First day of preschool

This is Esme's first day at the special preschool, it is one day a week. I think the hardest thing is going to be explaining to her she has to leave - and that she can't go back until next week (not tomorrow).




We just got back from dropping her off at her first day of preschool. We were slightly early - but they took her in and there were other full-day kids there. She went right to playing. In the car on the way over she said she was ready - and she would have a table (Desk) and a chair and play with the kids. She did not see us leave - but I think she will be okay. The only other time we ever have left her except with Grandma was at a daycare for one day when she was two - to see how she would do, and she was fine there. I was trying not to hover - although I know they expect it...

She was playing with her backpack last night - it arrived just in time. I chose it but knew she would like it. She has three DVD discs of Hello Kitty that she has nearly memorized but still needs to watch nearly daily. She picked out two books to put in and I put her name in them and on the backpack. If this backpack survives a few years she could take it to kindergarten - as it is a good size for that.

In other bits - she looks so tall in these pictures, like she has grown nearly a foot in the past year... She is 42 inches tall, and I could see it when she went in among the other kids. I don't know if half of them are younger than four - but she is showing her genetics from two 'tall' parents ;)

New and old garden plots

The road down to the lake
Mark did a lot of work on this last year


playing in the sand


good tractor...


The new garden plot


Plowed ground and 'earth rocks' as Esme called it


trek


Esme volunteering to be the scarecrow ;)
This is her imitation of one from the cartoon she likes right now


The old garden spot, clear of fence and t-posts


All the 'structure' pulled out of the old garden

We are out in the garden

innocent, really!


blurry, but too cute not to share

We are out in the garden today, there might be some other pictures later. But, these are Esme and Loula posing. They have been running around playing and having a grand time chasing sticks etc etc... Daddy is plowing with the tractor, I am clearing out brush, wire and old structures before tilling the ground up. We had a quick trip to town as a bolt broke on the tractor and we had to replace it. We had some good sandwiches at the deli place as well - Esme got a thick slice of bologna and some cheetos.. she enjoyed that.

All of the immunization shot information is caught up - and Esme had no reaction whatsoever to the shots she did receive. She is set to go to school tomorrow and is happy about it!

bits with pictures

It has been a tough few days.. I feel like I've been running an obstacle course to get this school paperwork done, and am getting in the homestretch. Esme's shots are done except for the second MMR - and I have a couple of roads to try to keep her from that one again. The nurse agreed my reasoning was sound for not wanting her to receive a SECOND dose of the only thing she has ever reacted badly to. But, it still requires my doctor (who does not see her for such things anyway so he is reluctant) to create and sign a form for something he does not know. She never went to the hospital with that fever - but it lasted all night and it made me very worried at the time. I might just have to tell them I refuse do it - and provide that in writing myself if he will not.

She did not run a fever with any of the four shots she received yesterday. She is in a wonderful good mood, although she had some dreams about mama not keeping the monsters away from her she told me about - and then she pointed to her arms and asked me to stay home from work and protect her. That was a little heartwrenching - but it did not last long. She got over it after a little bit, and is now leaning against my back watching Muppet Show and has forgotten about it mostly. She saw the backpack we are ordering for her that should be here next week - she is happy about that. We have all the other paperwork done and her folder and gluesticks. I have to repair a few more pieces of clothing.... Loula put a hole in the sleeve of the new pink dress already. *sigh*


snowflake lights



Letting the dogs out...

preschool shots and a walk in the woods

Esme and Loula come for a walk...
It was a little like wild kingdom with Esme carrying sticks and
the puppy 'helping' along.


Esme went for her preschool shots this morning - she did very well. We told her she would be 'strong' after this - so she could go to school. She likes that idea very much. She got them early this morning and is just a little cranky - but has eaten well and run around like crazy all day - just like usual.



We went for a walk out in the woods and around the garden. It is so different with most of the tree cover gone in the valley. We looked at the burn piles from last year and cleaned up debris and a can the loggers had left behind. We went down to the lake and played a bit at the edge of the water. Loula puppy was very happy to run alongside with us and bounce and play with Esme.



Mark took hold of the camera and got some pretty abstract shots.


A pretty plant
and the monkey sticker the nurse gave her

Some ash mixed with baked clay

// She played outside for a good while, and got Grandma to come down and fly a kite with us. There was lots of sun and wind. Then she came inside and calmed down playing Minecraft on my computer. At about 5:30 she fell asleep in my desk chair, before supper! She is still asleep over there - no fever, seems good.

I am going to have to put more pants on the sewing agenda - she has ripped two pairs in as many days... but both of them were actually made last fall. Loula has been being rougher with her and likewise.

bits

Treehaus blocks
bought on clearance at BBB last month


The 'ladder' to the top she built

Esme has become fond of Mickey and the Beanstalk, and asks to watch it nearly every day. It shows up in all of her imagination, as well. She has finally learned to have confidence that she can open and close the front door to the house by herself. She could do it for a long time, but always said she was too little and needed help. She has been doing it by herself to let dogs and cats in and out for days now. I hear a lot more about 'school' in her pretend, as well - even though I haven't told her about the proposed one day a week that we are working on.

Her play with Minecraft has become intense. Yesterday she abandoned my computer screen because I did not have the materials to make a nether gate - and Daddy did - so she begged him to make one. She is making a ladder out of her blocks right now to reach the top of a hill - balancing them against the side like Minecraft.

The story is that the two little figures are 'with Mickey Mouse' and they are climbing the ladder to the giant's house. The alien is on top of the 'school' and is the daddy of the alien kids in the bus that are coming to school.