I’m borrowing the title of this page from the site Ryan created for Della when she was born, The Della Daily Dose. My goal for this page is to write 1 thing daily about or for Della, and the briefer the better. I read about a similar idea on the day of her first birthday and thought it would be an interesting way to chronicle a year of her life. Seeing how I was not blogging when she was born and am terrible about keeping up with my pen-to-paper journal, I thought I’d give it a try on here. And so I give you a dedicated space for The D Daily Dose.
(FYI, because I write so much about these kids, their pages are all broken into yearly chunks so as not to crash my site. I’ll keep the current year on the main page for ease of use. Enjoy!)
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January 30, 2020
Tonight was open house at school, a night we both look forward to very much. Getting a glimpse into your daily life at school is so great for me, because you spend so many hours there away from me. You are always so proud to show off all your work, too, which makes me so happy. You even changed into a new outfit for the evening. 🙂 We went to your room first, and you had forgotten to take your reading log notebook back to school to show me your work at your desk. I said that was ok, not a big deal at all, because we could just look at everything at school and compare it with your notebook when we got home. You showed off your desk, your name tags, your flexible reading area, your discussion table, your art project in the hallway, and your locker. I talked to Mrs. Bowman, your teacher, for a little while, and she of course sang your praises. Knowing how much you guys all love school and how great of students you are makes me so, so very happy. And you do, too! I love you so much, peanut, and I was just as excited to see your 4th-grade world as you were to show it off. Thank you!
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January 31, 2020
You were Star Student at school today! You filled out and colored in an awesome poster that Mrs. Bowman sent home with you, and you picked out a beautiful picture of yourself that we had printed at CVS and you glued on. With all the commotion of the twins’ birthday this morning, though, I totally forgot to take your picture with your poster, so I’ll recreate it when you get to bring it home. You had so much fun describing yourself to your class, and my favorite part was that in the big middle star where it said “I’m a star because…” you wrote “I’m ME!” That is 100% correct, peanut – the best thing about you is YOU!
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February 13, 2020
You were so cute today, peanut. You cut out a whole bunch of pink and red construction paper hearts that you then taped over a flower on one of your shirts to cover it up and make a big heart collage for your Valentine’s party at school today. Talk about creative! I would’ve just worn a shirt with a heart on it, but that’s why you guys are so great – you love doing things your way and so wonderfully. You said they worked perfectly and stayed on all day.
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February 20, 2020
You had a fun day today, my love. You guys got to go see the play A Wrinkle in Time at a local theater for kids. You love the movie, so you were really excited to get to see the play, too.
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February 26, 2020
Yesterday was your turn to be home sick, peanut. Boo. You were coughing some Monday night, but it must’ve been worse than I heard or knew. You didn’t even get out of bed yesterday morning, said you were really tired from the night, your throat was sore, and you had a low-grade fever, so I kept you home. You actually said you wanted to stay home, which you never do. You didn’t get up until about 10:30, right before I took the twins to get Morrison from school. I locked you in both times I left for school, because there was no way you could even get up to get in the car; plus that would be so freezing for you. Thankfully the fever never manifested, but you could barely eat, having just a small cup of yogurt and tiny bowl of jambalaya all day. You went back to bed almost immediately after I got home with the boys from K4 pickup, and when Morrison went in to take his nap you moved out to the couch and slept all afternoon. Thankfully Daddy could pick up Lana, so I didn’t have to leave again. But you did miss your first dance class of the session last night, just like the last session! Fortunately you felt fine this morning and went back to school a-ok – yay! It breaks my heart to see any of you guys sick, even though I love having you home all day with me.
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April 17, 2020
Today was supposed to be our big field trip day to Madison. We were both very sad to miss out on that. I’m so sorry you guys won’t get to go back to school for the rest of this school year, peanut. There are so many fun things that happen at the end of the year – field trips, your orchestra concert, Spring Sing, campout day, the last days with teachers and friends before summer vacation. But we have to keep us all safe, you guys most importantly. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back to school as usual in the fall, and maybe you guys will be able to make up the Madison day next year sometime, since no fourth graders got to do it this year. That would be fun!
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April 30, 2020
You are the most amazing person, peanut. Tonight I had a Zoom call with my friends for a Norwex party. You guys went to bed during it, and you kept coming out to get Kleenexes after I’d tucked you in. After a couple times, I could tell you were sad, not just stuffy, then I heard you crying in your room after I got off the meeting. Turns out you’ve been worried all day and scared you were going to get in trouble – Daddy and I couldn’t figure out how you’ve been getting into his Surface computer each morning for school without entering a password or code. I had to use it this afternoon to get to a sewing pattern, and I had to unlock it. Then it dawned on me that you’ve been using it every day, so you must have to unlock it, too. But I know you don’t know his password, so I couldn’t figure out how you were getting in. You said it just popped up to my Google browser each time you opened it up and turned it on, no lock screen at all. Daddy and I were baffled and said we wanted to watch you turn it on tomorrow, simply so we knew what was happening. Here it came out that you know the PIN to unlock it and have just been entering that each morning when it’s time for school. Oh my sweet girl! You were so upset, we could barely calm you down. You thought you were going to get in so much trouble for that, you didn’t want to tell us you knew the code, and you were getting nervous because you knew that you’d have to tell us tomorrow morning when we watched you sign on. Oh my goodness, I felt horrible that you’ve been so worried about that all day! I caught you in a moment of rest outside this afternoon and I thought you looked really sad, but you said you were just watching Avit, which you were. Here you were really upset about the computer. Daddy and I both comforted you and assured you there was absolutely nothing at all to get in trouble for with that. You’ve been helping us for years with all of your tablets by knowing that code! I just had no idea that was the same PIN to unlock Daddy’s laptop. You’re smarter than I am! How did we get so lucky with you, my love?
