Michaela and her nanny made it to Gymboree once or twice a week during the school year, but I had not taken her there since last August or September. Once I went back to work I just couldn't squeeze it in during our weekends. The times between Michaela's naps were for running errands - which she's very good at, by the way!
However, now that we are on vacation, I hope we can make it to Gymboree two or three times a week. Tia Lisa (Michaela's nanny) had told me that Michaela is "very busy" and "very social" at Gymboree. Today I was able to see that for myself. Mind you, the last time we were there together Michaela wasn't even rolling over yet! Now she acts like she owns the place.
We were the first mommy and baby to arrive, and Michaela went right for all the things she likes the most. She reached into a bin of balls, and dug down deep for her favorite kind. As the other babies came into class, she crawled over to greet most of them. Any time we were supposed to be sitting and singing, she was off doing her own thing. I could not get her to sit still. I'm afraid she was the only baby that was quite so active. I told her that she better not be zooming around like this when she gets to kindergarten! None of the other babies were as confident and outgoing as she was either. I'm not criticizing them at all. I just found it fascinating to watch her interact in a group of peers and see how gregarious she is.
Alas, no pictures because she was just moving around so quickly!
By the time we got back to the car, she was already rubbing her eyes. Once we got home, she got a drink of water and promptly went down for her nap with just the littlest of protests. She definitely wore herself out!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
First Taste of Summer
Today was my first day of summer vacation, and we spent it with our good friends Teresa and Wren who are visiting from northern California. When I first learned that they were going to be in town, I hoped we would be able to have my mother-in-law sign us in to Disneyland, but it turned out that these last couple weeks of June are blacked out on her pass. Bummer!
So, being the novice mom that I am, I began wracking my brains for something fun and cheap that we could do with the babies. In my search, I came across the OC Zoo and the Irvine Railroad at Irvine Regional Park. I think I have been to that park just once to ride horses way back when, and I had no idea that there was a small zoo there as well. It cost us $3 to park the car, $2 for adult admission to the zoo (babies are free), and $4 to ride the train. Cheap fun! My only complaint is that the bathrooms are rather, um, "rustic". There was no soap, the hand dryer did not work, and there was no changing table for the babies. Considering that the place was crawling with preschoolers, you'd think they would have a better set up for little ones. Oh, well.
The zoo was very nice. We saw all kinds of animals, and many of them were native to southern California. Most of the wild animals were sleeping, but the goats in the petting zoo were lively. I'm not really a "goat person", but the babies were delighted by their antics. Out near the railroad depot were the pony rides. The babies are too little for that kind of fun, but Michaela was overjoyed by the ponies on the other side of the fence. She really loves animals.
The train ride was just perfect for our babies - nice and slow. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park, too. I forgot to bring a blanket, so the babies had to eat their lunches in their strollers. I told you, I'm a novice mom in many ways still! We did let them explore on the grass a bit. Michaela was fascinated by the dry leaves on the ground.
All in all, it was a really nice way to begin our summer!
So, being the novice mom that I am, I began wracking my brains for something fun and cheap that we could do with the babies. In my search, I came across the OC Zoo and the Irvine Railroad at Irvine Regional Park. I think I have been to that park just once to ride horses way back when, and I had no idea that there was a small zoo there as well. It cost us $3 to park the car, $2 for adult admission to the zoo (babies are free), and $4 to ride the train. Cheap fun! My only complaint is that the bathrooms are rather, um, "rustic". There was no soap, the hand dryer did not work, and there was no changing table for the babies. Considering that the place was crawling with preschoolers, you'd think they would have a better set up for little ones. Oh, well.
The zoo was very nice. We saw all kinds of animals, and many of them were native to southern California. Most of the wild animals were sleeping, but the goats in the petting zoo were lively. I'm not really a "goat person", but the babies were delighted by their antics. Out near the railroad depot were the pony rides. The babies are too little for that kind of fun, but Michaela was overjoyed by the ponies on the other side of the fence. She really loves animals.
The train ride was just perfect for our babies - nice and slow. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park, too. I forgot to bring a blanket, so the babies had to eat their lunches in their strollers. I told you, I'm a novice mom in many ways still! We did let them explore on the grass a bit. Michaela was fascinated by the dry leaves on the ground.
All in all, it was a really nice way to begin our summer!
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| This free digital collage created with Smilebox |
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Summer To Do List
School doesn't get out until the 20th, but I am so ready for summer vacation! I realized recently that I haven't finished a school year since 2009, so I'm out of practice and this seems like the school year that will never end.
Weekends are good, but in two short days I have to get our errands run, do laundry, and surface clean the house (Elizabeth does the deep cleaning). I feel so rushed most weekends. During the summer I expect to be able to do a little housekeeping each day, and have fun with my girl.
So here's some of what I hope to do this summer.
Places to go:
Santa Ana Zoo
Aquarium of the Pacific
Disneyland
The beach
El Dorado Nature Center
Walks to our neighborhood park
Gymboree
Swim lessons
Orange County Fair
People we want to see:
Aunt Maureen & Uncle Jim in San Diego
Teresa, Toby, & Wren in San Francisco
Penny & family in Los Osos
Projects:
Clean out patio room and garage
Have a garage sale
There are also phone calls to be made and letters to be written regarding our situation with Social Security, and perhaps a lawyer to consult with. As a teacher it is very hard to make calls during the day. So these things will have to wait until then. There are actually lots of other things that will require phone calls - things about health insurance, life insurance, investments, etc. My gosh! Our modern lives are so complicated. I hate dealing with all these kinds of things. Not looking forward to this part of my vacation, but I hope my efforts will yield good things.
Summer vacation cannot get here quickly enough!!!
So here's some of what I hope to do this summer.
Places to go:
Santa Ana Zoo
Aquarium of the Pacific
Disneyland
The beach
El Dorado Nature Center
Walks to our neighborhood park
Gymboree
Swim lessons
Orange County Fair
People we want to see:
Aunt Maureen & Uncle Jim in San Diego
Teresa, Toby, & Wren in San Francisco
Penny & family in Los Osos
Projects:
Clean out patio room and garage
Have a garage sale
There are also phone calls to be made and letters to be written regarding our situation with Social Security, and perhaps a lawyer to consult with. As a teacher it is very hard to make calls during the day. So these things will have to wait until then. There are actually lots of other things that will require phone calls - things about health insurance, life insurance, investments, etc. My gosh! Our modern lives are so complicated. I hate dealing with all these kinds of things. Not looking forward to this part of my vacation, but I hope my efforts will yield good things.
Summer vacation cannot get here quickly enough!!!
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