1st grade

Della started 1st grade today, and I missed her the second she walked through those doors to begin this new school year.

IMG_1015

I miss her like crazy every time she goes to school, but I know she’s going to have a wonderful year again. After meeting her teacher, Mrs. Tauscher, the other night at meet and greet, she is dying to get started on their classroom travel adventures and getting her passport stamped.

IMG_3656

IMG_3672

IMG_3664

IMG_1008

IMG_1009

One of her good little girlfriends from K5 is in her class again this year and they’re even sitting at the same table, so Della is very happy about that.

IMG_1010

IMG_1013

I hate it when these giant chunks of my heart leave me to walk around in this big, wide world all by themselves, but at least I can rest a little easier knowing she’s in such good hands at this school. I just pray that it forever stays the safe haven it has always been for her and all the other kids there.

IMG_1014

Good luck this year, sweet pea! 1st grade looks beautiful on you! (feel free to slow down on this growing up thing any time, though…)

IMG_3680

 

 

Six!

Our beautiful firstborn turned 6 on August 1, and she just keeps getting more amazing by the year.

IMG_3103

This past year has definitely been one of much growth for her. Not only is she getting taller by the day, but she had her first year of all-day school with K5 and absolutely loved it. She adored her teacher, Mrs. Murphy, and really thrived. She is such a good student and loves to learn. She’s so looking forward to getting back there in a few weeks and starting 1st grade!

IMG_3108

IMG_3157

IMG_3186

She loves the monkey bars, riding her bike, scootering all over the place, running around the yards with her neighborhood friends, any show on PBS Kids, America Ninja Warrior, Masterchef, and still all things Frozen and Hello Kitty. She has become the best reader, with the Magic Treehouse series being her favorite. And she is the most wonderful big sister, constantly playing with Lana and Morrison.

IMG_0701

IMG_0935

IMG_9217

IMG_9203

Della is one of the kindest, sweetest, most conscientious, and gorgeous people I know, inside and out. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my daughter. The size of her heart and the limitless expanse of her mind inspire me and make me prouder every single day. She truly is a friend to all.

IMG_3240

IMG_3252

IMG_3326

Happy 6th birthday, our sweet Della Jolee!! Words can’t even describe how much we love you!

IMG_3197

D6

 

The real deal

Della started K5 last Tuesday, and it’s the real thing, folks. All-day school. Wow.

IMG_9031

Just like last year, I had no idea how I was going to bear having her at school, let alone for the full day now. The night before the first day, I was a complete wreck. I couldn’t focus my mind – get her backpack ready, get her dress out for the day, get her snack in her backpack, make her lunch, figure out what time to get up so that I was able to get ready before anyone else needed me, how to get us all to school on time, where to go now that she goes in the doors in the back of the school with all the other kids, how to survive the back of the school with all the other kids.

I asked her as we were waiting in line that morning if she was getting nervous because she had gotten really quiet and I could tell she was looking around at all the chaos, trying to take it in, but she said no, just excited. I’m glad one of us was, because I still wasn’t even sure we were in the right line! I couldn’t see her teacher for all the seemingly millions of parents and kids back there. Then when she walked up the steps and that giant building swallowed her up, I thought I was going to lose my mind.

IMG_7554

IMG_7557

But thankfully, as usual, she put my mama heart at ease at the end of the day when she chattered the entire walk home, telling me everything they did, step by step. She had walked out the door after school that first day looking like a little zombie with a panda sticker on her forehead, and she was very proud to show it to me when she was dismissed from her line. What’s the sticker for? I asked. For sleeping so well at rest time! Coincidentally, that was her favorite part of the day and continues to be thus far. I think she’s secretly happy she gets to take a nap again.

IMG_7565

As I was tucking her in that night after her first full day of school, she was saying how much she liked her teacher, and, as if she were telling someone else how much they’d like her, too, she said, “Mrs. Murphy is the best. You’d just be amazed by her.”

I hope you feel that way about all your teachers, peanut. And I hope the excitement with which you’ve embraced kindergarten is something you’ll carry with you through all of your school days. I love you so much, sweetheart, and Daddy and I could absolutely not be prouder of our big kindergartner!

