- Ryan turning four
- The progress that Elise has made transitioning from newbie to baby
- The time needed to prep for the holidays
- The time I've needed to meet work commitments
Things that dragged on forever it seemed:
- Hours waiting to hear that Max's mom was back home after a recent hospital scare
- Days spent on the couch with various illnesses
- The week's countdown to tomorrow
Tomorrow Elise starts daycare at the same child development center that Ryan has been at since he was one, Milestones. This day always seemed so abstract and in the future. So it shocks me that the fact that it's upon us feels like such a dreadful surprise. She's ready, I think. She's social, and now sitting up. Curious and communicative with her wide smiles, pterodactyl shrieks and puffy little hands that like to stroke our faces. But she still seems so dependent and tiny. It's very upsetting to think some stranger (ok, we know the teachers, but relatively speaking) gets the privilege of hanging out with her all day. It seemed so much more appropriate when my parents were caring for her. A teacher is paid to do for her job and it's what I'd LOVE to be doing for fun...and she's probably not half as excited as I would be to do so. I know we'll look back on her experience and see the long-term benefits, since this affords me the ability to work, help support our family and will be a wonderful early childhood exposure to learning and socialization. I'm just not ready and probably never will be.
Ryan has spent the last two weeks transitioning to his new classroom: Pre-K B. After weeks of deliberating if we were making the right choice, we pulled Ryan from his previous class due to a child who was a bad influence and very violent. Already it seems to be paying off and Ryan has now accepted the change. He was very hesitant at first, but in the end we think this is best. The class is comprised of kids that will be moving on to young 5s or kindergarten come fall, so it's ahead of him age-wise, but the curriculumn seems to fit him well and the new staff is great. I feel like he's already talking more maturely and walking a bit taller...Big boy status now that he's four. He's been spending time with daddy playing trucks, trains and outdoors since when we're home Ms. Elise demands a lot of my attention...and Max has no milk glands :)
Work for me has been insane. This is my busiest three weeks of the year and they always straddle the holidays. This year seemed especially challenging since I thought I had finally figured out how to honor all our holiday traditions and appear both balanced and somewhat pleasant while balancing cooking, shopping and work emails at all hours. But now with two kids, little sleep and illness, I was lucky to shower everyday (my apologies to my fellow ddmers.) All in all my team is doing great. In fact we've landed several new projects and a clients that are an important addition to ddm's portfolio. But truthfully, the career wins feel like a drag when all you want to do is tell your clients that the strategic plan you just gave them is not nearly as impressive as what you were able to pick up with your toes while nursing a 5 month old and scolding a four year old simultaneously. My current clients and motherhood are not the best mix. We'll leave it at that :)
Max heads back to school after a bummer of a break. He got a bad upper respirtory infection and was down starting Christmas Eve. He's much better, but is looking forward to a semester that promises a schedule change....teaching begins at 6:30am for a zero hour in two weeks. Our earlier riser will rise earlier yet!
That's about all from cold, cold Michigan (it's going to be 50 here this weekend!) Love to each of you,
Court, Max, Ryan + Elise
Ryan at his school's holiday performance with Ms Ashley.
Ryan after his performance celebrating his 4th birthday at The Score with my family.
Ryan wanted a construction themed party.
Henry Danger and Ryan have been good buddies since born and are only days apart. My have they grown!
Elise loves the DJ station as much as Ryan did when it was his.
Christmas Eve tummy time.
Ryan opening gifts on Christmas Eve at Nami & Papa's.
Me and my babies, 5:30am Christmas morning.
Ryan has wanted nothing more this year than to see Uncle B's (Brian) childhood truck collection when we go to Ithaca this summer. He was beyond excited to actually unwrap one of the collection on Christmas morning. He's pretty sure it's a Spartan fire truck.
It was a Spiderman Christmas! He's all about super heros....though he's never really seen a show about them.
Ryan and Max got matching Spiderman tshirts. Ryan wore his for three days straight.
Little Ms. loved her new chair and bag full of babies!
The crew assembled for Christmas dinner.
Though this appears gruesome, its only bathtub paint and Ryan's new fire chief sprayer backpack.
Nana (Max's mom) made it out again for Christmas...and to meet her newest Grand baby!
New Years was spent at a private party...we made cookies, I worked and we spent the day recovering from various illnesses.
Sleeping beauty. If only she was only this good at it all the time. Yesterday I was able to catch up on some sleep after nearly two weeks of averaging 4.5 hours a night. She's healthy now praise God!
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