1st Day of School

* Disclaimer: Lots and lots of details in this post. It's purely for my record of Madi at this stage. But the title sums it all up- so for the majority of you readers, just enjoy the couple of pictures.

Today was Madi's first day of "real" pre-school. I'm not sure who was more excited- me or her! I've been looking forward to this day since we finished our preschool co-op in May. Madi is just such a structured kid and would love to be in school all day everyday if she could. I tried playing "school" every morning at home, but it's hard to keep up such a strict schedule. We've really been struggling with Madi and behavior this summer, and I've been at a loss as to what to do about it. Then the other day Spencer had an epiphany- we figured her crazy, argumentative, sassy, unruly behavior must have something to do with her not being in school. I realized the trouble started right around the beginning of May and has lasted all summer long. I have high hopes that starting back into school will help get things turned around- cause right now, age 4 is my least favorite age!

The morning started out perfect! Madi was excited- she ate extra fast at breakfast, requested to take a bath after eating, then quickly dressed and didn't argue about me fixing her hair. She was a little worried about not knowing all of her numbers (she sometimes gets 2 and 5 mixed up), but other than that she was feeling great and ready to go! Spencer had given her a father's blessing before he left for the airport on Saturday, which I think really helped to calm her nerves. She'd picked out a new "first day of school outfit" awhile back and just got a new backpack on Saturday!

We got to her school a little before 9am and as we weaved our way through the parent crowded hallway I started to get a little choked up- not the "my baby's so old and finally going to school" kind of choked up, but the thrill, excitement, and newness of "back to school" choked up. I absolutely love the beginning of a new school year and it truthfully makes me miss teaching a ton. We met Madi's 2 teachers- super cute and friendly, gave big hugs to Madi, and then were on our way!

Elle and I lived up the morning. We first made Target returns and then per Elle's request, went for a walk around the lake at the Rio. It was a gorgeous morning and I think this walk is going to become a regular morning occurrence for Elle and I. Then we headed home for snacks and to clean up from our crazy morning. Elle was an absolute angel (as she always is when we're one on one) and I was loved every minute of our morning alone together.

At 11:15am we headed back to the school for 11:30 pick-up. I was anxious to see Madi's excited face and hear about all the fun she had. But when I picked her up she didn't seem very happy at all. I asked her what was wrong and she whispered in my ear about the picture she'd drawn and how she wanted to take it home with her. Her teacher let me look at it, telling Madi that she was going to hang it in the hall for everyone to see- reassuring Madi that she could take it home in a couple of days. Didn't help though- Madi was still bugged about it. Once we got to the car I continued to ask about the day- what she did, who she played with, what they had for snack. Madi still seemed really let down. She told me how they didn't do any math, she didn't make any new friends (she did say she played with Owen- so glad they lucked out being in the same class, but I've got to work with her on being more outgoing and meeting new friends), and she couldn't take her picture home! Darn, I was crushed. I was hoping for a better response from the first day of school. But then as the afternoon went on I continued to probe and was glad to hear that in response to my daily question of, "what was your favorite part of the day" she immediately answered, "going to school." She also ranked it a 10 on a scale of 1-10 (not sure if she completely understood what giving a 10 meant, but I'm taking it as a positive). I really think Madi was just bummed not to do more "learning" (math, letters, putting words together, etc). I know what the beginning of the school year is like and I'm sure Madi wasn't the biggest fan of all the waiting, listening, sharing, taking turns, etc- which is one of the very reasons I want her in school right now! I'm sure she was quiet (she did tell me how she didn't talk cause the teacher told them not to) and didn't speak her mind like she usually does.

Regardless of how school went, I was mostly interested to see if it would change how Madi acted in the afternoon. And basically, it was the best afternoon I've had in a long time! Madi was awesome- she washed the kitchen table and chairs, mopped the floor, dusted, picked up toys, and played great with Elle. Not sure if any of it was due to the cat nap she took around 1:45- I was taking a nap in my room, while she was having her quiet time. I woke up at 2pm and realized it was quieter than normal, so I went into Madi's room and found her fast asleep in bed. She's just like her mama and does really well when she gets a quick power nap- sometimes just 10-15 minutes does the trick. Oh, and I also reinstituted the m&m jar today, which I think was a huge factor of her wanting to do so many jobs. But whatever it was- I was a very happy mom today!! Yay for beginning of new school years!!!