 

Five!

LATE! Again, I am beyond late with this post, but I just cannot seem to get on here in a timely manner anymore. So please forgive my tardiness and enjoy this post about our magnificent first-born, who turned 5 almost 2 weeks ago now.

5 years and almost exactly 2 weeks ago, I was about to go into labor with the original Goonie. My, how unprepared I was, but how I felt an instant and overwhelming instinct to be a mother the second she was born. Maybe that’s why we now have 3.

Della turned 5 on August 1, and she is simply the most incredible, beautiful girl in the world. She’s smart, she’s silly, she’s extraordinarily kindhearted, she’s beyond conscientious, and she’s just wonderful.

IMG_7344

She was a fantastic biggest sister to Morrison before he was even born, she and Lana adore playing together and have had the best days ever this summer (her words), and she is the amazingly innocent epitome of a kid.

IMG_8704

She learned to ride a bike with no training wheels just a few weeks before turning 5, and she could not be prouder. She’s now a pro on that thing! Frozen still rules as her favorite everything, and she’s getting more excited by the day to start K5 in September. For as much as it kills me to know she’ll be away from me all day every weekday now, I know she will thrive at school. K4 was great for her, and I hope every grade continues that way. Now if only all the other kids she’ll encounter along the way would be, too, my heart would rest much more easily.

IMG_8351

Can you believe how tall she’s getting??

IMG_7354

We love you beyond words, Della Jolee, and are so very, very proud of you. Happy belated 5th birthday! May you have many, many, many more!

IMG_5152

2010

IMG_3153

2011

IMG_0091

2012

IMG_8046

2013

IMG_1204

2014 (sorry this one’s tiny)

IMG_7345

2015

The blink of an eye

That’s seemingly how long it took us to get here…

IMG_1650

Della started K4 on Tuesday, and I still can’t believe it’s really happened. Each year as the girls age, I say it doesn’t seem as if time has completely flown by to get to that point. I feel like it really has been just over 4 years that we’ve known Della and almost 2 that we’ve known Lana.

And I don’t mean that in a bad, oh-my-gosh-I-can’t-take-another-day-with-these-two way. I mean that in the absolute best way possible – that even though time in general feels as if it flies by most of the time, my days with these girls haven’t felt so. This time has felt just right, something for which I am grateful.

But this whole school thing? Hoo boy, has it crept up on me something fierce.

Not once in her lifetime until just recently, and especially not even when I started staying home with Della and then both once Lana was born, did I realize that their school years were going to approach so quickly. It felt like we had eternity to be together at home, on our own schedule, doing whatever we wanted and whatever the days allowed.

Why, I have no idea, because all along I’ve fully known at what age kids go to school. And around here I’ve always known that K4 is included in our school system, so our kids would naturally be going to it.

But here we are. Back to school.

And I don’t really like it.

Yet.

P1150722

I know this will be a wonderful experience for her and for all of us, but it’s just going to take me some time to get there mentally.

I will admit, having these first 2 half days under our belts does make me feel a little better. Like ok, we really can do this. But tomorrow is her first full 3-hour day, so I have to get us up, ready, and out the door to be at school before 8:15. Good luck.

And I did meet some new parents today who seem really nice and easy to get along with, so that made me infinitely more at ease about this whole 14-year process. Yes, 14 years. That’s how long she will be in the public school system now. Class of 2028, anyone? I about die every time I hear that.

There was 1 thing, though, that did make my heart soar when I heard it. Today as we were walking home, Della said, “I love going to school.”

And exhale.

IMG_1663

 

 

Early onset empty nest syndrome

Della starts school in just a couple weeks, and I won’t lie – I think it’s giving me major anxiety. Yes, it’s only K4, and yes, it will only be 3 hours a day in the mornings, but still. I don’t want her to be gone!

It’s so strange picturing my days here without her. What are Lana and I going to do all morning? Della is my resident babysitter for Lana when I need to get stuff done, whether it be work, cleaning, or just general stuff that doesn’t involve direct interaction with one of my children. Honestly, I can’t picture the days without her. I have a feeling it’ll take actually having her gone those hours before I can wrap my head around it.

