The Pre-Preschool Post

Today Fiona went to her preschool for the first time as it was "moving in day". It went pretty well--she wanted to stay and paint, but she seems a little sad at being left. She seems to really like the main teacher and I am very thankful for that!

Tomorrow is the first day and she will only go for one hour with 4 other kids (as opposed to ... eleven?). Next week she will go for 1 1/2 hours and will overlap with some of the other kids. The third week is the regular three hours and all kids....woo hoo!

Today was only 10 minutes so I did just fine :) Tomorrow I really do walk away. I don't go home though (home is 20 minutes away), so I guess I will take Sophia to the library....

Fiona and Sophia at the Library

So Doug takes the girls to the library last night. Fiona plays with the trains with an older boy. They are playing very nicely. Then he starts making this alligator eat all the people. Fiona says, "Excuse me, I don't like that, that isn't nice". Boy says, ok. They continue playing. He does it again. Fiona says, "Excuse me, excuse me....you said you wouldn't do that anymore". Boy says he changed his mind.

Also at the library...Sophia actually crawled! She can officially crawl! Maybe it's the carpets (we have all wood floors here). She has been able to move around a while, but not on her hands and knees.

8 Days

I saw the school inside today. It is bright and open; it has a nice "feel" to it. Things are getting organized and the kids' names are labeled on their cubby/basket spaces. It is neat to see her name there.

I met the assistant teacher, Michelle. I get to go back Thursday night for a "Back to School" night.

In totally unrelated news, there is a new bakery in town (well, the town that Doug works in and Fiona will go to school in). It is near Fiona's school and it is owned by Sandra Bullock's sister. In fact, Sandra Bullock was at the counter of said bakery helping out (I guess on opening day). This happened weeks and weeks ago---we aren't terribly news savvy these days. Apparently the line went on for miles. More to the point, though, I hear the offerings are good and I love a new bakery, so I can't wait to go visit.

A coffee shop had a sign outside saying "Sandra Bullock will not be working behind the counter today". That sign makes a lot more sense to me now.

We gave Sophia some cold melon soup today from the cafeteria at Doug's work. Strangely, this soup was chock full of garlic. Now, I love garlic. It was totally out of place in this soup, however, and especially in such mass quantities. I could see the raw sliced garlic in there. So now when I pick her up---hours later--she reeks of garlic. Her burps cut through the air.

Preschool Countdown - 9 Days

Fiona starts school August 31. I am slowly gathering her supplies for school. The cooler weather and some of the leaves just turning yellow here and there are really adding to that whole "back to school" feel. I suddenly realize that we have minimal amounts of warm clothing for Fiona (Sophia's all set, except for booties) and no snow boots.

Sophia now has 2 top teeth! She likes to grab things and then show them to you---but she holds on strong enough that you can't really just take it out of her hand. She also joins Fiona in the Blueberry Crazed Fan Club. She will lunge at a container of blueberries and claw them like the berries are prey. She stuffs them in her mouth and I guess we are over the choking phase (don't worry, I still watch her like a hawk) because she is chewing (gumming) quite, quite well now.

I am now officially a La Leche League leader and have led my first meeting. It went fairly well---good in that everyone was doing well and babies were happy as were toddlers---awkward in that talking in front of people is by far and away not my area of strength ...

Teething

I guess it is time for more teeth. Sophia is clearly uncomfortable and cried during the night--even after nursing! To really set the tone for the day, I still have this stubborn cold (I can barely talk) that appeared when we got home. We left the milk out last night, so there is only heavy cream for my tea. Bleck! Shudder!

Doug helped out this morning by watching bothgirls while getting ready for work AND he made me an egg cheese soft taco for breakfast. Yes, he is actuary by day, superhero by night...and on call during the day.

He also looks good in a bodysuit with cape.

Holden Arborteum

We also went to the Holden Arborteum on our road trip. They have this traveling Big Bug show which is very much worth seeing. It was great for the girls and they slept nearly the whole way to our next hotel stop!

