Transitions

 Maggie started kindergarten two weeks ago and what a time it has been! Prior to this, I have been looking at all the different schools available in our area for two years, so about the time she turned 4. Doing tours, talking with other local moms about the options, and doing my research. What it came down to was Maggie getting chosen at some of the schools we applied to and deciding which route to take in the end.

She started at the California Montessori Project and we got the teacher we requested, having heard from multiple families that one in particular was wonderful. I'm really happy with our choice. I am getting used to the new schedule, new commute, and trying to support Maggie as best I can on this new adventure. Maggie is also adjusting. Such a big change for a little five year old but she is handling it well. There were tears the first week but no tears on the 6th day of school. It's a big change for her to go from 3 to 5 days a week and move from a really safe, comfortable environment of home preschool to public school. She is making new friends, one in particular that she eats lunch with every day. This is a little girl that I have seen since the early days when I first started taking Maggie to story time as a new parent at our library (she was 1!). I always took note of this family at story time and I know the girls had an interaction or two but that was about it and I don't think they remember it. It's pretty cute to hear her talk about her days. After the first day when she was shy and sitting alone in the cafeteria (I know, so sad to imagine!), she got a pep talk from dad that night in the dark about how to make friends. Little did I know, my little girl went to school the next day and made this new friend on her own. She asked her if she could eat lunch with her, and since then they have been a pair. Now they trade off picking where to sit in the lunch room and it seems a boy or two sits with the two of them every day. At back to school night, her friend's parents chased after us introducing themselves and telling us they had heard all about our family, even our old cat! Oh Maggie.

I am thankful for the community we have already become a part of since school started. Part of the reason I chose this school was because of the community but also because of the learning method which is different than a traditional public school classroom and smaller class size. I wasn't planning to tour this school but I did with the encouragement from a friend and when I went into the kindergarten classroom (Maggie's now!), I was amazed. I had already seen other public school classrooms but this one was peaceful, not crowded, organized, beautiful, and it smelled good! I remember telling people after that tour how the teacher must have had a candle burning somewhere! I also remember a little rabbit in a cage in the corner, it was so fluffy and healthy looking :-) It was just a world of difference from what I had seen up until that point and I never forgot that. That was the type of environment I wanted for Maggie and we lucked out on getting in, it felt like getting a golden ticket! I also liked how the before and after school program is on-site taught by teacher's aides who are in the classrooms during the day. I knew even though this would be a shock to Maggie at first, that it would be a good fit for her.

So now I am a mom to a school-age child. She is not with me in the mornings anymore and I feel like I am becoming a mom who is in the car a lot transporting kids and running errands like a crazy woman much of the time! I'm sure we'll just get into a new routine. Moms to kids under five, cherish those years! They go by really fast.

On the back to school note, this is beautiful. I follow a few blogs of woman who have gotten involved with Noonday Collection in the past year or two and it was inspiring me so I decided to host a trunk show for Noonday next month! We have a new patio being put in so I figured once that was done, it would be a great time to throw a party! The story is amazing as are the jewelry and accessories. I can't wait!

(Courtesy of Noonday's website, not a link)

Seen and Heard

Maggie: driving to our first camping trip this summer, we arrived and rolled the windows down and Maggie said "mmm, it smells like nature."

Maggie: "I'm not going to run, my feet are still tired."

Maggie: "I loved it when I was little, Max."

Maggie: rolling over from waking up a few days after kindergarten had started and saying "I don't want to go everyday. I'm getting tired of it."

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We did lots of travelling this summer, here is a quick smattering of some of the places we've been!

Packer Lake (fishing derby)

A yurt in Hiouchi (tip top of California)

Mom's club progressive dinner - Summer 2014 (we all rode bikes!)

Coming up for breath

My little Max, soon to be 2, has been taking it "to the Max" lately and mom and dad are trying to keep up. It feels like a different ball game with this boy and it's so interesting to compare the two in terms of personality, when milestones are reached, body size, and so on. This week I was asked by someone if Max was ethnic in so many words. First time I've been asked that but it was cool since he is 1/2 Mexican and that a stranger could see that. Turns out she was 1/2 Mexican too :-) Maggie seems to have more features in that department but to each their own.

This week we were also trying to get out the door one morning and while I was brushing my teeth knowing Max might get into trouble, he ended up with a bloody nose and gashed lip in a second. It was a sign to me in that moment that we needed to slow down and stop for a bit, so we did and it all worked out well.

