Classic Aubrey

I think this photo pretty much speaks for itself, but I'll give you a little background anyway.

First of all: Yes, I am aware that it appears that she is 19 months old, going on 19 years.

Second: On this particular afternoon, Aubrey was talking to her Mimi on the phone, and this photo was taken just before I asked her to give me the phone back, to which she promptly responded with an ear-piercing, "No, Mommy! Noooooooooooooo!" as she ran in the opposite direction from me.

Third: This is the outfit she chose for herself after completely and violently rejecting my selection for the day, which happened to be very cute, and very stylish, thankyouverymuch.

See what I mean? It's like she's a teenager in a tiny little body, which, as you can see by the t-shirt, she fully embraces.

Sisterly love

Maybe it was the sunlight streaming in, preparing us for a hot September day, or a good night's sleep after playing outside all day yesterday, but whatever the reason, the girls woke up this Monday morning, rarin' to go! They were happy, cooperative, and dressed and ready to walk out the door by 6:45 a.m.(!) They even wanted to snuggle and cuddle together before leaving, and asked to have their photo taken together. This was the result:

Diabetes Walk

Last weekend, our family participated in the walk downtown aimed at raising awareness and money to fight diabetes. Many of you loyal readers know that 4 1/2 years ago, at age 24, my sister was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. It required an immediate and drastic change in lifestyle, eating habits, and understanding of medical jargon that I still can't wrap my head around.

Being still trapped in the "new-mom haze," I don't remember those first days of her diagnosis as well as I should. What I do remember, however, is the grace and courage with which she just pulled up her boot straps, and got to work, learning everything she could about the disease, how to manage it, and how to live her life with it. Four and a half years, lots of finger pokes, shots, and one insulin pump later, I am still floored by the way she doesn't allow the disease to rule her life. She is a walking medical dictionary, who has seamlessly embraced the difficulties that I for one, would allow to engulf me.

We are all very, very proud of her. Which is why we all showed up, with our tennies laced, ready to walk and raise some money to fight this disease. It was a beautiful day, and though we were one of the last teams to make it to the finish line (for all of the sightseeing and potty stops along the way), we had a great time. Go Team DiaBethy! :)

Planning for the future

Camryn: Daddy, I wonder who will be my husband?

Daddy: I don't know sweetheart, but you've got awhile to figure that out.

Camryn: Maybe I will marry Uncle Dan!?

Daddy: I don't think you can do that. You can't marry your relatives.

Camryn: But I already know him!

Daddy: Yes, but we don't live in Arkansas.

First day of school!

Alright, alright, so technically this isn't Camryn's first day at her preschool. She has actually attended her daycare/preschool since she was six months old, and attends school in some way, shape, or form year-round. However, today did mark the first day of the new school year, which in and of itself constituted the official "first day" photo, in her new schoolgirl outfit. You can practically tell just by looking at her: She's officially a Pre-K kid!

Gone are the days when she looked up to the "big kids" for guidance and learning. Now she IS one of the "big kids!" The others are now looking to her. She is a leader, a role model, and a helper. She is so excited to learn and share what she knows.

I know that she will make amazing growth this year, as she soaks up everything her teacher has to share. She is learning new things every day, with some of her most recent achievements including: learning how to search the internet for information on the rain forest, memorizing words to songs she hasn't even been taught, asking probing questions in order to solve a "mystery," and sounding out the letters of short words. Without much pushing or prodding from us, she has formed her own natural curiosity and desire to learn, and as parents, we couldn't be more proud. Happy First Day of School!!!

All packed up, and ready to go!

Man, it's early! (You can see it in her tired eyes.)

We couldn't leave Aubrey out of the fun :)

What a difference a year makes

Last year at this time, I was miserable. I was going back to work for the first time since Aubrey was born, I was leaving my baby at daycare each day, I was being forced to leave my amazing teaching team to work with another, I was sleep deprived, and I was hiding in a workroom, pumping breast milk during every spare moment I had during the school day. I had no desire to be at work, no motivation to do a good job, and no energy to care. The mere thought of starting last school year was enough to make me cry. And it did. More than a few times.

