Franny LOVES her new Easter dress. She’s worn it to school, the park, around the house, and has even insisted on sleeping in it. On Easter Sunday, however, I found myself with two dead camera batteries and unable to take pictures of Franny and Cole in their Sunday best at church service amongst all the beautiful flowers. Although I could later get Cole back in his clothes, hoping to at least get a picture of them together on Easter, Franny refused. She has since worn it probably everyday. Of course, a four-year-old’s stubborness is not the easiest way to be reminded that Easter isn’t about the clothes, but I did find her timing remarkably appropriate.
Franny's playgroup had a very fun morning at the Bethany Village Center. Their morning began with story time at Bliss Cupcake, a very kid-friendly and fun place, where they read lots of fun books about bunnies. Then, they began their Easter egg hunt. Less of hunt, and more like trick-or-treating, the kids had a list of businesses where they went to collect stamps to turn in for a raffle and of course, eggs and treats. It was great for the kids, as they got lots of fresh air and exercise walking around the area, and their fun continued for three hours (including lunch), rather being over in five minutes. In the end, they got all the stamps and were entered in the raffle. To be sure, all the kids want the prize of a dozen Bliss cupcakes. We'll see!
The kids with their bunny tails at story time. Cole didn't care much for his!
The kids checking out the treats at the local bakery/restaurant
Franny and her dear friend. They held hands nearly the whole time!
This weekend, Franny finally had her long-awaited birthday party at OGA. She has been asking about all the details, from which of her friends would be able to come to what kind of cake she was going to have. Needless to say, she had the time of her life. She was grinning from ear-to-ear from beginning to end (well, until she lost her pink balloon to the lofty rafters of the gym) and was flying high for hours to follow. For Franny--as I would assume with most other kids her age--there is an overwhelming joy that comes from being around other kids, which compares to none. And, I couldn't be happier with the friends that Franny has chosen for herself--they are really great kids, as is she. I had gone back and forth about whether to give Franny such a big party, but in the end I am glad we did. Happy Birthday, sweet Franny!
Yesterday, during a walk in NW, Franny saw a little girl playing in a sprinkler, and of course, wanted to do the same. Although we don't have a portable sprinkler, we did the next best thing--Zone 1. The kids had lots of fun, and it was a great way to end a beautiful and fun-filled weekend.
Today was Franny's fourth birthday. Because she's having a big party on Saturday, we had just a small celebration, and Franny spent some special time with Grandma and Grandpa, opening gifts and enjoying some ice cream. It's amazing how much she has changed over the last four years, and what an incredible and special little girl she has become. I can't wait to see what the next four years will bring.
It's probably early to actually declare Park Season officially on, but we are doing our best, making two trips to the park last week. Franny and Cole--both always prefer to be outside--had a great time, to say the least! And, while we undoubtedly have many more indoor days to come over the next few months, I think we have all shifted our sights to the outside and enjoying the Spring warming that is soon to come. I can tell, these two can't wait!
Franny has been going to swim lessons since she turned one. Because she has always been in love with the water, it has always been one of the highlights of her weekly routine. Recently, however, her enthusiasm has definitely waned, and she has decided she'd like to move on and try something else. Since it is supposed to be all about fun, I completely support her decision to try something new and explore new interests. There is a part of me, however, that is very sad that next week will be her last swim session. Partly because she is such a great swimmer, and is so much fun to watch, and partly just because she has been going non-stop for the past three years and it seems to be such a part of her. I suspect that part of the reason she is wanting to move on is that she has reached a level where the songs and games are gone and they focus heavily on water safety. A majority of every class is doing U-turns, where they dive into the water and then swim back to the wall; and roll-overs, where they dive in and either float on their back or continue to swim on their back across the pool. Everything is geared toward being safe in the water, which is great, but I don't think the five minutes of play-time at the end of each class is quite enough for Franny's preference.
She has learned a lot, though, and the teachers she has had have been truly exceptional in their kindness, patience, and ability to connect with young kids. Franny has been swimming unassisted for just short of two years, and her skills in the water have improved tremendously. I hope someday down the line she decides to return to the pool, but ultimately that decision will be her own.
This past week, I took this video of Franny. She's the one in the middle; she starts with a sit-dive, rolls over onto her back for a starfish float, then rolls back over for a short swim to the wall, all of which she is doing completely by herself. Pretty impressive for an almost-four-year-old--but that's why we call her the little fish!
Franny hasn't napped for months. She has her quiet time everyday, where she will read books, do puzzles, color, and try on numerous, numerous ensembles, but sleeping has not occurred for a very long time. Today, however, half-way into her quiet time she fell asleep. And it hasn't been a hectic or unusual day--a fun playgroup at the SW Community Center and lunch at the Lucky Lab. Whatever did it, I'm not going to even question. The peace that comes with a quiet house and two napping children is indescribably wonderful. Nothing compares to it. And since I know it will not happen again for a long time, it's best to just enjoy it!
Franny and Cole have busy schedules to begin with, but the Valentines Day holiday added two parties to Franny's week, as well as special events at her usual activities. Unfortunately, Cole was very sick for most of the week with a terrible cough and fever, which could have potentially quarantined us all. Thankfully, however, Grandpa came over during the early days of the week and stayed with Cole so he could rest and recuperate at home, and still allow Franny to attend her music and soccer classes and a special playgroup Valentines party. It may seem like small stuff to us, but to Franny these events were a big deal, and it was wonderful that she didn't have to miss them. And how did the week end? A special trip to the Train Expo and pizza at the Lucky Lab with Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy, and a newly recovered Cole. For these two kids, there couldn't be a better day. We know how blessed we are to have family close to help us, but it is even more special to see how much Franny and Cole adore them. I love our family!
