Saturday, September 24, 2011

Rock-a-Bye Baby

It continues! She still wants me to rock and sing to her everyday when I drop her off at school! I think it may be taking a toll on my back as it seems to start hurting at some point every day for the past few weeks . It seems like I will be walking her to her classroom indefinitely. The drop off line just isn't for us right now. Most days we drop off Lexie at her classroom first, but some days Summer goes to her class first. Yesterday, was one of those days because I had to take Lexie to the doctor for a check-up due to her frequent accidents at school. It seems she's just full of poop, thankfully.

Summer went to the doctor two days last week, missing one day of school due to strep throat. She ran a fever above 102 twice and complained of her limbs, shoulders, and belly hurting. She said, "It hurts when I swallow my spit." She played normally throughout it except for when her fever spiked the 2nd time which was after I picked her up from school on Monday. She sat patiently as I dropped my car off at the dealership, and we waited for our loaner car. I don't think she would've been as patient if she felt good. We left there and headed to a drug store for a thermometer and some ibuprofen. She was redfaced at 102.3, but she still insisted on going to celebrate Nanny's birthday at Ichiban. For some reason, Summer got to pick the restaurant. I guess she's good at that though. She loves to decide whether or not we will eat at our favorite sushi restaurant or Longhorn or ........

The next day I took her to her new pediatrician, and the verdict was strep. So, she stayed home that day and went in late the following day after her appointment with the surgeon who took her port out. There was a stitch that did not dissolve that was sticking out of the scar and did not seem to be going away. It seemed to be tender to her and she would not let me near it so I made an appointment to have it looked at. Dr. Smith said that she would just leave it alone and wash it with soap and water. She also said we could rub a washrag over it gently which Summer did herself. I was a little disappointed it was still in when we left the doctor's office, but it did come out earlier this week and the scar looks to be healing nicely now.

I asked Summer yesterday if she likes school better than she thought she would and she said she did. I am soooooo happy with this school. Summer has gotten almost all yellow smiley faces on her chart this month. As a reward, she picked a Show and Tell sticker from her options. The other sticker choices Summer can remember are: Bring your stuffed animal to school, Teacher's Desk (do your work at the teacher's desk), and Teacher's Pen (get to use one of the teacher's pens). On Monday, Summer will get to take something special to school with her to show her classmates. I wonder what it will be. Teddy already goes in her bookbag everyday so she can have him at rest time so I doubt it will be her. I'm so excited for her 1st show and tell. :)

She will go on her first field trip next week. The kindergarten and first grade are going to an apple orchard. The kids are riding the bus and the parents will be following in cars. Of course, Summer has already asked me to go with them. This will actually be her 2nd trip to an apple orchard. She went with her preschool last year before she dropped out. She is excited to have apple cider and eat an apple.

Her midterm progress report brought a big smile to my face when I saw it. She is doing exemplory in her social growth and behavior with peers. She enthusiatically participates in the class. She got all good remarks in her work habits and her teacher says, "Summer is doing so well! She works hard and always helps others." I guess this school thing is okay after all. She is thriving and making me proud to be her Mom!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Why does school have to last so long?

Summer really wishes school days were shorter and fewer in number, but she seems to like it nonetheless. When I drop her off to school, I still walk her and Lexie to their classes. The past two days, she has had me do Rock-a-Bye Baby in the hallway after we hung up her book bag. Yes, she allows me to pick her up and rock her like a little baby in front of her peers. Oh, if only this could last!! I think I actually told her today that I hope she never outgrows it. I think she may in size before she is actually over it, but maybe not. Despite her weighing 43 pounds and standing 42 3/4 inches tall, I still manage to carry her around on occasion. And, she loves it! She's definitely my baby and always will be more than likely. Lexie pretends to be a baby at times and will put one of Summer's old pacifiers in her mouth and let me coo at her while I cuddle her in my arms. So sweet! I really hit the jackpot with these two being a part of my life.

Yesterday, Summer asked me if there was chapel and I told her no that it was today. She was disappointed stating that she liked it. So, today I attended with her and Lexie to see what it was all about. When they saw me, they ran over to sit with me. Summer's friend Brody, who just so happens to be a boy, sat down right beside her. Apparently, he follows her around most days, but I'm going to try not to read too much into it. The word boyfriend is not even going to be in our vocabulary for quite some time!!!! His mom was there too and told me she had heard a lot about Summer and had even come to eat lunch with them one day. Uh-oh! A little girl named Alex tried to wave her over to sit by her, but Summer was not leaving me. She sat quietly in front of me while Lexie climbed all over me proclaiming her love for me during the chapel service. It was quite precious, but I hope next time she will sit and listen. We sang a few songs and the rector went over a Bible lesson which was on the fruits of the Spirit. At the end, Summer got long faced and tried to fight back tears when she knew it was time to say goodbye. It was at that point that she asked me why school had to last so long. It was a sad moment, but her teacher told me she would get her busy when she got back to the room. I hugged and kissed her many times and then she was off with her class. I'm sure she was fine in no time, but goodbyes between her and me are usually not the easiest thing unless she is going with her Memaw or cousins. Then I'm chopped liver.

Instead of crying over homework this week, Summer decided she would do the whole week in one night and get it over with. She wrote B's, b's, C's, c's, D's and d's. She drew a green apple because that is the kind she likes. She counted 13 pennies and then tried to write "I counted 13 pennies" but could not get the 3 correct so we stopped at that point in the phrase. I don't think she was really trying, but I didn't push too hard and just let her move on since writing wasn't even part of the assignment anyway. Then we did a graph on the number of girls/women and boys/men in our house. She was done in no time and even wrote the letters 6 times each instead of 5 so she could get a little extra practice. So, today when she got home, she was free to do whatever she wanted which just so happened to be watching Barney goes to School and eating kettle corn. The movie was so entertaining that she and Lexie watched it twice before I got dinner ready. They were contemplating a 3rd viewing, but instead we played Carnival Games on the Wii.

Last night we had a family game / movie night. The girls had an early shower so Summer could spend as much time as possible with her dad after he got home and before bedtime. After they were all clean and dressed in their pj's, Summer won a game of Candyland while we waited on her Dad to get home for dinner. After we ate, she, Lexie and her dad headed to her room to play. I later walked in on them jumping off their beds, Summer holding an umbrella as she did. Thankfully, I only had to witness it happen once before Summer decided instead to show me and her dad a disappearing act. Lexie got a turn too, and it was funny how Summer had us close our eyes so they could sneak in and out of the room and thus disappear from under the umbrella. They both loved it and were all smiles at their trick. After they were all played out, Summer snuggled up with her dad on the couch to watch Ernest goes to Jail for the 3rd time. She has seen it several times at her cousins and always tells me how funny it is when I pick her up. So, when I saw it was going to be on TV last night, I made sure the channel was set so we could watch it with her. During the movie, Lexie and I worked a few puzzles and tried to play Chute and Ladders, but she's not quite at that level yet. When the movie was over, it was bedtime. Instead of books, we did songs because it was a little later than normal. Lexie wanted me to sing Go to Sleepy Little Baby to her. I sang that song and You Are My Sunshine to Summer. Tonight, after story time, Lexie requested Lullaby and Goodnight. I also sang You Are So Beautiful to Me to her. After one verse of I Love You, Summer, Summer wanted me to sing You Are So Pootyful to Me to her. I obliged her silly request, and she went to bed smiling. On my way out the door, she let one rip. How did she do it? I'm not even going to ask. I just love days like these. What would I do without my sweet little girl?