The Latest

Happy belated Mother’s Day! We spent Mother’s Day with my parents and brother/sister-in-law and had a great day! I even got an unexpected gift—my old “Going to Grandma’s” suitcase. Avery has now assumed possession of it, but it was fun to see a “blast from the past” that I so vividly remember. I’ll post a picture of it soon. Here's the latest update on Avery and Romey:

Avery
Avery’s last week of school is this week. Today is her last Tuesday (in the building) of her first year of school. The school year has gone by very quickly, and it was fun (interesting) to reflect on the last several months during parent-teacher conferences. I’d be lying if I didn't admit that I walked into the conference feeling a little nervous. I get little tidbits of Avery reports during drop-off/pick-up but not a full-length discussion reviewing a sheet of paper with various check boxes and notations. In true Susan-fashion I broke the ice by saying something stupid, muttering, “Well, we’re going for the most-improved award! Did we get it?” Thankfully, the teacher had (has) a good sense of humor.

The report was fairly in line with what we expected: Avery loves school and loves to play at school; Avery needs to work on sharing and playing nicely; and Avery needs to work on listening and following directions. The teacher said that Avery used to listen 5% of the time, and is now listening 75% of the time—AWESOME! I was delighted to hear that she had improved (not happy about the 5% part, but not totally surprised either). We’ve got our “to-do” list for suggested summer activities, and are already looking forward to four-year-old preschool. Have I mentioned yet that I’m utterly heartbroken that the school year is already over? I’m excited for our summer activities, but am disappointed that our Tuesday/Thursday routine will be changing.

Romey
Romey is now seventeen-months old. Romey has become a little more “dramatic” by sticking out her bottom lip and giving a sullen look when she’s not pleased. If she’s told no, she puts her hands over her eyes, and makes a pitiful fake crying sound. Our response is usually a muffled laugh as we walk out of the room. And, as expected, as soon as we walk out of the room, she stops crying. Hmmm.

Romey is also giving “kisses”, waving, playing peek-a-boo, and following commands (get your cup, bring mommy a book). She’s still lagging in verbalizing objects, her needs, etc. Romey is difficult to “motivate.” For instance, if Romey wants the ball I’m holding, and I tell her to say ball, she’ll whine for a moment, but then decides to move on to the next toy. Her body language conveys, “Forget it, Mom. I’m not saying ball. You can keep it.”

Romey is still a hopeless tag-a-long, is shy, loves her pacifier (stay tuned), and loves to cuddle. I’ve never met such a sweet, un-assuming kid.