Our Girl is Back!
You graduated from your new daycare preschool, and without hesitation, stood infront of your new teachers, new classmates, and new set of parents - singing songs, doing dance, and getting your certificate. Your bravery astounds me, sweet girl.
When you got pulled from Sara's daycare suddenly, it wasn't just a shift in childcare, it was a shift in your personality, your confidence, and your sense of security. You were not sure of yourself, you were not sure of where you going from day to day - and that affected your whole life. You became defiant, you became very sensitive, your moods changed minute to minute - but what we noticed the most was that you lost that outgoing nature. You didn't like to say hi to people, you didn't want to hug or say goodbye, you didn't want to join in activities with other kids; you just didn't want to do anything. There were days when you didn't want to leave the house, where we needed to carry your flailing body to where we needed to go, and it was all so unlike you, and it was heartbreaking to watch. Your Daddy and I felt helpless.
We are on summer vacation now, and we have been sooooo busy. Your Mommy has worked hard to make sure you are doing things with your friends from preschool and your friends from daycare. We are going on hikes with your friend Zoey, and having playdates at Leo's house, with Zoe and Willow.
We have been to several story time in the parks this summer, and Ava, your Mommy watched you with SO much pride and love, as you bounce from social group to social group saying hi to everyone that you know, big and small. You are so outgoing again, and filled with joy and enthusiasm for all things.
The Harrison daycare has a really good park, and an awesome climbing structure, and we only lent you to the daycare for a few short months, but darling, they returned you to us as a MONKEY. You LOVE to climb on anything, and you have so much confidence. You climb on the rocks when we go for hikes, and you make sure to ask if there are going to be kids climbing trees nearly every time we leave the house. You climb trees, including climbing to the top of the SECOND ladder at Gramma and Grampa's house, and you got SO lucky that Kai and Nico were done with their backyard castle and let us take it home. You stand on the top of the castle without hanging on, you swing from it, and you are flat out CRAZY.
We went to the Shuswap with a big bunch of Daddy's Merritt friends, and there were 9 other kids for you to play with and you were n heaven. You climbed, you swam, you jumped off the dock, went in the paddle boat, rock painted and played. There were kayaks at Jill's cabin, and you watched Ryker, who is 3, go out on a kayak solo, with his Dad alongside him, and you watched Avery take one out on her own, only to panic and then get pulled in. For 2 days you watched the adults take turns taking the kids out on kayaks, and giving their kids a little freedom to try it for themselves. You watched how they paddled, you figured it out, and you were ready. Mommy took you out a few times, and you paddled around taking Mommy for a ride. After you had done that a couple of times, we tied a rope to the back of the kayak and you paddled out as far as the rope would take you, and then Mommy would pull you back in and you would practice again. We did this 4 or 5 times before you decided you were ready to go out on a kayak of your own. And that's when Daddy needed to be called in. Mommy is good at the teaching part, and Mommy is good at doing brave things of her own, but I am a little more nervous when it comes to letting you and your brother have a little more freedom, so sometimes Daddy needs to be called in to let you take some risks. Darling girl, you were ready, and you were AMAZING. My goodness darling, it was like you had been doing it forever, the ease in which you paddled and the confidence you had. It was so exciting for me to watch you be so brave, and to try new things. Check out this video in the link below...whaaaa?!
Sweet girl, after our trip to the Shuswap we went with Bruce and Trina and their kiddos to the Enchanted Forest in Revelstoke! It is a Fairy Tale enthusiasts dream, and darling, that is you. You had so much fun running in and out of all the castles. After Revelstoke, we spent a night in Kelowna and went to the Winfield Kangaroo Farm. Darling girl, you have NO idea how cool it is that you got to HOLD a baby kangaroo and to walk around the fields feeding them. So cool!
My darling girl, as the summer goes on and Mommy has been blessed with soooo much time with you, I swear you are getting more and more funny, like every second. But to be honest darling, you are a bit of a weird. You make funny faces, you move in really funny ways to get a laugh, and sometimes the language you use is far too grown up for a small person to use, and you know it, and you know that Mommy secretly loves it, and thats why you do it. As it gets closer and closer to you starting kindergarten, I get more and more nervous about how other kids are going to respond to you. I wonder what they will think of you, and I wonder what types of kids you are going to be drawn to, and I wish there were more Willows in this world, and I wish that your Willow would go to your school. I wonder how you will react when kids say hurtful things, or do hurtful things. I hope they will think you are so funny and so fun to be around, because darling girl, I can't for the life of me imagine why they wouldn't. You are 4.5, and I don't wonder if you will learn to read, or if you will be good at math, I wonder how you will manage my love, and I wish and hope and pray that you will just thrive.
My darling girl, I am sure that there is no person in this world that feels more love and pride and just AWE about you than your brother. He just thinks the world of you darling girl, and if he ever stops calling you "Yaya," it will be a very sad day. Your brother is a bit of a hitter, and in particular with you. The first few times that he hit you, you sat there, letting him hit you, yelling and crying, as he was actually hurting you. You didn't make him stop, you didn't move, you didn't stand up for yourself, and it worried me. Daddy has been showing you how to put your hands up to stop him, and we have asked you to grab his hands to move away, to high 5 him instead, etc, etc, etc. Then when we were at the Shuswap we watched Elizabeth (who is 5) get hit by William (who is 2). We watched her yell no at him, grab his hands, lay on top of him and say, through gritted teeth, "DON"T HIT ME." It was a little more aggression than I think you have in you, but I am so glad you saw it, because you have done that to Riley at least 3 times since we have returned from our trip, and I have to be honest, the hitting has become less and less with him.
The two of you have become genuine little buddies, and it melts me. You read books together, you play together, you pull him into the sprinkler with you, because he's too nervous to do it on his own. When we go to busy places like Party in the Park, you are your own person and you dance like nobody is watching, but you never lose site of your brother. If he gets too far, you grab him by the hand and bring him back. If you are nervous to go somewhere, you don't hesitate to grab your brother and bring him with you for moral support. I hope your relationship is always like this darling girl.
Sweet Ava, I can not wait to spend another month of summer vacation with you; to watch you learn how to ride horses, take swimming lessons, have playdates with your friends, and go to the cabin. I love you beyond explanation, and I am so glad that you are ours.
With so much love sweet baby, Mommy, Daddy, and Riley.
Comments
Post a Comment