Next week she will be 3 years old. Geesh. I can't believe how incredibly fast the last 3 years have gone. Admittedly, I feel like I don't remember Rose being a baby as much as I do Preston, but I think that's because it was just sort of a blur of time and "busyness" that I didn't think sometimes to just sit and process her (and Preston was just such a cooky baby, lol). Besides, that first summer, we were engrossed with doctors appointments and tests trying to figure out why this little girl wouldn't gain any weight, then why she wouldn't let anything go... Now THAT'S a blur to me. But I tell you, looking at this little beauty now you would never guess she had issues as a baby.
She is fierce. And sweet. And sassy. And so so smart. And not so coordinated, lol. With Preston, he could climb to the top of a ladder and jump off, landing on his feet with no issues. And he runs like a little cheetah. Rose is a little more cumbersome, but also very cautious, when it comes to physical activity. That's not to say she doesn't love burning off energy. She runs like a girl, but a damn-determined one. We've started her in swim lessons, and I can't believe the improvement she's made in just 4 short weeks. The first week, she held on white-knuckled to the platform in the pool, and was like a little monkey hanging on to the teacher when she swam around with her. By now, she's finally letting go of the platform, kicking those little legs when she swims, and aaaalmost putting her face under. Hopefully she'll continue to improve and show that she has more of her daddy's predisposition for water abilities... as opposed to her momma's. I'm not so good when it comes to non-land-based activities... ;)
She loves to color, and make pictures, and her attention to detail is amazing. She's so good at holding a crayon or pencil, and we're so excited for her to start at Curiosity Corner in the fall. After two years of having Preston in their class, I can't wait for the teachers to get to know Rose. Just have to get that potty training thing down before September... and based on Rose's headstrong tendencies, we're going ahead and not pushing her. I know she's going to say one day "okay, I'm done with diapers. Time for underwear."
On other fronts, work has been going well for Skip and me. MCFI has found a great nurse case manager in Skip, and he loves it there. And staying on pool at Elmbrook has given him the chance to keep up with his clinical skills, without having the burnout of constant third shifts. He's also taken on the duties as the AFSCME union steward for MCFI. In a state where union-busting has become full-force, these new duties of his have really given him some good experience (and an awesome interest rate on a new credit card, lol). My job is basically the same, but that's the nature of the beast. It pays the bills, it gives us good insurance, it's flexible around my family life. Three things that I can't complain about.
Preston has improved and grown remarkably in both body and mind in the past few months. We repeated Curiosity Corner again this year, as opposed to sending him to 4k, because we didn't feel he was quite ready for the intensity of "real" school. Not to mention we didn't fully understand the registration processes for the various schools up here (a MESS, see below), so we missed some opportunities to have him where we wanted him, when we wanted him there. Live and learn I suppose. But this year at CCNS has proved to be really good for him, especially socially. He was sort of the scapegoat last year. Bigger, smarter kids took advantage, and it killed us watching that. And effected him. Just last week, when I was bringing him into school, another little girl, very excitedly, says "Hi Preston!! It's my birthday today!!" and told him a very excited story about the day. He just nodded and listened happily (things like this have happened a lot this year). Afterwards, he says to me, "So, Mom. I think I'm sort of the leader of my friends this year, huh?" just matter-of-fact, with no pretense. I'm so proud he has been able to transition into a leader. Still a silly leader with his moments, but the maturity is in there, coming out more and more each day. Couldn't be prouder. But good Lord, is the kid OBSESSED with Octonauts. WOW. We've learned an awful lot about the ocean lately, lol.
Next year, it will be the Milwaukee French Immersion School for Preston, and eventually Rose as well. What a headache this has been for us - choosing a school. See, Milwaukee Public Schools are not the greatest (there are a few good ones), so we looked into many options. Wisconsin has Open Enrollment, which allows anyone to apply to attend any school in the state, if there is space. So often times people in MKE apply to open enroll into schools in the next towns over... which we did. But Wauwatosa (where we applied), has very long waitlists, and we don't hear until June if there is space. So we applied at the public UWM charter school that is around the block from our house, and what do you know, we were put on the back end of a waitlist. Harumph. :/ So, onto MPS. We had great experiences speaking with representatives from MFIS at the enrollment fair we attended, and then subsequently touring the school during their annual Mardi Gras festivities. Not to mention it is one of the highest performing academic elementary schools in the district. After some careful consideration and, of course, the letter indicating we got in, that's what we decided. The diversity and excitement of the families at that school was exactly what we're looking for in a place to send our kids. Families and teachers who WANT to be there, and have a sincere interest in making sure these city kids succeed in life. Except..... the primary language of instruction for the first 2 years is French. Yeah... neither Skip nor I speak much of it, so this will be something we're all learning together! This will also likely be a commitment for "life" so to speak, in terms of following up for middle/high school with the Milwaukee School of Languages. But we'll cross that "pont" when we come to it. << See that there? I'm trying!
In the meantime, bring on spring and summer. Already have 2 Brewers games on the books, as well as 2 camping trips for the summer. Can't WAIT!!