“A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit.”
― François Rabelais
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Last Day of Five
Today was your last day of being five. Right before you turned four, Daddy told you, "It's your last day of three!" You thought that was the best thing ever. So ever since then, we celebrate your last day of the old age... and talk about your favorite things from that age and what you're looking forward to.
This time last year -- on Five Eve -- we were at Disney World and you had strep throat. Despite some crazy/tantrum-y moments most likely induced by the Amoxycillin, we had an amazing time. There's nothing quite like spending your birthday at Disney World and having everyone call and wave to you, "Happy Birthday, Molly!" Especially your fifth birthday - it's a big one.
So, what were some favorite five moments?
- Starting Kindergarten... natch
- Playing soccer, both indoor and outdoor
- Learning to read... and reading your first stories to me all by yourself
- Your love of "Glee" and music and all things theatrical and artsy
- Losing your first three teeth
- Listening to you giggle... especially when you REALLY get going. It makes me giggle
- All the times when you are such a good helper, especially when I don't even ask
- All the voicemail messages you left for me on my phone when I was on business trips - I still have every. single. one.
- Being overwhelmed at your thoughtfulness -- like stocking the shelves at KidSmart or making your own collection can for Haiti, or you taking everything in the house that wasn't nailed down to donate to Stray Rescue.
Now, five had its trouble spots too... like trying out that teenagerish tone in your voice, or rolling your eyes, or not listening sometimes... or they way you look for things by staring at the walls and ceiling. But in the end, you apologize sincerely, give me a giant hug and kiss, and all is right with the world.
So good night, dear Five. You were fabulous. But six? It will be... stupendous.
With all my love, Peanut.
Mommy
Sunday, May 16, 2010
This Will NEVER Get Old
Tonight you read a bedtime story to me again.
The first book you ever read to me was There is a Bird on Your Head. The second book you read to me was Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (a classic). You've read several books to me since then too... but tonight's took the cake:
Guess How Much I Love You?
This sweet wonderful little story was given to you as a gift at our very first baby shower from Aunt Melissa's mommy (your friend Georgie's grandma). It made me cry the very first time I read it to you, when you were still in my tummy. (Of course, I was a little emotional then...) Since then, we've read this book to you hundreds of times. Your poor little board book copy is pretty worn, and it even had a bottle ring/stain on the cover from a late night feeding/reading.
So when you picked this up and began reading it to me... well, it simply filled my heart.
I love you, Peanut, to the moon... and back.
All my love,
Mommy
The first book you ever read to me was There is a Bird on Your Head. The second book you read to me was Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (a classic). You've read several books to me since then too... but tonight's took the cake:
Guess How Much I Love You?
This sweet wonderful little story was given to you as a gift at our very first baby shower from Aunt Melissa's mommy (your friend Georgie's grandma). It made me cry the very first time I read it to you, when you were still in my tummy. (Of course, I was a little emotional then...) Since then, we've read this book to you hundreds of times. Your poor little board book copy is pretty worn, and it even had a bottle ring/stain on the cover from a late night feeding/reading.
So when you picked this up and began reading it to me... well, it simply filled my heart.
I love you, Peanut, to the moon... and back.
All my love,
Mommy
Molly Paige First: Reading to Mom
Originally happened: March 22, 2010
This was a first that never really spend much time thinking about or dreaming of... but when it happened, I was overwhelmed and pretty emotional about the experience.
You read your first book to me.
Your teacher told us you're reading well, and you'd read a few pages to us every so often. But you so love for us to read to you every night that when I'd ask you to read, or if you encountered too many words you didn't know, you'd reply, "Oh, Mom - you just read it."
I don't know what sparked it that night, but you picked out There is a Bird On Your Head by Mo Willems. (I mean, he is your FAVORITE author and you have seen him in person... but why Piggie and Gerald on that particular night? I don't know...)
Anyway, you settled in on my lap, read the title out loud... and didn't stop until you reached the end. I was so proud of you. It was a special moment that I'll always remember. And Piggie and Gerald books were pretty high on my list of favorites before -- but now they are truly a part of our family and your history.
This was a first that never really spend much time thinking about or dreaming of... but when it happened, I was overwhelmed and pretty emotional about the experience.
You read your first book to me.
Your teacher told us you're reading well, and you'd read a few pages to us every so often. But you so love for us to read to you every night that when I'd ask you to read, or if you encountered too many words you didn't know, you'd reply, "Oh, Mom - you just read it."
I don't know what sparked it that night, but you picked out There is a Bird On Your Head by Mo Willems. (I mean, he is your FAVORITE author and you have seen him in person... but why Piggie and Gerald on that particular night? I don't know...)
Anyway, you settled in on my lap, read the title out loud... and didn't stop until you reached the end. I was so proud of you. It was a special moment that I'll always remember. And Piggie and Gerald books were pretty high on my list of favorites before -- but now they are truly a part of our family and your history.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tooth #2 - HISTORY!
