It's pretty amazing....

 Being the mother of a superhero. 

Scraped up nose and skinned knee were the result of a nasty downhill spill- I guess even superheros get banged up some during the course of their day.

Her Superhero Birthday Shindig was a week ago- a blast was had by all!

I can't believe my SuperGirl is going to be FIVE!

Moving On

Riley has been at the YWCA daycare/preschool since she was 8 months old.  We have both really enjoyed her being a student there.  She was constantly learning and growing under their care, and I knew she was well cared for, safe and loved.  I truly count this place, and the teachers there, as a huge, HUGE blessing in our lives. 

Still, all good things come to an end.  Even this. 

Riley was voted the "Best Smiler" of her class.  I agree! 

Last week, they officially "graduated" the class of kids who will be moving on to Kindergarten with a little graduation ceremony.  It was cute in the way these things are - kids singing and smiling, parents beaming, a few tears here and there (yeah, I mean me...) 

With two of her school friends - these girls have been friends since they were TINY. 

The Girl sang and danced - I think she liked the attention. Shocking, I know.  

 Leaving the most precious part of my world somewhere everyday is a hard thing, but honestly, the teachers she has had over the past several years have been so amazing and have made it not just doable, but easy to feel great about.  They have taken incredible care of Riley and have taught her so much more than just letters and numbers.  They have encouraged her to think creatively, helped her understand her world a bit better and have helped ME understand how to better parent my own child.  They have been more than I ever could have asked for when looking for someone to nurture, love and teach my little girl; there are no people on earth I would trust more.   

Candace

Jen

Kajsa

 

Taylor

You can see in the photos that Riley loves all her teachers and they adore her right back.  Even though it's on to a new chapter for the us, I will always be so grateful that her education started out this way, in this place.  It's been the best possible option for her, and for me, for the past four years.

Holding Steady

(I wrote this on Thursday, August 16th.  I'm not sure why it didn't post then, but you should probably know when I wrote it for the dates and days to make sense.  mmmmmkay?)

Over the last several months, if you were to ask me "what's new?"  the answer you probably would have received is "Not much." or "Nothing really."  or, if I were feeling a little bleh, "My life is sooooo boring.

The truth is that things have been pretty routine.  There has been no major drama, no major struggles, and no battles I feel the need to fight.  Our day-to-day consists of work for me, preschool for Riley, a workout, some coloring.  Somewhere in there, we make a few meals, read a few books and get some sleep.  Sure, it's been busy because the life of a working single mom is just busy, but overall....same old, same old.

Just so we're clear - I'm not complaining about this.  I've had quite enough drama and fought quite enough battles, thankyouverymuch.  I'm enjoying the ease and the quiet.  I'm soaking up the extra time I've found to spend with my family and friends.  And I'm savoring the time Riley and I spend just hanging out together- exploring our neighborhood, going on walks, collecting bugs, and crafting it up. 

It's been an easy, relaxing, quiet summer. 

I guess I'm reflecting on this today because I can see that it's all going to change quite a bit in the next few weeks.

Tomorrow, Riley "graduates" from the daycare/preschool she's been in since she was 8 months old.   The next day, she celebrates her birthday (a couple of weeks early to accommodate school start dates for all her friends), and then, in a couple of weeks, she starts her new school where she'll be in Kindergarten.

KINDERGARTEN!

And with that, we move into the life that goes along with a school age child.  I'm not certain what will change and what will stay the same.  I know there will be lunches to pack, homework to do, new friends to make.  I know that the drop-off pick up times will adjust slightly- which will require me to change my work schedule slightly.  I know that closed toe shoes will be required.  But beyond that - I'm not certain what to expect.

I'm not too worried about what is coming up and while I'm anticipating some changes, I'm not too concerned about how to navigate these changes.  We've found a rhythm that is working for us now, and I'm going to try to hold onto what still works as we move into the new school year.

But, for all my thought on the subject, it's a few weeks away, so for now, we're just holding steady.