I Want to Remember

Mila did great at preschool drop off for the first 2 days.  Then she started crying every day!  And it was a bad, screaming cry!  It so broke my heart to leave her like that.  And she didn't stop crying after 5 minutes like everyone told me she would!  She would keep screaming, "You stay right there!"  Clearly I couldn't stay right there!  I had to leave!  She would sit and cry for the entire 3o minutes while her class was outside!  I would drive away and park in a different parking lot to see if she would eventually start to play, but our girl is very persistent! 

She would eventually stop crying once they went inside, and every time I'd pick her up after class she was all smiles!  Thank God for that!  Then she would tell me that she would not cry the next time!  But she would!

On Thursday, she reassured herself a few times on the drive to school.  "Mommy, I will not cry.  You can go to the store, and then come back to pick me up."  She repeatedly told me that I can't go home!  I agreed :)

Well she finally did it!!  She gave me the tightest hug and kiss, and went in with her class!  The teachers were so happy and went up to her and gave her hugs!  She smiled at me and gave me a big thumbs up!  I was so overwhelmingly proud of her!!  I got in the car and cried harder than I did on her first day!  I drove away and said out loud, "Thank you God!" 

From The Mouths of My Babes

Caleb:
"Nice try fear, anger and sadness, but not this time.  My Mom was right."  Quoting the characters from Inside Out, when he wasn't afraid to poop and didn't fight me! (He'll kill me one day for sharing that, but it totally cracked me up!)

While doing homework, which is torturous for him, he tells me, "This is so ignoring!"  Obviously he means annoying!!

Mila:
While talking about what to eat for dinner Mila told me, "I totally want spaghetti and peaches!"  Totally?!?

One morning she kept telling me she wanted to eat a Ninja Bread Bar for breakfast!  At 6AM, I had no clue what she was talking about!  With my eyes half closed I asked if we kept it in the pantry or fridge??  She told me to follow her downstairs and she would show me!  She ran to the pantry and pulled out a Nutri Grain Bar!!

While putting a Frozen bow in her hair, she told me that I needed to wear one in my hair too.  I obliged, and when we looked in the mirror together she exclaimed, "Girlfriends!"

When she gets hungry she tells me, "my tummy says it's hungry!"

I Want to Remember

Caleb: He started swimming underwater without his floaties!!  He loves the water!  He is trying so hard to learn how to swim!  After we try gymnastics, I want to see if there's a convenient time for swim lessons.  He's so close!

While we were at Matt's wedding, we got an email from Caleb's teacher.  She said she hoped we were having fun at Uncle Matt's wedding and that Caleb was very excited for the special cousin dance and the Ghostbusters song!  I was so impressed!!

Caleb got Super Student at school!!  Every day they have a chance to earn this status by paying attention, listening, and following the rules!  He got it this week, and I couldn't be more proud of him!

I dropped him off for school one morning instead of walking him in!  Then I drove around the school parking lot, parked, and got out of the car with Mila so we could keep an eye on him :)  I told him that he needed to go right to his door, and wait for the teachers to let him in.  He literally stood right in front of the door, with his face a foot away from the door!  I was so proud of him, and wanted to let him know!  I got his attention and gave him a thumbs up!  He waved back wildly and blew me kisses!  Such a cutie!!

Mila: She likes to watch Dora and Friends, or as she calls it, "Big Dora!"  At the end of the show, they sing the same song, "All for One."  Every single time that song comes on, she runs to me and says, "Mommy it's our song!!"  No matter what I'm doing, I immediately stop, pick her up and run to the family room for our dance!  I LOVE THIS!!

Mila has learned the Hosanna Preschool snack time pray song from Caleb!  She is so cute singing it!

She is starting to write some of the letters in her name!  I've been trying to get her to practice, but she always gets frustrated and says she can't!  Well she agreed to try this week!  She so proud of herself writing her name!  She also asks if she's holding her pen correctly, which is one of the things we're working on with Caleb right now!

Her latest fear is the dark and ghosts.  She refuses to go upstairs when night time falls because "there will be ghosts."  I remind her that there aren't any ghosts, but she mentions them every other day! 

Both:During the month of August we listened to the Home soundtrack almost every day when I was home.  I didn't really love the movie, but I really like the songs on the soundtrack.  Since most of August was spent getting ready for school, all of the songs make my reminisce about that time.  Even if I hear one of the songs while in the car, I think about how I felt getting both of my babies ready for school!

We got our basketball hoop set up, and both of the kids like shooting hoops!  It's been fun trying to teach Caleb how to dribble.

Mila's 2nd Day of Preschool

No I won't be writing about every single day, but I didn't want to forget about what happened today!  Today drop off was outside.  Her class starts outside for 30 minutes on the playground, and then goes inside.  As we were waiting for her teachers to come outside, it hit me that I couldn't "wait right there" like I did the day before for her!  I explained that I had to run an errand and then I'd be waiting for her after class.  She did great and happily walked towards the playground!

Both of our kids are very affectionate.  They are always hugging people!  Well Mila went up to one of the girls and put her arm around her shoulder.  I could just imagine her saying lets go play together!  Well the girl moved Mila's arm away and walked away from her.  I saw Mila drop her head, shrug her shoulders a few times, and then she sat by herself at one of the picnic tables!  My heart was breaking!!!  She looked so sad!  Then she looked towards the cars, as if she was looking for me!  I had to drive away!!  There was no way I could see her race towards the gate crying for me!  I called my Mom right away for reassurance that Mila would be all right!