Originally happened - May 4, 2010
Tooth #2 was a toughie. It did NOT want to come out. It was the most wiggliest tooth EVER... but it wasn't letting go... even though your big permanent shark tooth was trying to shove it out of the way. Finally, it was at the point that we HAD to get it out so you wouldn't swallow it while you slept.
You wouldn't let us pull it, so we had you rock it back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth... and finally...
POP! There it is!
There was a little blood and quite a few tears... but after about 10 minutes, you were fine and so proud. Then you called Grandma and Grandpa, Papa and Grandma, and Aunt Lois and Uncle Jim to announce the big news.
And on the tooth count, the bottom tooth next to missing teeth #1 and 2 is loose, and your top right tooth is loose too. The race is on to see which will fall out first.
Molly Paige First: Visit to the Arch!
A few months ago, you decided that you REALLY wanted to not only visit the Arch, but go up to the top of it. Since you started mentioning wanting to go to the Arch pretty frequently, I decided that you weren't joking. So, I figured there's no time like the present.
You had a random Monday in late April off of school, so Daddy kept you home in the morning, then brought you to my work for lunch. You and I had lunch with my friend Courtney... then you and I took off for the Arch.
It turned out to be a beautiful day -- the rain finally stopped and it was overcast but not too chilly. And you were EXCITED to see all that the Arch had to offer.
(Who knew that the National Park Service has its own special safety cones?!?!? We just HAD to take a picture with these...)
Luckily, on a random Monday afternoon in April (outside of the Spring Break window), the Arch isn't crowded at 1:30 in the afternoon. So we bought our tickets and headed straight for the dryer pods elevators.
One new thing they do at the Arch is take your picture before you ride to the top, a la Disney. "Nice," I thought. "They'll want to charge me a ton for this at the bottom."
I thought you might get a tiny bit freaked out when you saw how small the panty hose eggs elevators were... but you didn't hesitate.
(You only hesitate a little bit when I didn't follow you in so I could take your picture. You cried, "No, Mommy! You have to come in here with me! You can't send your kid in alone!")
You giggled all the way to the top - especially when the shoebox elevator would adjust back and forth. Then the tiny doors of our pod slide open... and there we were at the top.
The funniest part -- we had just gotten to the top, and were taking photos and looking out the windows, when my phone rang. It was Grandma and Grandpa Wells -- they happened to be driving to Kansas City to visit Aunt Lois and Uncle Jim that day and told me they'd call me when they were passing through St. Louis. When I saw it was them calling, I handed the phone to you. "Grandma!" you cried. "We're at the top of the Arch!" When Grandma replied that she was driving through town, you said, "Oh! I can see you from here!" That made the park ranger laugh.
Humphrey enjoying the view of Busch Stadium from the top of the Arch...
Getting ready for our descent. It takes four minutes to ride to the top... but only three minutes to get to the bottom. Wait a minute...
Once we landed at the bottom, we bid farewell to our alien escape pods elevator and headed for the museum. After about 10 minutes, you had seen all you wanted to, so we headed for the gift shop. We walked right by the photo booth, where our package of photos was waiting for us. It was a good picture of the both of us, so I asked the cashier how much. "You get the 5 x 7, four wallets, and the commemorative frame (a.k.a. a cardboard sleeve with a picture of the Arch on it) for $20." I started to walk away when you tugged on my sleeve and asked, "Mommy - aren't you going to get the photos of our special day together?"
And here's my $20...
On our walk back to the car, you held my hand and skipped. It was ridiculously sweet. "Mommy, can you thank your boss for letting you take the afternoon off so you could come to the Arch with me? I really enjoyed our special afternoon together." Then you gave me the best hug EVER.
I didn't want that special, special hug -- or that special, SPECIAL afternoon -- to ever end.
April was a crazy month for me -- I had a giant project at work happening that had me on the road a lot during the month. I was so very thankful for a quiet afternoon with you, taking in a special first. It reminded me of our special Mommy and Molly Fridays -- and how very much I miss them. And it made me realize how much I need to always carve time out for these special times.
I love you, Peanut.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Time Flies...
Wow - has it really been since February since I posted anything? I'm so sorry, Peanut - work has been crazy for the past few months. But I'm hoping to get back on track. There's so much to catch up on -- reading, losing more teeth, visiting the Arch for the first time... You're growing like a weed every day.
I'll start catching up this weekend. Love you, Peanut :)
Monday, February 22, 2010
You Want What?
"Mommy, what can I be when I grow up?"
"Molly, you can be anything you want to be."
"Well, can you give me some options?"
Options?
"Molly, you can be anything you want to be."
"Well, can you give me some options?"
