Train Trip TO LaCrosse

Sophie's big day

I don't know if I can handle both of my girls doing such big girl things. Today was Sophie's turn...

She has been asking to sit on the little potty every time she sees someone go potty OR any time she just sees the potty. I have put her on it a few times and we try before every bath - no expectations - but she has never actually gone.

Well, this morning she awoke with a dry diaper, so I decided to set her on the potty. She went pee pee!!!! I clapped for her and showed her and Ella came running in and cheered for her to.

I really have no expectations for her to train early because of this, but it was a step in the learning process.

We had another Sophie and mommy morning while Ella was in school. We danced at the coffee shop. (Yes, even I did a little. How could I not when she grabbed my hand and started to dance to the 80's music that was playing?)

Then we went and did her very favorite thing in the whole wide world.... looked at the ducks down in the marina. She won't let us get anywhere near the lake without yelling "Duck! Duck!"

Then she picked some pretty flowers for mommy. She brought me a whole handful of tops - two of which I saved for her scrapbook. (That would be the scrapbook that I have not yet started and may not until she is grown up and married with kids of her own.)

Ella got her ears pierced!

We went shopping with Grandma Graham in Johnson Creek on Saturday and Ella got her ears pierced! Her friend and her cousin had gotten theirs this summer and she had been thinking about it until I told her it would hurt. But, Saturday we were walking by Claire's and the door was open and we could see a little girl about to get her ears pierced. I asked Ella if she wanted to watch and she did. The girl didn't cry - just said "ow" - and then she got a sucker. That was all it took to convince Ella. She started saying "I want my ears pierced. I want my ears pierced!" So, of course I caved... not without first again warning her that it would hurt.

As I filled out the paperwork, she picked out her earings, decided what color sucker she wanted afterward, and gabbed with the girl who was going to do the piercing (including telling her that she was pretty :). I had told the girl that Ella had a low pain tollerance, so she had another girl come over so that they could do both ears at once.

Ella was smiling so big and cute and excited. She was clutching a teddy bear and holding my hand and then.............

AHHHHHHH!!!!! They did it and she screamed and started to cry. It was sooo sad. They girl showed her the earings in the mirror, but I don't know if she could see them through her tears. The sucker finally calmed her a little. Then we walked around the store and looked at earings she could get when she could take hers out. By time we left the store, she was happy and fine and telling everyone we met that she got her ears pierced.

When we got home, Warren was glad we did it. I still wasn't sure how I felt. My baby's ears don't look like baby ears anymore. I'm sure I am just being hormonal, but I laid in her bed by her that night while she slept and looked at her ears and cried. My baby.... My big girl....

Time with Sophie

After we dropped Ella off at school, Sophie and I went out for coffee. It was the first of a couple months of just mommy and Sophie time two days a week. I looked across the table at her and felt so thankful for the gift of this time with my baby. I am so excited to have some time with her before the new baby comes. We went for coffee and split a scone and then we went to the library and played and got some ducky books for her and unicorn and princess books and cd for Ella.

Sophia missed Ella that first day. As soon as we got back to the car without her, Sophia was saying "Ella. Ellla" and putting her hands up like "Where did she go?" She did it a few times at the coffee shop, the library, and when we got back home as well. She loves her big sister so much!

This was Sophie's happy excited smile after we picked Ella back up.

Thank you so much Lord for my sweet Sophie and for the precious gift of some time alone with her.

Ella's First Day of Preschool

This is Ella right before her first day of Preschool on Monday. She was so excited that it was cool enough for her to wear her new yellow dress (with her yellow socks)!

She is in the Peer Program at Dunwiddie Elementary in Port. It is a special needs early childhood classroom and she is one of 4 mainstream students that was chosen (lotto-style) to be a peer. I have heard great things about the program and am pretty excited about it for her. After two days, her teachers are very excited to have her in there too because she is a great helper. That's my girl! :)

This was Daddy helping her with her backpack when we got to the school. I thought I had a picture on here of her running way ahead of us through the parking lot. OOPs. :) She was so excited (as you can see below).

Thes above pics were taken just outside her classroom before she went in. She was saying "Yahoo" and couldn't wait to get in the room. I am such a mean mommy. I made her get her picture taken before I let her go in.

After class she stood in front of a mosaic that said Dunwiddie Dolphins to get her picture taken. I asked her to give me a face that told me how she felt about her first day of school.

Thank you so much Lord for my little big girl. Please be with her and guide her through her days as she continues to take steps toward independence.