Fast forward twelve months to September, 2009. For the first time in a long while, I am actually (dare I say it?) kind of excited to go back to work. (Gasp!) Last school year was definitely a challenge, in oh-so-many ways. It did not get easier as the year went on, and I was the one doing the most exuberant "happy dance" as summer approached.

My summer turned out to be fun (see previous post). Not overly indulgent, but definitely satisfying. And most importantly, I feel ready to go back to work. The girls are at a point in their little lives where being at school with their friends each day is more enticing than another day at home with Mom. I am thrilled to be returning to my fifth grade teaching team, and to reunite the Fab Four again. I am lucky enough to be looping up with my class, which lifts a great deal of the beginning of the year stress off of my shoulders, and after my first week back, I am finding myself generally, genuinely, pleasantly happy to go to work each day.

Don't get me wrong. I adore my girls, and I am eternally grateful for the eight week hiatus I get to enjoy with them each summer. I truly don't understand how most working moms do it...five days a week, all year long, with no end in sight. It's just that it feels good to get out of the house, use my teaching skills, stretch my creative muscles, and have some adult conversation. It's great to see my friends from work, collaborate on new ways to approach curriculum, and laugh at something that doesn't resemble potty talk (although that has been known to happen in the staff room too, but I digress...).

In another month or two, perhaps I'll feel different. Perhaps I'll have some wild stories to tell, and it's likely I'll be missing my two little munchkins like crazy. Perhaps I'll again be feeling that overwhelming urge to run home, with the girls in tow, and never look back. Perhaps I'll think myself crazy for actually wanting to be back in the trenches this fall. But for now, at such an important moment of the school year, with the first day staring me straight in the eye, I am happy to return. Ahhhh! What a feeling...!

Summer '09: A Look Back

Wowsers. I can hardly comprehend that summer is already coming to a close. This week, I headed back to work, the girls have been back at daycare each day, and Brian is continuing his daily 86 mile round trip commute.

Someone asked me the other day, "What have you done all summer?" and it took me a minute to give them an answer. There was not one major event that surfaced to the top of my memory, but when I reflected on the last few months, I realized just how much we have crammed into our summer. For example:

• Camryn started a ballet and tap class, which she loves.
  
• Aubrey began going to Gymboree play classes, and spending more time with kids her age
  
• Camryn and I saw a play starring two of my students
• Both girls took swimming lessons and made growth in leaps and bounds!
• We went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time
• We went to two parades, two birthday parties, a wedding, and a graduation BBQ
• We attended two family reunions; one for my side of the family, and one for Brian's
• We went to the zoo several times
  
• We spent a weekend at the beach, with a trip to the aquarium, and of course, Mo's
  
• We went berry picking several times
  
• The girls got to pet both a shark and a tiger!
• We found a fun, new water fountain and park to play in on hot days
• We bounced around with our playgroup friends at PIU Jr.
• We traveled to Bend to spend a long weekend at Mimi & Papa's
• Camryn and I got our first mother/daughter pedicure together
• We held a garage sale and sold $600(!) worth of baby stuff
• We completed lots of little decorating updates around the house
  
• Brian got a new job, and consequently, a new TV, and a new commuter car
• Both girls went down the "big slide" at Juniper Park pool
• We enjoyed both wine and ice cream with "long-lost" friends :)
  

I'd say that's a fair amount of fun for a summer's worth of "stay-cation," dontcha think?

When I really think about it though, sometimes I wonder if I don't try to compensate during the summer for our family's never ending lack of time during the school year...? We always seem to have so much going on with relation to our jobs and the everyday, mundane duties necessary to keep a household up and running, that we don't always have time for all of the fun stuff we want to do from September through June. So, during the summer, we let loose. We release our regimented, scheduled lives, and we try to have fun every day. We try out new experiences, and we revisit old traditions. In short, we wear ourselves out, just having fun.

And so, the countdown begins to waking up early, rigid schedules, and fighting the Costco crowds on the weekends. Blech.