Color with me Mommy

I sprained my toe on Saturday afternoon and have found myself sitting with my foot propped up ever since. At first this seems like a welcome respite from the frenzy of everyday life, but it soon grows tedious and you begin to seek new things to do so that you don't feel quite so isolated and immobile.

This morning I thought it'd be a nice change of pace to do my reading and related writing at the kitchen table while Cora made artwork. We'd have some together time and would both have engaging activities that would develop us mentally.

I gathered up the required items, got Cora ready for more potty training (she is taking to it quite well with the others at school), and sat us down at the table.

Cora's enthusiasm was contagious. I found myself fully engaged in helping her glue foam stickers to her coloring book page and helping her to color. It was fun to watch her learn from what I was doing and attempt to color like I had. She's such a sponge for information! It was a real thrill. We must've sat there for an hour or more, her attention span never waning. I didn't end up doing any of my book work, but having that time with her was priceless. We colored the "cat queen" (Cleocatra) for most of the time. She kept coming back to that picture over and over again. I loved each and every minute of it.

Afterwards I turned on a Between the Lions dvd and did my book work on the couch while she watched. She was in heaven. She loved that I was sitting there with her. And she came back to me again and again all day long "Mommy, will you color with me?". I am flattered. :D

Slideshow

Special Time with Mommy

Cora and I are settling into a new arrangement. It's just the two of us from 9am until 4pm on school days. On day one she thought she was going to be quite unhappy at home with me, however, I think she's starting to think this might be fun. (She does still talk at regular intervals about going to "Gillian's School".)

Yesterday morning we needed to run over to Oma's house for vacuum cleaner bags, we're borrowing hers while she's in China as ours broke. Cora woke up maybe 8 minutes before we left to drop off the other two at school so I loaded up sweet bed-head Cora in her cute Elmo pj's with no shoes and off we went.

We dropped the other two off and headed to Oma's house. I thought she'd enjoy having something to eat so I stopped on the way back and picked up two donuts for her. She picked them out, they had star sprinkles. She was so excited about them. She held them tightly in her lap until we got home, I guess she didn't want to eat them in the car. (And I forgot to take them out and give them to her.)

It's so much fun to get to be with her one on one and get to know her better.

School Begins

Yesterday was the first day of school in McKinney. I had two children going to school this year. Liam began kindergarten yesterday, it was completely natural to him. He's been wanting to go to school at "Gillian's School" for several years now, he was beyond excited. He barely even said goodbye.

Gillian was as excited as ever, I think I sensed a little nervousness on her part about who would be in her class and who her friends would be. She was great though, when she had a friend at her table when we dropped her off.

Cora came to me before we left and requested that I dress her. Then let me know she needed a backpack, and then a lunch in her backpack. It was adorable.

However, on the way home as she realized she wasn't going to school she was completely pitiful. I felt so bad for her. She just sort of sobbed. She will go to school without turning around and looking back too, one day. I'm so not ready to have them all gone.

It's odd to just be here with her and no one else. It's a huge contrast to this summer when they were all here every day. It'll take me some time to get used to.