Major milestone alert over here: we have a Kindergarten-er, people!

We were pretty nervous about starting a new school today.  Fortunately Jack’s new teacher, Mrs. Torres, sent home some “jitter glitter” to go underneath his pillow and give him good dreams the night before his first day.  The morning went by without a hitch and things were looking like smooth sailing until it dawned on Jack halfway down the driveway that his sister (read: emotional support animal) wouldn’t be able to go with him.  So drop off contained some tears.  The good news is that his teachers have been very warm and supportive and meeting him where he’s at.  We love them already.  Lena was also a tiny bit tentative about her new daycare, but warmed up almost immediately.

Honey Bee has been our home away from home for the past 4+ years.  Jack started in the infant room when he was only twelve months old, and Lena’s been there since she was twelve weeks!  And so, it was with mixed emotions that we said goodbye to our beloved teachers and friends.  A new chapter for both of us starts tomorrow – Jack at Kindergarten and Lena at a brand new daycare closer to our new house.

Bye bye!

A room of one’s own!  Now that we’ve moved into a bigger house, I’m no longer sleeping in a crib.  Instead, Mimi chalk painted Mommy’s old pineapple-post frame and brought it down to become my first big-girl bed! The first night I slept in it I did manage to get myself wedged in between the bed and the bed-rail, but we’ve tightened that up now and I think the problem is solved …

Mimi also made sure to paint my whole room so that it would look clean, bright, and welcoming from the first night I spent there.  My room is little, but it’s just the right size for me.  It fits my special rocking chair that Mommy and Daddy had in the old nursery, as well as my books and many stuffed animals.

I still love being read to and rocked before bed (some of my current favorite books are “Tacky the Penguin,” “Stick and Stone,” “Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner,” and “A Porcupine Named Fluffy”).  I don’t love having to go to sleep at night, but I’m very excited about the new freedom afforded me by my big-girl bed.  For example, I can climb down by myself in the morning and go snuggle my brother (which I have done on multiple occasions).  I’ve also taken to inviting Jack to pull a mattress onto my floor at night for “sleepovers.”

Current likes: Being a big girl

Current dislikes: Being alone

Our big move is officially over, and I’ve spent the past month settling in to our new house.  I already know how many right turns you have to make off of the main road to arrive at our door (four) and I know my new street address and the code to enter my front door.  Now that I don’t have to cross a main street to get to my mailbox, one of my favorite rituals is checking for mail when I come home from daycare each day.

All of the toys from my old play room went down into our new basement, and I’ve been helping Mommy unpack all of the toys and build some IKEA storage units to hold them.  It’s been fun to rediscover all of my toys that have been packed up in storage the past few months, and I definitely have more room to play with them now.  I’m even getting comfortable enough in my new house to play in the basement with my sister when Mommy and Daddy are upstairs.

I’ve also been getting ready to start kindergarten next month.  I’m not exactly sure how I feel about the prospect of going to a new place with a bunch of kids I don’t know, but I do think it’s pretty cool that I’m neighbors with my new school.  I’ve tried walking to the playground a few times in the past weeks, just to get familiar with the lay of the land.

Current likes: helping Mommy and Daddy build furniture

Current dislikes: when Lena makes it to the mailbox before me

On August 7, 2018 our family moved to Rhinebeck, NY!  We are so pleased to be a part of a neighborhood with sidewalks, other families, and all that entails.  We’ve wasted no time making ourselves at home in our new space.  Things like riding toys, sidewalk chalk, and water tables were difficult to use on our old loose stone driveway, but we’ve embraced them all here in the waning days of the summer.  We’ve also met a lot of our new neighbors (and their dogs), and can’t wait to begin taking weekend walks into town.

I loved picking blueberries with Mommy, Daddy, and Jack this past month!  I wasn’t quite as discerning as my brother about the color of the berries that went into my bucket, so I had an interesting blend of blue-ish greens by the time we finished.  I am definitely a hardcore fruit fan, and I ate an impressive amount before we even left the farm.

The same day, Mommy and Daddy took us to our first movie, although it will be a while before they bring me back.  I had a blast (and ate my weight in popcorn and milk duds), but I had a hard time not talking back to the screen during the movie.  For example, when Mrs. Incredible said she was “reporting for duty,” I yelled loudly in the hushed theatre, “Mommy, Elastigirl said doody!”