Here we go again!

We dropped Spencer off at the airport this afternoon and said our goodbyes- again (and of course, I cried- again) knowing that this time it's gonna be almost 5 weeks till we're reunited. This will be the longest separation to date. I'm feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and emotional, while also excited and empowered. I've never packed ourselves before. Spencer did everything when we moved from Pleasant Grove (I was teaching full-time while he'd just graduated), then my mom and Spencer pretty much did everything when we moved from Burbank (I'd just had a new baby), and my mom took over again when we moved out of here the first time (Spencer was in the thick of Bar preparation and I was- well, inexperienced)! But now I have no choice. Ya, my mom and dad will be out here at the very end to help, but the majority of the packing this time is gonna be all me! Luckily, we got back last night (had a fabulous time in Williamsburg- post coming soon) so I had Spencer's help today. We mostly just did pictures (something I don't like to do till the very end, but I have a feeling staring at blank walls everyday will motivate me with the packing), but we also got a couple of other boxes finished and taped up. I've got a good packing plan to hopefully keep me on track (I hate the crazy rush at the end)- only 23 days till moving day! But we're mostly looking forward to the even bigger countdown- 32 days till we see Spencer again. It's gonna be tough, but I know the girls and I can do it. I have to admit, I do feel like Supermom when it's just me and I have to do it all. It forces me to be on the top of my game. But we're definitely gonna be missing Spencer. I love the pictures he always leaves on Madi's white board- here's our little family (growing a little bit bigger:), anxious to be reunited on October 12th!!

Change of plans

Back in July- before we knew we were going to move, before life got especially crazy, before we were thinking about hurricanes, we planned a trip to the Outer Banks. Spencer and I had been wanting to get away with the girls. So we, along with some other friends, booked a gorgeous 6 bedroom beach house in Avon, NC (on Hatteras Island) for the week of Labor Day. We were beyond excited. We'd planned out our meals for week, the outings we wanted to go on, daily crafts for the kids, and nightly activities for everyone. But then Hurricane Irene made landfall directly on Hatteras Island. We were hopeful at first, but then completely crushed when we saw pictures of Highway 12 . . . all in pieces. The home was ok, but there was no way to get to it! But I really have to stop there cause I don't want to further depress myself by talking about it anymore. Since our fabulous vacation was now out of the picture, and Spencer was still flying in Saturday morning for the week, we were racking our brains as to what to do instead. Spencer suggested Williamsburg, VA and I quickly got on to check out the availability at my parents timeshare to find that there was one unit left for the days we wanted to go. So I booked it! It may not be a week on the sandy beaches of North Carolina, but we're excited and we're looking forward to a fabulous three day vacation!

Since we don't leave until tomorrow, we got to spend some much needed family time here at home the past 2 days. The girls were bursting with excitement Saturday morning when we got to the airport to pick up Spencer- you would have thought it was Christmas morning. We spent a lazy day here at home. On Sunday we went to the temple and spent some time walking around the temple grounds and visitors center.

Then today we hit up Homestead Farms for our annual apple picking! I was so glad that Spencer got to join us for this. It really is beautiful out there in the country. The girls loved every minute of it- especially the animals. At first the cow was laying down but later he got up and we were able to feed it a bunch of grass. We also pet the sheep and goats and saw chickens, a turkey, and ducks.

After hanging out with the animals we headed out to the fields.

Madi was a great apple picker.

Elle was a great apple taster!

We didn't get a ton of apples- I have no plans of doing anything fancy with them - but we will definitely enjoy eating them! The apples (fuji and honey crisp) are DE-LIC-IOUS!! I've always been an apple lover and having my bottom fridge drawer stocked with apples makes me oh so very happy! By the end of picking, both girls were exhausted, leaving Spencer with the lovely job of hauling girls and apples back to the car.

This is one thing I'm definitely going to miss doing next year. I love everything about the fall on the east coast, but apple picking is one of my favorites!

Mornings with Samantha

Today was our last morning with Samantha. Crazy to think that she's been a part of our mornings for 7 months now. It's been fun watching her "grow-up" and see her little personality develop. We sure are going to miss her! We love you Samantha!

One week down- One more to go!!