It's in Cleveland, Ohio, which seems to have lots of great places to visit. I actually really liked this part of Ohio.

Mall of America

Yes, on our trip, we visited this...wonder...of America. We actually didn't see much...just the (overpriced) aquarium--which I do have to say both girls enjoyed---the very cool Lego store, and a fast food pizza shop! Such is life with two young children! There is a pretty cool looking amusement park in the center, but our girls are just too young for that. As it is, we were totally afraid of our daring, fearless 3 1/2 year old (the famous Fiona) vanishing into the crowd. In crowded places like that, it is all too easy to lose little people.

Doug and I thought we actually might like it, though, with older kids or maybe even--can I say this out loud?--- no kids!

Sure, it's just the same bunch of stores everywhere in every mall, but it's every store...even a Bennetton, which I haven't been in since the 80s.

And, you have to understand, we don't really have many of these stores in Vermont. We also don't have billboards, so I found myself actually reading them on our road trip. Now I crave a green tea frappacino from Starbucks, even though I am not even sure what that is. Ah, the power of advertising! When we ate out on our trip, Fiona frequently ordered whatever there was a picture of: "I want THAT". I can really see now how the lower level at the grocery is devoted to the small folk of our country.

So, I can say I've been to the Mall of America. I do think it is worth a visit. I don't even like malls, but this one is just so incredibly impossibly big. Grotesque, but interestingly so.

Preschool Looms on the Horizon

Fiona's teacher is coming to our house tomorrow for a "home visit". School starts August 31. Fiona talks about school all the time. I really hope she likes it. I am excited and also anxious about it.

Hey, it's the Milk Producer!

When Sophia sees me come into the room, or her dad or sister, she gets this huge grin on her face and points to you. Like, "Hey! I know you, and I am SO glad to see you!"

Actually, since she is so young and so attached to mama right now, I often get a boogie dance, too, to go with the pointing finger. Ahhh, it's nice to be loved.

I think Doug should do that when he comes home. We should all boogie when we see our loved ones after a time has passed.

She pants, too, but I wouldn't make panting a requirement.

Just To Clarify....

Soon after my last post, Fiona brough the videotape cover of Yellow Submarine in and asked me to point out who was dead and who was alive. I did and she said, "But they are all alive in the movie". Yes, thank goodness.

John Revisited

So we're talking about her beau John (Lennon...as talked about in previous posts). We're looking at a small globe-ball and she asks me where John lives. I said that John used to live in England.

Naturally, she picks up on this past tense reference and asks me where he lives NOW.

After telling her the news, she wants to know about Ringo, George, and Paul. She's not very happy about John being dead even though two other Beatles are still alive.

She mulls it over for a while and then informs me that I may be wrong about John and George. Maybe I am lying. Well, I say, I am not lying--I am only telling you what I believe to be true. I briefly consider delving more into this whole "death" thing and then think, nah! Later.

She gets the rest of the Beatles confused. She just told me (as I am writing this--she must have sensed that I was rehashing an earlier conversation...) that Daddy said that Ringo was still alive and has NOT passed on you silly goose! I just told her that is right--Ringo is still alive. Only George and John are no longer with us.

She then says maybe there will be new ones soon.

Spunky Funky Grrrrl Rock Star

We're back from the land of 10,000 lakes and our family reunion. Hopefully, I can write all about it while it's still fresh in my mind...and before Doug goes back to work.

Fiona was a big hit with extended family. A favorite thing of hers to do at one of her great-grandparents' house was to drag a stool into the middle of the room (and thus, right smack dab in the center spotlight of the conversation and family) with a small guitar. She'd perch on the stool with the guitar and make up songs. She'd even announce upcoming songs: "Apples in the Morning coming up in 10 minutes!!" She sang about those apples, tornadoes, string cheese, and other assorted items in her life.