Between figuring out the best route for Maggie with kindergarten and dotting the i's and crossing the t's for that and making transitions into the next stage with Max, I've had my hands full. In the last month with Max, we've discovered a 2 yr molar growing in which caused a few nights of waking, he's gotten a few bloody noses (climbing up on sketchy things and riding his strider downhill), climbed out of his crib over and over after seeing his cousin and sister do it a few times (which resulted in getting rid of the crib way earlier than I had hoped), refused to nap and go to bed some days (good times...I need those mental breaks!), and been pretty clingy with me overall. It's one of those times that you try to cherish the babyness that remains but it's also frustrating making the transition at the same time. I know on the other side of all this I'll have a 2 year old that has shed some of his last layers of baby skin. It's all good though. My little boy is becoming a big boy, learning to sleep in his little bed this week, weaning, starting to talk, and able to get into EVERYTHING.

Maggie has been saying some of the best things lately. My favorite from this week was Maggie climbing into bed with me before Max was up and snuggling up, whispering in my ear "Mom I love you just the way you are." How does she come up with this stuff?

Now that March is here, we're looking forward to birthdays and a road trip to the desert!

She's 4!

 

My, how my life has morphed and been on fast forward since Maggie made her way into our world. Last night we celebrated her birthday. She was a bundle of energy the day before and truly couldn't believe that she was turning 4. She thinks that turning 4 now allows her to do things on her own that she couldn't imagine a day before at 3 and that she must wear 4T, nothing smaller. LOL. More power to her though. She is full of hilarious sayings these days. People have been asking me all week what to get her. I asked her a few times and the last time I asked she hung her head and said "Ugh. I swear, mom" with a smile. I couldn't stop laughing.

Birthday dinner - "brown chicken", grains (TJ's harvest grains), and corn w/carrots

I was at a loss of what to get our sweet girl up until yesterday. I had ideas...pet fish? Not really something I want to be responsible for. Maybe we will introduce a new low-maintenance pet later this year :-) She would love a turtle or bunny but we have a cat and two little kids in this house and that definitely feels like plenty for now. Yesterday was a whirlwind, the whole week was for that matter, but I persevered even after waking up late most days this week due to daylight savings and running around like a crazy woman. On my list as a potential present were pink cowgirl boots. Then the timing was right and I splurged at the insistence of my dear co-worker and got light up ones to boot (you like that?). To Maggie's delight, she exclaimed that she will be wearing them every day from this point forward. I sure hope so, let's get some use out of these puppies! I also snagged the perfect Rapunzel/Tangled singing card. FYI to all you parents-you really can't go wrong with a singing card for your child. It's about just as good as any other gift you will get them (along the cardboard box theme or wrapping paper-sometimes that's much more exciting than the actual present).

These are all of my early morning thoughts after a 3 am waking with Max where momma can't go back to sleep. Did I say that we are also in the middle of the biggest remodel yet at our house? Our master bath got gutted and is being replaced piece by piece thanks to hubby. Last year we did an update on our hall bath. So you can see why I can't sleep. Today we buy all the expensive stuff, are having a friend take some family photos of us, and are getting some dinner out with said friends that are getting married soon. Good times. And, my friends, day by day.

As she turns 4, Maggie is all about letters and words. I'll post a picture of her work soon. She is constantly pointing out words while driving in the car and writes every chance she gets at home. I often see her writing on kleenex. Sometimes her words are backwards or from bottom to top. She loves to write Max, her own name, mom/dad, or friends names down. Other names she asks me to write down for her to copy. We encourage her on this path of course but it is really cool to see a child discover writing and what it all means. She is very enthusiastic about it and wants to figure it out. I have been having conversations with her that start like this: "Mom, did you know that "e" starts with elephant?" The other thing about 3 going on 4 is that she doesn't make a ton of sense sometimes. Either it's some babble where she is trying out sentences or topics that just don't make sense or one day she likes something, the next day she doesn't and usually it has to do with some specific experience she had that was minor in reality but huge in her world. She seems to work this stuff out but it's just a funny stage.


{Joys of Parenting}
Spontaneous kisses and being told they love you or think you are pretty at random moments (these are the moments where you quickly clear your brain and be in the moment with them because these are the moments to remember 20 years from now)
Watching your child focused on something, like writing or dance
Moms group fun (being involved with other moms and their kids-hubby believes there is always high society chatting and consumption of alcohol that ensues at these events)
Watching shows quiety with your kids and speaking of, another comment from Maggie that made daddy laugh: "Mom, let's watch a show, but not Downton Abbey" (she said DA almost perfectly :-)
Watching your kids play outside together w/o you!

{Challenges of Parenting}
Night wakings and loud crying
Tantrums in a store (where you drop everything and escape)
Dropping baby at daycare when they have seperation anxiety

Of course there are more on both points but I digress...it's not even 6 am.



