What A Big Girl

Today was the BIG day. Ella Ann started Pre-K at public school. I had some nervousness/anxiety about the whole situation but Ella Ann did not. She was so excited after we went to her open house last Thursday and checked out her room, cafeteria, playground and met her teacher. She was thrilled to see all brand new stuff! The elementary school she attends is a Montessori school but this year they had a lottery and drew names to determine, out of the 40 Pre-K kids, which ones would be in the Montessori program and which ones would be in the new traditional. I was happy that Ella Ann is in the traditional program because it is structured and not a child-centered learning environment. Ella Ann does well with structure, as do I! She walked in the school this morning wearing her little backpack and carrying her new lunch box and she looked so tiny compared to all the kids passing us. She didn't notice a bit and pretty much bounced to her classroom! She had to be there at 7:45 a.m. but we arrived at 7:30 so I could drop off her school supplies and get her settled. We explored all the new toys, kitchen, games, puzzles, instruments, dolls, costumes, reading area, millions of books, art, etc. Some of the kids were at a table coloring so I sat Ella Ann down next to a little girl and asked what her name was. After she told me I introduced her to Ella Ann and that was that. I told her I needed to leave and she said, "Okay Mommy. Bye!" I got a big kiss and walked out the door. I was so proud of her for not crying or even showing any signs of clingyness....so.not.like.Ella Ann. My heart swelled but hurt just a bit because I knew she was ready to do this and maybe I wasn't. I missed her tons today, cried on the way home and cried later in the morning. My house was so quiet, even with Rane, but 2:15 p.m. came pretty quickly and I was anxious to pick her up. I walked in the building to get her and talked to her teacher for a minute. She told me how well Ella Ann did the entire day and how she had a great time. Yeay! I did have to wait for her to be dismissed in the lobby so when I saw her I thought she'd come running.....Rane and I were standing there waiting with big smiles but she stuck out her bottom lip and hunched her shoulders. I asked, "What's the matter? Do you not want to go home?" She shook her head and said, "No, I want to stay!" Hooray for a glorious first day! She cannot wait to go back tomorrow!

Our very big girl ready to go this morning.

Sporting the cute back pack my friend, Andrea, gave her for Christmas.

Since Ella Ann wasn't home to "babysit" Rane while I took a shower this morning I left him to fend for himself for like 8 minutes. I kept the bedroom door open and moved everything he could possibly get into, or so I thought. When I got out of the shower he came into the room covered from the top of his head to his toes (only had on a diaper and pajama top) in some sort of goo. I couldn't figure out what it was so I asked him to show me what he was doing. I followed him to the living room to find an open jar of Vaseline on the floor. He had taken gobs of it and just smeared it in his hair, all over his arms and legs and on his shirt. It was so thick that the bath and extreme scrubbing/towel drying wouldn't get a lot of it off so I just left him to be....greasy hair and all. It looked like I put wayyyy too much styling gel in my toddler's hair but actually he did it all by himself........

I think he was going for the Robert Pattinson look. What do you think?

I mean he is such a nut! I took these pictures after he woke up from his nap!