Stretching Those Wings

Eliza, today I watched you stretch your little wings a bit further.

It wasn't your first day of school, but it was still a little step down the path of independence.  It was your first dance class.  We decided together to enroll you in a local dance studio's preschool class for 2.5/3 year olds.  You gave us a resounding "YES!" when we asked you if you wanted to join a dance class, and so off we went this morning.

Clad in your new pink leotard complete with a little skirt dotted with hearts, pink tights, and a pair of hand-me-down ballet slippers, off you went into the dance studio, confident and full of excitement.  Mama sat outside the room and hugged the door, out of your line of sight.  I was just within earshot and every now and then caught a glimpse of you in the mirror.

Your excitement was evident the entire class, even when Ms. Pat's (your teacher) voice got just a bit more serious when the group of you - all four of you little teeny dancers, hand-in-hand - went off away from her, skipping and leading one another on, giggling all the while... oh you sweet little rascals (I can't imagine leading a group of almost-3-year-olds, but the job must be left up to those with saintly patience, clearly!).

You were so patient and listened so politely to Ms. Pat, even when I could tell you wanted to go off and hop up a storm with those little tap shoes.  A few times you did - you just couldn't contain your glee to be in that class, I think - but you quickly returned to the circle when Ms. Pat called you.  I was one proud mama watching you.  My big girl.

You are growing wings and exploring your world, my dear sweet girl.  It's no surprise, of course, you have been doing this slowly since the day you took off crawling, reveling in your newfound freedom.  And I am so proud to watch you, to be by your side as you do, helping you find your boundaries while giving you ample freedom to explore within them - more and more freedom by the day, as it should be.  Of course, as your cheesy mama, I am also proud and happy to see you come back to me with a smile on your face after accomplishing something big. You KNOW today was big, you could feel it.  It showed in your shy smile, when you came bounding out of the room, telling me quietly "I really liked it, Mama".  You always come back to me; I love being your person.

Just another day in our life, and yet such a big day at the same time.  It felt big, anyway.  I love you and I can't wait to see you explore your world whether its through tap shoes, hiking boots, a karate belt, a chess board, a violin, or a soccer ball.  Go explore, Eliza, the whole world is waiting for you!

Barn Time

Eliza's love for horses is growing with the help of her Aunt Kelly, my brother's wife.  Kelly has had horses all her life and is the perfect person to teach Eliza about them.  I really hope Eliza's love for horses continues and that she can learn from Kelly as she grows.

On Saturday, Eliza and I drove out to the barn to meet Kelly, who said Eliza could ride with her that day. This was Eliza's third time riding a horse, so I'm sure she felt like an old pro.  Haha.  This time, we helped Aunt Kelly bring in the horse Eliza would be riding, "G" (short for Gallahad):

Kelly showed Eliza how to clean out G's hooves, and then Eliza helped brush him.

After Aunt Kelly saddled him up, Eliza was chomping at the bit (haha) to get on, so we wasted no time.  Kelly asked Eliza if she would like to ride by herself or if she'd like to ride with her and Eliza said, very clearly "by self".  Eliza loves her Auntie, but I guess she wanted to have the saddle all to herself this time!

Eliza was on cloud nine on that horse!  Kelly lead G around the property a bit, and Eliza just sat there riding with the biggest smile on her face.  G was so incredibly sweet and gentle, the perfect "kid" horse, as Kelly said.  

We are so very lucky to have Auntie Kelly in our family (but not just for the access to the horses, of course!).  I hope there are many more days like this in Eliza's future!

In which Eliza learns about cookie dough...

Raspberry Picking

We went raspberry picking last week and it was a hit with the girl.  She loved it - she got the hang of picking the ripe raspberries right away.  She also got the hang of stuffing them immediately into her mouth.  She was a girl on a mission, and her goal was to eat as many as she could.  It was so fun to watch her while my mom and I picked.  

The farm where we picked was about a 30 minute drive (we spent longer in the car than actually picking), it wasn't cheap - there was an "admission" fee (perhaps to pay for all the berries you inevitably eat while you're picking??), and then the raspberries were $4 a pint, and the sun was out in full force with no shade to be found... but it was worth it.  We made some fun memories, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

(and we got some yummy raspberries, too!)

As a toddler activity, I would highly recommend berry picking - as long as you go on a day when it won't be crowded.  It was nice that Eliza could walk up and down the rows without us having to be RIGHT next to her.  She had some freedom, which I think helped a lot.  Also, bring a hat and sunscreen.  One other nice thing about berry picking is that you don't need to pack a snack!