Full Circle

Annabel dropped out of her Fall dance class because…well, I don’t really know why.  And when I say she dropped out, I really mean I ended it after four weeks of listening to her whine and cry and complain the minute we walked into the room and I put on her ballet slippers.

It was really strange because she LOVED ballet just 6 months earlier.  She loved the leotard and the pink tights and putting her hair up in a bun.  She loved the music and the new friends and learning to pirouette.  But that passion was gone.  I think it was the combination of a brand new ballet studio and that she had just started preschool. There was a lot of change.  It was so sad because she told me she didn’t like dancing anymore.  That broke my heart.  I know she loves to dance because she is constantly singing and twirling around our house 24/7.   I guess she didn’t like dancing in a class setting.  And I didn’t want her to stay in a dance class just because I wanted her to.  I did hate the idea of quitting, but it was costing me money to have her sit in the corner with a pout and just watch the other girls have fun.  SHE was supposed to be having fun! And she wasn’t.

Fast forward to January and I thought I would try dance again.  I signed her up for a class at the first ballet studio she attended.  She was hesitant the first few weeks and wanted me to sit in the corner of the room while they practiced.  Luckily this studio was super laid back so they were fine with that.  And, eventually, she was comfortable again and went it alone while I stayed in the waiting area.

It’s so funny how little moments with kids become HUGE accomplishments.  After stressing for weeks over why she didn’t like dance anymore, suddenly I was back at a place where she was dancing again and was 100% fine.   Last week was the final dance recital and she did awesome.  Not only because she remembered most of the steps, but because she was HAPPY.

And that’s what it’s always all about.

Leaving Sesame Street

One of my fondest memories growing up was watching Sesame Street every morning as a preschooler.  I can remember loving Grover (he’s still my fav) and I’d dream about one day visiting Sesame Street.  I wanted to see Hooper’s Store!  I wanted to sit on those brownstone steps and sing a song.  I wanted to see Ernie’s rubber duckie!

So it’s been a blast reliving all those fun memories with my two kiddies.  Sesame Street was the first television show I’d allow my children to watch when they turned two.  We even saw Sesame Street Live! when it came to our city.  Annabel loved Abby Cadabby and Daniel thought The Count was super cool.

But I haven’t seen an episode of Sesame Street in over 6 months.  My kids don’t care about it anymore.

I understand that Daniel has outgrown the show.  He only watched it a few times over the last year because Annabel still enjoyed it.  I was so excited to tape the new 2011/12 season so Annabel and I could watch it together when she didn’t have school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  But the conversations always went like this:

“Annabel, you wanna watch Sesame Street?”

“No.  Dora!”

“But it’s a brand new episode!  One you’ve never seen!”

“No.  That’s okay. I want to watch Dora!”

“Oh, look.  This one has John Krasinski in it.  I know you don’t know him, but he’s super funny!  PLEASE can we watch it?”

“Mama!  No!  Dora!”

“Okay.  Fine.”

I guess I was the one who couldn’t quite let it go.  I didn’t want to say goodbye to my ol’ buddy Grover or to Big Bird or to Maria and Luis and Gordon and Chris.  I wanted to see another letter and number of the day.

One night last week, after everyone was in bed and fast asleep, I was downstairs alone and catching up on some reality television shows on my DVR.  And I swear I almost pressed down and watched one of those brand new Sesame Street episodes.  By myself.  In the dark.  But I didn’t.  That would be sad.

It IS sad.

See ya, Sesame Street.  Hopefully I’ll visit you again one day.  Keep the air sweet, won’t ya?

Annabel’s Shabby Chic Pony Party

Annabel wanted a pony at her birthday party this year so we started researching the option to bring a pony to our house.  I thought we could do another at-home celebration that would include pony rides for the kids around our backyard.  But when we drove out to the pony farm to meet with the owner, we knew we had to have the party THERE.

It was beautiful. The place not only had ponies to ride, but an adorable play area, a pony bounce house, miniature ponies to feed, a picnic table seating area, and just the complete serene farm feel.  It was such a cool discovery off a main road in Jacksonville. It’s called Hidden Fields.  Perfect.

We booked the party and Mama began the planning.  Thanks to Pinterest and Etsy, I had a blast looking for theme ideas.  I decided on a Shabby Chic Pony Party with lots of western elements.  And, of course, lots of pink for my baby girl.