You also pulled out your own tooth this morning! #12! I’d better get to bed so the Tooth Fairy can come!
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May 10, 2020
You lost 3 teeth in the past week, all of which you pulled out yourself. What in the world??
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May 28, 2020
You pulled tooth #15 out today. Goodness!! It was another molar, and I said pretty soon you won’t be able to chew for lack of teeth! Thankfully you’re feeling better, because you were up all night last night with a stomach bug. Poor girl, I hate seeing you guys sick. I think this was just a 12-hour thing, though. You big 3 ran around outside in the sun all day on Tuesday with no breaks, not even to eat lunch, so I think you totally overdid it. That was probably part of the cause, too.
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June 5, 2020
Today was virtual Campout Day for school, and you guys had a lot of fun! I was sad you couldn’t have regular Campout Day, but the activities and songs the teachers posted online were pretty amazing. You sang along with Mrs. Cruz, you danced along with Ms. Weber, you made a bunch of paper airplanes to see how far they could fly, you did a backboard sock toss into the laundry basket, and we got stuff to make s’mores. We never got the chance to make them today, but I said the nice thing about having it be virtual is that we can make it last all weekend! I can’t believe you only have 4 days of school left for the year!
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June 11, 2020
Happy last day of 4th grade, peanut! I can NOT believe you’re going to be a 5th grader next year!! That sounds so incredibly grown up to me. I’m not ready for you to be grown up! 🙁 You had such a great year in 4th grade, even with the last 3 months being at home for virtual learning with the COVID-19 shutdown, and I know how much you’ll miss Mrs. Bowman. I’m sad we didn’t get to do your Madison field trip, which we both were looking forward to so much, but maybe we can do our own Madison day together sometime to make up for it. Hopefully you’ll get to see your friends a couple times over this summer break, too, since you didn’t get to spend time with them for the whole last part of the school year either. I love you so much, my sweet girl, and we are all so very proud of you!
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July 17, 2020
We’re up north with Mr. Hand and Miss Clara, and you got your first bee sting today. 2 bee stings, actually. You had come up to the deck from the beach with your towel draped over your arm, and I was watching you from inside the house. I heard you kind of shout out, then I looked out and saw the silhouette of a bee flying up off your arm. It must’ve gotten stuck in your towel, then got you twice, right on the forearm. Ouch! I got you an ice cube right away to help stop the swelling, since the double sting was starting to puff up pretty big. You started crying a little, too, I think more kind of out of shock than actual pain. The good news is that you weren’t allergic, so that’s something you won’t have to worry about. Mr. Hand got stung right after you when he came up those same decks stairs, too, then I discovered the bees were boring into one of the deck posts to make a nest. Daddy sprayed them, so hopefully that’ll take care of them for the rest of the trip.
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July 19, 2020
Tooth #16 came out today – we’re getting close to the end!
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August 1, 2020
Happy 10th birthday, peanut!! You are an absolute dream of a child, and we have been lucky to have you since the day you were born. You have become such a humongous help with the twins especially but also with all your siblings. I always say it, but they are so lucky to you have as the oldest sister to look up to. And it’s so obvious how much they love and adore you. We had a really fun day to celebrate you today, too – Daddy got McDonald’s for breakfast as you guys worked on the big Harry Potter Great Hall Lego set you got, we played your new game Bean Boozled this afternoon (yuck-o!!), then tonight we had neighbors over outside to eat tacos and watch movies in the big back yard. Then next week we’re going down to Grandma and Grandpa’s house again since you can’t do your days alone in Chicago this year. Everyone loves you so much, my dear, and you make us so proud every day. I can’t wait to see where life takes you, my love, because I know you will do amazing things.
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August 25, 2020
Daddy took you and Morrison to pick up your new glasses today, and I love them! You guys had eye appointments last week and your prescription increased just a little, so you got a new pair. I think you look great!
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August 31, 2020
We had your 10-year well check today, peanut, and all looked healthy! Here are your official stats:
- Height: 58″ (89%)
- Weight: 74 lbs. 13 oz. (53%)
- BMI: 15.6 kg/m2 (26%)
- Blood Pressure: 106/68
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October 20, 2020
You finally lost your last upper fang tooth tonight, peanut, tooth #17! That thing has been in the way of your grown-up teeth forever. You pulled it out after you went to bed, too, you silly little thing!
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November 4, 2020
You joined Student Council at school this year, and today was your first virtual meeting. Student Council?? How did you suddenly grow up?! You were excited to see that some of your friends from in-person classes and your virtual class have joined, too. You are such a great kid, peanut, and I could not be prouder of you!
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December 6, 2020
Tooth #18 came out yesterday, and it was funny – since St. Nick came last night, the Tooth Fairy wrote in her note that she had to make her stop quick so she didn’t bump into him! 🙂
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December 14, 2020
Your teacher sent me and you the following email last week:
Dear Della, I wanted to share that you make me laugh. During these times that is a really good thing 🙂 so thank you. I enjoy having you in my class and I know that you alway do work that is complete, thoughtful and well-done. I also appreciate and laugh when I read the messages in the comments that you send me like “Fixed it.” Thanks for being a shining star in my class & in 5th grade. I appreciate you. Ms. Topps
How fantastic, peanut! Amazing job!! I forwarded it to Daddy, too, and we are so proud of you.
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December 28, 2020
Only 1 more baby tooth left! You pulled out tooth #19 today, and I can’t believe you’re almost done!
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December 30, 2020
Well that’s it. Today you pulled out your very last baby tooth! #20!! Crazy, kiddo. The Tooth Fairy has been visiting you for 5 years!