Preschool both adds to the pressure and takes away. Clara mostly enjoys her classes, although I can see her introverted personality shine through regularly where she says, "Mommy, I want to just stay home." Once we get there, though, she enjoys herself and has fun. I love her teacher, Miss Jaimee, and I love her fun and laid back approach to preschool. I also started Clara in gymnastics at an awesome gym right by our house. I love it, it's so good for Clara. She's always been a mover (not a talker) and while her academic pursuits make her feel insecure, she has always been been confident taking on new physical challenges. I really wanted to find something where she could feel like she excelled, and I think gymnastics might be the ticket.
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| Clara at gymnastics |
Lucy does not lack for confidence, and I have been positively shocked at her love of preschool. She really loves her class and her friends, begging to go every single morning. I have been a big part of that preschool, which keeps me busy. I teach 4 times and help 4 times between now and May. I have really enjoyed teaching, more than I thought I would! I also feel like this preschool has given me the opportunity to really get to know some other moms in my area, which has been something I have missed since moving to Phoenix. The friendship and support I have gained since being apart of the preschool co/op has been a huge blessing for me.
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| Lucy at preschool. I would never be creative enough to come up with something this cool. We also did a field trip to the first station. |
One of the things that brings me the most joy is watching Clara and Lucy be best friends. I did not anticipate this. Or rather, I didn't dare get my hopes up that they would get along well enough to be friends. But they really love to play together and look to each other every morning and after every nap. We finally got them moved into the same room, and no one is happier about than Clara and Lucy (I, however, have had many second thoughts as they seem to get up earlier and earlier to play!).
We've spent time at the park nearly everyday this last week. This time of year is what makes it tolerable to live in Phoenix and we're getting out every.single.day. One of our most brilliant purchases of the year was a little playground in the back yard, but they still enjoy getting to the neighborhood park. I also really, really love this phase where I do not have to shadow either of my children. We get to the park, I say, "Go play" and off they go!
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| Oh, come on. It does not get more adorable than this. |
Other quick rundowns of what's happened the last few weeks:
-Our ward got moved to a different stake. Totally shocked us all. We hear back next week if we get to stay a ward or we'll be further diced up. That makes for a ward split and a move to a new stake all within a year.
-Lucy finally figured out how to peddle her bike.
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| Lucy got the whole peddling thing down! |
-Jordan's working crazy hours again. And thus begins busy season. This is made much more tolerable by the fact that I now have a car to get around. Minivan <3 forever.="" p="">-It felt like it took forever to feel this baby move around, but now that I can I wish that maybe she wouldn't wiggle so much on my bladder...
-Clara and Lucy are obsessed with the new baby and my baby belly.
-We went to the firestation as a field trip for Lucy's preschool. Clara tagged along because she didn't have preschool that day. It was a fire station at an airport, so it was pretty much toddler heaven. Fire engines + planes + helicopters.
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| Fire station fun |
Overheard in our House:
Clara: "Hey, wait a minute, I want to..."
Daddy: "Come on, Clara, we need to get going!"
Clara: "Oh, forget it, I'm coming"
Clara: (while standing in front of a mirror) "Daddy! Look at my feet! I'm getting bigger!"
Clara: (while talking about reading the scriptures): "And it came to pass."
(I got some lovely sharp Cutco knives for Christmas this year. I love them but I keep cutting my fingers. After the 4th time in a four week period, this is the conversation I had with Clara)
Clara: Oh no, Mommy, what happened to your finger?
Me: Oh, I just cut it.
Clara: Again, Mommy? (you could practically hear the exasperation in her voice...)
