big changes

It's that time...getting ready for the new school year which not only means I need to get my classroom ready, but I'm also sending Anna back to daycare. She's going to a new center this year.

For the most part I was happy with her old daycare, but since we moved it wasn't going to be practical to take her there anymore. I found a place where I think she'll be taken care of, learn new things, and have fun. We visited for the second time today, and she seems comfortable and engaged. When we visited last week her head teacher was on vacation, so we had the chance to meet her today. I really liked her - she has a lot of energy, is really sweet, is very friendly, and seems go-with-the-flow. I like the assistant too - she is friendly and nice and engages with the kids.

Anna didn't sit with the group during story time and song time. She does her own thing! I hope that after some time she joins the group - she likes stories and songs, so in her own time I guess. B was still doing his own thing in first grade (and probably longer), let's hope she has a little of me in her :)

She'll start on Monday, which is also my first day back in my classroom to get ready for the year. More on that later.

Why I love her

So, I've complained about Anna's behavior the past few posts, but I've left out all the reasons why she's so great.

Anna:

• gives hugs and kisses
• has the cutest laugh - pure and full of joy
• loves to play peek-a-boo and hide and seek
• stands on tippy toes
• knows what she wants
• loves on her baby dolls - with hugs and kisses
• has a smile that makes a bad day good again
• plays with her toys
• pretend drinks and eats from her tea set
• dances
• loves to eat fruit
• loves to eat cookies and popsicles
• sits on laps
• tries to read
• holds hands

I'll continue to add to the list...because I think she's great.

Oh, Anna

I love my baby. I will repeat: I love my baby.

Now, having said that, sometimes I just don't know what to do with her. We went to Portrait Innovations today to get her 15 month pictures. Why 15 months you ask? Well with the birthday party, getting the house ready for the move, packing, and finding a new house to move into around her 1st birthday, pictures just didn't happen. Then I thought, oh, we'll go get professional pics outside with the three of us - that will be so cute. Then the more I thought about it, she is so unpredictable, the weather has to be right, the time of day has to be right, she has to have enough sleep, the list goes on. So, I just made an appointment for PI, which I'd done for 6 and 9 month pictures. I chose 11:00 so she would have had a nap, and she should be happy and ready to go.

Well, she was so pleasant in the car, this was going to workout! I love being wrong. She looked at the people taking her picture like they were monsters. She had no interest in smiling, sitting, standing, laughing, clapping, anything cute. I have to give it the PI people, they kept working with her, trying different situations, trying to make her smile. She wasn't too thrilled with me either. She just wanted me to hold her, which meant - crabby baby when I would put her down to have her picture taken. It's times like these that I just shrug and say, "she has a mind of her own." We finally got a few pictures...

There was this pretty lady there with her daughter (in matching outfits), and she told me she only got 1 good picture of her daughter at her 15 month and 18 month pictures, and by 2 year pictures, she did great. Thank you for the encouraging words, pretty lady. I'll try to remember that when I say, oh, let's get your picture taken for Christmas!

new daycare

I took Anna to her new daycare today. I stayed with her since she won't actually start until August when I have to go back to work to get my room ready. I just wanted her to get a feel for the room, the teachers, and the other kids. She seemed to enjoy herself. Some of the girls gave her kisses (how cute is that?). She sat on one of the teacher's lap, and she played with toys. Oh, and they gave her a cereal bar because it was snack time. She got her hair pulled by one little girl, but she was tough - didn't even cry. She just had that look on her face, like "what the hell?" Maybe she'll remember that when she goes to pull my hair...probably not.

Her normal teacher is on vacation this week, so the assistant from her room and an assistant from another room were in there today. They were both really nice. She will be the youngest in the room (unless they move some kids around after school starts). I also realized while watching some of the kids, they can all be stinkers. I was worried after the past few weeks of her less-than-desirable behavior that she was going to cause trouble, but I think she'll be just fine.

I put her on her time out rug at home when she does something bad (biting, pinching, pulling my hair) more than once. I count to 10 and use my "teacher voice" and say something like "we use nice hands" or "no biting". They don't use time out until the 2 year old room, so they just get the verbal discipline, and maybe removal from the area. I hope she is a good girl while she's there.

I can also send a lunch in when I want, which might be often. Since I don't eat a lot of sugar, salt, highly processed foods, fried foods (ok, I like to eat french fries now and again), and other stuff in the "tastes good, but is bad for you column," I don't really like Anna eating those foods. She definitely won't be eating hot dogs and mac and cheese - gross. I'm sure she'll pitch a fit.

I'll take her again next week. She can get a little more comfortable and meet her teacher. I'm sure she'll cry the first day and maybe more, but then I'll put her in a high chair with her banana, and all will be good.

It's our anniversary

B and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary yesterday. We had a beautiful outdoor wedding at the Manor House in Cincinnati - it was perfect. I had the best time at our wedding. The food was good, drinks were flowing, and the music was very danceable (I don't think that's a word, but you know what I mean). It was so fun - we danced, hung out with friends and family, and celebrated.

We are on vacation in Isle of Palms right now, so we drove into Charleston last night, where we had dinner at a restaurant called Fleet Landing. It was really good - I had crab cakes and the best grits I have ever tasted, mmmmm, and B had Mahi Mahi, also good. Then we walked to the Haunted Jail Tour, ooooo, spooky. It was an interesting tour - the jail has been there since 1802! We didn't see any ghosts, but we did get some orbs in a few pictures.

Bryan is great husband and father. We definitely have different personalities, but on things that matter the most, we stick together. We love our families, we work hard, we support each other, we communicate, we cuddle, we take care of each other, we both take care of Anna. Sure we argue and have disagreements, but we always work them out, compromise or move on, whatever it takes.

I love him.

Anna hearts the beach

We arrived at Isle of Palms today around 4:30 and by 5:30 we were checking out the beach. Anna LOVED it - she had the best time. We were only there for a half hour or so, but she had a great time. She enjoyed the water and the sand. She even tried a little sand and thought it was ok. I think it made up for the long drive that she was nice and crabby for :) Have I mentioned that she's dramatic? But I love her anyway.