For Savannah's 7th birthday, we decided to redo her room. Her room had been the same since she was about to turn three. While it was cute, we were both tired of it and wanted something new and exciting. Savannah mentioned she wanted blue in her big girl room and it just so happened that Pottery Barn Kids came out with a blue quilt. It was like the stars aligned.
While some big girl rooms include pictures of Justin Bieber or some other face in pop media, my Savannah's does not. She remains right where I want her. . . innocent. The television hasn't made it into our daily lives (movies in the van play pretty often but are often Thomas, Thumbelina, or Elmo) which leaves Savannah somewhat untouched by popular influences. When I step back and look at her room, I am thrilled that she is excited about the colors, the new ceiling fan, and about moving back into her room so that she can set up her classroom and baby doll center again.
I feel the need to document Savannah's progression with the piano. She has been taking lessons for a bit over a year now. It is still a positive experience and she enjoys going to her lessons. What is difficult is finding the time to practice. Her songs are getting harder which requires more time on the keys and less time running around with her sisters before dinner. Practicing usually requires a parent as well.
For what it is worth, I feel that Savannah has made huge strides since we have picked up her lessons after summer's break. She now changes positions in the middle of a song, crosses her fingers over and under, and can play very different melodies. We had an extra week on the following song which prompted me to record her playing it. I sprung the camera on her which obviously made her nervous. It certainly isn't a perfect run through of her song but I was very pleased that she powered through the tough spots. I remember wanting to start the song over when I was stuck.
Adeline's mainstream preschool throws a great Halloween bash. The kids are treated to a carnival and then they treat the parents to a parade. The best part is that each classroom decides on a costume and then makes it at school. I never know what Adeline is going to be until she rounds the corner. This year, her class was Thing 1, Thing 2, etc, from Dr. Seuss. They were pretty cute.
Once all the classes have paraded, they sing songs and finger plays for the parents to enjoy. It was windy which made Adeline's awareness of her crown very acute. I could see her struggle between singing and being completely distracted by her hat. Of course, it would take a trained eye to recognize that it was more than just a floppy crown on the verge of blowing off.
It is moments like these that help me see how Adeline's brain works. She has so much knowledge but when she is in an uncontrolled environment, she often isn't able to access it. For example, Adeline had a duet in one of the songs. She was shut down with both hands on her hat and eyes on the ground when her time came. Her teacher approached me afterward and said that she was surprised that Adeline didn't sing because, not only did she know her part, she knew all of the other parts too. Just an example of how multitasking isn't in Adeline's near future. It wasn't a big deal though. She made up for it in many of the other songs.
Here are some pictures from the carnival and parade and a quick clip of "Five Little Pumpkins."
She really melts my heart. She is so cute - yes, I know I am biased but. . .
We had a fantastic Halloween this year. The girls were so excited to go door to door and fill their baskets. Better yet, Savannah's very best friends joined us which helped the big girls outnumber the little girls - something Savannah rarely experiences. The big girls were on a mission and eventually broke off from the us and the twins. I knew Savannah was thrilled to be in the company of Lizzie and Josie which allowed me to delight in the twins without any Mommy's guilt.
We started the night with two ladybugs and one witch. Lila was adamant about being a witch but I knew the wind would bother her and her hat. It only took two houses for her to go back and change into a ladybug costume. In the end, my three bugs were very cute together. The twins were especially cute and got lots of compliments on their ladybug costumes.
What was most surprising about the night was that Adeline was more vocal and forward on people's doorsteps. Lila hung back on the first house, afraid to say, "Trick-orTreat." Adeline took the lead which, eventually, helped Lila feel confident. Soon both girls were off and running with treat bags full of candy.
We were out for a solid two hours. It was pure joy for both the kids and parents. I couldn't help but stand back and watch my two little ones climb the doorsteps, say their cute, "Trick-or-Treats," and walk away with a very sweet, "Thank yous," and "Good nights." A fun night indeed!
Hand crafted by Miss long hair herself. I keep thinking I will cut her hair but when she makes a self image like this it makes me realize how much she likes her hair.
Today at school I saw a display telling what all of Lila's classmates are thankful for. After a long list of Mommies, Daddies, and My families, I saw duckies. I didn't need to look and see who that belonged to.
At dinner tonight, Lila was explaining that she was a very tiny baby when she was born. She said she cried really loud in the hospital which made the doctor tell her, "No! No!." I asked why she was in the hospital and she said she was a tiny baby and the doctors had to take care of her. I asked what the doctors had to do for her. Miss Lila replied, "Make me happy so mommy and daddy take me home." We have been working on putting on our happy face in this house. . . I guess it is starting to sink in!
Finally, out of the blue one morning Lila came into my bathroom and said this.
L: I don't want to go in your belly again.
Me: Why not?
L: Because it is scary in there.
Me: How is it scary?
L: It is so dark in there.
Hmm. . . I guess she isn't bothered by the fact that she missed out on three quiet and DARK months in my belly.
