Six

Dear Charlotte,
Last Saturday, you turned six.  When I think of how quickly the past 6 years...the past almost ten years of motherhood has flown by, I am in disbelief.   We were awed by you and your sister on your birth days, our babies.

You have grown so much but sometimes, you still want to be little.  You told me the week before your birthday that you wanted to be three again.  You'd also like a baby in the house. You are our baby, and always will be...as much as I'd like to get you a lil sibling.  I'd like to hold time still but am still excited at every stage of your young life.

I promised you I'd (try to) make cake pops for your birthday.  And they were a success!  Your cousins came down and we went to the pool for the entire day.  You saw your good friends Andrew, Daniel, Neva and Isabelle in the morning and then had Jillian and Olivia with you for the afternoon...we were basically at the pool all day, and you are becomming a brave little swimmer.  In our 3 pool outings, you've perfected a backward summersault and underwater swimming...you are an adventure girl and I wish I could bottle your enthusiasm and happiness.  You also like to do cartwheels on land.  After swimming and playing at our house for a bit, we all went to Ella's Deli for dinner and ice cream.

On Sunday, you had your birthday party at Madison Children's Museum.  Your friend who is "so, so, so, so nice and the smartest boy in our class," Daniel was there and the two of you have a habit of holding hands.  Don't worry...I got a pic. ;)  Also, your friends Andrew, Isabelle, Abigail, Molly, Neva, Taylor, & Lydia were there too.  Your favorite guests, baby Molly and baby Eve were there as well...you are beyond sweet to your baby cousins.  You all had fun and afterward, we went with your uncles and aunts and cousins for dinner at the Great Dane.

You had a wonderful first year of school.  Your Kindergarten class was made of awesome, from your wonderful and beloved Ms. Schroedel to the many kind friends you met in your class.  We were all sad to see Kindergarten end but you will no doubt tackle the next year with your signature enthusiasm and spirit.

Your spirit and energy...you are so kind, so patient and sweet.  You are loved and adored by so many, Charlotte.  You are a beautiful soul inside and out.  And funny...sometimes you humor me by reinacting the "two ones?" plea for a second cookie that you adorably did as a toddler.  You have changed our lives and we are absolutely blessed that you are ours.  I love you so much and look forward to our future together.

XOXO,
Mama

New York, New York

I haven't been there since October, 2011.  The Emerald City!  And for the first time ever, Natalie and Charlotte got to visit, and I got to take the whole famlily on a business trip as well.

The city:

I didn't get to spend the first day with my peeps as I had a meeting at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  I had some other appointments that took up the rest of the day.  But I did get pictures and stories.  

Central Park Zoo (taken by Natalie):

The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

On one rainy day, around Times Square, Charlotte told me she wanted to stop walking because she had raindrops in her boots.  And, her voice and concern...I seriously want to remember it for the rest of my life.  Much like a voice mail message she'd left me last year (which I lost) where she said, Mommy, this is your family, Addy, Charlotte and Daddy and and, I hope.... I hope you're having a great, great day.  And maybe we'll make a surprise for you, maybe or maybe not. Your little voice is priceless, as is your sister's.

More to come...

Dear Natalie

You are going through kind of a tough time right now.  You are so smart, and strive to work hard in school and get good grades.  That, I hope, remains a constant.  But, you are also going through some tough stuff socially with people you once called "friends" or establishing your own boundaries for what you will accept and what you will dismiss from others in this sometimes cruel world.

I foolishily thought that you could prolong your enchanting, spirited innocence at a parochial school.  I was blindsided by some of the early days there.  Mean girls, pigeon holing teachers, the rawness of the world arrived front and center for you. 

Last night, we took a walk and you told me how you feel.  How school is.  How you don't like recess and wish you could just stay in the library and read.  I want to swoop in and fix but I can't.  I can listen, I can tell you that I felt the same way as a kid sometimes.  I can tell you that if we didn't live in a medium sized city that your public school declares a large urban school district with associated problems, I would send you to public school after all you've been through.  I and you can also have hope that these experiences will make you stronger, and more capabable and more happy in life because you know that you are loved by your family yet also know that sometimes people aren't kind or aren't fair and that its very important for you to beat to your own drummer and filter useless background noise when you need to.

