Animal Orchestra

Last night, Olive and I went on a date to see The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins at the Children's Theatre Company. We had great seats, 5th row center. From where we were sitting we had a perfect view of the back of the conductor's head. As the show began, her head began to move as she conducted. Olive leaned over to me after a few minutes and said, "She's a really good dancer, Mommy!". I explained that she wasn't dancing, that she was conducting.

Olive pretends to be a conductor sometimes at home, so she knew what that was, she just couldn't see the orchestra down in the pit so I don't think she realized what was going on.

A couple more minutes passed, and Olive turned to me, wide eyed and said, "The animals are down there? In the orchestra?".

It took me a couple of seconds to realize that she thought the orchestra was made up of animals. We have this book; Animal Orchestra, and apparently it's Olive's only frame of reference for what an orchestra is!

This, my friends, is what I love about toddlers and preschoolers. There could have been an orchestra made up of animals in that pit, and she would have just accepted it as reality. Zebras, foxes, elephants. Why not!?

Also, we will be going to the MN Orchestra very soon. :)

Preschool

Tomorrow Olive starts preschool.

She went for 2 days this summer as practice and loved it. I know she'll love going and participating and learning.

Our girl has changed so much and become such a different kid than she used to be.

A year ago I was so worried about her transition to preschool. I was certain that she would be scared, that she'd cry when I left, that she would take a long time to get used the new routine. But that was a year ago.

Our cautious, scared, anxious girl is no more. She has blossomed into an eager to participate kiddo, she loves to meet new people, she doesn't mind large groups, she separates easily.

She is still so so thoughtful. She is hyper aware of her surroundings, her peers, other's feelings. She notices everything going on around her.

Observes it.

Takes it in.

Comments on it.

Olive is such a unique child. She really is. She is incredibly smart, insightful, thoughtful.

And she's still anxious, don't get me wrong. She still worries much more than I'd like her little 3 year old self to do.

But she's ready. She's ready to conquer preschool.

Good luck, baby.

Tea for Four

Yesterday morning, Olive and I decided it would be fun to put together a fancy tea party. A REAL tea party! I made her wait until 8am to call Nana and Papa to see if they were available for such an event. Lucky for us, they were. She invited them to tea at 10am.

We got down to business by getting Mae down for a nap, baking banana chocolate chip muffins, and very thoughtfully setting the table:

There were cookies and candies to be arranged:

An invitation was created, complete with a drawing of a teapot:

And it seemed an occasion for the fanciest of dresses, hand made by Olive's Auntie Jess (she's holding up the invitation, it seemed an important part of the whole process):

Fancy girl, ready for tea:

Her guests arrived, completely dressed up and Nana even had a fancy hat and teapot earrings (seriously, best grandparents EVER!!!):

Olive enjoying her "tea" (which was mostly milk) and a muffin:

Thanks Nana and Papa for humoring us and coming to our tea party!

The thick of it

Tonight, we were at a park eating a picnic dinner and Olive was playing. I nursed Mae on a park bench, took Olive to the bathroom (twice), while Sam had Mae in the sling. As usual, one person at a time got to wolf down a quick dinner before handing off the baby so the other could eat.

A woman was there with her two school aged children. As she walked past us she said, "wow, you're in the thick of it'". We chatted about how old the girls were, how we are doing, etc.

As we drove home, I was thinking about what she said. In the thick of it. We really are. This is one of the busiest (and maybe hardest?) times of our lives. We are "on" all the time. There is no down time, someone always needs something, and we are giving ourselves and one another very little attention because we don't have any left. The day to day is so exhausting and sometimes I wish it away to a time when it will be easier...more calm...more routine. I have to tell myself to just get through the day, hour, minute.

But there are these moments when I realize it's all so fleeting. Olive trying to convince me that the phrase is "I be Claire" rather than "I declare", Mae slung over my shoulder, sleeping and snoring at 4 am, all almost-12-pounds of her resting on me in such a trusting baby way.

They will never be this little again, they will never need us as much as they do right now. They will never want us as much as they do now.

This is it. This is the time we have with them as little girls.

The thick of it is mighty quick. These are the days we will reminisce about. The good and bad.

We will look back on these days and wish for them to return, I have no doubt.

Sweet little ladies.