ARGGGGG

I'm so frustrated right now...our basement flooded because of stormwater back-up from the city's stormwater/sewer system.  Why should I have to pay my stupid insurance deductible to get everything fixed because their system is 70 years old and way overloaded!?  Apparently our taxes don't pay for anything.  The schools are horrible, the roads are horrible, and apparently the storm/sewer system is horrible too. 

It's not daycare, it's school!

I love where we take Lola to 'daycare'.  We really didn't know what we were looking for when we first started looking back in July of 2008.  I mean really, how does a 12 week pregnant first time mom and first time dad know what to look for in a childcare provider?  I hadn't ever changed a newborns diaper at that point in my life!  We really just went with our gut and chose the place that just felt right to us.   We chose wisely! 

We started taking Lola to school when she was 6.5 weeks old.  It was a bit weird leaving a teeny newborn with people we didn't even know.  Several people told us that all the kids in rooms 5 and 6 get very attached to Elaine.  (Just for reference, Room 5 is the infant room, ages newborn to 1 year, and room 6 is the toddler room, ages 1-2-ish.  They are attached to each other by a room with the changing tables, sinks, and refrigerator).  Elaine is one of the lead teachers in rooms 5 and 6, along with Jana.  There are several other 'floaters' who go between the two rooms.  Lola loves going to school in the mornings.  If Elaine is there when she gets dropped off, she can't wait to get out of Ryan's arms and into Elaine's.  Elaine also has taken a special liking to Lola, she treats her different than the other kids (shhh, don't say anything!).  Just last Saturday, Elaine took Lola for almost the entire day, just because she wanted to.  She had mentioned to me a few weeks earlier that she wanted to kidnap Lola on a Saturday.  I told here there was no reason to kidnap her, she was more than welcome to take her!  She then mentioned it to Ryan a few times, and we finally set a date.  By the way, she has babysat Lola for us a couple of times before.  So on Saturday, she took her to the park, the market, out to lunch, to a friends to play in the swimming pools all afternoon, and then fed her dinner.  When she brought her back to our house, Lola didn't want her to leave.  She wants to take her again in a few weeks.  This is how much Elaine love kids!  She has also worked at Lola's school for 28 years! 

So in addition to us loving the teachers, the school has an extremely structured learning program.  The infant room is the least structured, obviously, but still has a lot of consistency.  Lola started bringing home art projects when she was around 6-7 months old, and now we have an entire 3" notebook filled with things she has made.  She's only 16 months old!   :)   They do a lot of finger painting and painting with sponges.  I'm constantly amazed at things she will do or say at home that she has learned at school. 

Lola is also extremely social and not shy at all.  I really think that starting school so early and being around other kids and adults has made her this way.  When we go to the grocery store she waves and says hi to everybody.  She interacts well with other kids, and is fascinated by babies since she sees infants in room 5.  (If both rooms 5 and 6 aren't full towards the end of the day, they will move all the kids to one room to consolidate teachers).   She will move to one of the pre-preschool rooms when she turns 2 and I will be so sad not to have Elaine as her teacher anymore.  But I suppose when we have another child Elaine will get to take care of him or her!

Say Cheese!

Just because Lola will now give a big cheesy smile at the camera when I tell her to "Say Cheese" doesn't mean I should keep asking her to do it at inappropriate times....like when she has a mouthful of food!!  But it's so cute...

The grass is finally growing!  Hopefully we can mow in the next few weeks and finally have a back yard we can use.