Della has her own page on here, so I wanted to start one for Lana, too. This one won’t be quite as daily journal-ish as D’s is, though. I’ll use this space mainly to keep track of milestones, stats, things of that nature. Basically whatever I’d want to keep track of in a pen-to-paper journal and/or stuff that doesn’t really go in a baby book. So here we go…
(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 17, 2020
We had your 7-year well check today, so here are your official stats:
- Weight: 53.2 lbs. (58.2%)
- Height: 51.5″ (91.53%)
- BMI: 14.1 kg/m2 (15.4%)
- Blood pressure: 110/60
I asked our pediatrician to check your nasal passage because you’re stuffy so often, especially at night, and it sometimes interferes with your sleep. I’ve started running a diffuser with eucalyptus oil in it nightly to make it smell like Vicks in there, and you put on sniffle stopper and a natural Vicks-like rub on your neck and chest almost every night to help alleviate the stuffiness. I thought maybe you had a deviated septum or something we had never known about, then she asked what kind of pillow you sleep on. Down. Ah ha! Here you, our kid who is most susceptible to allergens, is the only one sleeping on a pillow stuffed with feathers. DUH! I’m so sorry, I’ve been sabotaging your air flow this whole time! I immediately threw your pillow away when we got home, since we’d also had it for years. You have plenty of other non-feather pillows to choose from, and I’ll eventually get us all new hypoallergenic, antimicrobial pillows. Right away your nighttime sniffles improved. I’m so sorry, my love! But other than that, everything checked out great and you’re perfectly healthy.
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January 30, 2020
Tonight was open house at school, which is usually held about a month into the school year. I absolutely love going to this to see everything you guys have been working on, because you always get to come with me and show me around. Tonight was awesome. We had decided we’d do Della’s room first, your room next, and Morrison’s last. We had a whole hour and 15 minutes, so plenty of time for each. After we saw Della’s room and locker, we went to visit the art room, since they’re both on the basement level. As we were leaving the art room it got really crowded, and we lost you. I knew you knew exactly where we were going since your classroom is right at the top of the stairs closest to the art rooms, so the other 3 of us just headed upstairs. And sure enough, there you were, waiting for us right outside your door, coat already hung up on your hallway hook and your adorable “Official Open House Tour Guide” name tag on. You were so proud and excited to show us every single thing in your room, following your open house checklist every step of the way. I was talking to Mrs. Ernst, your teacher, at the end of our tour while you guys were coloring on dry erase boards, and she said you were so funny and independent. Before we came in she saw you sneak by her into the room, barely saying hi, because you were so focused on getting right to your seat to get your name tag and get ready to lead us around. That is so you! I adored seeing your seat at your table (you were your table’s team leader that day!), exploring your chair-back bag with all your notebooks and stuff in it, reading your creative writing and writing prompts, seeing all the lists and charts you follow around your classroom and where your name was on the helper board and wall projects, checking out your classroom library, seeing where you like to pick out books, seeing the art supplies you brought in for the class in your birthday box, and viewing all your art projects in the hallway. You absolutely light up my life, sweet girl, and seeing you thrive at school could not possibly make me happier. I love you so much, and I am so utterly proud of the amazing student and wonderful person you are. Keep up the great work!
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February 14, 2020
I am so proud of you, my love. Last Friday your teacher let me know about a little incident in class last week where you were working on math manipulatives by yourself in a corner of the room, she came over to see if you wanted to work with any of your classmates, and eventually you got a little emotional and it came out that you didn’t think any of the other girls wanted to play with you. Talk about breaking my heart. I had no idea you weren’t friends with the other girls in your class. I know you always play with your friend Matteo at recess or by yourself, but I didn’t think that was because the other girls shunned you. And I’m hopeful that they haven’t actually done so. From what you told me, they haven’t said no, you can’t play with them, but you haven’t asked to join them. Either way, you agreed to try to branch out and see if you could make a new friend or two in your class. And you have completely surprised me – you made a new friend every day this week! I said it might be hard and you might be a little nervous to try it, but I know the kids in your class want to be your friend. And even if they say no when you ask to play, that doesn’t mean they don’t like you. All on your own, you said your goal is to make 1 new friend each day. Wow! I could not be more proud of you, kiddo. This week it was 2 boys and 2 girls that you asked to play with and they said yes! I could tell it made you very happy and you were proud of yourself, too. I love you so much, my sweet girl, and the thought of anyone being mean to you at school is unbearable. But look at you go!
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February 20, 2020
Tonight was your school concert along with Morrison’s, and I was so happy we got to do them on the same night. Unfortunately you came home from school so tired that you had to take a nap before Daddy brought home dinner, and you started running a slight fever. I knew you had been working so hard on your concert parts and were so excited to go to it and wear your all-blue outfit to put on your Russia presentation, so I gave you some acetaminophen to bring the fever down. You were able to eat some supper, too, so both of those helped you feel better. So we went to the concert, and you made it the whole way. Unfortunately you threw up once during the night, so you stayed home Friday after all. Fortunately there was no more barfing and your fever never spiked back up, and you were fine by Saturday morning. I’m so happy it wasn’t the flu!
