8/52: I Heart You

After a snow day on actual Valentine’s Day and a week off for New York’s winter recess, Ada brought home a huge bag of treats today from her classmates. Can I also just say -- WOW -- I’m happy school is back in session? Ada not only loves her teachers and classmates, but she also depends on school to get out her limitless energy and enthusiasm.

A mama can only do so much when shut in for months at a time.

We have m.a.j.o.r cabin fever.

And I was extremely relieved to see that we weren’t the only family that did store-bought cards. Pressure OFF. Actually, everyone bought their cards and stuck lollypops, stickers, temporary tattoos, and other tiny trinkets in them. We passed around some superhero cards with tiny bags of m&ms. Simple. I admire all the awesome V-day cards and projects I see on Pinterest, but Ada has almost 20 kids in her class. That just wasn’t going to fly.

Some things about preschool these days:

// We have to register for pre-K, like, soon! We got the paperwork today. I can’t believe next year Ada will be going to school five mornings a week. We’re still very much split on if we’ll send her to full kindergarten the following year. Our district has this great early-K program (if it can survive budget cuts), and we’re thinking it might be a good option since Ada’s birthday is only 14 days before the cutoff.

// I’m starting to hear more about what actually goes on at school. Ada’s quite secretive about her activities. I know today she played with red rice in the sensory bins. She enjoyed snack time (but I have no idea what she ate). And she did an Ariel puzzle. I’ve also learned she mostly plays with the same girl and two other boys. Her little clique, I guess.

// Since starting preschool, Ada’s picked up new words and language -- obviously. But it’s always so funny hearing her say something new. Like today I asked if she had a Valentine’s party, and she quickly quipped “Well, actualllllly, mom -- it wasn’t exxxxactly a party because Valentine’s Day was a long time ago.” And the words actually and exactly just sound so silly because she emphasizes them, so I can tell she’s modeling it after what she’s been hearing.

// I can also see a huge difference in Ada since the beginning of the year. She gets the routine now. She rushes down the hall to the right classroom, takes off her coat and hat, hangs stuff in her cubby, and she goes right over to grab a book and sit in the starting circle.

Is this your child’s first year at preschool?

What kinds of changes have you seen from the start of school until now? (Just for fun, here’s Ada on her first day!) It’s pretty incredible what the teachers do with them. How they learn and grow. I’m so proud of Ada and all the progress she’s made from being my tiny newborn to my tipsy toddler to my big girl preschooler. Slow down, time!

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6/52: Day In The Life

Happy early Valentine’s Day! Stephen is off from work -- again -- today due to the wind chills. I guess they’ll dip as low as 40 degrees below zero between now and Monday. I don’t know. I like winter, but this is getting a bit much. And we signed Ada up for three mornings a week at preschool back in December . . . but I swear they’ve only had a week or two when school wasn’t canceled for some reason.

Anyway, we skipped the photo project last week, but I actually caught a great snapshot over on my Instagram account. This week, I took a different approach and filmed a day in the life piece for you guys. I love watching videos like these! It’s been a really long time since I’ve shared what we do on a daily basis, and I worked hard to edit this down to the right size for uploading, so some stuff is missing.

Does this look like your day?



Stay safe and warm, friends. And if you live where it’s warm, enjoy. I’m still kicking this cold, but I have a ton of stuff planned for next week. I may hop on here tomorrow with the Weekend Things post, since I meant to do that one today (this video was slated for yesterday -- but it wouldn’t upload!).

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4/52: Activity

I’m so longing for those days when we can slip barefoot into the backyard wearing only sundresses. Reality says we may get a foot of snow between tonight and tomorrow, so I’ll take that, too. But those of you who live in the north surely know what I’m feeling. You can love snow, you can trudge through the bad weather and clouds and deep freeze, then sometime around the beginning of February, you start forgetting what the sun feels like on your skin.

Stephen’s parents were up for a weekend visit and Nanny brought along a gingerbread house kit we forgot to do during the holidays. Ada was ALL about this activity, let me tell you. Or, I guess we should say she was all about the decorations. Eating the many sugary decorations. In fact, she loved making her house so much, we’ve decided to do another one for Easter this year with jelly beans, Peeps, and anything else pastel.

I made a love shack.

(Related: Does anyone actually like those Good & Plenty candies?)


Well, student and teacher friends alike, let’s get this snow day happening. It’s been since Thanksgiving that we’ve had anything truly storm-like pass through here. Enough with the lake effect madness and give us a good blanket so we can get outdoors and go sledding! And maybe sleep in. Yes. That would be super nice.

Now time for Super Bowl fun!

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3/52: Focus

I’ve had a lot of proud mama moments in the last week or so.

The first was during Ada’s 3-year-old physical. For the first time, she went through an entire appointment with her pediatrician without crying + screaming. When she was a baby and young toddler, I always had to bring an iPad, snacks, and other distractions to the ped’s and surgeon’s office because Ada had experienced so many difficult medical procedures, blood, draws, etc., it was a majorly traumatic experience for her to simply hear the word doctor.

