Category: Ellery

Today we actually made it through music class without a complete meltdown. This left us with a little time on our hands before we ate lunch, so we went to the covered bridge to run back and forth, like, a hundred times.

And look! A picture! Of me! I made myself turn the camera around and shoot a quick self-portrait. I didn't even Photoshop out my bloodshot eyes or wrinkles. Hooray for 36 and sleep-deprived!

I constructed a plan for this summer at the end of last school year. Neko’s preschool has week-long camps during the summer. I signed Neko up for three weeks, sprinkled throughout the summer. And then I signed Neko and Shep both up for the last week. I thought it would be a great transition. As Neko leaves the school, she can show him the ropes. Shep can get his feet wet with a little hand-holding.

The plan has worked out great. Shep went charging in the first day without looking back. He barely had time to say goodbye. I have a feeling he may have a bit more hesitation on his actual first day of preschool, but this has been a great introduction.

The flip side of this? Every morning this week, its just Ellery and I. Monday we did a runaround to cancel a rained-out preschool playgroup and then ran a few errands. Tuesday we went to get the car serviced. Yesterday we made a run to Old Navy to pick up some pre-vacation items. But today I took a chance to breathe and do something just for Ellery.

We parked on campus and went for a walk, with no particular destination in mind. She hopped out of my arms and began to toddle down the walk, but then looked back, and grabbed my hand. And we walked, hand in hand for what seemed like ages. My other kids never did that. They were squirmy and wiggly. Neko ran and ran until her legs gave out, always 20 feet ahead of me. Shep stopped and started and poked around in the leaves. But Ellery seems content to walk and just be with someone. When we reached one of my favorite spots, we stopped and I sat on a bench. She ran and played. She found a bike rack (pictured above) and climbed in and out and under for over 20 minutes. THIS is the child those other moms had, the moms that sat and chatted at the park while I completed a full aerobic workout just keeping up with Neko.

When it was time to go pick up Shep and Neko, I gathered Ellery in the stroller with a snack, and she happily kicked her feet and chattered as we made our way back to the car.

While I’m sad to see Neko head off to kindergarten and Shep to preschool, I find myself excited to spend some time with my youngest. She hasn’t had as much of me as the other two, and it’s time for her to get her share. And maybe in return she can teach me how to be so content and happy simply being in the moment.

My nephews Chris and Alex came out of the womb knowing how to use utensils. With scientific precision they can guide a spoon to their mouths shortly after their first birthday.

My kids? Not so much.

We're doing great at self-feeding with all the finger foods, but I've been dragging my feet on that whole spoon and fork thing.

Today was trucking along kind of miserably anyway, so I figured it couldn't get any messier.

A bath followed shortly thereafter.