Summer is Almost Over

I can tell! The wind has a slight chill to it in the afternoon, darkness falls earlier, the leaves have fallen of the buckeye tree, and I had to set an alarm instead of using Fiona as one. Do any other parents do that? Sleep until their child wakes them up and drags them out of bed? Fiona likes to dress me and I wonder if I am the only one? I think she is going to grow up thinking she has a lazy mommy who always asks for five more minutes. Or maybe the tables will turn and I will be the chipper morning person while she will hide her head under a pillow.

Anyway, even though students do not return until next Tuesday (so a week from today) I am back at work. I had a training yesterday and one today, two meetings tomorrow and a “prep” day on Friday that will involve listening to the superintendant for an hour, then a faculty meeting, then a department meeting, then maybe some prep time if the person I share the room with lets me use the computer. That was a long sentence, but it feels like a long week. Also tonight is a meeting at Fiona’s preschool (she’s doing excellently and brought home more art today) and my parents’ anniversary plus my father’s and my friend Shelley’s birthday! Like I said, a long busy week. At least I did a lot of the work for the first day of school already. I’ve been working on stuff for over a week now. I think I’m ready for that day! Yay! I even have my outfit picked out.

I did not have a chance to purchase a present for my parents yet. I know what I want to get, I just have to get to the store to do it. I’ve been planning for a long time, just haven’t executed said plan. Instead, I will make them a nice dinner tonight at my house so they can watch Fiona and put her to bed while John and I go traipsing off to the preschool meeting.

Like I said before, I had to set an alarm today and wake Fiona just before leaving so I could say goodbye to her. She was already sort of awake anyway. It was 7am. She has been sleeping later and later, but taking slightly shorter naps. John had to drop her off and my mom picked her up. It was exciting for all, except me, who now misses her! Sniffle sniffle.

Here are some photos from the last few days. I anticipate that I will not have a lot of time to blog in the coming month, so my posts may be even fewer and farther between than they are now. There will likely be fewer photos as well.

Lounging in her chair, reading her photo album:

Last weekend we went to a little music festival/block party. The party was really boring and we left early, but we did eat a nice lunch then go to a park. Fiona wore this adorable dress that her auntie Jen bought her in Ecuador (I think it was Ecuador). I am so excited that it finally fits her:

These photos are awful:

Just strolling down the street, hands in pockets:

She’s too cool! Isn’t she cute?

Can’t resist an Adirondack chair:

We went to the park when the party got boring. So did the lady next to John:

Fiona was lounging in the hammock and wanted to read. These photos don’t really capture that because I didn’t take them, ahem...:

Then I read the book with her:

Then I got in the hammock too:

She requested the book specifically. She said “Bay! bay” meaning “Down by the Bay”.

Fiona, so glamorous dahling:

This is the first time she wore this romper. It’s for an 18 month old, but it fits her really well now. She usually refuses to wear it because it doesn’t go over her head.

One of Fiona’s new favorite hobbies, reading the photography book with John:

Reading a magazine with Grandpa “Mommy Daddy”:

And that’s it! We went to the orientation at Fiona’s preschool and I am more convinced than ever that it is the place for her. She brings home art and soon challah. I am sad to go back to work but excited for what this year is going to bring and for all the things Fiona will learn at her school. She already has conversations with us and is speaking in sentences, she remembers things from days and sometimes weeks ago. She is growing up so fast...aye. I’m also nervous about this school year for myself. I am excited to wear my “cute” clothes and “cute” shoes (ie non-mom clothes and heels) but at the same time, I don’t want to have to think about what I wear or what my hair looks like. I am excited for new students, but nervous about memorizing all their names. I am nervous about my project that I will be doing this year, and for so many other reasons. I just hope that I don’t get so stressed out that I take it out on Fi or that I lose too much time with her.

I’ll leave off on a happy note...Fiona’s smile and laugh make my heart melt. They make the sun shine and I imagine rainbows and puppies, and whatever happy things happen.

Have a great rest of the week!