Options?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A Day in the Life - February 21, 2010
Saturday was a very busy day and the start of indoor soccer. While I wasn't able to take a photo every hour on the hour, I was able to capture some of the highlights of the day:
8 a.m. - Sound asleep...
8 a.m. - Sound asleep...
9 a.m. - Believe it or not, just one hour later... wide awake and ready to go at the soccer field.
9:20 a.m. - You're trying to get my attention so I can take your picture. Most of my pictures of you are a blur... you were EXCITED!
11 a.m. - After a great game (your team won!) and a quick change, we dashed over to make it in time for ballet...
After that, we zipped home, had a quick lunch, changed... then at 2:30 p.m., it was off to watch cousin Avery at her dance competition.
6 p.m. - Ellie and Lily arrive for pizza and sleepover and "Mary Poppins" and lots and lots of coloring!
... which was followed up this morning with a jam session... at 8 a.m.
Rock on, Molly Paige - rock on!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Supersize Me
Molly,
Very rarely have you met a food you don't like. We're extremely lucky that you're not a picky eater. You like squash and edamame, love carrots and applesauce, and you will try most things, even if just once. (The rare exception is bananas -- you don't like bananas.)
And when you hit growth spurts, you REALLY eat. Like this past week... one night I had to work late. You and Daddy called to chat...
Daddy: "Molly, how many chicken nuggets did you eat?"
MP: "Six!"
Daddy: "How many bowls of applesauce did you eat?"
MP: "Two!"
Daddy: "How many carrots did you eat?"
MP: (Pause) "A lot!"
Then tonight, when I picked you up from Y-Care, you were eating some corn chips and animal crackers. We got home and you had two string cheese sticks and a Capri-Sun lemonade. Then we had Costco chicken for dinner (two big helpings), mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), applesauce, and mashed potatoes. And you went to bed without a peep.
You grow, my little Peanut. You grow.
Love,
Mommy
Very rarely have you met a food you don't like. We're extremely lucky that you're not a picky eater. You like squash and edamame, love carrots and applesauce, and you will try most things, even if just once. (The rare exception is bananas -- you don't like bananas.)
And when you hit growth spurts, you REALLY eat. Like this past week... one night I had to work late. You and Daddy called to chat...
Daddy: "Molly, how many chicken nuggets did you eat?"
MP: "Six!"
Daddy: "How many bowls of applesauce did you eat?"
MP: "Two!"
Daddy: "How many carrots did you eat?"
MP: (Pause) "A lot!"
Then tonight, when I picked you up from Y-Care, you were eating some corn chips and animal crackers. We got home and you had two string cheese sticks and a Capri-Sun lemonade. Then we had Costco chicken for dinner (two big helpings), mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), applesauce, and mashed potatoes. And you went to bed without a peep.
You grow, my little Peanut. You grow.
Love,
Mommy
Weekend Project: Save the World
So, continuing Molly's recent theme of saving the world, one elephant and dolphin at a time, we had the following conversation about a week ago on the ride home from school:
MP: "Mommy? You know those cans you have in the basement?"
Me: "The old formula cans? Yes..."
MP: "I want to take one of them and decorate it and then write on it 'Donations for Haiti.' Then I want to put it on our front table so that whenever people visit our house they can put money in it and then we'll send it to the people in Haiti who need it."
So, I figured this would be a 10 minute project...
I was wrong.
She asked me "Where's the can?" and "Can we get the can now for Haiti?" about 100 times... until I schlepped downstairs to get it. I covered it with paper and she did the rest. After a good 20 - 30 minutes of serious marker work, this is what she came up with:
MP: "Mommy? You know those cans you have in the basement?"
Me: "The old formula cans? Yes..."
MP: "I want to take one of them and decorate it and then write on it 'Donations for Haiti.' Then I want to put it on our front table so that whenever people visit our house they can put money in it and then we'll send it to the people in Haiti who need it."
So, I figured this would be a 10 minute project...
I was wrong.
She asked me "Where's the can?" and "Can we get the can now for Haiti?" about 100 times... until I schlepped downstairs to get it. I covered it with paper and she did the rest. After a good 20 - 30 minutes of serious marker work, this is what she came up with:
"Mommy, see - they are wearing the coveralls."
(How do you know the word "coveralls?") "Molly, why are they frowning?"
"Because they had the earthquake, Mommy."
This is so ridiculously sweet that all the spare change I can find, I'm donating to Molly's Fund.
Love you, Peanut.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Jammie Jam
These pajamas are ridiculous!
(And by "ridiculous," I mean "ridiculously adorable." I would have killed for a pair of jammies like this when I was 5... or 35...)
Our Schedule
I haven't done a "Day in the Life" post lately... and those have been some of my favorites -- like our BUSY day in October or our adventurous Halloween.