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February 22, 2020
You’re getting glasses, too! We had your first eye doctor appointment today, and it turns out you’re slightly far sighted. So they won’t be full-time glasses, you’ll only have to wear them in your classroom while you’re reading a lot and working on all your papers. You said you wanted a red pair, and the very first pair you picked out was the winner! You look amazingly adorable in them – it’s like they were made for you!
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February 25, 2020
Tonight was your first dance class of this session with Miss Ceci again, and you were so excited. You literally ran and skipped into the building with your little pink bag of ballet and tap shoes. Miss Ceci was happy to see you again, saying how much you’d grown. Unfortunately Della was sick and had to miss tonight, but she’ll be there next week!
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February 26, 2020
You are a wonder, my love. Today when you and Della got to the car after school, you had a piece of bark in your mittened hand. When I asked why you had it, you said, “Because it’s a cool piece of wood!” Ok. When we got home I had totally forgotten about it, but you immediately got out of the car and placed it just so in the front garden by your painted rock turtle. The same turtle under which I keep putting dried hydrangea balls because I know they’re your favorite flower.
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February 28, 2020
Today was the debut of your glasses at school, and it went great! Mrs. Ernst loved them, too, and you said nobody made any mean comments about them. You did say some friends kept asking you to take them off and they’d see if you could see how many fingers they were holding up, which I thought was funny. I’m so happy you like your glasses so much, my sweet girl! You even made me this adorable note today, which proves it. ๏
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March 25, 2020
Sweet girl, you are constantly skipping. Through the house, through the yard, everywhere. I love it. Keep always skipping through life, my love.
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May 7, 2020
You pulled out a tooth today – #7! Between you and Della, our house has been single-handedly keeping the Tooth Fairy flying!
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May 13, 2020
Ooooohhh, my sweet girl, did you get in trouble today. I mean BIG trouble. I came up from riding the bike downstairs and checked on what you were watching on my computer after you were done with your school work for the day. Normally it’s something completely innocent and kid friendly, which I thought this was, too. It was a cartoon girl shivering, and a boy handed her a sweater. Then I saw a guy come on the screen, the narrator. That didn’t even give me pause. What made me suspicious was when you couldn’t describe what it was about… So I looked at the search bar, and I saw “Sexy sleepover.” Oh hell. What the fuck have you seen?! That wasn’t the video you were watching at the time, but I saw it in the sidebar and the whole line underneath it was red, meaning you’d watched the whole thing. All 10 minutes plus. Oh my god, what was I going to have to explain to my 7-year-old girl?? Holy shit did you know you were wrong. You instantly burst into tears, tried to hide under the table, then started screaming and sobbing. Probably because I started screaming at you, thinking you’d just watched some cartoon people have sex! But I scrolled through it and I’m pretty sure you didn’t, THANK GOD!!!! (i watched the whole thing later, and it was, thankfully, quite tame) And when I made you explain to me what they were doing in that video, you said they were kissing, then hugging, then lying in bed together. What made me so nervous was that the cartoon boy was lying in bed with TWO cartoon girls in his underwear!! Oh my god, did you just watch a cartoon threesome??? I almost threw up, and you were screaming hysterically. So I kept scrolling back and forth, hoping to everything holy that I didn’t have to talk to you about sex at 7 YEARS OLD!!! I determined I did not, you hadn’t actually seen that, they didn’t show the “all the way” stuff, and you still thought it was all just innocent cartoons by the way you were describing everything. But holy shit, was I hot. And you wanted to disappear, because you thought for sure Daddy was going to hit you in the face when he got home from having to go into work then the grocery store (why, i’m not sure, because he has NEVER hit you in the face). Those hours of anticipation I think were enough punishment themself – you were crying the whole time and hiding your head in a paper bag. So he laid into you when he got home, too, pretty much the same things I said, then I made sure you knew you’re not a bad person – you’re a great person who made a mistake. Because the first thing you said when I busted you was, “Why am I like this? Why am I always doing things to get in trouble? Why am I such a bad person?” No, no you’re not. And I HAMMERED that home. You are not a bad person! You are an amazing person who just made a mistake. And no, you’re not always doing things to get in troublt at all. The important thing is that you realize that what you did was wrong (OH, you did. and what really sucked was the typical kid response to why did you keep doing what you knew was wrong? i don’t know! yeah, annoying, even though it’s true), learn from this, and don’t do it again. I explained how that little pit feeling in your stomach when you knew this was wrong should have been you’re warning – DON’T KEEP DOING IT! And whenever you feel it, trust it – that will keep you safe, even if it means turning off the computer or leaving the room or walking away from your friends or leaving a place or running across a street to get away from whatever. And Daddy and I together said even if it means coming to tell us – always come tell us! This is our job – your safety. Ugh, it begins already… But you were much more relieved and back to your normal self the rest of the day, after you did not get hit in the face. Geez.