When I came back to pick her up, she was all smiles!!  She said she had fun and no tears!  She told me she ended up doing chalk outside, and that the other girl ended up playing in the classroom with her.  She also told me that the boys were acting out, and she told them to stop!  Oh boy!!

Mila Starts Preschool

She did it!!!  Mila had her first class of preschool and did not cry!!  She walked into school smiling and very excited!  She showed one of the other teachers her decorated bag.  Then we spotted a classmate from orientation!  She and Camille gave each other a high 5 and took a picture together!  When her teacher opened the classroom door, I could tell she got nervous.  Then I got nervous.  She gave me a couple of tight hugs and kisses.  She asked if we would wait right outside the classroom door, and I told her we would.  Earlier in the car she was worried that we were going to leave!  Once she heard that we wouldn't be that far away, she walked right into class!  After that, three other kids started crying.  I thought, this is it, she's going to start crying too!  To my surprise, she was fine! 

Erik and I walked to the car and my eyes teared up.  He asked me what was wrong and I said, "I'm sad.  I can't believe our baby girl is in school!"  He then pointed out that she did great!  With it being a "slow start" day, we had an hour before pick up, so we headed to Starbucks.  Normally she'll go every Tuesday and Thursday for 2.5 hours.  When we picked her up she was all smiles!!  She also asked if I had pink bunny for her to hug!  She was so cute and proud of herself! 

Grandma Joy gave us muffins for our 1st day breakfast!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture!

Mila's 1st gymnastics class

I bought Mila a leotard about 6 months ago!  I've been telling her that we were going to try gymnastics, but was never quite sure when to sign her up!  Lisa gave me the push I needed, and told me that she was doing a Mom and Tot class with Scarlett.  I thought it would be fun to have the girls take a class together, and to ease Mila into it if I was there with her!  She did a great job!  She was unsure of the foam pit at first, but ended up liking it!  She really wanted to do more than her class was doing, but I told her she would get to do more things in the next level.  I pointed out that I won't be with her in the next level, and that I can watch her from the windows.  She told me, "Mom I can do it!"  We have 7 more sessions together, and then we'll see if my little girl will be ready to be on her own!  Also, after having to watch his sister's gymnastics class, and not getting to participate, we also signed up Caleb for a boys class!  He'll go at the same time!  I can't wait for next Saturday!

 

Mila's Preschool Orientation

Last Thursday we had preschool orientation.  Mila did a great job meeting teachers, Sue and Beth!  When she walked in, she acted very excited!  She saw where she hangs her tote bag, and then told her teachers that her favorite colors are pink and purple!  She checked out her classroom, and I talked to her teacher about her peanut allergy.  I hate that I had to talk about it!  I hate that I will worry about her everyday she is away at school!  I pray that she stays safe, and will not eat anything that will harm her.  I ultimately pray that she will outgrow this allergy!

She also met some of her classmates and was really cute playing with them on the playground!  We spent all weekend talking about school starting, and how I'm going to give her a big hug and kiss, and then we'll see each other after class.  Each time she says that she's ready, but I also know her, and I can just see her crying and not letting me go.  I pray that she will truly be ready and confident that she can be on her own without me!



 

running into school

beautiful girl!

We decorated her bag!!

August Memories

Played basketball.  Swimming at Thornwood Pool with cousins.  Mila's Rapunzel Birthday.  My friend Stephanie's Baby Shower.  Fun seeing butterflies at Hawk Hollow.  Riley turned 12.  Cousin Max's 1st Birthday.  Caleb started Kindergarten.  Matt and Gail's Wedding. 

Matt and Gail's Wedding

Matt and Gail are married!!  It was an awesome and beautiful wedding weekend!  On Friday I was invited to get my nails done with all of the girls!  We had fun together at the salon, and then drove downtown to check into the Allerton hotel for the rehearsal and dinner.  Saturday morning, Mila and I hung out with the girls again, and I got my hair and makeup done.  The Velarde Salon girls did a beautiful job!  Everyone in the wedding party and Gail looked amazing!  Caleb and Scarlett did a great job as the ring bearer and flower girl!  They looked adorable!  The ceremony was very personal and sweet.  Caleb, Mila, and I had a chance to take a little rest while the wedding party took pictures, and then we headed over to the reception.  The food was really good, and I had fun at one of the kids' tables!  The bride and groom did their dances, and then all of the cousins did a special dance to welcome Gail to the family!  All of the kids did a great job!  I can't wait to see the photographer's pictures of it!  The DJ was great, and we literally danced until 1AM!  The next morning we enjoyed brunch with the whole family!  It truly was a wonderful wedding!

Had fun getting our nails done together

The ring bearer took his job very seriously!

practice makes perfect!

The gorgeous bride!

loving cousins

girls just want to have fun!

Godfather and Godson

all ready and so cute!

God do I love him!!!

Even though I wasn't in the wedding, Gail asked if I wanted to get ready with her and the girls!

Scarlett was tired before the big event, but Mila offered a calming hug!

sweet girls

Mila and her baby Jessica wore matching dresses!

They did a GREAT job!

my job was to keep them quiet during the ceremony!

love this face!

Married!

they fell asleep like this!

had the best time on the dance floor all night!