Catching up…

Caroline has been on vacation (from her grueling pre-school schedule!) this week so I have fallen behind while adding to my list of potential posts. I will resort to the bulleted list to get myself back on track:

• We began our week with a wonderful trip back to Richmond. We had not returned since our move and everyone seemed ready to visit with old friends. Highlights of the trip included: Caroline playing with friends she’d had since birth- they all picked up like she had never left, Katherine recognizing friends (we wondered if she would given her age), Rob and I reconnecting with people we had only been able to talk to briefly since we left if at all, Caroline sleeping through the night, every night, on an air mattress by herself!, dinners, lunches and get togethers with people we have been missing, Caroline finally acknowledging that she missed Richmond- as hard as this was- she begged not to leave- it seems to have freed her mind and allowed her to relax into her life in NJ.
• We have had our first week off from school where Caroline has been ok with the lack of schedule. We have written a make shift schedule each day but it has been loose and flexible and she has survived.
• We had our first drop off play date- what an ingenious idea! Caroline and her friend from school played beautifully for two hours- they even included Katherine the whole time.
• We have received our first real snow storm of the winter- far more snow than either of the girls have ever seen… It is still falling- more to come.

A poet is born…

A few days ago Caroline wrote her first poem. It follows: Max sat on the cat. She wrote and spelled it all on her own. I am amazed at this little reader and writer that is growing in front of us. The funny part was that her first effort must have just exhausted her budding creative mind- the sequel read: At tat. Stay tuned…

Huh?

The following is excerpted from a conversation Caroline and I had while she was making her Valentine’s Day cards for school…

Caroline: Do I have to make a Valentine’s Day card for everyone in my class- even a boy who is bad?

Me: He’s bad? What does he do?

Caroline: He tries to eat Katie.

Me: Huh?

Tough one, right? I’m not so sure I would want to make a Valentine’s Day for him either!

Valentine’s Day Party

Caroline has been very worried, since our move, that she would have no friends to invite to her birthday party- in July. In the back of my mind, I kept having this nagging idea to have a Valentine’s Day Party- almost to prove to her that she did, indeed, have friends. I kept deciding that it would be too much work, our house wasn’t big enough etc. Finally, after all the insecurities and worries, I decided to go ahead and do it and I am so very glad I did. We kept things very simple- homemade invitations, only 6 guests, cookie decorating as the activity. The party was such a huge success- the girls were just a joy- they all sat and decorated cookies and bags to put them in while the moms- many who had never met- got along famously. It was one of those moments as a mom when I was so proud of our family and so pleased that in this crazy time of ours, the simplest, easiest of things can still be the most fun.

Murphy’s Law

 First: Murphy must have met my children. Second: I apologize for yet another sleep related post but read on- I think you’ll understand my need to write yet another one.

Caroline has slept until 7am for the past two days (today was 6:45 but in our world this is still pretty miraculous!). I am honestly not exaggerating if I tell you that she has slept until 7 am fewer times than I have fingers in her 4 and a half years of life.  You all can get where this is going… Katherine was up at 5:15 yesterday and 6:00 today- she usually sleeps until at least 7. So Murphy, if I have done anything to offend you, I apologize and please stop getting involved in my children’s sleep patterns!