Quick Update

We've been busier than usual around here lately so I haven't had a chance to post much.  Although the girls and I have been busy doing {mostly} fun activities during the week, Chris has been very busy at work and staying late some evenings.  Thankfully, though, our weekends have been filled with fun activities outdoors since this Fall we are having fantastic weather - and I would rather enjoy the lovely outdoors instead of hanging out at my computer.  

This is a bit of a mish-mosh post about our recent happenings:

Emma has completed 3 weeks of pre-school so far.  I have also completed 3 weeks of pre-school.  I tried leaving Emma at school last week on her own and it didn't go as easily as I hoped.  She is on to the fact that I've been leaving school and all she does is cry and stare at the door and when it opens and someone who is NOT me walks in, she loses it.  Even if I am there and out of sight and the door opens and closes and she screams and cries - this only started happening after I left her there on her own, it didn't happen before since I don't think it even occurred to her that there was a chance I would leave her there alone.  It's quite heartbreaking, really, and I've started staying at school again while trying to fade into the background to give Emma a bit longer to adjust to school without me.  

School looks like fun, right?

All smiles while Mommy is in view!

I am ok with a little crying for her when I leave, but all out crying for hours at a time is not a worthwhile venture to pre-school in my opinion as she is neither learning anything nor participating in any therapy services while screaming at the top of her lungs for hours while waiting for me to return.  Let's hope next week goes better as I am excited to use the two mornings/week when both girls are in school to get in at least an hour workout each day.  I really need to start a consistent exercise schedule for both my mental and physical well being.

We went to Lowes the other day and had the new experience of seeing both girls sitting in a shopping cart.  Since Emma can't sit unassisted she usually goes shopping in her stroller or sits in a toddler feeding chair in the cart, but we saw some carts at Lowes that were designed for children and had a bottom at the perfect foot level to prevent slipping out of the cart and decided to give her a try in it and she did great!  Both girls loved sitting together for the 10 minutes we were in the store, even if Emma did use Julia as a prop for a lot of the ride.  Emma even reached out and attempted to turn the steering wheel, which made Julia (and us) so happy!  Julia is the best big sister ever!

 

It was late at night and Emma was already in her pjs, but she loved sitting in the cart with her big sister!

On a recent Field Trip Friday we purchased an annual pass to the zoo and have used it a couple of times already.  This weekend was Boo at the Zoo and the children dressed in costumes and did some trick-or-treating as they wandered around the animal exhibits.  Even though the traffic and parking were a nightmare, we were so happy that the zoo itself wasn't terribly crowded.  The gorilla there was the highlight of today's adventure - he came right up to the window and sat there for a long time posing for cameras and playing with the crowd.  He seemed so human.  I could have stayed in that area for hours just watching him.