Next up - this Saturday:
- 9:30 a.m. - Molly's first indoor soccer game
- 11 a.m. - Ballet
- 3 p.m. - Cousin Avery's dance recital/competition
- 5 p.m. - Babysitting for friends/sleepover!
(Yeah - it's the last one that's the killer!)
Stay tuned for photos...
Next up - this Saturday:
- 9:30 a.m. - Molly's first indoor soccer game
- 11 a.m. - Ballet
- 3 p.m. - Cousin Avery's dance recital/competition
- 5 p.m. - Babysitting for friends/sleepover!
(Yeah - it's the last one that's the killer!)
Stay tuned for photos...
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Little Girl, BIG Heart
It's been a really fun weekend, Molly -- not only was today Valentine's Day, but you had Friday AND Monday off for Presidents' Day. (Who knew that Presidents' Day was worthy of two days off?)
Unfortunately, Mommy caught the stomach bug you had, which made me a little less energetic on our Friday off together... but we still had a great time. Highlights of the weekend:
- A trip on Friday to the library. Our new favorite book: Violet the Pilot. Way too cute.
- Friday night, watched part of the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics from Vancouver. You asked LOTS of great questions and it was a fun way to teach you about the world.
- Saturday, we went to Michael's to paint a Valetine's Day frame... for $1! Thank you, Michael's!!!
- Last night, it snowed... so today you offered to help me shovel the driveway. I figured that would last all of about 3 minutes. But you helped me shovel the driveway. The whole driveway. And you did a great job! As Daddy was "supervising" out his computer room window, you kept telling him, "I'm doing a GREAT job, Daddy!"
Unfortunately, Mommy caught the stomach bug you had, which made me a little less energetic on our Friday off together... but we still had a great time. Highlights of the weekend:
- A trip on Friday to the library. Our new favorite book: Violet the Pilot. Way too cute.
- Friday night, watched part of the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics from Vancouver. You asked LOTS of great questions and it was a fun way to teach you about the world.
- Saturday, we went to Michael's to paint a Valetine's Day frame... for $1! Thank you, Michael's!!!
- Last night, it snowed... so today you offered to help me shovel the driveway. I figured that would last all of about 3 minutes. But you helped me shovel the driveway. The whole driveway. And you did a great job! As Daddy was "supervising" out his computer room window, you kept telling him, "I'm doing a GREAT job, Daddy!"
- We had such a great Valentine's Day too. We went to Hallmark (you, Daddy, and me) on Friday to pick out cards for each other... then we exchanged them this morning. You wrote "You rock!" on mine and "I love you!" on Daddy's. Your genuine love and affection are so overwhelming - Daddy and I are so amazed by you every day.
- After breakfast (I turned breakfast twists into heart shapes!), you had some quality painting time downstairs... and were totally engrossed.
Wonderful weekend, sweetheart. Love you.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Molly at the Movies
Today, we took you to see only your fourth movie in the theater: Disney's "The Tooth Fairy." It was cute and had Julie Andrews in it, so you loved it. But you spent a good portion of the movie in my lap -- when you don't know what's coming or it gets a little intense, you get scared.
You're funny about movies. As I mentioned, until now we've only been able to get you to three other movies in the theater:
1) "Horton Hears a Who" (Your first movie. It's about an elephant - so done deal.)
2) "Madagascar 2" (You loved the first one on DVD. But we almost had to carry you out of the theater after the first two minutes when the poachers go after Baby Alex.)
3) "Monsters Vs. Aliens" (Grandma and Grandpa wanted to see this so you decided it would be ok.)
Some of this could stem from trying to show you "The Incredibles" when you were two. You wouldn't watch that, so we turned on the cartoon short with Baby Jack-Jack... who burst into flames every time he hiccuped. Your eyes grew to the size of tires as you cried, "The baby is fire... the baby is FIRE!" Yeah, we should have screened that first.
Your favorite movie of ALL TIME is "Cars." But other than that, you don't like branching out into new movies and you certainly don't like anything REMOTELY scary. When you were two and "The Little Mermaid" came out on DVD, I was SOOOOOO excited to watch that with you. Then came Ursula... and you've never watched that movie again. You won't go near "Beauty and the Beast" or "Sleeping Beauty." At Parents Night Out, the teachers know that you'd rather watch Thomas the Train or almost anything than the movie. (And if they don't know, you'll walk up and tell them, "This movie is to scary for me.")
Don't know if this is just a phase... or if you'll be very much like your Grandma and stick to G-rated stuff. But for today, we had a great time at the movies.
You're funny about movies. As I mentioned, until now we've only been able to get you to three other movies in the theater:
1) "Horton Hears a Who" (Your first movie. It's about an elephant - so done deal.)
2) "Madagascar 2" (You loved the first one on DVD. But we almost had to carry you out of the theater after the first two minutes when the poachers go after Baby Alex.)
