All Things Adele

Adele has been completely adorable lately. Her sister has been sick (more later...maybe), so the "fun" stories of the moment are all about Adele.

She has a new "Adeleism" that I am totally in love with. She will ask a question, then answer it, but will always add, "Maybe." (with the cutest face ever) to the end of her answer.

She has started "reading" some books, which to me is just amazing. Less than a week ago, if she wanted to (or if we asked her to) look at books, she demanded that an adult read to her, always saying, "I can't read by myself" (which is something I work on with my students all year long, regardless of what grade I am teaching). I have worked with her on "reading the pictures" but she always argues and wants to know the "real" words.

On Monday, I "caught" her reading all by herself. It was a Sandra Boynton book. Gotta LOVE Sandra Boynton! This one was called Red Hat, Green Hat, and it is all about clothing colors...and a silly little bird. It's Adele all over. She read the entire thing, correctly, and didn't know I was listening to her. When she discovered that she had been found out, she was SO proud! Tonight she didn't even give me a choice when it was time to read her second bedtime book (an ABC book).

And lastly, while she is excelling at "school" at home, I had the following conversation with her teacher this morning:

Mrs. H: Do you ever notice that Adele doesn't hear you when you talk to her?
Me: Yes, and I know what you are going to ask. Her hearing is fine...it's just selective.
Mrs. H: Okay, I just wanted to mention it in case you wanted to bring this up with her pediatrician.
Me: Well, I will, but her hearing has been tested many times, as I have a sister who is deaf, and her hearing always tests perfectly. Adele just zones out and either doesn't listen or chooses not to act. I'll talk to her.

I've had this conversation COUNTLESS times with my students' parents as well. I've always sworn up and down that the students had severe hearing loss only to find that it's just a major case of selective hearing. I actually laughed at myself the entire ride to school upon finding myself on the opposite side of this fence.

I did ask the teacher who is there at pick up more specific questions about Adele's "selective hearing" and it seems that her poor eczema is probably causing most of the problems (she gets so itchy she can't focus on anything but scratching)...which we definitely see at home, so a doctor's visit may be in order...just not to the audiologist!

Yes, I'm a bad mom and have not taken ANY pictures lately. I'll try to take some this weekend!

One Down...

Week (at work), that is.

Unfortunately, there are too many more left to count.

Adele had a pretty good week at preschool. She had a "fussy" day today, but the poor girl must be so wiped out. She is completely "Daddy's girl" when it comes to her natural rhythms, so she's had to get used to waking up early again! She really has done a great job getting up in the morning, but has been struggling to fall asleep any earlier than 9:00...

Anna has had her fair share of fussy days for Miss Jenny, and she clearly misses mommy. She was up most nights this week just wanting to be held (okay...and maybe nursed....). Fortunately, I still love snuggling with my cuddle bug, so while I'm pretty exhausted myself, I've been enjoying the time we spend together in the middle of the night.

This is it...

My last day as a "stay at home mom"...until next summer, I guess.

I go back to work tomorrow. I'm mostly ready, or I thought I was until I physically typed those words out! When I went back to work after my year off with Adele I actually had panic attacks where I felt like I was having an asthma attack, only, my inhaler didn't work. I just got a teeny reminder of that feeling as I typed out that first sentence.

Adele starts preschool at "Hilltop"-the child care center in our school district. Daddy and I got to meet her teachers and check out her classroom last Thursday night. I freaked out a little bit (in a good way) when I saw that both Adele's and my classrooms are decorated with a picnic theme (okay, at first I was bummed, because i thought I had a fairly original idea....but then I realized, 'who better to share it with than Adele!')

Anna Kate will go to our Beloved Miss Jenny. She's not quite as excited as we are. She had a "trial day" last Thursday and was mostly fussy. I'm sure that Jenny will work her magic in no time, and we won't be able to get Anna out of there at the end of the day! She is going through a little separation anxiety right now anyway, so I'm not terribly worried that she was fussy for Jenny....which is the total opposite of how I felt last time!

My "flower garden" calendar area...complete with a white picket fence!

Memaw's fancy work (although this one isn't quite finished yet...)

More of Memaw's fancy work...you can't beat having a master scrapbooker put up your bulletin boards!

All-er-sault

As we were driving to Target today, Adele started talking about somersaults.

She announced that they are not really called somersaults, but "all-er-saults", because in winter they are wintersaults, and in fall they are fallersaults, so really they are called all-er-saults, just right now, they are somersaults, because it is summer. Now you know.

Lucky Charms

Memaw is here for the week, and she bought some Lucky Charms for the girls. Adele instantly "knew" to just eat the marshmallows out, and then ask for more, but it took Anna a bit longer.

On Monday, she ate the cereal and the marshmallows equally, even leaving a few marshmallows in her bowl when she was finished eating. By Tuesday, she wised up. She ate the marshmallows first, but then continued eating the rest of her cereal with a little prompting from Mommy. This morning, she ate just the marshmallows, and then demanded more, there was no eating of the cereal part. at. all.

It's funny how quickly they learn things.

We'll see what happens at breakfast time when Memaw leaves and there are no more Lucky Charms...

Heat Wave!

Like most of the country, Indiana has had quite the heat wave lately. Naturally, we decided to go to Wisconsin. It sounded like a fabulous plan. Until we looked at the weather. The forecast for Wisconsin actually showed high temperatures three to four degrees HIGHER in Wisconsin than they were in Indiana. How's that for bad planning?

Nevertheless (insert Daddy laughing at my use of language here...) we made the best of our short trip North.

She's still a little climber, isn't she?

Anna LOVED this water feature!

Snuggling the tiny baby kittens at Eugsters!


Feeding the baby goats!

Silly Daddy!






Again, Anna LOVED the water room at the Madison Children's Museum!

Ella's Deli-one of MY favorites!


What's a trip to Wisconsin without a stop by the Henry Vilas Zoo? (It's Free!!!)

Anna playing in second cousin once removed, Kate's room....which is in my grandma's old house!

Playing at Memaw's

Adele had a sleepover at Memaw's...doesn't she look cozy?

Heat Wave