Fall of Firsts

So so just in time for baby boy to arrive, my baby girl is turning into such a big girl!  Last week she went over to a friends house to play.....by herself....for the first time.  The six year old neighbor girl (and her dad) knocked on our door and asked if Gabi wanted to play dolls.  Gabs yelled "yes!!" and I said "yes?!" and I walked her across the street, pushed her inside, and went home.  Very weird.  Nick got home and was like "where's the kid.......?" and I told him "playing at a friend's house".......very weird.  Once you have a kid it is the strangest feeling to be at your house when your kid is not.  So she played for about 45 minutes over there until dinner time and had a blast. 

And then next week Gabrielle will be starting preschool.  She is only two so she can't go to "real" preschool through the school system, but with the baby coming and everything we thought that going to something structured would be very good/fun for her since this winter will be hard for us to get out as much.  She'll be going to a daycare preschool program in town - it isn't the most awesome place, but it's only for a year and only two mornings a week, 8:30am-11:30.  Yep, a grand six hours a week!  But that's exactly what I wanted.  Not a humongous time away but something she go to and give me a bit of time with the new baby.  So she will go there for a year, go to preschool in the school system for two years, then start kindergarten when she is five, almost six.  Gabrielle doesn't want to go to preschool which is hard, but I know she will have fun there and it will be best for her overall.  And when I registered her they told me she needed a big paint shirt, and that is the only thing she is excited about.  Picking out a paint shirt.  Oh well, I'm going with it.   

And then dance.  Gabrielle will be starting her first big girl class without me in September as well.  She will be in the 3-4 year old dance class at a studio in Holt.  We bought her ballet shoes - she was in the smallest size they had, but I bumped it up a half size to give her a bit of growing room.  We also got her leotard (and skirt by request from the ballerina).  So exciting!


She found her old bear with all the baby toys downstairs, so she quickly stole her back.

She requested a picnic with Bear for lunch.  Sure why not!

Her ballet shoes

 
And I got my old slippers out to show her too