This time around, she confidently strutted up to the scale, backed up to the little height chart, and slipped into her gown, all while laughing and smiling. We found out that our prediction was true -- Ada is tall for her age. Over 39 inches and 86th percentile, which puzzles us because we’re both of somewhat average height (I’m around 5’7” and Stephen’s around 6 feet). Anyway, her doctor was marveling at how we could all chat together for the first time in, well, ever. I don’t know if any of you who followed the blog early on remember the big deal when we switched pediatricians after Ada’s first appointment. It was terribly awkward, but ended up being one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

The second proud moment was when I asked one of Ada’s preschool teachers how she is doing in school. I had some hesitation sending her to the 3-year-old program this year since her birthday falls only fourteen days before the school cutoff (December 1st). Ada is the youngest in her class by quite a bit, and I watched her lag behind in a few ways in the early months. Mostly with paying attention and listening to directions. Still, she was eager to go to school and socialize. Some of her classmates have been celebrating their fourth birthdays, so I guess now I see why there was such a difference early on. They’re all a lot older!

So, I asked Ada's teacher about her progress throughout the year, and she went on to tell me how Ada’s focus has improved tremendously. I can see this as well with how she plays at home. Of course she’s all imaginative and active and silly. But there are definite moments now where she will play with such purpose and direction. It’s really interesting to watch her grow and develop in this way. Like we’re seeing the beginnings of the sort of thinker she’ll be. How she’ll learn best and all that good stuff.

Age three has its unique challenges. But I like this stage a lot.

Happy Friday!

PS: For those of you who are interested, those little wooden guys Ada is playing with are called Bill Dings. They’re pretty cool, and Stephen’s parents bought them as a birthday gift because he used to play with them when he was a kid!

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2/52: Comfort Objects

I came across a photo essay the other day on the topic of children and their comfort objects. Definitely a fun piece. As a young girl, I didn’t have a particular item that I was attached to, but I was certainly an avid thumb sucker. I’d tug on my earlobe too, which is kind of weird -- but true, regardless. So, that was my thing. I grew out of it by around age four, and -- though I needed braces -- it had nothing to do with my favorite habit. (I had (and still have) a (slight) crossbite.)

My brother was the complete opposite, and if he’ll permit me to embarrass him (not that I’m asking), he was one hundred plus percent attached to his blanket. My mom had to sew this one particular satin corner several times over for him or he’d freak out. Being four years older, I’d taunt him by hiding it or pretending to flush it down the toilet. Sorry, bro. That was definitely beyond mean of me to do.

Ada, on the other hand, is extremely attached to her Soothe and Glow Seahorse, which my friend Jesslynn gave to me at my baby shower all those eons ago. It’s funny, but Ada started out with the seahorse when she was really small in her crib. Then she became indifferent, so we took it away for a while to mix stuff up. But when we switched her to her big girl bed, it became this absolutely necessity for sleeping.

PS: This . . .


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1/52: Snapshots

The other morning Ada asked if I’d paint her face. She had been watching the Daniel Tiger episode where a group of kids went to the zoo and came out looking like lions, tigers, and bears. Of course I said yes! So after a few lines and dots with an old eyeliner marker, Ada the Cat was prowling around the house meowing on all fours. It’s incredible how something so small and seemingly insignificant can change and entire day. I swear Ada was on her best behavior and infinitely happier wearing those drawn whiskers.

Preschool hasn’t been in session for two solid weeks now, and I think we’re both feeling it. We do lots of PlayDoh, cooking + baking, drawing, and music. But nothing substitutes for her friends. And on that same note, I’m feeling rather alone in that department lately, too. It’s a long story, but three of my close friends moved out of the area in 2014, so now that winter is upon us, I haven’t been out and about as much as usual. Definitely working on social stuff in the new year, just trying to figure out where to best focus my efforts on meeting like-minded, fun people.

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of comments from friends and family about how much bigger Ada looks after she hit the big THREE mark. I completely agree, and I’m continually surprised by how rapidly stages come and go. By how fast looks change. How clothes are tossed aside for the next size up (lately in a size 4T for length, waist swimming -- tall girl!). How shoes get a couple wears before they’re too snug. I’ve given up trying to beg time to slow down, but that doesn’t mean I’m any more at peace with the hectic pace of life.

Anyway, this is the first installment of my 2015 photo project. I think taking the time to shoot a proper portrait of Ada (or our family life) once a week will be a fun exercise for this year in addition to my other goals and aspirations. I hope you’ll enjoy following along!


Random: 

Over Christmas we bought Ada a new snack + drink cup, and she and I are both in love with it. It’s called the Snackeez. Now, I don’t usually go for these gimmicky contraptions, but if you have young kids, I wanted to pass along. It’s especially great for traveling. They make the same cup, just this bigger version, for adults, too!

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