First Swimming Class for Jordy

She was very hesitant. She told the male teacher, Phil, that she was just going to stay on the deep step (which is the pvc pipe steps leading into the shallow end of the pool). He was able to coax her to sit on the ledge with the rest of her class. They taught them how to get in and out safely first. She did not want to do this either but the female teacher, Jasmine, was very animated. Jasmine did it a few times, then had Jordan do it a few times with her hands lightly around her middle, then Jordan was able to do it herself. She held onto the edge to kick like the other kids who had obviously been taking lessons previously. They used a kick board with assistance. She didn't want to do that either but after being held once my Jasmine and seeing the other kids, she bravely tried it and smiled the whole time. Then they each got to throw a floating pool toy out in the middle and the swim teachers held them around the middle so the kids could paddle and kick to get it. At the end they got to jump in. Jordan didn't want to. It was clear she thought they meant she was just going to jump in alone. Once she saw the teachers keep their hands, she did it and told me that was her favorite part. She can't wait to go back next weekend! Me either!

Jordan is the second one from the right in the pink bathing suit.Kick baby Kick!  

Emily, on the other had, has been a little miserable.  I took both girls in yesterday morning to the doctors.  Can I just say how wonderful it is to have a pediatrician who does sick visits on the weekends?!  I love Myrtle Pediatrics!  Jordan has a regular old cold that is on the outs and Emily has a full on sinus infection!  She is supposed to take medicine for 10 days, 2x's a day, 1 1/4 tsp.  She has NEVER taken medicine well.  She sputters, coughs, thrashes, pushes, screams.  I've tried wrapping her in a blanket, blowing in her face, coating the dispenser in sugar, mixing it in yogurt...it's a battle everytime and I have no idea how much she is actually getting.

Despite the sniffles, we took the girls to the part and to Cici's just to get them out of the house.  We were all getting a little stir crazy yesterday.  Here is a link to the pictures from that outing.

http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/mrshparker/Family%20Outings/?action=postupload

Jordan and Emily had a blast!  Emily explored freely and with reckless abandon, testing her climbing abilities.  Her favorite has always been the swings.  She let Daddy swing her for a very long time and nearly fell asleep.  Jordan said her favorite part was the colorful slide because it was pretty, tall, and fast.  I thought it was extremely impressive that she climbed the web by herself.  She was extremely proud of herself and so were we.

"I had the worst dream ever..."

The other night, around 4am, I heard someone crying.   At first, I thought it was Emily.  She'll cry out sometimes then put herself back to sleep so I didn't jump up.  I laid there, half sleeping, half pondering the sound.  I heard it again, stronger, louder, and more urgent. 

"Mooooommmmyyyy!" A soft wail comes from the girls' bedroom.  I drag myself up.  Jordan is laying on her side with her eyes closed and tears on her cheeks.  I bend over her bed, pushing back a few stray strands of hair, "What is it baby?"  Her big brown eyes look up at me and they are welled up with tears immediately.

" I had the worse dream every, Mommy!"  She cries pitifully to me.  I have to wonder...what is the worst dream ever for a four year old.  Then she tells me and my heart breaks, "You were gone Mommy.  You were gone forever." And she starts crying again.  I pick her up and nuzzle her.  I try to reassure her that Mommy is fine, I'm right here, everything is okay.  She's still queitly crying so I sing her favorite lullabye which immediately calms her.

I walk with her to my room and we snuggle in the sheet.  Our legs all mixed up and my arms wrapped around her and her head buried in my chest.  Is it wrong to cherish a moment like this when she is scared and worried.  We stayed that way and we slept until around 6am. 

The next morning, while getting dressed, I asked her some more questions. "Do you remember your bad dream from last night?"  "Yes, you went away." "Where did I go Jordan?"  "To heaven." She seems to have a natural curiousity about death recently.  I'm not quite sure where this is coming from but she seems worried about it.

Today, I found out a family friend is losing her battle with cancer.  She will be leaving behind two beautiful sons and a husband.  Her younger son is a student at my school.  I think about how real Jordan's dream seemed to her and how scared she was.  I think about this little boy and how big and real his fear is becoming.  I cry for this family and pray for their strength to get through this difficult time.

I am sad for this little boy who wont have his mom to comfort his fear, reassure his worries, and advocate for his needs any longer.  As someone who has lost a parent, I know the reality of how long this hurt will remain with him and how it will sharp a part of who he will become...and my heart weeps for him.  As a mom, I just want to draw him in and protect his heart. 

