Little steps towards independence

I'm back to writing one blog a month. This is Ellie's second week at school. She's taking a while to adjust to being alone at school and I am still taking a while to settle her in before she gives me a tearful goodbye. I thought the tears would only last one or 2 weeks but judging by stories of other kids crying for 6 months I think it will be a few more weeks or months before I can just drop her off at the doorstep with a quick hug and kiss and "Bye bye mommy." Its getting better though. She cried 20 minutes last friday when I left her for 1 hour and probably less than 5mins today when I left her for one and a half hours.

I really like her new school. Her teachers are fun and dedicated and really take the effort to make Ellie enjoy her day at school. Ellie likes it too although she has started kicking a fuss about not going and asking me to turn around and go home when she realises that she will be left on her own. The good thing is that she's eating her lunch at school (she finished all her speghetti today-never before!) so that's one less meal to worry about.  Ellie's one of the two brand new students in this montessori which has a mixed class of two and half to six year olds and I am the only mommy who has accompanied Ellie this long.

Today, when I came to pick Ellie up from school, Miss AC reccounted a little conversation Ellie had with one of her new friends Ella. Ellie's is making little steps towards independence.

Ellie: Is your mommy here?
Ella: No
Ellie: Then are you happy?
Ella: Yes I am
Ellie: My mommy isn't here too. I am happy.

Caitlin has a blankie too

 Ellie can't leave home without her "mama's scarf" and teddy bear called Waffles. Now Caitlin too has a blankie-any blanket really or T-shirt, as long as it is soft. The best thing is finding out that a blankie keeps Caitlin quiet in the car. If only we had found out earlier..*

Caitlin is 1

I can’t believe Caitlin is one, but she is. It just seemed like only yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. Our little itsy bitsy baby has become a little girl walking (and trying to run a little) all over the house. An early walker she is, more interested in climbing up the sofa and onto the table than she is in reading picture books and playing with soft toys like her sister did at the same age. After months of putting up with a strong-willed sister who would try to bit her and lean too hard on her, Caitlin has started to fight back. Now that she has presents of her own (birthday and christmas ones) Caitlin is staking her ground, she tries to bite back when Ellie gets in her way or takes her pressies. That said, there is really not that much biting these days. On good days, the sisters play together.

We had a family hotel -high tea inspired lunch for Caitlin’s birthday. It was lots of fun but I think KM and I just underestimated the preparation time. I was still in my home shorts when the guests started arriving. I can’t remember how many sandwiches I made.

Not quite started

Not quite started yet. My blog is still with wordpress.

Off the cuff again

December 13, 2008

I haven’t written in ages and haven’t posted a photo in months. It’s just been words words words for a long time. So what I’ve decided is to insert my photos via backdated posts, now that I have cleared my backlog of photos in my camera. Hundreds of photos. 4 GBs worth. The postdated entries will have an * at the end.
That aside, bringing the girls out has gotten easier. I used to dread the mealtimes out of the house, but now we have begun to have civilised sit-down meals at cafes and restaurants with Caitlin wolfing down her meal and part of ours and Ellie drinking her juice and nibbling on chips and nuggets (definately, definately! not my idea of a meal but at least she sits at the table). 

Ellie's first "Princess Pedicure"

For a while Ellie had this thing about going everywhere with me. She actually behaves pretty well when we are out alone (without having to compete with Caitlin for attention) so I sometimes bring her along for my girly outings. This time it was a pedicure with my good friends PS and J.*

Pink playdough (by the way Pink is Ellie's favourite colour)

I try to have activities that both sisters can do together. We dance in the mornings, play games like football and hide and seek. A lot of the time it is pretend-play. We shop; Ellie and Caitlin go around the house with hats and handbags, Mama is both the mama and "shop-lady". We play dress-up; Ellie pulls hats out of our dress-up box, sometimes Ellie and now Caitlin wear my t-shirts. And we play "doctor-doctor"; Caitlin is the nurse, Ellie directs the patients, and her doll is the doctor.

When we are in the whole day I try to involve both girls in sometime arty or crafty. This is Caitlin's first experience with playdough.