Scenes from a Birthday

This is Mariel before heading to Shining Rivers for her birthday.  She was quite excited about her outfit for her birthday: Striped dress (white and hot pink), polka dot tights (purples), puzzle rain boots (every color imaginable), and her pink windbreaker. 

She then insisted on taking MY picture, because I have taken her "Shining Rivers picture" many times while she stands in front of the door.  So, this is what I looked like on her birthday for our trip to school.  Unlike her, I am the same height on the first day we went to Shining Rivers over a year and half ago as I am today.

Birthdays are a BIG DEAL at Shining Rivers.  The teachers set up a circle, do a special song and story, and there are candles lit and a (parent written) tale for every year of the childs life.  It is a very sweet, touching celebration.  The rainbow chair just to the right has been Mariel's this year, so it was set in the place of honor.  Her teacher, Michiyo, made her a special play crown as a gift and I made some oatmeal cookies to bring in for a treat. 

It was a beautiful day and the class got to spend some time outside- this is them contemplating a robin that flew down and was hanging out in the "meadow."  After that I took Mariel to her new preschool and she got a second celebration (with store bought cookies this time).  Of course, I forgot my camera!

While she was at school I worked on the garden (it was 70 degrees out!) and put together celebration number 3 for the day.  She had lots of presents - she loved ALL of them!- and a new set of fairy princess sheets for her bed.  We had macaroni and cheese and sausage for dinner, and then chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting.  She was a pretty happy girl!

The Super Fancy Ballerina Princess Dress Up Fourth Birthday Party

Mariel had a fabulous birthday party.  She invited two friends (plus a quick visit from our 17 year old neighbor, her hero), so we actually met the ideal of having the number of children present equal the age of the child.  It was definately an easy party- minimal chaos, even with three almost 4 year olds (and Noella) getting into dress up clothes, accessories, sugared up treats, and so on.

 Everyone got little bags of "accessories" including sunglasses, wands, chapstick, neclaces, and gloves- very elegant!  Noella just got a neclace, but she was still pretty happy to play with her new bag.

There were some snacks, then dress up play time, more snacks, and cake. 

Barbie needed a little bubble bath after her time in the cake.  She had a painted on leotard and tights... I didn't want to ruin Barbie's clothes but was not quite ready to have a naked lady sticking out of the cake at my four year old's party (I'll save that for Patrick's Barbie cake another year), so I was glad to find "ballerina" style Barbies at the store.

Noella had a great time, too.  She loves getting spoiled by our friends and is obviously pretty good at taking in all of the attention that she can get!

This is the quilt that I made for Mariel- the Ballerina Princess quilt.  Its a toddler sized quilt, so more for playing with than anything else, but I hope she likes it.  She helped me pick out the assortment of fabrics (many of which are glittery, of course), buttons, and shiny thread.  As you can see, very PINK and PURPLE. 

A great party!  And the celebrations are just beginning.  We get to spend Wednesday morning (her real birthday) at Shining Rivers to visit her friends, then Wednesday afternoon celebrating with her new preschool, and then next Saturday Disney on Ice (thanks to Babci and Grampy)- it will be a week of 4 year old heaven.

New item for to do list:
Clean vomit out of car.
Spring break is not quite starting the way I had planned....