I want you to be accepted and to feel confident.  You have the foundation to do that and the full support of people who love you.  I am sure you will succeed and these little trials will be but a blip on this fleeting period of your radar to a amazing life.   Believe in yourself.

Love,
Mama

In your own words

You always talked, are always animated & social.  You are a voracious reader and above average at Math too.  You are so smart.

I don't know if it's the school, the parocial school, and all that comes with that.  Or the early competitive behavior of your class.  I don't know if it's merely just a "speech language issue." 

For the past year, you have worked with a SLP on articulation (outside the school district, of course, because despite a second grade diagnosis of "tongue thrust", no services could be provided in the schools.)  The constant observing and judging of your articulation may have created the stalling and stuttering and lack of confidence in your speaking.   I think you have conquered the articulation but the confidence in speaking is not there. I don't know if your teacher is making you her project because friends and family do not notice the speech issues. We meet with her on Monday.

All I know is that I love you and will take any road required to ensure a life of confidence and happiness.  You are not definable, you are too multi-faceted.  On the bubble with speech services, looking for meaningful friendshps with nice kids, just wanting to be YOU; we will get there kiddo.  I am your biggest advocate and fan and I will make sure of it.

April Fool

Yesterday, when we were rushing about to get out the door for Molly's first birthday party in Elm Grove, Natalie whipped up a little breakfast.  She made toast, spread with peanut butter and sprinkled with garlic salt, pepper and salt.  She brought it up for us to taste and was a little bummed when we didn't start gagging and hacking, I guess.

It had an after effect though.  My mouth started to pop about a half hour later.  Funny girl.

Kindergarteners and Paris

A couple week's ago, I got to go to Charlotte's class and share some photos and anecdotes from Paris.  They were in the middle of their France unit.  I showed photos of Notre Dame & the Sacre Coure, the ole Eiffle, some mounted police officers and a police car that seemed 180 degrees from a standard issue Crown Victoria.  I also got to use Ms. S' SMART BOARD for my presentation, which made me want an Ipad even more.

They asked questions like, how many photos did you take?  Do all police ride horses? Is that a castle too? I showed them some of the few trinkets I had, Eiffle Tower keychain that I got for free, Charlotte's Eiffle tower Christmas Tree decoration, a Euro (a coin, not a bill) and a $2 Euro just to add some more material. 

They were the sweetest, cutest audience to which I'd ever presented.  Daniel was very forgiving of me when I called him Nicholas too.  Charlotte was very happy to have me here...she requested I do it when she heard about the France unit last October.  The camradiery in her class is AMAZING, especially when compared to Natalies...they all go to each other's bday parties, regardless of gender.

I cannot believe they will be doing assessments for the new Kindergarteners in a few weeks.  I think I will miss it more than Charlottte.

The week ends...

Yesterday, I had the great honor of chaperoning the Daisies.  Charlotte and her troop went to Madison Fire Station #7 and OMG, did the Kindergarteners bring the cute!  Charlotte checked in with me often, hung out with her nice friends and we all had fun.  I love her class, I love her Daisies troop.  I am so glad I had a second student at SMG because Natalie's class is so completely different.  I am still in shock at the savvy "mean girl" behavior of her class, that started in freaking Kindergarten.  And, apparently, nothing can be done but lip service.  It's an unlucky class for my sweet, empathetic, kind and plays-by-the-rules Natalie to be placed in but the universe just isn't always fair.  Charlotte and I will help her get through.  We are both her biggest fans.

Auntie is coming to visit with Olivia and Jillian tonight.  Tomorrow, I'm back at SMG to volunteer for the rummage sale.  Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to volunteer there but I've always been a time giver, in addition to opening my checkbook for tuition, monthly giving, etc.  They do learn some good lessons at the lil parochial too.

Tomorrow night, we party with the Texans for St Patricks Day.  It's Bill's bday and CJ is throwing him a party, because they like to party.  And kids are always included as well...Jamie and Izzy are becomming good friends to our two ones.  I love them all!

80 degrees today, yesterday and likely tomorrow.  March 16!  No winter this year...I can count on one hand the days we actually accumulated snow.  I fear global warming is alive and well in 'sconnie.

Time to get the girls!  TTFN, SI.