3) "Monsters Vs. Aliens" (Grandma and Grandpa wanted to see this so you decided it would be ok.)
Some of this could stem from trying to show you "The Incredibles" when you were two. You wouldn't watch that, so we turned on the cartoon short with Baby Jack-Jack... who burst into flames every time he hiccuped. Your eyes grew to the size of tires as you cried, "The baby is fire... the baby is FIRE!" Yeah, we should have screened that first.
Your favorite movie of ALL TIME is "Cars." But other than that, you don't like branching out into new movies and you certainly don't like anything REMOTELY scary. When you were two and "The Little Mermaid" came out on DVD, I was SOOOOOO excited to watch that with you. Then came Ursula... and you've never watched that movie again. You won't go near "Beauty and the Beast" or "Sleeping Beauty." At Parents Night Out, the teachers know that you'd rather watch Thomas the Train or almost anything than the movie. (And if they don't know, you'll walk up and tell them, "This movie is to scary for me.")
Don't know if this is just a phase... or if you'll be very much like your Grandma and stick to G-rated stuff. But for today, we had a great time at the movies.
Giving Back
My Dearest Molly,
I know I'm doing something right when we have conversations like this:
Scene: Reading one of your books about elephants, specifically the last page that references elephants being hunted into near extinction.
Me: So that's why we have to take care of elephants and animals any way that we can.
Molly: Mommy? I want to send some of my money to the Elephant Sanctuary... and the Zoo too. And I want to send the baby elephant's mommy a card.
Me: Sure thing, sweetie. We'll do that tomorrow.
Molly: Is there a tiger sanctuary? I want to take care of the tigers too. And is there a dolphin sanctuary? I LOOOOOOVE dolphins.
My little girl - saving the world, one animal sanctuary at a time.
I know I'm doing something right when we have conversations like this:
Scene: Reading one of your books about elephants, specifically the last page that references elephants being hunted into near extinction.
Me: So that's why we have to take care of elephants and animals any way that we can.
Molly: Mommy? I want to send some of my money to the Elephant Sanctuary... and the Zoo too. And I want to send the baby elephant's mommy a card.
Me: Sure thing, sweetie. We'll do that tomorrow.
Molly: Is there a tiger sanctuary? I want to take care of the tigers too. And is there a dolphin sanctuary? I LOOOOOOVE dolphins.
My little girl - saving the world, one animal sanctuary at a time.
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Luckiest Girl...Part Two
It's amazing what a sweet, loving, and LUCKY little girl you are, Molly. Daddy and I just shake our heads and laugh some days at your good fortune... like the time you won the digital camera at school.
Then there was today. I picked you up and you crawled into the van with a basketball.
"Um, Molly -- what's that?"
"I won it today!"
(Of course you did.) "How did you win it?"
"It was Career Day and we had an Army man talk to us. He's a computertologist."
"A what?"
"You know, a computertologist. And he handed us each a blue card with a different job on it and told us that all of those jobs are in the Army. And then he said whoever had computertologist on their blue card would win the basketball... and it said computertologist on my card and I raised my hand and I won the basketball."
Then there was today. I picked you up and you crawled into the van with a basketball.
"Um, Molly -- what's that?"
"I won it today!"
(Of course you did.) "How did you win it?"
"It was Career Day and we had an Army man talk to us. He's a computertologist."
"A what?"
"You know, a computertologist. And he handed us each a blue card with a different job on it and told us that all of those jobs are in the Army. And then he said whoever had computertologist on their blue card would win the basketball... and it said computertologist on my card and I raised my hand and I won the basketball."
The 100th Day of School!
Molly,
You've experienced so many special days and milestones this year as a Kindergartner... but one that I did not realize was such a big, momentous, special day was the 100th Day of School. (I kept asking people, "I didn't know the 100th Day was a thing? When did it become a thing?)
Sidenote: the night we got the letter from your teacher about all the 100th Day festivities, I was at a bookstore and saw the book Fancy Nancy: The 100th Day of School. Ok, if Fancy Nancy says it's a big deal, then it must be!
Your (read: Mommy's) assignment was three-fold:
1) Bring in a collection of 100 things to display in the 100 museum
2) Create a t-shirt to wear to the 100th Day celebration
3) Bring in a canned good to help us collect and donate 100 cans of food to people in need
Number three was easy. Number one we debated about -- Daddy wanted to send you to school with 100 baseballs. (He said this while giggling.) You finally decided on taking 100 seashells from our trip to Ft. Myers Beach. So we counted them out, sorting them into groups of 10. Conveniently, they all fit into a baseball cube for easy transportation and a fun little display.