Please, if you read this, Pray for the Hall family.  For Michael, Joel, and Nick.  And for Jen Mama.  That she is freed from pain and reassured that her family, friends, and community will always love and cherish her angels.

Sick Girls

The girls are sick!  Poo-ey!  Emily has a wet cough, no fever.  Jordan has a super running nose, cough, and water eyes, no fever.  I hate it when they are that in between sick.  Not sick enough for the doctor, but sick enough to keep them from doing some of their regularly scheduled activities.

We kept Jordan home...or should I say Nini kept her home...from school today.  She was not pleased with this but I'm sure we would've gonna a call to come get her.  Plus, I hate it when parents sent their kids to school so sick they can't even function normally.  It's inconsiderate to the teacher and kids.    I told her if she rested well, drank lots of water, and took her cough medicine like a big girls, she MIGHT be well enough for school on Friday.  I'm just hoping she's well enough for swim lessons, which start on Saturday.  Oh crud!  I just remembered she has dance tomorrow...maybe we'll keep her home from that too.  Hate to get the other ballerina's sick.

I can't believe how much Emily is talking now.  When I got home I set Em up in her highchair with some fruit snacks so I could fold the laundry.  She says, "Mom?  Look.  Shirt?"  I take this to mean, "Hey Mom, what are you doing to that shirt?".  So I answer, "Yup, this is Mommy's shirt.  I'm folding it to put it away." To which she answers, "Mom?  Look.  Shirt?".  Broken record but I love it.

I tend to eat after the girls have had their supper so that I can eat while my food is still hot.  I was eating my pizza and drinking my diet coke in the living room.  Emily walks up and reaches out for my drink.  "I...?" (which means ice).  "Yes, you can have some ice."  I start to reach in my cup to retrieve an ice cube and she starts shaking her head back and forth. "Don't you want ice?"  She continues and reaches to grab the cup for herself.  "No Em.  Mommy will hold it."  I watch as her face crumbles, her fists ball up angerily, she stomps a few feet away.  She stands with her feet spread apart firmly, her arms straightened at her sides, fists clenched.  She lets her head fall back and lets out a long discontented moan; mouth wide open, eyes sqeezed just....crocodile tears.

Oh man...that's pitiful, I thought to myself.  She then stomped over to the child sized arm chair and plopped down to pout.  She sat over there with her little bulldog lip sticking out for a while staring me down as I drank from my cup.  After a few seconds, she came back over and said, "Sip, please." While signing please.  I guess the drink was worth her dropping the 'tude. 

Saturdays are a blast

I took Jordan to her first school friend birthday party yesterday.  My wonderful husband kept Emily with him for what was a unknown number of hours.  Thank goodness he did because they had taken the gate down around their pool and Emily would have gone straight in. 

Jordan's friend's name is Olivia and she was turning three.  From what I can tell, Jordan is the oldest in her class.  Olivia's home was  huge!  They got her a petting zoo; complete with sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, and a potbelly pig, and pony rides.  I got a lot of satisfaction watching how easy it is for her to introduce herself (and me) to everyone and just dive right in.  I loved meeting four of her classmates.  Seeing how she interacts with them and listening in on their conversations.  She and Paige seem to still together the most.  Paige was there with her dad and little brother.  We chatted some about how much they've changed since school started and the possibility of weekend playdates.  Another mom and I talked about how we aren't really interested in weekday playdates because WE'RE so tired after work and how much their vocabularies have grown.  It was a nice time.

On the drive home, I asked Jordan, "What was your most favorite part of the party?".  She answered, "The rabbits!  I loved those soft little bunnies!  Then swimming in their pool all by myself.  Then the pony ride!!!!"  Her squeaky voice getting higher and higher as her she is tell me this.  I had been very impressed with her confidence in the pool.  She has been swimming with a floatie at her Grandpa's pool.  She was eager to show off this new form of independence.  They had a floatie so she took and just jumped right in!

Emily had a fantastic day with her daddy.  They watched Baby Signing Time together and fell asleep on the recliner.  Those videos are her favorite and she does almost every sign in them now.  Getting her to use them in conversation is more challenging but we are using more and more so I think it will be great as the girls get older.

Since Emily was still asleep when we got home, I set Jordan up with a movie and fell into my fell exhausted from the heat and exersion of socializing with people I don't know!  LOL!