First Day of Preschool

It was a success! Fiona didn’t cry at all and I only stayed a few minutes. When it was obvious that she didn’t really need me, I told her I was leaving and asked for a hug and kiss, which she gave me, then I said “say bye bye to Mommy” and she said “bye bye Mommy” and that was that. I waved as I walked out the door and left. I was told that she didn’t cry at all and that none of the other kids cried either. She ate all the snack they provided and even made art:

She played with play dough, the play kitchen, and got a star sticker on one hand and a pony on the other. Her teachers told me that she followed directions really well and lined up on the little feet to go outside. When it was story time, she sat right down and even wanted to help turn the pages of the book.

All in all she had a great day at school and I hope she continues to enjoy it. I also think that the MyGym classes have helped with the direction following.

In the morning, before we left the house, we played with play dough at home:

 

After school, trying to put on pants:

 

She succeeds most of the time, but sometimes it takes a few tries.

“Hiding” from Grandma:

It was good day and I think Fi had a lot of fun. Tomorrow is my last Friday at MyGym with Fi. I will be at work most of next week and the official first day of school is September 4, the day after labor day. It’s a week later than usual, but at least I get this week with her, and maybe a day next week. It makes me sad, but at the same time, I’m happy she has preschool now to take up her time. John is having a little bit of a hard time with her going to school. He will be the one dropping her off and my mom will be picking her up, so I will almost never go to the school after this week. Now I am sad too. I’m going to look at Fiona in the video monitor now.

Have a great weekend!

My Little Baby is Growing Up!

Tomorrow is Fiona’s first day of preschool. Today we went to Visitors’ Day and spent an hour in the classroom, the garden, and the playground. Fiona didn’t want to leave, but then again both her mommy and daddy were there. I hope she does well tomorrow. Her teachers seem really nice and one of her little friends that I sometimes babysit is in her class. Cross your fingers and toes. I don’t want her to cry a lot like the first day of camp. It was heartbreaking, even if she eventually really enjoyed herself and kept talking about it the rest of the summer. I want her to have fun and learn things, and make new friends. Her class has two teachers and five children in it, so I know she will get lots of attention. And it looks like most of the other kids are boys, which is good because Fiona gets along better with other boys than other girls, probably from spending so much time with Caz.

Speaking of Caz, his mom, dad, and new baby brother came for a visit a few days ago. Fiona is OBSESSED with Kaleo! She just wants to hold him and touch him, and look at pictures of him. She calls him “Kay-o” and “New Baby” and just loves him. Is she giving me a hint?

Here she is holding him, with some help:

Here she was, holding him a month ago:

 

One of Fiona’s things to do is to play dress up with her own clothes. Here she is on her horse, wearing her raincoat, a purse, and purple socks, although the socks are hidden:

She is also quite the ham.

Her nap today was annoyingly short, so I used the opportunity to go out to lunch. We drove to Carpinteria to a place that has food, a lawn, stairs, and a giant sandbox. Here is Fiona, waiting for lunch, and playing “Chinny-chin-chin”, where she presses her chin to her chest and says the words “chinny-chin-chin” in a funny voice:

Digging in the sand:

 

Found the stairs:

See? A ham:

She was holding the ducks on the toilet, but stood up by the time I got the camera:

The place we went for lunch was fairly empty, which was nice for us. We had our pick of tables and very few other children to care Fiona. A couple with two girls arrived later and talked to Fiona a little. I asked her if she was making friends and she loved the phrase, so she used it the rest of the afternoon. What did you do at lunch today? Making friends!

She also chased birds, and one pooped on my head! Luckily I was wearing a hat, but Fiona was very worried and ran around yelling “Bird poop on Mommy’s hat! Poop poop on Mommy’s hat!” “Seagull poop on Mommy’s hat!” “Wash it! All clean!” Eventually we left, singing “Wheels on the Bus” on the way home. She knows a lot of the words and has lately been excited to sing songs by herself. She also loves to play hide and seek, and will actually wait for a count of five before seeking. She prefers to be the seeker, and John and I have no problems with that.

I’ll end with a silly video of my mother crawling after Fiona:

Oh, the things we do for a cute face with a little pony tail...