School Parties and Rylee's First Recognition!!!

We had some fun fall parties at school with both girls. I was a little nervous about Rylee's because she has such a hard time when I leave after seeing her at school and I usually have to peel her off me to leave. It might be harder on me than her, but I sure do feel terrible every time it happens. However, when I got to school she was thrilled to see me and I got to see her interact with her friends, sing a group song and talk with her teacher a bit. Below is a picture of her with her best friend. We are so lucky because she also lives just down the street from us and Rylee yells for her every time we drive by her house. Aren't they just so cute????

In the afternoon it was Hanna's class party and all the kids were very creative with their pumpkin decorating. I enjoyed watching Hanna read a story that she had written to the class. She is growing up and maturing so fast these days. It seems more and more that I feel her slowly pulling away and becoming more independent and while knowing that it has to happen, it still makes me a little sad. It was a real treat for me as I sat in her class and watched the other kids with their parents. Hanna sat on my lap during the party and her teacher gently teased her about being a Mommy's girl. She grinned real big and nodded her head and said "Yes, I am still going to sit on my Mom's lap!" She gave me a great big hug and her teacher laughed and admitted that it is okay to be a Mama's girl because he is still a Mama's boy even at his age! I have to say that I liked him even more after admitting that - being a "tough" retired military guy and all :)

Now about that "Reckondation"! Rylee came running off the bus one day telling me that she had gotten a "Reckon Dation - MAMA I got one!!!" This is a real accomplishment for Rylee as she has struggled so hard with starting school. We have received many notes home from school about things like - excessive talking and interrupting ("But Mama, dis teacher no stop talking - she talka too much - I need talk my friends!"), not listening and staying on task ("this is borin for me Mama!" actually my opinion is that this happens when she has reached her limit on learning new things), not following directions ("Dis school is too much rules Mama!"), and yes even the occasional pushing/throwing things at someone (Why would you do this to your friend Rylee? "Well Mama she was being ANNOY-INK!"). So when she hopped off the bus, bursting with excitement and her eyes dancing with pride, telling me how she is a good girl now, she got reckondation - I picked her up and swung her around, hugged her tight and thanked God that she finally got one! I looked down into that shining face as she asked me "You proud me Mama?" I said "You bet I am proud of you, my good girl!!"