Monday, August 25, 2008

Fly, Big Girl, Fly

On Monday, Emma started preschool, and it has been a very.big.deal around here. Boss and I are not sure what school path our family will wind up taking (public, private, or homeschool), but we have loved the process of getting our little girl ready for school.

I copied one mama's idea of buying a key chain to put on Em's backpack, so that when she looks at it she will remember always that mama loves her. I chose a butterfly, because my baby is now flying without me for the very first time in her life.

The first day of school was a smashing success, but leaving your baby does something strange to your heart. It hurts. If we do not homeschool, yesterday was the ending of an era. An era that consisted of staying in our jammies as long as we wanted, snuggling on the couch watching cartoons, having mama's helper as we picked up the house, having a constant chatter box by my side. It was the ending of an era where I was her whole world. Where family and home were all she knew. And while you know your little one does in fact need to test out her wings, you still want to be there to catch her in case she falls. It is hard to let go. Last night when I was tucking her in to bed, I said, Em, I am so happy that you like school. To which she replied, Mama, I don't like school, I LOVE school! Looks like my baby's wings are working just fine.

































Thursday, August 21, 2008

An Emma Funny

I have a new Emma funny to share. Emma has slept in our room for the past three years. That's right, three years. Now, before you judge my parenting, please know that Boss and I have tried EVERYTHING to get her to sleep in her own room, but given our living environment (she has to share a room with Kate, and we have six other girls in the house who need their sleep, too), it is simply easier to let her sleep in our room for now. Over the last several months, we have at least gotten her out of our bed and on to a pallet (or padlet, as she calls it) on the floor. And she has been lectured within an inch of her life on what will happen, should she ever try to crawl in our bed again! She has been cut off!

Anyway, last night at three am, I felt her trying to crawl in to bed with us. I was immediately dreading the battle that was about to ensue. But follow through is very important. Even at three in the morning.

So, in my stern mama voice I said, Emma, get down off this bed or so help me......!...you get the picture.

And then she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, But Mama, I had the most terrible dream.

You know my heart melted at that. What did you dream about?

And with the most serious expression you have ever seen on the face of a four year old, she said, I dreamed you sent me to school with ugly clothes on. (Insert tears falling down cheeks.)

And that, my friends, is my Emma. She loves wearing fancy clothes, as she calls them, and her worst nightmare is to go to school wearing ugly clothes. She is a princess, through and through. So, I pulled her in my arms, and I'll give you one guess as to where she slept for the rest of the night. Tough
parenting can wait for another day. For now, I just want to hold my princess.



 

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Round Five

Meet Sammi. She is a little Cairn Terrier. We really weren't in the market for another dog (this would be our fidth dog attempt in five years of marriage), but our friends found her at the pound and we just had to give her a shot. She is the best! She is house trained, crate trained, she plays fetch, rolls the ball, and will follow us around outside without a leash. The girls adore her, the cats do not, and she has even stolen Boss' heart which says a lot. We love you Samantha Jane, and we are glad you have joined our family!