First Day of Pre-K

Annie loves feeling like a big kid -- actually, she loves pretending to be a grown up the most, but feeling older is a theme with her and clearly something she can get behind.  So on Monday, when she officially started Pre-K, she was pretty excited.  We met her new teacher, Ms. Jo, last week and we already knew a couple of friends in her new room.  All of that, plus the sheer knowledge that she was in Pre-K instead of Preschool this year, seemed to alleviate any first day jitters.

Daddy got a nice first day of school hug from our big Pre-K-er.

Before we left for school, I told Annie I wanted to take her picture with a First Day of School sign.  In the category of "things I let bother me that are really insignificant," I completely forgot the whole first day sign thing last year and ended up making one after the fact and I have never really let that go (I told you it was insignificant), so I was sure to print off a sign this year.  And Annie was completely on board with the at home photo session.  She was suggesting locations in the house and yard to take the pictures, and giving me suggestions for how to get the best shots.  "Take one by this tree, Mommy." "I'm going to hold the sign over here, so it doesn't cover up my dress."  "Was that a good one, Momma?"  She really has photography production down.  Not that she ever has her picture taken or anything.

This might have been the moment I realized we had taken enough pictures. :)

Before her first day, I conducted a little interview with Annie, asking her some questions I found online that I thought we might like to remember the answers to.  Here's what four year-old Annie had to say.

Annie's Pre-K Interview

I am ___4 Years Old _________________________

My teacher is ____Ms. Jo______________________

My favorite food is ___oranges_________________

My favorite animal is ___a giraffe_______________

My favorite thing to do is ____play______________

The coolest person I know is ____Mommy and Daddy_____

I am good at ____coloring_____________________

When I grow up I want to be a ___mommy, nurse, and doctor__

My favorite toy is ___my baby and my princess phone_______

My favorite movie/show is ___Daniel Tiger, Tinkerbell, and Ariel_____

My favorite snack is ___gummies_______________

My favorite colors are ___purple, pink, and red____

My favorite place to go is ___the Farmer's Market (for popcorn)______

I am excited about school because ___of my new teacher____________

So there you have it - Annie's deepest thoughts and hopes as a four year-old.  I am already looking forward to looking back at this list of questions some day and remembering how she is right now, excited that her school day no longer requires a nap and eager to see what her new school year holds in store.

Mommy got a first day of school hug too, as it turns out.

And she's off...

And finally, a comparison photo - first day of school 2015 and first day of school 2014.  *sniff *

A Re-Introduction...Maybe

I used to blog fairly often.  If you ever followed me then, you know I would write about Annie’s development, my feelings about being a new mom, and baby-related things like that.  As Annie grew and I got more comfortable in my new Mommy title, I wrote less frequently.  Not because things weren’t happening, but probably because they were.  I got caught up in the actual act of being a momma and lost the time and, to be honest, desire to write about it.  I didn’t need the emotional outlet quite as much because our family sort of settled into itself and I gained a little confidence in my ability to actually keep my child alive and (reasonably) happy.

But I find myself missing having this blog as a resource, as a reference of the road we have traveled so far as a family.  Every once in a while, I will return here to see what was happening in our lives two or three years ago.  So I’m wondering if I maybe should put a little time into starting this back up.  Just maybe.

The reality is that Annie provides me with countless amounts of material for a blog, now that she is a spirited, chatty, opinionated little four year-old person.  She is like a tiny adult now, and the things she says and does and the way we interact should certainly be preserved somewhere for posterity.  It is almost impossible for me to imagine that there may come a day when I don’t remember all that she is right this second, but I am reasonable enough to know that that time will likely come.  Not even the 4,000 (and that is not an exaggeration) pictures on my phone will be all the reminder I will need of what she is like as a preschooler.  So maybe I should capture some moments in writing once again.  Just maybe.

I guess I am only writing this as an introduction – a preface to the blog I am thinking about once again writing.  Because maybe if I write one entry, I will be more compelled to write another.  And another.  And another.  Just maybe.

Until then, I will leave you with some pictures of Annie these days.  I won’t try to catch up on more than a year and a half of missed moments, but here are a few of the summer of 2015 so far.

She went and turned four years old on us a few weeks ago.  And graduated to a pedal bike with training wheels - which was a very big deal for her.

She's so proud.