I know she’ll be fine, and I’m sure she’ll thrive, knowing that incredible little mind and spirit of hers. Thankfully, our school district is one of the better ones in the state, so I’m not worried there either. It’s all me.

I’m going to miss her, though. She’s my first child, and I never even thought about the fact that her school days would be here so soon. 4 years? That’s all I get with her like this? 4 years?? I feel like we have so many more days we need to play and have no schedule and just be here together. But, sadly, they are quickly running out.

The notion of now being part of a school system for the next 20+ years is a little unsettling, too. Supplies and teachers and new kids and lunchrooms and that smell. Don’t all schools smell the same, or is that just me, too? I’m definitely not looking forward to like 700 new kids and their parents. What if I can’t stand all the parents of Della’s new classmates and then we’re stuck with them for 12 more years? Ugh. Or what if they feel that way about us? Ugh more.

I guess my memories of school days are not all sunshine and rainbows, and maybe that’s why I’m dreading this new chapter so much right now. Not that school was bad for me, I just don’t look back and think wow, those were the absolute best times of my life. I was so ready to be done with school and out of Peoria by the time I graduated high school, that that’s pretty much the main feeling about school that I remember. Sure I can tell you all about my elementary and middle schools, but overall, I just wanted to be done.

So I really hope Della enjoys her school days much more than I remember doing and doesn’t necessarily want to bolt out of here as soon as she can. Because I want her to always want to stay. Which is ridiculously selfish, because of course she won’t want to. But hopefully at least she’ll always want to come back.

I just don’t like this feeling that my baby girl is going to be in this giant sea of other students pretty soon, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want her to go, but I know she can’t stay here forever. And as much as I’d love to keep her here, I don’t think there’s any way I’m cut out for homeschooling. What, you don’t want to do your homework today? Ok cool, neither do I. Let’s go outside. Yeah, I don’t think they’d get very far with my classroom curriculum.

Is there any cure for this knot I get in the heart of my soul every time I think of her tiny little self walking through those huge, looming school doors? Or will it only be cured with time and seeing that it’s really not so scary (i hope) and watching her grow?

We did take a practice walk to the school today and played on the playground, so I could get a feel of how early our morning routines will have to start come September. It’s not too bad, but I’m sure I won’t be able to take them in the double stroller. Even in K4, who wants their mom to walk them to school in a stroller? Am I right, or am I way overthinking this? I just assumed being dropped off from a stroller would be a little too babyish. So I’ll probably push Lana in the single stroller and Della will just walk with me. Fortunately the playground there is awesome, so I know she was really excited about exploring that and climbing all the new monkey bars.

I simply can’t believe (nor do i want to believe) that this beautiful little piece of my heart is not going to be mine for parts of the days anymore. Somebody better send me 18 boxes of Kleenex for that first day, because I’m sure I’ll be a mess.

IMG_1204

 

 

Four!

Della turns 4 years old today. 4!!

I just went back and read my post from her birthday last year, and I can honestly say not a ton has changed. She is still as wonderful, smart, funny, caring, and conscientious as always. Just throw in the additions of Frozen as her new favorite everything, a pedal bike with training wheels of which you can barely get her off, and about 3 inches in legs, and you have her four-year-old self.

I tell her to stop growing so fast almost every day, to which she always replies, “I can’t! I’m a kid, and kids can’t change their numbers.” Meaning she can’t stop getting older. Too bad for me.

IMG_5152

 2010

IMG_3153

 2011

IMG_0091

2012

IMG_8046

2013

IMG_0963

2014

I’m afraid there’s no denying it – there is no baby left in this little girl. She is full-blown kid. I still catch traces of that sweet, sweet baby girl we brought home 4 years ago when she’s sleeping, but as soon as those magnificent eyes open, the kid in her awakens and she’s off and running.

Happy, happy birthday, my amazing Della Jolee!! We love you so very much and wish for nothing more than to celebrate a long lifetime full of these days.