We booked a catered BBQ lunch and the rest was up to me.  I had to plan the decorations, party favors, and of course, the birthday cake. Some of the items I copied directly from what I found on some amazing websites. Then I mixed in a little creativity.  There was a lot of stress toward the end (mainly because it was supposed to rain but, thank goodness!, the weather was perfect.)  All in all, the party was a huge success.  Mostly because Annabel’s eyes lit up when she saw everything.

There were 20 kids and their parents.  We were so happy that GG and Pop Pop could make it too.  All the kids rode ponies and went on a hay ride.  Annabel’s favorite thing was feeding the tiny ponies. She was taught to make an ice cream cone with the hay. The kids also spent time on the play area and the boys especially loved the bounce house.  Everyone filled their bellies with pulled pork, hot dogs, mac-n-cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, and salad.  The beverages were water, iced tea, and pink lemonade.  Then, we had the cutting of the cake and each child received a personal pink cupcake with a pony toy on top. I think some of the parents now plan to book their next party at the farm.  It was a great day. Yee Haw!

Here’s the party overview:

Annabel’s outfit:

-Dress: Gymboree

-Pink Cowboy Hat: Halloween Store

-Pink Cowboy Boots: Sheplers.com

-White Denim Jacket: Target

Decorations:

-Burlap and pink banner: Etsy shop Expressions In Design

-Metal treat cans with burlap ribbon: Jo-Ann Fabrics (bought ribbon separately)

-Small flower cans: Soup cans that I emptied, washed, and covered with a strip of scrapbook paper

-Pink bandana napkins: Oriental Trading

-Shabby chic frames for table signs: Homegoods

-Pony canvas art: Target

Favors:

-Treat bags: Walmart brown paper gift bags.  I glued on small doilies and then placed an initial sticker in the center.

-Bag tags: Jo-Ann Fabrics

-Chocolate horse lollipop: Etsy shop Mandies Candies

-Bandana, western necklace craft, horse bubble, and personalized crayon box: Oriental Trading

-Cowgirl and cowboy notepads and stickers: Celebration Express

-Kids western hats: Oriental Trading

Birthday Cake:

-Cake: Publix

-Cake pennant sign: Etsy shop Queen Bee Inspirations

-Cake plate: Local antique mart

-Cupcakes: Publix

-Wire cupcake stands: Michaels

-Pony cupcake toppers: Oriental Trading

Four

Annabel turned four on February 15th and it’s been a whirlwind of fun.

First, she had her birthday party at home with her family. Then, this past Saturday, we had a pony farm celebration with all her friends. (More about the pony party tomorrow.)

This was a big year for my little girl.  She started preschool in the fall.  She is my social butterfly, but she is also very stubborn. Some mornings are met with an “I don’t want to go to school” attitude.  But as soon as she sees her classroom down the hall, she can’t stop herself from skipping all the way to her seat.  She knows her letters and numbers and has started writing her name.  She made some new friends and talks about them constantly.  While it felt like pulling teeth to get any school information out of her brother, Annabel jumps into my car and starts chatting about her day.  She loves to play with the boys on the playground.  She loves to color.  She loves books. But her passion is music.

She is constantly singing.  She sings songs (her favorites are “Party Rock Anthem” and “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”), but she also sings stories.  I am amazed how she goes on and on with these awesome lyrics.  They always involve love and happiness and she always says, “I just made that up, Mama.”  When she’s playing alone with her room (instead of napping), all I hear is singing.

She is a sweetheart who loves to be in control and when she can’t, OH BOY, watch out. She is very headstrong.  It’s a bit tough to deal with at times, but I know she will always speak her mind.  She talks like a big kid and her favorite word right now is “actually.”  It’s hilarious.  She doesn’t always love to share.  It’s like the concept doesn’t make a lot of sense to her.  This is MY thing.  I’M playing with it. (Duh.) It makes me giggle because even her grumpy face is still so very cute.

Her face looks like a doll.  She is forever my tiny baby girl.  But she has grown so much this year. Her legs are long and lean.  She is the tallest girl in her class.  Her curly hair is growing and growing and I can’t even think about taking her to a hair salon to cut one single strand.  She hates when I have to brush it and detangle it every morning, but it’s her signature.  She is Annabel with the long, curly hair.

