Preschool Graduation

 I've dug myself quite a hole here on this blog...so much to post about, so little time. Here we go--

Miss Adrienne Elizabeth graduated from preschool on May 25th! I cannot believe our time at preschool is over....5 years between the two girls just flew by. Adrienne was very excited about this big moment.

Here she is the day before graduation, her last day of preschool ever.

Just for fun...here she was on her first day of school this year--sporting her signature "donkey ears" hairstyle as well!

On graduation evening, we went to eat at Newt's (graduate's choice) after we gave Adrienne a couple of gifts and took lots of pictures.

Mom and girls all sporting our Saltwater Sandals. Too fun!

Jillian made sure to remind me that we gave her a cross necklace and Bible with her name on it...so guess what Adrienne got??

Jillian initially wanted no part of the picture taking, and was having a little moment of jealousy, but right before we left she softened up and gave Adrienne a very sweet card she made.

This card lists several things she loves about Adrienne.

Waiting to fight the crowds when the doors open.

Graduates on stage...Adrienne is in the top row, just right of the cross. I will pause here and of course share that I absolutely cried like a baby when the kids walked in. Matt and Jillian loved making fun of me for crying. 

After the ceremony we of course had to have some refreshments in the gym.

Adrienne and her friend Jaidyn

Adrienne was her usual silly self and made a production out of leaving her school for the last time ever. She was blowing kisses to everything...the door, the walls, the parking lot. What a goofball.

As if cookies at school weren't enough, these girls decided they NEEDED Flapdoodles...so we picked some up and enjoyed it on the deck.

Last Preschool Fieldtrip and Kinder Camp

I accompanied Adrienne on her very last preschool field trip to the dairy farm. It was a cold, miserable, windy May day in MN, but it was a great farm full of wonderful people and educational experiences. Farmer Kevin addressed the group with some rules when we arrived.

Our group headed into the barn first to learn some cow trivia from a real live tiara-wearing princess--The Olmsted County Dairy Princess! The kids were so distracted by the cat on the hay bale behind her that they really didn't seem too interested in the cow that was in the barn. So funny.

The class with the dairy princess, farmer Kevin, and the cow they were about to pet.

Adrienne very carefully touched her ear.

Then we headed into a smaller barn where all the baby cows were held. We lucked out and got to see a calf that was born just that morning!

This calf was playing games with me.

Lastly, we went into the milking barn and got to learn about the process of milking. Adrienne didn't appreciate the smell.

The kids got to put their fingers in the milking machine to see how it felt.

Before we left, the farmers had everyone wash their hands in this awesome outdoor sink. I loved their focus on sanitary practices!!

The day after the field trip, Adrienne had her kinder camp experience at Gibbs. I dropped her off for an hour while they did little assessments with the kids and showed them around the kindergarten rooms, and then went back for a parent meeting. When I picked Adrienne up she was on top of the world. She was beaming and so excited that she got to see Jillian's kindergarten teacher, and saw Jillian in the hallway, and discovered that she knew enough sight words to be on an IRLA reading level (the reading program used in Rochester Public Schools). She hears about Jillian talk about her level all the time, so she was stoked to tell her sister that she was a reader, too! While I have known that we'd send Adrienne next year, my heart has had trouble preparing for it. Seeing her after this experience confirms that it's the right choice. She is so ready, and so, so excited for her new adventure in kindergarten next year!

Metaphorically Speaking

Jillian amazes me with her ability to think metaphorically and apply this type of reasoning in real life situations. Recently, we had an issue with some blatant disrespect and awful verbal outburst to me and as her consequence I assigned her an act of service--cleaning out the toys and trash in the car. After she completed the chore she came inside and in typical Jillian fashion told me how the consequence was kind of enjoyable. Trying to get my point across and not let her think she had 'won' by acting like the consequence was no big thing, I ignored her comment, and then asked if she had learned anything from the experience. She said, "Yep. Think before you stink!" I asked her what that was all about and she said that Mrs Davidson tells the kids that at school (I love this phrasing and now we use it all the time...thanks, Mrs D!). So then I asked her what that meant and she said, "You know, Mom, it's like I have to think before I make a bad decision". Then she went on...."Talking bad to your parents is kind of like going into water with your bike. You just start out getting your wheels wet and then you keep going and going and can't stop and before you know it you are trying to bike in a river and that's just impossible." 

And just like that she grabbed her bike helmet and headed outside while I tried to pick my jaw up off the floor.  There's hope, people. There's always hope.

Mother's Day

An incredibly belated blurb about Mother's Day...

