Over the Hump?

I hope I’m not speaking to soon or jinxing anything (as a parent, I err on the side of paranoia when it comes to boasting about kid progress). That boasting seems to inevitably be the quickest way to ruin a good thing—I’m the last one to brag when a baby sleeps through the night or a certain little girl makes it through the day in just one pair of Elmo panties--but I’d venture to say that maybe, just maybe, we are over the Misery in the Morning hump.

Slowly but surely, everyone appears to be acclimating to the new routine. Truly, I’m shocked at how quickly it’s happening. As my wise friend Lisa said to me the other day: “It's amazing what we expect these kids to adjust to - I can't handle change…I don't know how I expect my kids to just suck it up!”

Another day of a happy Leo boarding his bus (today, beloved Dog was along for the ride. Let’s hope he comes home but in case he doesn’t I do have a spare and no one will be the wiser). This morning was a little hairy since Ellie was on the potty chair in the living room when the bus pulled up out front. Ellie's been, shall we say, a tad obsessed with the potty lately (I blame the chocolate raisins and fear we've created quite the chocolate raisinaholic).

So there I was, dashing down the steps with Leo, praying that Ellie didn’t toddle out of the house with her pants around her legs. Thank goodness she’s in a listening phase (I know, I know, there I go again with the boasting).

Later, as Ellie and I pulled into the lot at daycare I did hear a brief, heartbreaking little voice say: “I want to go this way! I want to go bye-bye,” (meaning, not to daycare). But the tears never came, and she settled in quickly and quietly to Trader Joe’s Strawberry Yogurt O’s. And then, it happened.

“Bye Mommy.”

Just like the old days, at her old daycare. Ellie would quietly tell me goodbye, before I even told her I was leaving. She knew what was coming.

So I took my cue, and left.

Stating the obvious here, but it’s a lot easier to have a good day when it doesn’t start with leaving your children as hot, crying messes.

Another milestone:

Photographic evidence of the infamous pigtails. I was shocked to find they were still in place when I picked her up last night.

Another milestone:

Leo had his first kindergarten homework assignment last night!

And yet another milestone (can you take it?): When I picked the kids up from daycare yesterday, Ellie and I had a real conversation about her day.

Me: “How was your day Ellie?”
Ellie: “I good.”
Me: “What did you do?”
Ellie: “I play!”

Inevitably when I ask either kid what they played or who they played with or what they did, Ellie says “Leo!” and Leo says “Ellie!”

Last night I joked to Erin we seem to have those weird freaky siblings who won’t play with anyone else…are they going to start their own secret language soon? I kid of course. I’m just so glad they have each other and that they (mostly) seem to make each other so happy.


When Leo’s not trying to put Ellie in a headlock, of course.