Week of the Young Child

Week of the Young Child Celebration

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and families.  Our daycare is accredited by NAEYC and always does a great job planning fun events throughout this week.  The week kicked off with a parade with all the kids dressed in purple, the school color they voted on earlier this year.  Each day had a separate theme - Music Monday, Taco Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday & Family Friday.      

On Work Together Wednesday, both kids participated in the Buddy Project with their classmates.

Eloise's Buddy Project

On Artsy Thursday, both kids worked on special art projects. 

Eloise's class made art projects with recycled items 

The week wrapped up with Family Friday where parents were invited to attend a pizza party at lunch time.  Eloise was so tickled to have me join her at lunch.   

Happy 11 months Preston

Happy 11 months to my monkey man Preston!

Weighing in just shy of 23 lbs and barely squeezing into 12 month clothes.  Good thing he's got a big birthday right around the corner!

Preston's latest tricks:

"Yells" at Piper. 

Fascinated with bathtub plug. Loves to pull it out & put it back in.

Peek-a-boo

Waving Hi & Bye

Saying "Bye!" 

Standing unsupported and thinking really hard about walking

Crawling up the stairs 

Billygoating aka trying to climb on anything and everything

Nurse, sit up & then climb off the chair. Cry to come back up just to show me who's boss. 

If he isn't scaling the walls, he will use anything he can as a walker.  Case in point below.  The diaper genie makes a great walker. 

Future Billygoat. 

Ear Tube Surgery 

Just 2 weeks ago, Preston had ear tube surgery. It was a culmination of 4-5 months of ear aches, high fevers & many sleepless nights. We are optimistic that he will get some instant relief but also some long lasting benefits. He did great before & during the surgery. That first day afterwards was a little rough but he did start standing unsupported the day after surgery. 

Confession:

It's bittersweet when your baby...your last baby...has only 1 more month to go until he is 1 year old. Any day now, he will be walking and quickly transition out of being a baby. It was a different experience when Eloise was turning one because I knew I would get to experience all the baby stuff again with the next one. Mr. Preston is our finale, if you will. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to hanging up the ole breast pump but I'll miss the magical powers that nursing gives you to instantly calm your baby or lull them to sleep. However, it's fun to ponder what I will do with all the time I'll get back when I'm not nursing, pumping & cleaning pump parts. Oh yeah, I know what I will do - chase my 2 kids!  Preston is such a mama's boy right now and as much as it can drive me crazy, I love it. He reaches up for me all the time, crawls with great speed toward me and snuggles me and puts his chubby starfish-like hand on my face. Thanks to Facebook, I've been reminded of how chubby Eloise was as a baby. I love how "juicy" Preston is and I'll miss those baby rolls as they start to disappear. Oh Prestie, I want you to walk and talk but also stay my sweet baby for a little longer. I'm going to snuggle you a little longer the next few weeks because I know that once you are walking, those baby days start to disappear even faster.