What’s New: Welcome to the Crazy New Year
“I’m playing with bubbles. I liked it.”
Well, so much for my plan of getting a week ahead in my weekly updates. Instead I have fallen a few weeks behind. I’m just glad I didn’t choose “slow” as my word for the New Year, because so far it has been incredibly fast and crazy, crazy. Elliot will be six months old this week, and Annabelle will be driving by next Tuesday, I’m pretty sure.
No sooner did E learn to sit up than he started refusing to do it altogether, because he’d rather stand. I try to put him down for a bit of independent play, and he keeps his legs straight as they can be, more or less insisting on standing instead. Yesterday, he stood up on his own for the first time, grabbing onto my leg and standing up to get off the potty. He’s really comfortable in most any position these days: back, belly, bottom, etc, and looks as though he may crawl any day if he doesn’t skip straight to walking.
As for me, I’ve thrown myself into the preparation and upkeep of our new classroom, which, thankfully, Annabelle seems to love. Last week, I was able to steal some quiet while Elliot slept after class, and give Annabelle a presentation on the Pink Tower. There’s always that moment after a successful presentation when I determine that my work is done and I can sneak away and let the child engage fully with the material on their own, and when that moment came with Annabelle it felt amazing. All the time and energy I had put into the whole effort was suddenly, so obviously, worth it.
“I’m kissing and hugging Elliot.”
Timing has not been on my side, unfortunately, and the husband left on a trip the Saturday before our first morning of class. Solo parenting during the first week of starting, in a way, back to work, has been challenging, hence the quiet on other fronts. Of course the children and I all got sick after that first week, too, so I’ve been solo parenting sick children while sick, and thinking on what absolute heroes single mothers are. It’s a wonderful time to be building a community program, that’s for sure!
I have not replaced my camera lens just yet, so I’m still working with my trusty android exclusively. I’ve been holding out on taking photos of the classroom, waiting to try a lens a friend generously offered for free. Unfortunately, it does not work with my camera after all, so I guess I’ll be taking the very best cell phone photos I can manage next time we have class. I am so eager to share!
For now, here are some glimpses of life since my last official update, today’s photo captions by Annabelle:
“I like that picture. It’s a drawing that I made of daddy. Actually it’s a drawing of mommy, mama.”
I’ve been fascinated by Annabelle’s art since she started drawing more and more recognizable figures. One day, a week or two ago, she drew a couple of pictures and hung them on the fridge and her chalkboard with magnets. She then explained that she was going to look at her art, and walked back and forth from one to the other. We visited an art museum in the city not long ago, so I think this stuck with her.
“Elliot sleeping.”
“There’s Elliot playing with my mouse.”
“That’s me, sleeping.”
“There was me when we went to check mama’s glasses. I was wearing kid glasses and playing with a puzzle!”
“There I was eating snow.”
“There’s Elliot, awake!”
Thank goodness for breaks from the cold weather! “Elliot’s playing with his ball on his blanket and I’m wearing my yeti shirt and you’re wearing your sweater and playing outside.”
The outside play on that last day involved me doing cartwheels, and Annabelle giving them a go, too. She wanted to do some on video for her daddy, too. What have you been up to? What’s 2013 like for you? If you have any updates to share, please link them below!
12 Responses to What’s New: Welcome to the Crazy New Year
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Adorable picture Melissa! I’m not seeing 2013 as being any easier to keep up – but it looks like you’ve got some awesome stuff going on. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Kelly! There’s definitely a lot that’s exciting to me right now. I hope the craziness of 2013 involves plenty that fills you up, too. xoxo
Hi there Melissa. Just letting you know that I’ve awarded your wonderful blog a with a 2012 Blog of the Year award!
http://faithfulmomof9.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/another-star/
Thank you so much, Sylvia! I’m honored :) Excited for you, too!
I love the positive spin you put on the weeks events – great time to be building a community playgroup. In my case, that would definitely be a sarcastic statement, but I think your positive take has it right actually. Sounds like a hard time, though great in the important ways. Love A walking back and forth past her art – may she always keep this confidence and self-esteem. And her picture looks like a Miro. Oh that’s a good idea to get her to make up the captions, must try! Elliot is rearing for action, he looks so happy and smitten in the kiss photo. Looking forward to hearing more, but please please take your time!
Haha. I have probably made some sarcastic statements about the timing of Andrew’s trip, but I really have been happy and grateful to have this new community surrounding me. One mom had Annabelle over for a playdate while I took a breather, and another made me a vegan dinner to take a little pressure off one night. There are good people in my life who help to make it all work! :)
It seems like B has a similar confidence to Annabelle. Given the right ingredients, she can bake anything, and quickly, right? We have a couple of extraordinary girls on our hands, I think.
I love every photo you shared!! Eliot is getting bigger by the day. Annabelle seems to to be growing too. I guess I haven’t seen them in a couple of week so it is easier to see changes. Annabelle looks a lot like you in those glasses.
It great to hear that Annabelle is enjoying her new classroom, I bet you were smiling all day when you presented the Pink Tower to her.
Thank you for sharing, and I definitely missed reading your What’s New postings.
Thank you! It’s always sweet to hear that someone notices when I don’t show up, or is at least happy for my return to this space ;) It is amazing how much changes from week to week at this age – even more when I miss a week or two in between! I did glow a bit the whole Pink Tower day, I think.
Sorry for the rough patches within all of your busy and exciting events! I’m fortunate that I’ve never had to solo parent for more than a night- I really don’t know how people make it. I love that your pictures show such a connection between your kiddos!
Rest assured you’re not alone in being sick and caring for sick kids! In our household, my husband, three-year-old boy and myself are all sick with a cold right now :( Not fun at all. Other than that, though, 2013 is going well. I’m expecting my twins in a few months (hopefully nothing too early!) so we’ve just been prepping for that.
Such a busy time for you! I do hope you are all feeling better, and stronger. Thinking of you often xXx
I love Annabelle’s captions and that she made her own art museum. I hope you are all feeling better now – it sounds like you have tons going on and I can’t wait to see the new classroom.