first week wrap up

day two of pre school was a success!

she was a little nervous in the morning but once we got her settled into class she was all smiles and gave me a big kiss and we said our goodbyes.

when i picked her up she was still playing near the teacher instead of on the playground but she was very relaxed and all smiles. did my heart good!

grampa set up a bonfire tonight in our backyard so sophia could have her first campfire and smores experience. let me tell you someone was excited!!

so was mommy ;)













the sugar high has hit!!




while we roasted our marshmallows i kept enjoying our amazing yard. it was raining and the yard looked so lush and beautiful (we had our bonfire in the gazebo).




so we made it through her first week of preschool. we had some bumps and bruises along the way and we are still adjusting. sophia has just been out of sorts all week. she has been full of attitude and defiance with me. it's been a long week to say the least. i am hoping she will be back to her old self and that it is just an adjustment period and not...dare i say it what three is going to be like, gulp!! speaking of the big three. my mom and i have come up with a very fun birthday idea for the little miss! i am excited and i will share it with you soon. for now take a moment and visit grama's blog to see what else we have been up to this week

big day

she did it!!

we woke up bright and early and started our day.

first up we had blueberry pancakes. sophia made a special request for them the night before. she ate, she got ready in her special new outfit then it was picture time!





i brought her to her class. we met a few new friends as we waited outside the classroom waiting to be let in. we were early birds.

it was busy. so many kids. so many parents. all excited and nervous. we found her little hook and cubby. we put away her backpack and switched her into her indoor shoes. next we lined up to wash her hands. we then found her name tag and found a spot at the coloring table. i told her i loved her and i would see her after class (just like we practiced). she was cool. she said "ok mom" and we hugged and off I went holding down the lump in my throat that was dying to come out.

11:30 arrived and i promptly greeted sophia out on the play ground. as i was walking up to the play area i could see lots of kids playing and running about. i looked and looked but i couldn't see sophia. hmmm i thought. she must be inside the playhouse. as i got closer the teacher stepped aside and wouldn't you know it sophia was standing right there next to her. she was just standing there and playing with the rocks. i gave her the biggest hug i could but she was just kinda being cranky and furrow browed. I eventually got the smiles from her and giggles and all was well again. i asked her teacher ms. barbara how she did. she said she was very good and that she was always right behind her. she said that every time she turned around sophia was right there. "Oh" i said "she was your shadow for the day (welcome to my world!)" the teacher laughed and said "yes, i kept calling her my silhouette". we said goodbye and got all her things.


here is her classroom (ms. barbara is kneeling at the table)



on our way out sophia showed me the class gerbil. not sure what his name is yet.



we said goodbye to the schoolbus that she really wants to ride on





the funny thing with preschool is you don't get a play by play from the teachers. you dont get much. what you do get is cryptic bits and pieces from your child. i learned that she got two tinkerbell stamps on her hands for listening. they read an alligator book and got to touch a real alligator (it was a toy but this is sophia's version). she ate her snack. and that's about all i got.

as the day went on i got a little more info. she made a friend named sarah.

it wasn't until bedtime that i got the real deal. and it made my heart a bit sad.

she told me that she was sad because she missed me. she said when she was coloring she cried because i wasn't there. (heartbreaking). i told her how proud i was of her and that she did it without me and that it will get easier every time.

she then told me she didn't want to play on the playground. she wanted to play on the grass. i said well im sure that would be ok if she wanted to do that. sophia told me "no, the teacher said i couldn't". "ohhhh" i said. it all came clear in my head...that was why she was out of sorts when i picked her up. she said "i was just standing on the rocks and i was bored, i didn't talk to anyone" (had to hold back my tears and the urge to promptly pull her out of preschool and keep her home safe with me). i told her that it was ok she didn't want to play on the playground but she should try and that she might like it. i let her know that she was a good girl for listening to her teacher and following the rules.

day one. we already learned a life lesson. she will get stronger from it all. she will get braver. i know she will. she is not the type that will just run off and play and mingle. it intimidates her and she gets very shy. i just have to trust that the teachers are sensitive to her and that they will help her grow more comfortable with the big group environment.

i just hope she is still excited about going again on thursday. it might be harder the second time around you never know. fingers crossed!!

and if you were wondering what i did while she was at school?? i went to my new/old favorite place. value village. that's right. i am addicted to thrift shopping again. most of sophia's clothes are second hand these days. you can get the best stuff for so cheap. love it. i also went grocery shopping for our chicken, apples and peanut butter dinner. but we ate it at lunch ;) i also made monkey bread. so dangerous and so good!!!

the eve of pre-school

twas the night before pre-school, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

the backpack was packed by the door with care,
in hopes that the school bus would soon be there.

sophia was nestled all snug in her bed,
while visions of school books danced in her head.
and mama with her handkerchief had just settled her brain
to realize her baby girl is GOING TO PRE-SCHOOL!!!!!


back in the day (feels like yesterday, where did my baby go? seriously holding back tears over here) when she would let me pose her in pretty fall sweaters! Sophia at 8 months



now this is what i get....



and this...



(the above pictures were taken last thursday when we went for sophia's orientation. she got to meet her teachers ms. barbara and ms. linda and see her classroom)

she better pose for me tomorrow...in her new outfit!! thank you auntie sara for the early birthday present!! i am going to make sophia wear that vest every day of her life. (i found those cute ankle booties at walmart, holla!)



she is all set with her new lunch box and backpack!! the lunch box came all the way from europe! thank you grama and grampa! the backpack is from sophia's friend alex in calgary! he knows how much sophia loves strawberry shortcake :)



thumbs up for pre-school!!



too excited to sleeeeeeeeep!



pretending to sleep. she told me to make the picture dark and take a picture of her "sleeping". she is a very good actress. we had a lot of fun tonight before bed talking about the next day. we took a million silly pictures. we laughed so hard because every picture we took her eyes are ALWAYS closed. the only two where her eyes are open i posted.



yesterday i asked her what she would like as a special first day of pre school dinner. i told her she could choose anything she wanted. she replied that she would like "apples, chicken and peanut butter".


i love you sophia grace. tomorrow is a big day for both of us.
not gonna lie i am looking forward to the two hours of "me time" but at the same time it is really really hard letting you go. it means you are no longer in any way my little baby. that is hard for this momma to deal with. i have never left you somewhere other than a family members house. this is it. you are now in the world of learning to fend for yourself. momma won't be there to run to if you are nervous or scared or intimidated. there will be 17 other kids in your class. gulp. i hope you won't get lost in the shuffle. in groups you get so quiet. you tend to shy away and let other kids get their way. i want you to be brave and confident. i want your teachers and new friends to see what a sweet, creative, unique little girl you are! i know they will. how could they not. you are amazing. i am so blessed to be your momma!