I woke to the traditional donuts in bed and two little ladies begging me to get out of bed and come outside for a big surprise. I followed them into the yard and tucked into our landscaping on the front right corner of the house was our very own fairy garden! They are so excited about this and wonder if any real fairies will come to live here this summer. We shall see...

We all went to church, and then took a nice little stroll through the Plummer Gardens before our brunch reservations at the Country Club. I got the girls each a maxi skirt this spring, and they LOVE wearing them. They are starting to dress like me (note J's cardigan over her tank top and A's long necklace) and I can really see some individual style choices come through as they select outfit combinations.

Also, as mentioned before, Jillian is doing her own hair. So there's that.

Somebody looks like her daddy

And somebody looks like her mom...

Family selfie.

The dessert table is always the highlight of any meal at the Country Club.

In addition to lots of homemade things and some generous shopping money (for my girls day with Jenni) from Matt, the girls each selected a card for me at the store. Jillian gave me a real grown up card. She was so proud and it was so sweet--Matt said she toiled over the decision and then insisted that this was the one.

And true to form, Adrienne brought the humor.

I took a nap, read some magazines outside while sipping a beer, planted my front flower pots, and then boycotted cooking in favor of leftovers for dinner. It was a beautiful day spent with my three favorites. 

7.5

Jillian is officially 7 1/2! She counted down the days until April 29th, and then requested that we go out to Newt's and Flapdoodles to celebrate...how could we say no to such a delicious plan?

Some things about Jillian at this age....

-She is a fabulous reader. Devours chapter books, and has started keeping track of what she's read in a little notebook just like I do. Other reading interests include space, Antarctica, and Ancient Egypt. She really wants to hit the next reading level at school before the end of the year, and I won't be surprised if she does.

-She craves time alone with me, and often tells me how much she enjoys it when she gets me alone. I naturally have lots of time alone with Adrienne, but we have to work to make this happen for Jillian and I. At bedtime I have started to linger in her room longer, and she calls this "alone time". She shuts her door, we sit on her bed, and she proceeds to grill me about everything she wonders about. The list is so varied, and I honestly never know what I'm going to get hit with. Lately it's been lots of questions about childbirth (pain, age you are too old to have babies, etc), why so many toys are made in China and if that's bad (I'm serious), inquiries about upcoming weekends/schedules/events, the list goes on. I should record some of these conversations because they are often hilarious. As I sit on her bed and look at her, I'm sometimes just struck by how grown up she is as she tucks her hair behind her ears, gushes to me about things at school, and dramatically poses her intense questions with hand motions.

-Emotions are intense with this one. They always have been, so I don't know why they take me by surprise, but she seems extra ramped up right now. This kid can turn on a dime--generally in times of transition, but it's often hard to predict. We are working hard to be quiet if we can't be kind, learning to walk away when we are angry (instead of getting physically aggressive with one's little sister), and problem solving ways to healthily express emotions. I'm not gonna lie, it ain't easy. I try to keep my sense of humor about all of this...especially when she is shouting such things at me as, "Is no the only word you know?!?" or "You are the WORST MOM EVER!" or "What is this kind and quiet business?!?" or "Stop bossing me around!!".  I feel push back from her in most interactions. It may not be a coincidence that I just recently discovered the first very prominent wide streak of gray in my hair...

-Independence is so important to her. This is where I am consciously working to relinquish control where I am able, which is a huge struggle for this control freak. Jillian is now getting her own breakfast and doing her own hair (most often in a low ponytail). I approach many struggles with her by asking her to help me problem solve the issue. She desperately wants to really cook in the kitchen ("Hey mom, now that I know fractions I think I could really actually read and follow a recipe!"), and so I have plans to work on this in the summer with her.


-Jillian can now ride a two-wheeler! She resisted this for sooooo long, never wanting to work on it because she is the type who wants to just automatically be good at something (apples don't fall far...). Just recently she started commenting that she's the "only" one in her class who can't ride a bike, so she begged Matt to remove the training wheels. He did, and...she could ride a bike! I guess she knew when she was ready. She is so proud.

-Jillian has a heart of gold. Details are important to her, as are holidays and making people feel special. She toiled over what to buy me at the Mother's Day store at school, surprised Matt with a book for him on Ancient Egypt with her book fair money (he told her he loved to read about Egypt), and is quick to give Adrienne a couple dollars at Target if she doesn't have enough cash to buy whatever she is trying to purchase.


A few recent pics...all smiles after doing her hair independently for the first time

Presenting me with some very lovely flowers from the Mother's Day store at school..

Proud of her new skill!

Miracles

Adrienne: "Mom! I just had really bad hiccups that wouldn't go away. So I prayed to God....and poof! My hiccups are gone. It's a miwacle!"