Lila+Preschool=Where Did the Time Go?

Today was Lila's first day of preschool. I was a bit sad to send her off. As she walked down our stairs, out the door and into Matt's truck, pink backpack on her back, I had to bite my lip in order to stop myself from crying. Where has the time gone?

Matt dropped her off and she spent 30-minutes in hourly care before being transferred to Adventures (her preschool room). Since Matt passes by her school every morning, he'll drop her off each Tuesday and Thursday morning. He has to be at class at 8:30. So, she spends 30-minutes in hourly care (her class runs from 8:30-11:30). Olivia's preschool is in a different town, in the opposite direction. So, Matt bringing her will save me having to make the trip twice.

I switched Olivia's preschool days to Tuesday's, Wednesday's and Thursday's (she's excited about this because her best friend attends preschool on these days). That way I can have a little free time on Tuesday's and Thursday's when they are both in school. Selfish? Maybe. However, I have to drive into Shawnee, KS for allergy shots every Tuesday morning. They are quite pleasant appointments (the shot is in my butt). So, it's not like I'm really out there enjoying myself. Though, I will have a chance to stop at Whole Food's on my way home, or do some quick errands. Thursday mornings, I'll start taking a spinning class. So, it's not like I'll be at a coffee shop, sipping coffee and eating bon bons with friends. But, I did feel a bit guilty. For all of two seconds.

Lila loved her first day of school. She said she had strawberries and bread for a snack. Later, she changed her story and told me that she was read a story about strawberries and bread. She also played outside. No crying (Lila's the sensitive one - so this was a bit surprising). Olivia's been going to school for two years now and I'm sure Lila was excited to finally get her turn. In fact, she went to bed crying because she wants to go to school again tomorrow.

Don't grow up too quickly, sweetie!

It's a Zoo Around Here

Matt, Olivia and Lila come face to face with a kangaroo

My parents came for a visit recently. The girls took advantage of them every second that they could. They climbed into bed with them every morning, cuddled, sassed back, and typically treated them as if they had seen them every day since the day they were born, instead of just once or twice a year.

Olivia was especially bossy. Her bossy and flippant behavior has started to concern Matt and I. But, that's for a possible later post.

For whatever reason, I don't have any pictures of my parents with the kids. I'll have to have my mother send me some to post. There are, however, a few pictures we took at the Kansas City Zoo (my parents were there, albeit, absent from these pictures). We now have an 18-month or so membership. So, there should be many more zoo pictures in the future:

The girls getting goofy at the zoo

Surrogate mama and baby

"Whatever, folks. Just go away."

Olivia to Sheep: "Now, I'm going to pretend to be your mother and you will be my baby and do everything I say."

For the Love of Naps

These are recent pictures I took of the girls taking naps. Olivia will be five in February and sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to get her to sleep. I get her to nap about five days a week. Many people have suggested I pull her nap, especially when she's going through a nap strike phase. But, the kid really needs a nap. No nap and she'll be falling to pieces by 4:00pm. Momma can't deal with tantrums while she's trying to get dinner ready!!

I just love nap time. I love it because I can have some time to myself to read, clean, read blogs (which I'm way behind on right now), catch up on a show I DVR'd, etc. And, I love naps because my kids wake up rejuvenated and, mostly, happy (unless they are hungry). I also love them because I love to hear my girls talk to each other and to their dolls. They "read" and sing to each other, share laughs, quiet moments and sister secrets (Oh, and they plot, I'm sure). Building tight bonds and storing tender moments...