Since moving into her Chipmunks classroom six weeks ago, Franny has started to open up more with both the kids and teachers. She knows more of her classmate's names, has met new friends, and talks to her teachers, now. So, when it came to preparing her Valentines for her class, it was fun to have Franny interested in taking a very active role. She helped assemble the little foam bears that held a lollipop; selected each child's play-doh color, bear color, and Valentine; put everything in the gift bags; and topped each one with a bonus sticker--an idea she came up with on her own. She really enjoyed it all and was very excited to take them to her friends at the Sweethearts party at school. And, although the party itself was a bit overwhelming for her, I am very proud of her in the types of interaction she has obviously developed over the past weeks. That's not easy work for one so socially apprehensive. It made me realize that I need to not get so frustrated with her when her shyness overwhelms her in what seems to me to be a simple and easy situation--she is figuring it out on her own time and her own way, which is exactly how she should do it. And, it makes me very thankful that she is in such a supportive and caring learning environment where she can do just that.
Franny's soccer class begins with a few warm up exercises, which I think she enjoys as much as the soccer, and I definitely enjoy watching them. From stretches to toe touches, all the kids follow Coach Mike's instructions very well, and do their best to do them right. It wasn't until the first time I saw these 3-4 year olds attempt jumping jacks that I really thought about how much coordination they actually take. I couldn't resist filming them...
After an amazing 10 weeks floating on our family room ceiling, our Trader Joe's balloon finally settled down to the floor. It then continued to hover about an inch off the carpet for several days, but has since finally touched ground. For the incredible duration of it's lifetime, this balloon fascinated all of us--it was around so long it almost began to feel like part of the room. We'll see what our next TJ balloon does...
On Sunday night, for some reason, this was Franny's choice for bedtime wear. After nearly four years of witnessing her sometimes crazy and frequently unique style, finding Franny in bed with a Santa hat doesn't even phase me. If she suddenly shifted into the "norm" then I might begin to wonder...
Franny and Caden have been in the same playgroup since they were just a few months old. They have a very sweet friendship, and have shared a special connection since they were mobile enough to find each other. They giggle, play, hold hands, and give each other very sweet hugs.
At last week's playgroup, the two disappeared; since the building (Out of this World Pizza) is, a secure one, their absence wasn't alarming, but our search to find them was, of course, nonetheless urgent. Caden's mom finally found them in the craft room. Craft time was long over, but they remained, chatting to each other as they worked on their puppy puppets. Once approached, they firmly told us We want to be alone. Interesting response, coming from such little ones. But, being harmless enough, we let them be until it was time to go home. I hope these two remain friends for many years to come. Different schools and interests will inevitably separate them, but Caden will always be Franny's first real friend and will always have a very special place in my heart.
Yesterday, Franny had her first dance recital. Knowing she was nervous about her big debut, we tried to prepare her with what to expect, but a room full of excited strangers, parents, and family proved too much for this sweet ballerina. After the troupe walked out hand in hand, Franny lasted all of about thirty seconds, before running off the stage. To her credit, she did return to the group for their second number, but her presence was again, short-lived. And, although the rest of the dancers did remain on the stage, only two actually danced while the rest stood still with very big eyes fixated on the crowd. Maybe they're really just too young for this kind of experience, or maybe they just haven't been dancing long enough to have the confidence to perform for an audience. I did feel bad for poor Franny's nervous butterflies, but was still was glad she took part. And I think for Franny, it was worth it all just to have her new recital costume!
Along with four of her friends, Franny started a soccer class this morning. From the sidelines, I could see her little face either grinning from ear to ear with excitement or extremely focused on her task at hand. Coach Mike lead them through stretches, running, dribbling, and at the end, kicking a few goals. I was surprised to see her patient enough for dribbling--she loves to kick the ball as hard and far as she can. But she did a great job and had a great time. Thirty minutes passed much too quickly--we both can't wait until next week!
Once I was done with the Frog art, I proceeded to Franny's Hedgehog art (from when she was between two and three). Although during this class she did use paint and crayons, more of it was centered on pasting. Once I saw it on the wall, I was completely amazed at the difference between this collection and the Frog collection. The art that she did create, revealed the incredible maturity her method underwent between then and now. I think I'm beginning to understand why school art auctions command top dollar. These little masterpieces are priceless, and represent so much more than what is immediately visible.
What you see below is Franny's "Frog art". During the nine months she spent in her Frog class, she was very enthusiastic about her art. Although there are exceptions, the approach to art at Franny's preschool is "self expression". There are few guidelines--they aren't instructed to create anything based on a theme. Rather, they focus on using alternate methods to facilitate their art--they paint with crumpled paper, rollers, marbles; they pick their paint or other medium and create according to their mood and imagination. At this age, the result is a lot of pictures that appear to lack any kind of focus. But, in reality, they all mean something to Franny and she can tell you exactly what they represent and she is very proud of all of them.
A good friend introduced me to this great idea to control the art overload that inevitably occurs during those early school years: put them all a wall and take a picture of your child with their art, as well as additional pictures of individual paintings. Then, sadly dispose of the masterpieces, saving only a few for her Frog scrapbook. And, while in theory, this is perfect for my constant need for organization and minimization of unnecessary hoarding, it has proven difficult to completely follow through on. While in my mind I think a picture of dried apples glued to blue construction paper is as good as the original (and who knows when I'd ever look at it again, anyway) I still find it hard to part with. Her current collection stands about a foot high. Maybe once it reaches 18 inches I'll finally finish the task.
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