Spring Break (adult style)
I just have to get through one more day and then I am on Spring Break.  While my students jet off to California and Florida, I will get to celebrate by... oh wait, working.  I remember when Spring Break meant a time of true vacation, forgetting anything that seemed remotely burdensome and having a few key items on the agenda: have fun, drink (when 21, of course), relax, and definately no work.  Now my Spring Break is one long string of "to dos," with very little consideration for things like "fun," or drinking (although perhaps those can be added back in... they seem like important items).  My goal is to accomplish a ridiculously long mental list of things that need to get done at work and at home, all of which is wholly unrealistic.  But I will do my best, because I have been promising myself that I will finally get to these things.  Some are important on a larger level, like research for a paper scheduled for public presentation painfully soon, research which is not in progress so much as intended to be in progress.  Others are important just to me, but will make me very happy, like vacuuming out the construction dust that I still find in the kitchen cabinets.  Other items on the list seem good for all involved, such as me getting caught up on even a little bit of extra sleep.  This would result in a kinder, gentler, more reasonable mommy and spouse, and I do think that all in the household would prioritize such a task.
Of course, I still need to figure out when - and how- I am going to do all of this.  Hmmm... new item for the mental list: "decide what to do first." 
The first week of the daycare center seems to be going well.  Everybody is pretty happy, but tired.  Noella is not really napping so well, and I hope that she can get some rest over the weekend. She has been enjoying the food there, with daily reports that she consumed an amount that surprises her teachers.  Mariel actually did nap in preschool today, a sure indication that she is worn out by the new friends, new environment, new routine.  Hopefully we will continue to adjust next week.  I think I am worn out by adjusting to the new schedule, too - especially in conjunction with the lingering cold and a cough that is keeping me up at night, meaning in two weeks I still have not had a full night of sleep!  I keep intending to take a picture or two at school, but just have not managed it yet.  It can be a goal for next week- I will put it on the Spring Break to do list.

'Cause every little thing is gonna be allright....

A strange thing happened this afternoon... all of the sudden, I started to feel better.
Not physically- I have been fighting the flu and a fever that ranges from 100 to 102 since Monday. I have not really slept or eaten much for a week, and I feel a little like a zombie.  A zombie with a runny nose, painful cough, and all sorts of crud in my chest.  I did manage to eat three small meals today, which seems positive- and I sure do have my fingers crossed for a night of actual sleep.
Emotionally, however, I am suddenly feeling much better.  We have chosen our daycare- Downtown Childrens Center, http://www.dccstl.org/- (don't you laugh at my link, Jen- people want to know this stuff!).  It is a bright, cheerful place with small classes (numbers, I mean, the spaces are really big and open), a good program, and a curiously happy group of kids and staff.  The four year old class will be a great, challenging place for Mariel, and the toddler room is the first of its sort that I've seen that I would actually enjoy dropping Noella off at.  She will need to move to one nap a day- on a cot!- but I think she is ready for it.
I got a bunch of grading done today, cooked dinner (I have not done that for a week), and we've even got laundry in.  Mariel and I even started talking about her all princess tea party birthday plans.   I think having chosen our next place is a huge relief for Patrick and I, and I do think it will be good fit for our kids.
I am struggling a little with the fact that I just found out that Mariel had been acting out a lot during the day, with behaviors that I have never seen before.  After a day and a half of getting opinions and advice from friends, family, medical and educational contacts and driving myself crazy trying to figure out how this happened (the classic parent "how could my kid act like this?"), I am actually starting to believe what everyone is telling me.  While certainly not desirable or appropriate, acting out like she has is been is far from abnormal.  So I am not scheduling a visit with a child psychologist yet (me?  overreact?  never!).  The gist of the advice: with clear, explicit rules and immediate and consistent consequences and good communication with her new preschool this should not be an ongoing issue.  Parents of assertive, strong willed kids out there, take note.  I hope these teachers are ready for me at my intro meeting with them tomorrow!
I guess I also feel a bit of sadness- I am also hearing that these behaviors are often a result of feeling insecure, powerless, or seeking more attention.  So, as a mom, I feel so sad that my child was in even the tiniest bit of emotional distress of some sort and I did not know when I could have at least tried to help her.  Isn't this supposed to be part of the mother's intuition thing?  I know that this is part of parenthood, that this is a miniscule drop in the bucket of problems and stress and guilt compared to what I have ahead of me (I do remember being a teenager, Mom, I do), but oh, to know that your baby was hurting and you didn't fix it?  I guess I didn't think I would already feel like this when she was only 3! 

I do have something to add to previous post- I just got word that my Grandmother, Frances, was taken to the hospital.  We still don't have too much information on why- my mom thought she fell- but please add her to your prayers.  Actually, depending on her mood, it might be good to add her doctors and nurses to your prayers, too.