Number two was the toughest. You couldn't decide what you wanted on your shirt. One-hundred elephants? The number 100 written 100 times? A drawing of your entire class and Mrs. C. and Dr. P (the principal) and Mrs. W. (the librarian) standing and waving in front of your school? (Yes - this was your idea, which Mommy promptly nixed.) Daddy wanted to put your face on a $100 bill and write "In Mrs. C. We Trust." I thought that would be funny... but you didn't want that. So, we finally settled on your name in a heart (Daddy's part) and sewing on 100 buttons (Mommy's part).
Sewing on the buttons seemed like a good idea at the time... meaning before I started sewing. But I didn't want to hot glue them on and have all the buttons fall off during the day. So I sewed every last button on. Luckily, this was your reaction:
You've experienced so many special days and milestones this year as a Kindergartner... but one that I did not realize was such a big, momentous, special day was the 100th Day of School. (I kept asking people, "I didn't know the 100th Day was a thing? When did it become a thing?)
Sidenote: the night we got the letter from your teacher about all the 100th Day festivities, I was at a bookstore and saw the book Fancy Nancy: The 100th Day of School. Ok, if Fancy Nancy says it's a big deal, then it must be!
Your (read: Mommy's) assignment was three-fold:
1) Bring in a collection of 100 things to display in the 100 museum
2) Create a t-shirt to wear to the 100th Day celebration
3) Bring in a canned good to help us collect and donate 100 cans of food to people in need
Number three was easy. Number one we debated about -- Daddy wanted to send you to school with 100 baseballs. (He said this while giggling.) You finally decided on taking 100 seashells from our trip to Ft. Myers Beach. So we counted them out, sorting them into groups of 10. Conveniently, they all fit into a baseball cube for easy transportation and a fun little display.
Number two was the toughest. You couldn't decide what you wanted on your shirt. One-hundred elephants? The number 100 written 100 times? A drawing of your entire class and Mrs. C. and Dr. P (the principal) and Mrs. W. (the librarian) standing and waving in front of your school? (Yes - this was your idea, which Mommy promptly nixed.) Daddy wanted to put your face on a $100 bill and write "In Mrs. C. We Trust." I thought that would be funny... but you didn't want that. So, we finally settled on your name in a heart (Daddy's part) and sewing on 100 buttons (Mommy's part).
Sewing on the buttons seemed like a good idea at the time... meaning before I started sewing. But I didn't want to hot glue them on and have all the buttons fall off during the day. So I sewed every last button on. Luckily, this was your reaction:
I learned that the 100th Day of School is a big deal. It's a great big number - and you can now count and write to 100! You're halfway through Kindergarten. And for you, you're halfway to six. You've learned and grown so much in your first 100 days... I can only imagine how much MORE you'll know at the end of the next 100.
Happy 100th Day, Peanut. I love you... 100 times.
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Fini...
Molly -
It's funny, getting bigger. There are some things that you don't want to give up - like your baby gate on your bed. And there are some things you don't want to learn - like how to tie your shoes. It's like, "If I don't do these things, then I can still be the baby of the house." (Even though you want to be a big sister SO VERY BADLY.)
And there are days like Tuesday night: as Daddy and I were fixing dinner, you were setting the table. Without a word to either of us, you pulled out your chair, removed your booster seat, and set it by the basement stairs (where all things go to go away...). And that was it. You're officially done with it.
Two weeks before your second birthday, you acted the same way about your high chair. It was time for breakfast. We had just been at Papa and Grandma's house for a visit, and Grandma had a booster seat for you. As I was fixing breakfast, you crawled up into the chair opposite your high chair, grabbed your spoon, and looked at me as if to say, "This is where I'm sitting now."
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."
Love you, big girl.
It's funny, getting bigger. There are some things that you don't want to give up - like your baby gate on your bed. And there are some things you don't want to learn - like how to tie your shoes. It's like, "If I don't do these things, then I can still be the baby of the house." (Even though you want to be a big sister SO VERY BADLY.)
And there are days like Tuesday night: as Daddy and I were fixing dinner, you were setting the table. Without a word to either of us, you pulled out your chair, removed your booster seat, and set it by the basement stairs (where all things go to go away...). And that was it. You're officially done with it.
Two weeks before your second birthday, you acted the same way about your high chair. It was time for breakfast. We had just been at Papa and Grandma's house for a visit, and Grandma had a booster seat for you. As I was fixing breakfast, you crawled up into the chair opposite your high chair, grabbed your spoon, and looked at me as if to say, "This is where I'm sitting now."
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."
Love you, big girl.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Things Daddies Think About - Redux
Long before you ever started playing sports, your Daddy surprised me with a deep, l e n g h t y conversation about selecting the right jersey number.
And tonight, you got the call... picking your first number.
You were supposed to have your first indoor soccer practice today (see last entry for why you were not there...). Miss Kim offered to pick up your shirt for you. She called and asked you what number you wanted to be -- 12, 17, or 21. You picked 17.