She still loves princesses and dress-up, but she also loves to play outside with her brother and all his friends.  She just got her first scooter so she can ride with the big kids.  She is very comfortable with the older crew and she will always speak her mind.  She is a tough girly-girl.  She is still passionate about pink.  She loves to make believe with all her dolls in her dollhouse.  She loves animals.  She wants to be an animal doctor when she grows up.

She is my little buddy.  We had our first pedicure together this year.  She loves to go with me for Starbucks treats.  She will help me clean the house. (Yay!)  But she’s becoming Daddy’s little girl more and more.  She can’t wait for him to come home so she can tell him all about school or just sit on his lap.

She can be shy and sweet, but also outgoing and demanding.  She is just a little mix of everything.  She’s a complicated little girl and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy Fourth Birthday, Annabel Marie.  I love you.

 

Sing a Song

Annabel loves to sing.  She had such a blast in December because she would sing every single Christmas carol in the book. She loves to sing along to the radio or to the songs on her Hello Kitty keyboard.  Her favorite time with her GG is when they sing together from a songbook.  She will practice the songs from her preschool music class at home.

And now she has started singing conversations.  It’s the funniest thing.  I will ask her what she did in school and it turns into a song about playing with her friends.  She will draw a picture of a hippo and then walk around the room singing about it.  When she’s playing a board game with her brother, she will sing about every move she makes.  Every time she gets strapped into her car seat, she starts to sing about the last book she read or where we are going.  When we’re at Starbucks, she’ll sing about her love for chocolate milk and strawberry cake pops.

When we’re at home, these original songs will often be accompanied by a living room dance number.  But sometimes she’s just sitting on the couch and will get inspired by our search for a DVD.  She’s cute, that one.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

I grew up in Maryland so you would think I’d be used to a little cold weather.  You would think I MISSED cold weather since I now live in Jacksonville, Florida.  I did miss it a tiny little bit when we first moved down here five years ago.  But now I’m so used to living in a warm climate that the cold weather completely throws me for a loop.  Sure, even in Florida, we should expect a small stretch of cold days in December and January, but usually it’s never terribly cold here.  But the past couple of days (and nights!) have been really cold.  Well, really cold meaning low 30′s. And really cold meaning fleece jackets and (gasp!) hats and mittens.

The kids have been having fun with it.  They don’t mind it that much.  I just wish it was accompanied by snow. It’s hard knowing my kids will never experience a true snowfall. (Aside from the fun soapy one at the local Winter Wonderland.) They will never run out to build a snowman or zoom down a hill on a sled.  I know I can take them on a fancy vacation to a ski resort, but it’s not the same.  It’s not how I remember it.  I remember putting bread bags over my socks before I slid on my boots.  I remember making dozens of snow angels all in a row on our front lawn.  I remember catching snowflakes on my tongue.  I remember the sweet moment when the guy on the radio said school was canceled and I could turn over and go back to sleep.

But, then again, I also remember waiting at the bus stop in zero degree weather with tears running down my cheeks from the wind chill.  I remember slumber parties or basketball games getting canceled because the roads were too icy.  I remember shoveling the driveway only to do it all again the next day because more snow fell while we slept.  I remember the METRO being delayed while I stood on the platform jogging in place willing my body to warm up.  So, no, I don’t miss the cold northern weather anymore.  And I can always take the kids up north in the winter to experience it all for themselves.  In the meantime, we’ll be here complaining about today’s high of 60 and making plans to hit the beach NEXT week.

 

 

Hi.

Hi. I’m back.

I took a mini break because of personal reasons.  The personal reasons were all mine.  I needed to clear my head.  I needed to miss typing my thoughts and feelings on my keyboard each week.  I needed to miss it, so when I came back (and I’m back!), I wouldn’t go away again.

The big downer about it all is that I lost two months of diary entries.  And a bunch of stuff happened in those two months.  Forgive me as I will be recapping some older moments over the next few weeks.  The entire point of this website is that it becomes a memory vault for my kids.  And when I stopped writing about my kids for 60 days, I realized how big each “little” moment was.   Because aside from the standard carving of the Thanksgiving turkey or opening gifts on Christmas morning, there was Daniel running around the baseball field for the first time and Annabel as an angel in her very first school play.  And I need to capture those moments.  I HAVE to.  For them.  And for me.  And, you know, hopefully for you too.  You who reads this blog everyday or once a week or once a month or even once every couple of months.  Thank you.  Thank you for letting me share all these moments with you. I encourage you to capture your own moments.  Whether in a blog like this one, or in a word document on your computer.  Or in a scrapbook or  journal.  Use words or use photos.  But capture the moments.   You’ll be glad you did.  Happy New Year, everyone.