Dancing Queen

I knew they existed.  Yes.  I certainly knew that there were parents out there who act a little nuts when it comes to their kids activities. Jordan started dance class tonight.  She takes a 45 minute class once a week that is a combination tap, ballet, tumbling class.  She loves it.  Last season the parents sat in the waiting area and chatted quietly and there weren't too many of us out there.  The little girls danced in the smaller studio that doesn't have a window to view in.  This didn't really bother me.  This is Jordan's time to practice and I didn't want to be a distraction to her.  Tonight the dance studio was a MADHOUSE!!!  The girls were in the bigger studio with the viewing window.  Parents crowded around it; not letting their babies out of the sites for a millisecond.  This made it so hard on me since I was chasing Emily back and forth down the skinny waiting room/hallway.  Cut the cord people!  Maybe it was just because it was the first night of classes.  I hope they all calm down and I hope their kids aren't as high strung.

It's a school day tomorrow.  I love Jordan's school days.  I love the routine in the morning.  More than anything I love it when I see Jordan after school and get to hear all about her day.  It's exciting to me to know what she chose to do while she was away from her family members; how she enjoyed the activities and structure of the day.  I love hearing what snack she ate and how she liked it even though she prefers the graham crackers they sometimes get.  I love hearing about how she hardly needs any help to use the potty (a point of pride since so many in her class aren't trained yet).  I love hearing how her friendships are developing.  It's all so very interesting and exciting.

Then I glance at Emily and think...please...for goodness sake SLOW DOWN!  Ever new milestone makes me sadder and sadder.  I never thought I would fit into this stereotype!  She's my baby...she always will be.  We got Jordan a two wheeler with trainers for her fourth birthday.  Emily will be getting Jordan's old bike.  I'll bet she has that think figured out and wheeling all over the place before I know it.  I just want to cry!

Slow Down My Darlings...

First, Jordan.  I see so much change in my oldest daughter as she is completeing her third week of pre-school.  She only goes 3 days a week but there is clear change in her.  I noticed it especially when we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner yesterday evening.  After eating all of her chicken and most of her fruit cup, she happily went to play in their indoor playroom.  Without fear or reservation, she seamlessly joined the group of kids who were older than her and were playing a game of tag.  I watched like a hawk for roughhousing from the bigger kids but it was a nice group.  One bigger girl took Jordy by the hand to play.  Soon, Jordy was running around like she was one of them.  Usually, Jordy has trouble getting bigger kids to play with her.  She is very verbal with a high level vocabulary.  But her size and age throw the big kids off.  She seems to have found a way to get along.

Other areas of vast improvement are in her art.  Her drawing are much clearer.  Where her princess drawings used to be scribble people, they clearly have a head, body, arms, legs, and faces.  She even did one with hair, ears, and a tiara!  Her painting is improving.  I have notices as well a sweetness with her sister.  I see them hugging more, sharing more, and seeking each other out to play.  This has always worried me...like it might not happen.  Jordy was so indifferent to Emily except to display jealous at the attention she received until Emily started walking.  It has lightened my heart a great deal to see their interactions group and develop.

Which brings me to Emily.  That hair cut I gave her really makes her look more grown up.  She has been cutting her K9s on the bottom so has been irratable.  She is joyful and flexible as long as she isn't ignored.  She is much more self-sufficient than Jordy was at her age.  She will happily play by herself coloring or with blocks, then she'll wonder over for a huge and chat, then wander off again for some independent play.  It's the best because I'm able to get a lot done. 

What I have noticed the most in the last month is how much more specific her language is.  She isn't just saying one word at a time. She is stringing together words to create sentences and mixing them with intelligent babble.  I call it that because her phrasing is so repeatitive that I'm convinced she is saying something and trying to get us to understand but it's still just baby.  Some of her catch phrases are:

• Ready to go?  Get shoes! Let's go! Buh-gye (this is all said while pulling on a back or trying to open the front door).
• Where Daddy?  Work Daddy?  Daddy! (Always said in the car on the ride home or when we walk in the door but have beat Josh home).
• Watch Caillou?  Watch Caillou?  Yeah! (She loves Callou from PBS Kids)

We are working on developing more of her signs.  She LOVES LOVES LOVES Baby Signing Time.  She can sign everything from the videos pretty decently but isn't using them outside the videos because they just aren't being as closely reinforced.  I'm working on it. 

Love these kids!  I'm hoping for some time at the park this weekend.  Want to find a decent walking trail that's in the shade.  Gotta start getting back on that weight loss wagon!