Yesterday marked our first week without Spencer. I survived- my first earthquake, hurricane (if you'd call it that) and all! And it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Just knowing that Spencer wouldn't be coming home, and that I was the only one in charge, made me get in and get things done. I was super strict about bedtime- not a night later than 7 pm. That was the key to my sanity! I love my alone time and needed every minute I got of it. I did miss my Spencer time though- it's the time I look forward to every night- once the kids are in bed and we can just talk (without being interrupted every 5 seconds). The three hour time difference is a killer though, cause by the time Spencer was up and going in the morning (7am- 10am our time) we were usually heading off on our first outing of the day. Then by the time he left work it was almost 9:30pm our time- the kids were long asleep, and I was usually on my way.

But hands down, the hardest thing for me has been to hear Elle cry for her dad. He's the first person she asks for every morning and the last person she cries for at night. It breaks my heart. I think she's finally understanding that he isn't just living at work. At first she'd tell me, "Daddy's at work." or "Daddy's in a meeting."

Then it became more of a demand to see Spencer, "I wanna see my daddy. Where's my daddy?" "I miss my daddy."

And now that she's finally got the idea that Spencer's working in California it's, "I miss my daddy. I miss him so much. I wanna go pick him up right now!"

Luckily we've been able to skype several times and talk on the phone a couple times every day. But we're definitely excited about seeing Spencer this coming Saturday- and being able to play for an entire week together!

As for Spencer- he started at his new firm on Wednesday and is loving it already. On his first day, he was given a pile nearly two feet tall of cases, statutes, and articles to read to get him up to speed. He's been making steady progress. One of the things that attracted him to this firm was the opportunity to do significantly more trial work. Well, he got his wish...he has his first court call this Tuesday. And they trust him enough to argue the hearing on his own!! He's a little nervous but very excited for these kind of opportunities! A major perk is how close we will live to the office. From Camarillo, he can make it into the office in about 11 minutes. No more hour long commutes every morning and evening! His office is pretty nice, too. He's on the 14th floor and has an unobstructed view of the ocean and Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands! So whenever I want to go to the beach, I can give Spencer a call and ask him for a report on beach conditions.

Sharing

Not only do my girls share all their toys (well, usually), but at 2 years apart Madi and Elle are already sharing clothes and shoes! In the picture above, Madi's wearing a shirt that Elle just wore last week, Elle's wearing a dress that Madi wore a couple days ago, and Madi's got on Elle's flip flops (a little small- but Madi thinks they're "so cute" that she makes her foot fit)!

Our New Ride

Spencer took off for California yesterday morning. Surprisingly the girls remained composed and handled the goodbye really well. It was me who was the big cry baby and had to be comforted by my 2 and 4 year old daughters (I love how Elle knew exactly how to make it better- a back scratch, hugs, and kisses). Moving is very emotional for me. It's a lot of work, a lot of stress, and a lot of craziness. Spending the week packing Spencer up, cleaning out his side of the closet, donating his fish (I wasn't about to be put in charge of his fish tank after his departure), buying packing supplies (Spencer wanted to make sure I was set for what lies ahead- ug), etc was super draining. But truthfully the hardest part about saying goodbye was realizing that Spencer will never be back to this house again. Watching him drive away made me feel very very alone. If my parents weren't coming out I'd be totally freaking out (ok, I never would have agreed to staying behind if they weren't coming out). But I do know I can handle it. Spencer already has a flight booked for Sept. 3rd- the day we head to the Outer Banks for a solid week of playing together at the beach. I can hardly wait- only 13 days away!!

And since Spencer is driving out my (now his) Altima to CA, we knew I'd be needing a new car- or rather a VAN!! Yep, we did it- we bought a van! And I LOVE it. . . every bit of it! And the girls have been just as excited about it! They beg to go for rides, they love the automatic doors, they love being able to get in and out by themselves, and the best part- there's not been any fighting in the car since we got it a week ago! It really is incredible! I am one happy mama!

Uncle Clark

Last Sunday my brother flew in for a quick visit. Due to delayed- then canceled flights, Clark's supposed weekend trip was turned into a short overnight stay. But regardless of the length of his visit, we were just thrilled to have Clark here! We talked long into the night and then were awakened in the early morning by overly excited little girls wanting to play with their uncle. Thanks Clark for rearranging your plans to make sure we fit into them. We love you!!