Happy New Year

Collide

When I had my children 18 months apart, I knew there would be days (weeks, months!) that would be tough. It’s inevitable when you have two little ones so close in age.  The first months were difficult because I had a brand new walker and a newborn.  Then, there was an awesome period when Daniel was 3 and Annabel was 2. They could finally play together and it felt like I had twins.  It still feels like that sometimes.

But now I’m going through another difficult period.  Daniel has reentered his school worry stage.  And Annabel has started an “I don’t like school anymore” phase.  And let me tell you…Whoa.  Just WHOA.  This morning was an example of the worst of it.

I put Daniel in ASC (After School Care) two days a week on the recommendation of his teacher.  Because Daniel is repeating his Pre- Kindergarten year, he is now one of the older children in his class.  There are a handful of 5-year-olds (like Daniel) and the rest are 4-year-olds.  The teacher is wonderful and has managed to teach to the different skill levels and needs of the kids.  Daniel is starting early reading while other children are in learning centers.   She works with him on his speech which is improving dramatically.  He is doing awesome. She also said we should start extending his day at least a couple times a week so he can start getting used to the longer hours when he starts Kindergarten in the fall.  Also, it would be great for him socially and I know he needs to continue to work that “muscle.”

Well, Daniel does not like change.  He’s very sensitive, like his Mama, and he gets a little nervous.  But he’s been doing the ASC for two weeks now and I thought it was finally just a part of  his new school routine.  No.  I basically have to prepare myself for a torturous morning of  anxiety each day he has ASC.  He over thinks it. He tries to be brave but his sad face makes me feel horrible, like I’m sending him off to some mean place. And it’s just a few extra hours of playtime and eating lunch with his friends.

Annabel might be feeding off Daniel, but she has begun her “I don’t like school anymore” phase.  After I drop Daniel off at his school, we have a 45 minute wait before Annabel goes to her preschool.  It used to be fine. We would pack her lunchbox and backpack, go for a walk, read some books, and then off we went.  She would smile and run into class.  She loved school. But the last two times have been a horrible watching-the-clock wait while she complains and whines about how much she doesn’t want to go. This morning I had to drop her off kicking and screaming.  It was awful. I know it’s another “phase,” but I wonder if something happened.  She won’t give me answers and her lovely teacher says she is a joy.  But the same thing happened with her dance class.  She no longer goes to dance because after three weeks of sitting and crying on the sidelines, it just wasn’t worth it.  I’m not going to force her to do a 30 minute dance class that she is supposed to love!  I was super disappointed because she was my little ballerina girl.  But I’ve moved on.  I didn’t want to make a big deal about it because she’s allowed to change her mind.  She’s allowed to CHANGE.  But she was always my “easy” one.  She was the one who ran in and didn’t look back.  Well, the universe is laughing at me now. Big time.

I’m emotionally exhausted. It’s just hard that these two challenging milestone moments are happening at the exact same time.  You’d think they planned it. Hmmm…anything’s possible with these two.

 

Just One of the Boys

Annabel is my little girly girl.  She loves dresses.

She is just like me when I was little because she is starting to refuse to wear anything but dresses to school. She rocks them with her sparkly white sneakers.

 She LOVES ballet class.  Her favorite part is putting on the pink leotard, tights, and tutu.

But, she also has a little bit of tomboy in her.  She has a big brother, so that’s to be expected.  Her playroom is filled with just as many cars, trucks, and transformers as it is dolls, ponies, and dress up clothes.  She has always been around Daniel’s little guy friends ever since she can remember.  So I don’t know why I was surprised when she told me her favorite thing at school today was “playing army man” on the playground. She said the boys gave her a stick and they all pretended they were “army men.”  As soon as she was done telling me the story, she then went up to the playroom and did this for an hour:

I think it’s cool.  I love that she is my princess diva but she can hang with the boys.  I wrote all about being girly and how I think it’s awesome as long as I also expose her to every experience and opportunity any boy would have.  She often mentions the boys in her class and how much fun she has playing games or doing puzzles with them.  She mentions her girlfriends too, but she definitely has a fondness for the boys.

Watch out, Daddy.

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