A Maggie shot-Kwan bear with Disney on Ice hat, Pascal off to the side, and Baby Rose wrapped up

Two's setting in

About a month ago, I started noticing subtle changes in Maggie that were showing that the her two's we've heard about were starting to show their colors. I'm not going to say terrible two's because that just sounds negative. She is still our sweet Maggie but with a little more umph! Reading a friend's blog today and I could relate. Parenthood is bittersweet and it is hard to be completely in the moment when there is so much going on around us but I also try to enjoy and appreciate these special moments when they happen. One thing that had me laughing the other day is the potty training process. We had a friend over so my attention was divided and we were practicing underwear/no underwear-time in the house. Next thing I know I find Maggie using the toilet but a little too late. She had the wiping down but then told me "there is poop everwhere!" and then proceeded to show me where it was. Good times.

We've been on the go a lot. We're in the middle of swim lessons as it is that time of year that we hear of very tragic events in the water involving children and I just don't want Maggie to go down that road. She also showed a huge exhuberance for water this spring so I knew it was time. Lessons have been great. The pool looks so inviting but dad has been having fun in the pool.

My goal this summer is to get out and go camping a lot and spend time outside with family and friends. So far, we're doing good. We are having friends over for meals, riding our bikes, walking to the park, and enjoying our yard and garden.

Bubbly babe

Maggie is officially 2! As she talks more, communicates better, cries less, sleeps better, eats more, makes friends, and establishes her identity day by day, it feels easier to be her parent in many ways. Every day it takes effort to be the parent I want to be. We continue to make decisions that feel right for our little family and sometimes that takes a lot of work. Money may be tight at times, but I so cherish the tradeoff of having more time creating the life I imagine.

I love our routine of reading books before bedtime in our big bed. We all have our place and snuggle under the covers. Maggie really loves to read and it's especially fun when she reads to us or outloud. Oh, the cute things she says. It's usually a jumble with a correct word thrown in to show she is paying attention.

Michael thinks Maggie eats like a football player/teenage boy. I think he's in for it if he thinks that at 2. She's such a petite little thing, I'm thinking her metabolism must be off the charts. She loves to eat good food, which makes me happy. She doesn't care for bell pepper or mixed foods like casseroles or chili but she loves soup. She also loves her treats :-)

She's potty training for real now. Every day or week is more use of the toilet. She prefers the adult toilet with an insert and step stool over a little kid's toilet. Her latest funny word is "sure" in response to most questions I ask her.

She's riding her trike and we can't wait to get her on a balance bike. She loves band-aids to cover her owies, whether fake or not. Her hair continues to be a little mess of curls. She had her first dentist appointment this month. I was a proud mama when I knew instinctively that she would not have an issue laying down to have the dentist inspect her mouth. The dentist, who works strictly with children, said that at her age, 1 out of 100, maybe 1000 kids will do that for him without freaking out.

We threw her a home birthday party. We lucked out with weather by a few hours and I think she had a blast.





Moments



No, Maggie is not on a leash - just enjoying free museum day at the zoo - monkeys, lemurs, birdies - oh my!

 

Kickin' it late night at the Apple store...ha ha!



Learning bike racing techniques at a very early age :-)

 

Hiding chocolate behind her back thinking she's pulled one over on me at the toy store (I saw it but she was halfway into it before I pryed it out of her little hands)

 

Moments

We've caught Maggie on camera during some really fun moments lately and we've been laughing a lot at how goofy she is and the things she says and does. This is a really fun age, just shy of 2 years old. I really never knew how fun it is to be around a little one day in, day out. I'm lovin' this girl. 

 

Maggie pre-bike ride rockin' the glasses with her helmet and baby Maxi by her side







Showing off her new handmade apron (I was gifted a matching one!) and new watermelon hat (that goes with a watermelon bathing suit) to grandparents over for dinner

Smothering the cat before bed wearing her kitty pajamas

Sun!

Today feels pretty good. Lately, it's been dreary with the socked-in foggy/cold weather and it's been getting depressing. I was starting to dream about spring and all the fun stuff we could start doing in a couple months. Friends are talking about starting their gardens and I have to remember that it's only January! Good time to do some digging and fertilizing before spring planting though.

I woke up this morning after a really fun night out dancing with old and new friends. Good, goofy memories and have I said how much I love dancing? I especially love dancing with my friend Jessie, she is a blast to hang with. So much confidence, such a kind heart. To wake up a little later than usual, have breakfast made for me, and things going generally well started off the day right. To fully clear my head from the night before we set off on an awesome trail ride, Maggie in the trailer. It was perfect. Michael spotted a bobcat just off the trail and our destination was the last cycle-cross event of the season where friends were riding. It was good to see so many people out exercising, staying healthy, and kids playing in the dirt laughing.

