August 8 - August 14
The big news this week was me going back to school. Boo!!! I took Sarah for a "trial run" at daycare on Monday, but I could only bring myself to leave her for a half-day. On Tuesday, the weather was beautiful as we took one last weekday trip to the zoo. Sarah had a blast watching the monkeys in the rain forest exhibit! They kept coming up to the glass and pressing their feet against it, and she kept her eyes on them the whole time!!! It filled my heart with joy to spend that time with my daughter - one last girls' day out before I went back to work!
I tried to be very calm about leaving my big girl on Wednesday. I felt that I needed to be the one to drop her off for her first full day at daycare (Tom will normally take morning duty), so I put on a brave face, packed her up, took a picture to document her first day at daycare, gave her bunches of kisses, and drove her the approximately 3 blocks to our daycare provider. I really like Veronica and trust that Sarah is in a good place, but it was still tough to leave her! I allowed myself to cry from the front door of Veronica's house to the door of my car, but I secretly wanted to cry all day that day. Luckily, Sarah adjusted far quicker than I did, and she was always having a blast when I went to pick her up the rest of the week!
This week was filled with non-baby related sadnesses and joys, as well. My sadness - one of my former students passed away this week. He would have started his Junior year at SM North just a few days after his death. Although he had struggled with some health issues, no one was prepared for his sudden departure. This is the third student I've lost since I've been teaching, and it never gets any easier. Brandon could be a real stinker, but he was also a most compassionate, loving boy. I will always be glad I had the opportunity to know this amazing young man!
To balance my week out, I also had great happiness this week! My friend Ann Marie got married on Saturday. It was so fun to see her that happy, and Tom and I enjoyed being back at Lake Quivira - the place where WE got married! It was a beautiful night, and we all sat out on the patio. I got to play with my friend Jennifer's daughter, Ava, in the sand at Lake Quivira Beach, and eventually most of the wedding guests walked barefoot through the sand to wade in the water. There was a full moon and the Perseid meteor shower was at it's peak - can you imagine a more beautiful sky to dance under???
Congratulations Ann Marie and Gerrett!