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June 1, 2020
You are so funny, kiddo. I got you a pair of Croc-type clogs off Amazon a few days ago, and you literally have not stopped skipping and hopping around in them since they arrived. You chose navy blue because they were sold out of pink in your size, and you absolutely love them. You keep saying how comfy they are and how the insides feel like clouds. ๐ I love you so much, my sweet baby girl.
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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 created a cardboard campfire, you did penguin bowling, 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 this year!
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June 11, 2020
Happy last day of 1st grade, my sweet baby girl! I know how much you loved having Mrs. Ernst this year, and I’m sad you didn’t get to spend the last 3 months of the school year in the classroom with her and all your friends. You did such an amazing job at home with virtual learning, though, and I could NOT be more proud of you. You definitely made being your at-home “teacher” a pleasure and an easy job for me. You are going to do so well in 2nd grade, and I can’t wait to see who you get for your teacher. I love you so much, my love!
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June 13, 2020
Tooth #8 came out today, and you pulled it out yourself again! Plus we were on vacation in Paw Paw with Grandma and Grandpa! You were so excited, but you were a little worried that the Tooth Fairy might not find you since we weren’t at home. Fortunately she had no problem at all! Great job, kiddo!
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July 30, 2020
You are so cute, my love. Today we went up to the Fairyfolk Festival at Bookworm Gardens, then tonight, you, Della, and Morrison put on a magic show for me and Daddy after the twins went to bed. You 3 were Lana the Great, Morrison the Magnificent, and Della the Delightful. ๐ When I was tucking you in at bedtime, you said it was the best day ever. I said really?? Why’s that? And you said because of the festival and your magic show. I was so happy to hear that, because I got totally crabby at you right toward the end of our festival visit – you told me something for the third time after I’d acknowledged what you’d said the first time, you weren’t looking where you were going, and you stepped fully into my left flip flop, practically breaking my ankle and shoe in the process. I said look, when you tell me the same thing 3 times in a row and I say, “Yes, I see it,” after the first time, you don’t have to keep repeating it! And watch where you’re going! I felt really bad because you did apologize immediately and were then practically on the verge of tears, but man, did it hurt! So I was so glad to know that I hadn’t ruined your trip with my little scolding. You asked me if I had fun today, and I said yes, I had a ton of fun with you guys. I love you so much, my sweet girl. Fairies, art, and magic do make for a perfect day for you.
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August 11, 2020
We had a little bit of a nervous day yesterday, my love. I found a very definite, pronounced bullseye rash with a little red bug bite bump in the middle of it, and it made me immediately scared about Lyme disease, even though I never saw a tick on you. It was right before I took the twins to their well check, so I took a picture of it to show the doctor. As soon as I left their appointment, she called me and said she wanted to see you for it, so I got home, put the twins to nap, then turned right around and went back to the doctor with you. She said yes, that’s a very obvious sign even with you having no other symptoms, so we got your blood drawn for the test. Thankfully she called this morning with a negative test result, so that was great news. She said there is a very small chance of false negatives with the test, but since you had the rash, had you actually had Lyme, she would have expected you to have antibodies in your system, which would certainly have produced a positive result. So I’ll keep an eye out for any other rashes or symptoms, but she said we can put this one out of our minds. Whew!
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August 25, 2020
We found out your teachers for school this year today, and you have a very interesting scenario. Apparently each grade had enough families choose to send kids fully virtually, so there are dedicated full-time virtual teachers. You won’t have in-person classmates, your whole class will be virtual. But second grade’s virtual class is blended between the 2 elementary schools, so you will have classmates from Cumberland and Richards, and your teacher is actually a Richards teacher. We have your Roaring Start conference at Richards for you to meet her and do your testing, so I am very curious to see how this all goes. One of my friends messaged me today, and her daughter is doing the same thing and is in your class. She actually started a Facebook group for the parents in our class, so I will be happy to meet everyone else in our same situation. It’s definitely going to be a different school year, but hopefully I can keep it as calm, smooth, and fun as possible for you guys. I know you’re looking forward to getting back to learning!
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October 21, 2020
Happy 8th birthday, my sweet baby girl!! You had an absolutely fantastic day, and it made me so happy to see you skipping around the entire day saying, “This is the best day ever!” You got a TON of presents this year, we had an asynchronous day for school so didn’t have to worry about logging onto your live class meetings, and we got a couple little field trips in around town. I love you SO much, and I cannot even imagine my days without you. Your fairy spirit is still alive and strong, and I hope it never fades. Have a year as perfect as today was, my love – you deserve it and so much more!!
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December 14, 2020
Your class had a pajamas and stuffies party today because you filled your jar for good behavior. Great job, my love! I’m so happy you guys all still get to do fun things like this even being virtual. You are definitely enjoying your class this year.
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