Current likes: snacks

Current dislikes: whispering

Living with Papa and Yia Yia while we wait to move into our new house next month has been very fun.  For one thing, there’s always someone around to play with.  I have played Candy Land, War, and a Ninja Turtle game with Papa so far, and my cousin Max even got in on the fun when he came for a visit one night.  I don’t generally love losing, but I’m getting better at managing my disappointment.  Sometimes I can even bring myself to lose graciously.

I’m learning lots of new games … I tried hopscotch at Mimi and Opa’s house, and I was actually pretty good at hopping back and forth from one leg to two.  Lena wasn’t as coordinated, but what she lacked in grace she made up for with enthusiasm!

Mommy and Daddy also took us blueberry picking this month, and I got to see my very first movie in the theater (Incredibles II).  It was super exciting … I got popcorn and milk duds, and now I can’t stop talking about how (*spoiler alert*) Evelyn Dever was really the Screen Slaver.  We may not have had a fancy summer vacation, but it was pretty good in my book!

Current likes: winning

Current dislikes: not being able to have a movie night every night

Sportsmanship practice

On July 13, 2018 we said goodbye to our old house and pulled out of the driveway for the last time.  Mommy and Daddy have lived here for seven years.  The house has seen them through many life events, including the loss of one cherished cat, the births of two kids and six neurotic chickens, the addition of a newly cherished cat, and of course one albino frog who seems to live forever.

Daddy put a lot of sweat equity into that home, including bookshelves, drawers, exposed brick walls, and bathroom additions – just to name a few!  It was a great house with a lot of character and fabulous backyard for exploring, and it holds a lot of precious family memories.

We are looking forward to our new house, however, which will offer a lot of wonderful advantages including an extra bedroom, finished basement, and a neighborhood that is walking distance from school (and our uncle’s house).  But until we’re able to close, it’s off to Papa and Yia Yia’s house!

Milestone alert!  On June 16, 2018, at two years and nine months of age, I got my first haircut.  My hair wasn’t terribly long, but it was long enough to get a short braid into it, and it was pretty unruly, so it mostly just needed some shaping.  here I am mid-way through my cut (being bribed with a Lion Guard video).  Daddy thinks I look like a flapper from the 1920s now.

I think my kicky new hairstyle suits my sassy little personality, which has been on full display this past month.  Sometimes Mommy will overhear me trying to weasel treats out of my grandma and tell me I’ve had enough, to which I will turn and say, “Mommy I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to Yia Yia.”  Then I’ll generally repeat my request for candy in a stage whisper.

I’ve also mastered a comeback line for those moments when I’ve been caught red-handed doing something I’ve previously been told not to do.  For example, when Mommy says, “Lena, I asked you not to take that toy off the shelf,” I’ll insist “I was only looking at it/touching it!” even though I am obviously half-way through the act of taking it off the shelf.

Current likes: lollipops from hairdressers

Current dislikes: any attempts to manage me

First haircut!

This month has involved a lot of change for me, what with packing up the house for our upcoming move.  For a kid who typically has trouble with transitions, I’ve been surprisingly okay with the idea of selling our house to new people, and I’ve even helped wrap up a lot of my toys and pack them in boxes.  While I’ve been a little sad to see some of my furniture leave the house, I’m having fun racing around the empty rooms and picnic-ing on the floor since we no longer have a table or chairs.

I still love imaginary play, and my most recent favorite is to pretend to be a doctor.  For some reason I always decide that my doctor name will be “Dr. Grizz,” and I like to incorporate as much bedside manner and medical language as I’ve picked up from my pediatrician when I do pretend office visits.  “Hi, I’m Dr. Grizz, what seems to be the problem?” is my standard opening.  After listening to my patient’s chest I’ll usually follow up with “hmmm … sounds like you’ve got a little something going on there …” Typical diagnoses include allergies, an ear infection, or some sort of boo-boo.  Nearly all diagnoses require the administration of a shot (sometimes I’ll let Lena do that part) and a sticker.

Current likes: Logistics (wrapping, packing, I’m ready to assist!)

Current dislikes: Having to share Dr. Grizz’s stickers with Lena

Those who don’t have furniture have picnic dinners