"Is that ok, Daddy?"
"Sure..." Daddy replies, not getting what I'm hinting at.
"No, Daddy - is that number ok? You know... is it a good number? Did you vet it?"
"Oh no! I didn't think of that!" And immediately, Daddy starts Googling sports numbers...
After a couple minutes, I hear a giant sigh of relief. "Dizzy Dean from the Cardinals. Dizzy was 17. Pitcher. Hall of Famer. Retired number. We're good."
Of course, the search continued...
"Matt Kenseth... he's great." (Mommy agrees - I met him his rookie season and wrote a speech for him. Very, very nice guy.) "Oh, and John Havlicek from the Celtics. Ok, 17 is good."
And tonight, you got the call... picking your first number.
You were supposed to have your first indoor soccer practice today (see last entry for why you were not there...). Miss Kim offered to pick up your shirt for you. She called and asked you what number you wanted to be -- 12, 17, or 21. You picked 17.
"Is that ok, Daddy?"
"Sure..." Daddy replies, not getting what I'm hinting at.
"No, Daddy - is that number ok? You know... is it a good number? Did you vet it?"
"Oh no! I didn't think of that!" And immediately, Daddy starts Googling sports numbers...
After a couple minutes, I hear a giant sigh of relief. "Dizzy Dean from the Cardinals. Dizzy was 17. Pitcher. Hall of Famer. Retired number. We're good."
Of course, the search continued...
"Matt Kenseth... he's great." (Mommy agrees - I met him his rookie season and wrote a speech for him. Very, very nice guy.) "Oh, and John Havlicek from the Celtics. Ok, 17 is good."
Oh.... Strep
So far this cold and flu season, we've avoided the flu, the swine flu, the avian flu, chicken pox, monkey pox, and most other dreadful diseases.
It was too good to last.
Saturday night, you went to be about 8:30. At 9 p.m., I hear a croupy cough coming from your room. At 9:30, I hear, "Mommy! My throat hurts!"
I got you some ice chips to suck on and rocked you back to sleep. In the morning, you slept in until almost 9:30. I had you open your mouth and I saw them. Little red spots - all over the back of your throat. All. Over. Just like right before your birthday...
Rats.
I called the pediatrician's exchange -- which made me realize that was the first time since you've been born that I've called your doctor after hours or on the weekend. So for that I was EXTREMELY thankful. (Either you're one healthy little kid... or you only get sick during office hours.) The nurse told me what to watch for and how to keep you comfortable. You were fine all day until bedtime. You had a hard time falling asleep (maybe it was the three hour nap!). And your throat hurt. About 10 p.m., I went in to check on you -- you surprised me by asking, "Can I have some ice chips and can we rock?" (Just a note: I will NEVER turn you down when you ask me to rock. Ever.)
You stayed home with Daddy today. Luckily, Dr. A. said you had a mild case... so with a little amoxycilin, you should be good to go.
It was too good to last.
Saturday night, you went to be about 8:30. At 9 p.m., I hear a croupy cough coming from your room. At 9:30, I hear, "Mommy! My throat hurts!"
I got you some ice chips to suck on and rocked you back to sleep. In the morning, you slept in until almost 9:30. I had you open your mouth and I saw them. Little red spots - all over the back of your throat. All. Over. Just like right before your birthday...
Rats.
I called the pediatrician's exchange -- which made me realize that was the first time since you've been born that I've called your doctor after hours or on the weekend. So for that I was EXTREMELY thankful. (Either you're one healthy little kid... or you only get sick during office hours.) The nurse told me what to watch for and how to keep you comfortable. You were fine all day until bedtime. You had a hard time falling asleep (maybe it was the three hour nap!). And your throat hurt. About 10 p.m., I went in to check on you -- you surprised me by asking, "Can I have some ice chips and can we rock?" (Just a note: I will NEVER turn you down when you ask me to rock. Ever.)
You stayed home with Daddy today. Luckily, Dr. A. said you had a mild case... so with a little amoxycilin, you should be good to go.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Note Home from School...
Molly,
You brought a note home from school today -- it was from your teacher, Mrs. C. It read:
"Mollyu was tested in reading to see how she has advanced. She did well! Passed level 3 with good comprehension and a nice flow to her reading. Level 4 is where she will now be working in. She also knows all her words for 1st grade and even more. Molly is doing great. I am proud of her! She has been working hard."
Not only were you SO proud of doing well for your teacher today, you were even PROUDER to bring home this note to us, with Mrs. C. telling us how proud she is of you.
We are so thankful that you have such a caring teacher, who realizes the importance and power of a few kinds words home every so often. Not only is Mrs. C. teaching you how to read, she's instilling in you a love of learning.
We're proud of you too!
