Two weeks down!

Ayla starts her third week of school tomorrow...I can't believe how quickly the first two weeks went! I think it's fair to say that we're all getting used to this new schedule. I think Aubree and I struggled the most at first...mostly because of lack of sleep. After Dean and the girls got home from the cabin, we officially quit napping Aubree because we knew that once Ayla started school, we wouldn't be able to fit naps in. I leave work at 2:00 and go over to my parents' house to inhale a late lunch, get Aubree packed up, and head out to get Ayla. Aubree used to nap from 1:00ish to 3:00ish (give or take 30 minutes) so I would've had to wake her from her nap every day to get to Ayla's school in time. I'd rather she just skip her nap than have to make her get up sooner than she wants to. It took some adjusting but I think she has gotten used to it for the most part. Every now and then, she dozes off in the car for a quick 20 minute snooze, which can do wonders.

I've been trying to get both of them in bed between 7:30 and 7:45pm. Yes, it's early, but they're both used to getting 11-12 hours of sleep. Ayla's alarm goes off at 7:10 on school days. When her alarm goes off, she gets up, gets dressed, and comes downstairs for breakfast. By that time, she is already bright-eyed and cheerful. Aubree? Poor Aubree. I go into her room at the same time and wake her up. It takes a lot of kisses, back rubs, whispering, and snuggles to get her out of bed. Watching her try to wake up reminds me of myself. She can't fully open her eyes for several minutes and finally just slithers out of bed and often crumples onto the ground. I've been very lucky to have been able to let my kids sleep as long as they want up until this point, so it's been super weird having to make them get out of bed.

After breakfast, we drop Ayla off at school. If it's between 7:55 and 8:10am, she participates in the Walking Club. The kids all walk around the perimeter of the school until the bell rings so they're not just standing around. I think it's a great idea! It's become a new mommy-worry of mine though to watch and see if Ayla finds someone to walk with. Some days, it's timed right where I drop her off as some of her classmates walk by so she can join them. A couple of days, she's walked by herself. It didn't seem to bother her, so that's good. I've also seen her just run up to a random little girl and start chatting with her. :) One morning, it was raining, so they had to go straight inside. As she hopped out of the car, a little girl waved and yelled out, "Hi Ayla!" and she ran up to catch up with her. That quick little moment made my heart soar. I just want to know that she's happy and okay while she's away from me all day. The thought of someone not being nice to her breaks my heart. We have discussed bullying several times...I know she will take our conversations to heart.

After we drop her off, Aubree and I head back home for a little while before going to my parents' house. Some mornings, she eats a bit more and catches an episode of Caillou. A couple of times, we've taken a quick walk around the neighborhood. It's only 20-30 minutes of time before we leave again, but I enjoy it. :) On certain mornings, it's been really difficult to get her to get in the car to go to my parents'. Being there without Ayla while I'm at work has been and continues to be the hardest part for her. She's never been without Ayla, so this is a huge adjustment. I'm hoping once she starts preschool in another week, it'll break things up for her and she won't be so upset about it. She even protests and cries when I leave for work. She has never done this before. It makes me sad! By the time I get back a few hours later, though, she's totally fine.

We leave my parents' by 2:20 and get to Ayla's school between 2:40 and 2:45 and we just sit in the car in the pick up zone until 3:06. Aubree plays on the iPad or snoozes and I read a magazine/book or play on my phone. I thought I would dread this part, but it's actually a nice, quiet 15-20 minutes.

When we get home, Ayla eats like she hasn't eaten in days. With lunch being so early (10:55!!), she's starving by the time school's out. Plus, she's not eating a ton for lunch. I've gotten her to agree to at least try whatever lunch is each day (she has three options every day). Some days she eats very little...only fruits, veggies, and milk. Other days, she does pretty well. I'm hoping she learns to eat more of a variety of foods through all this and becomes less picky.

I love hearing the little bits and pieces of what she remembers about her day. So far, she loves it! I really really hope this continues. She loves to stay busy so I think that's why she enjoys it. She said her favorite parts are recesses and lunch. Haha! Aaaaand she's already not a fan of gym class. She is my daughter. I've made sure to not make a single negative comment about gym class. She has decided all on her own that it's not her favorite. Gym class was quite literally my worst nightmare. It wasn't so bad in elementary school, but as I got older, it seemed to get worse for me. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly an athletic person.

Overall all, gym class or not, she is doing really well and I'm really proud of how she's doing so far! :)