We've joined a bike team this year and are excited to get involved. Our first club ride is in April and Michael is doing his first mountain bike race with the team tomorrow. I'm feeling pleased with the slight changes I've made in my life over the past few months. I feel like I'm growing into a new phase of my life and I'm excited to see what the next year holds for us.

Cute pic of Maggie last week - she desperately needed to play and run despite the cold weather! That's one of her favorite binky's that her Tia Boo-boo got her before she was born :-) Ha ha

Appreciation for life



Tired eyes on the climb!

 This is a hard post to share because of the nature of the situation but I can't let it pass because it has affected me.

Yesterday hubby and I got back on our mountain bikes together, back to the same trail where we used to spend our early days falling in love with eachother and me with bikes (Michael was already in love with bikes way before I met him :-). We had family watch Maggie for the better part of the day so we set out to get a ride in after lunch. We were headed to one trail and then at the last minute opted for another that I knew would be a little easier on me, as I calculated it out afterwards but knew it in my mind all along - it'd been about 30 months since I did my last mountain bike ride. My last ride had been Downieville, first time I'd ever done that ride after hearing so much about it, and it was awesome. I fell kind of hard in a technical section, which pissed me off because I'd just seen a woman get through it, but all in all, it was a great ride with friends who we'd been camping with over the holiday weekend. I was a mess of hormones, as the following Monday I found out I was pregnant with Maggie. At that point, I was thankful to have done that ride as it looked like my life was about th change change:-)

Back to yesterday's ride - we parked, suited up, and headed out on the Clementine Loop, starting from the confluence. Michael knew something was off when we passed through the gate and it was open. I didn't notice. I did notice however the 4 or so police/State Parks vehicles parked up ahead on the trail with no one around. Michael scooted ahead of me and came across two packaged body bags (white with black zippers) on the trail. He moved them to the side and we proceeded slowly. It was then ahead that we saw a couple of the policemen and a few more down the embankment near the river. I remember at that moment looking up at the Foresthill Bridge, maybe Michael said something about it, and seeing groups of people staring down the 730 feet drop to where we stood. We were informed that someone had just jumped, committing suicide, landed right in front of where we stood, leaving a torso-sized imprint in the damp earth just to the side of the trail, and then tumbled down the embankment to the water from the force of the impact.

We think we rode up just after the police got there, so probably not too long after the incident actually happened. Michael tells me that it took about 20 seconds to happen, start to finish. 20 seconds to go from life to death. I gazed down by the water trying to make sense of the situation and saw the body of the young man that killed himself. I've never seen anything like this before and I felt calm, just taking it in and trying to get out of the way. Michael was ready to leave the scene and continue on the ride, saddened by the situation, and he eventually convinced me to move on...but I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

What is really wierd is that this happened about 2 minutes into our ride and so, for the rest of our ride, things felt surreal from what I'd just witnessed but I also felt grounded in what I was doing. I haven't given myself the chance to get in a good workout in ages and so I was doing something I used to do all the time and it felt so good to be alive and be doing this with someone I really cared about, knowing that our child was being well cared for at the same time. As I rode, I felt every rock and the damp firm soil under my knobby tires. I felt the resistence it created but also how easily I could maneveur around. It felt really natural.

What I had witnessed though put things in perspective right away and made me think about the value of life, what goes into nuturing life, and at the same time, wondering what that man who did this was thinking or living leading up to that choice. It boggles my mind. I am so grateful for what I have in my life and I am deeply saddened that there are people out there suffering so much that they end up making these choices.

By the time we finished our ride, the officials were cleaning up and leaving the scene. It began and ended during the time that our ride began and ended, at least from my point of view. I'm not sure what the meaning of this was, that we happened upon it like we did, but I am thankful for the time we had yesterday to get out and do something we loved together. I felt so alive, more so than I've felt in a long time, and I see this as an experience to show me how fragile life is and to not take it for granted ever.

Mourning

Don't worry, it's nothing too serious. I'm just mourning the end of the Tour. It ended Sunday night and it was like dropping a friend off at the airport. I'm a Lance fan and it was great to see him out there and finish this year, but like they said, he did not have lady luck with him in his last year at the Tour. I enjoyed his interviews though, he has a funny sense of humor.

I quickly became a fan of Andy Schleck as he and Alberto Contador went head to head on the climbs. He didn't win overall this year but I'm excited to see what next year holds. Favorite commercial, see here. I'm also a fan of Tyler Farrar, a sprinter, and I'd love to see him beat Mark Cavendish one day.

I caught almost every day of the Tour and appreciated Versus looping the coverage every few hours. Very convienent when you have a life and don't have a DVR. We spent many nights over the past month watching the stages and they were all exciting. For a couple of cycling lovers (even though my getting out on a bike these days means hooking my bike up to the chariot and riding around the neighborhood), this is by far the best televised sporting event all year.