You brought a note home from school today -- it was from your teacher, Mrs. C. It read:
"Mollyu was tested in reading to see how she has advanced. She did well! Passed level 3 with good comprehension and a nice flow to her reading. Level 4 is where she will now be working in. She also knows all her words for 1st grade and even more. Molly is doing great. I am proud of her! She has been working hard."
Not only were you SO proud of doing well for your teacher today, you were even PROUDER to bring home this note to us, with Mrs. C. telling us how proud she is of you.
We are so thankful that you have such a caring teacher, who realizes the importance and power of a few kinds words home every so often. Not only is Mrs. C. teaching you how to read, she's instilling in you a love of learning.
We're proud of you too!
Sweet Dreams
Dearest Molly,
Daddy and I are continually amazed at your thoughtfulness. Last night, as I was helping you get ready for bed, you shut the door to the master bedroom and said, "Mommy, I have a surprise in there for you and I want to show it to you when you're ready."
After you brushed your teeth, you led me into the room with my eyes closed. Earlier in the night, we were playing "Mary Poppins" -- and you showed me my room, just like the scene from the movie. (You carried your little carpet bag up too.) So, now that it was time for bed, you'd taken the plush flowers in a vase from your room and set those on my nightstand. You also took some little picture frame ornaments off your pegboard, and my night eye mask, and put those by the bed too... "All of the things you need for bed. And I know you like flowers." This was followed by the world's biggest hug.
Love you, peanut.
Daddy and I are continually amazed at your thoughtfulness. Last night, as I was helping you get ready for bed, you shut the door to the master bedroom and said, "Mommy, I have a surprise in there for you and I want to show it to you when you're ready."
After you brushed your teeth, you led me into the room with my eyes closed. Earlier in the night, we were playing "Mary Poppins" -- and you showed me my room, just like the scene from the movie. (You carried your little carpet bag up too.) So, now that it was time for bed, you'd taken the plush flowers in a vase from your room and set those on my nightstand. You also took some little picture frame ornaments off your pegboard, and my night eye mask, and put those by the bed too... "All of the things you need for bed. And I know you like flowers." This was followed by the world's biggest hug.
Love you, peanut.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Decorating the Tree
My Dearest Molly,
Every year, one of my most FAVORITE things you do is make ornaments at school. Your teachers have been very creative -- we have reindeer with construction paper versions of your tiny baby hands as the antlers... a wreath made of green construction paper scraps you glued together... and a reindeer head you made out of painted puzzle pieces. We'd get one, maybe two each year. And when you brought them home, you were so excited to give them to us and we'd hang them on the tree together.
Then came Kindergarten... and an avalanche of Christmas ornaments:
First, an ornament you made with Shiloh, your third-grade buddy...
Then this little Rudolph, which make me smile every time I look at it...
The scratch-off skate you decorated at your class party...
And two glittery gems you made at after-care...
Then we went to Glazed and Confused and made a couple more! (Yes, that's your thumbprint and Ellie's thumbprint as reindeer.)
And last, but not least, this beautiful ornament you made in Mrs. C.'s glass as a Christmas present for Daddy and me:
I can't wait until next year.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Catching Up...
Ok, so a LOT has happened since my last post... but December was a crazy month (as it always turns out to be) with an unexpected overnight trip for me (which turned into an unexpected two-night trip, thanks to fog in Atlanta...). But it was a great month - with a lot of fun happenings. You love the holidays as much as I do, which I LOVE.
Here's a quick recap (I'll embelish more later - I promise.)
- You and Daddy took a road trip to visit Papa and Grandma - your first-ever road trip with just you and Daddy! You had a great time... and even saw Santa Claus at Home Depot day! And Mommy just sat at home quietly and waited for you to get home... :)
- Wobbly tooth turned into a missing tooth on Dec. 12!
- You had your Five-A-Palooza friends over for our first-ever (and annual?) cookie party the next day.
- Papa and Grandma came up for an early Christmas visit.
- I took you and Ellie to Glazed and Confused for some last-minute Christmas presents.
Here's a quick recap (I'll embelish more later - I promise.)
- You and Daddy took a road trip to visit Papa and Grandma - your first-ever road trip with just you and Daddy! You had a great time... and even saw Santa Claus at Home Depot day! And Mommy just sat at home quietly and waited for you to get home... :)
- Wobbly tooth turned into a missing tooth on Dec. 12!
- You had your Five-A-Palooza friends over for our first-ever (and annual?) cookie party the next day.
- You went to your friend Izzye's birthday party - she had it at a local cooking school and you had a blast.
- I took you and Ellie to Glazed and Confused for some last-minute Christmas presents.
And that doesn't even include your open house at Ballet, your Christmas party at school, Christmas day, or our trip to Florida and your first-ever visit to the beach!
Whew... no wonder I'm behind in my posts.
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