachers this morning and they confirmed that she definitely takes some time in the morning to get back to being her normal self. The lack of E bing around has affected her, too.

I'm assuming that these are the normal adjustments that the kids are making due to all the changes. It happens every time they change classes. But damn if it doesn't hit me like a ton of bricks every single time.

she likes it! she really likes it!

So far, Kindergarten has been a success. E tells us she loves Kindergarten. The only problem? That's all she's told us. If you try to press for more details, she'll shrug her shoulders and tell you she doesn't remember.

What we have been able to determine over the course of all three day is the following:

• One of her friends from her old school, Kyle, is in her class.
  
• She sits at a table with Lauren, Tyler and Raj.
  
• She plays a lot with Gracie (who she met at Meet the Teacher).
  
• They did a fire drill today and she did not cry.
  
• Her favorite part of today was storytime.
  
• She played with Lexie after school...and Lexie is in Tessa's (friend from old school) class.

Aaaaaaand, that's all I got. I have no idea what they are doing during the day. But she likes it. And says she likes it better than her old school. So far so good.

and she's off...

to Kindergarten, that is!

 

The morning went well. E said she was "very excited...and a little bit scared." But there were no tears this morning, which was great!

After much debate, John and I ended up driving her to school, rather than having her take the bus. It was good to show her where she would spend her mornings...and we ended up seeing her friend from "the other school", which was nice. The K kids all converge in the cafeteria and walk to class together, and so she got in line said hi to a few of her new classmates and then John and I left. I'll pick her up this afternoon.

In other "I can't believe how fast they are growing" news...E learned how to ride a 2-wheel bike this weekend! And, not to be out done, A is now sleeping in a big-girl bed! Let's just say that I've had my fill of milestones...so I will be forcing the kids to do nothing new...at least until A turns 3 (three!) at the end of the month.