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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Changes

This last week was a pretty big one for Gabi.

On Monday she started preschool! It's a community college teaching preschool, and has the coolest stuff to play with. I'm so excited they had an opening for her.

I know this isn't as big as Kindergarten, so there weren't any tears or anything, but I got a little sentimental none-the-less. Definately a day to take a picture of her in front of the school sign with her back pack on. And dress her up a bit even though you're not supposed to. My baby is going to school!

There are two reasons why I'm so excited about this. One, I'm hoping they can teach her the things I've so far failed at. Like the importance of sharing, since there's really no one here at home for her to share with, and picking up after she's done playing. Oh, and maybe chewing with her mouth closed? Little things like that. When you can't teach something on your own, just shirk it off on the preschool teacher! I hope there aren't any preschool teachers that read my blog.

The other reason is that they have lots of craft time. Because I hate craft time. I can't handle the mess! It makes my heart race and desperation well to the surface of every pore. Hopefully having craft time at preschool will get me off the hook for having things like glitter and paint in my own house.

Oh, and then of course there's all that other stuff. Like being able to make friends. And learning all the rules that she needs for Kindergarten so she doesn't act like a wild child. I'm excited about that, too.

So far, Gabi LOVES her class. As soon as she gets there she runs off without so much as a backward glance, and doesn't want to leave when Grandma goes to pick her up. I'm not sure what message that is relaying about her home life (which is wonderful and stimulating, by the way, just not AS wonderful and stimulating as a room full of new toys), but I'm so glad that she likes it there.

There was also another big milestone in the Kay household this last week. Gabi started going to sleep without me in the room!

We loved co-sleeping in the early years. But then Gabi got really big and started taking up more room on the bed with her diagonal turns. She would wake up and yell, "Move over! I need more room for my FEET!"

We recently turned our bed so that it's in the middle of the room, and Gilberto can't squish up against the wall anymore. He's almost fallen out of bed several times after trying to appease Gabi's need for space. So we decided the time had finally come for separate sleeping arrangements.

It was a gradual process to get her out of our bed into her own bed, and then to get me out of her bed (where I often fell asleep) into the chair (where I also often fell asleep). And now, as of last Monday, I'm on a chair outside of her room!

During the initial stages of the bed transition, she used to wake up in the middle of the night and crawl into bed with us. But that has also stopped. I just can't take another kick in the boob! When I feel that little warm body trying to nudge her way under the covers next to me, I just walk her back to her room. And, so far, she goes right back to sleep!

The only reason she's put up with any of it, though, is because she gets a new baby doll if she does it for ten nights in a row. I'm hoping after ten nights it'll be like an old hat, and we won't have to come up with another ten night bribe.

This morning Gabi asked to "go online" (where did she learn that?) and look at baby doll pictures so she could decide which one she wanted. She then insisted we print out the pictures and then cut and glue them into a handmade book. So I'm still doing the craft thing, but if it encourages her to keep falling asleep on her own, I can totally put up with it.

2 comments:

  1. yeah, where ever did she come up with the idea to online research her purchases? watch out.
    also read this book: sister of my heart by chitra banerjee divakaruni. unreal. i am buying her next book too. called the vine of desire.

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  2. Gabi's going online?! What in the world? Just keep her away from ebay and match.com

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