The Grays

I am trying to designate one day a week to total Spanish immersion for Lilly.  Wednesdays have been working well for this – we listen to Spanish music, read books in Spanish, and I speak only in Spanish.  Lilly doesn’t really seem to notice the difference but I am really working on the key words that she knows in English like ‘eat’, ‘all done’, ‘nap’, ‘outside’, ‘cat’, etc.  She seems to understand ‘let’s go’ and ‘dance’, but obviously we have a long way to go!

Daycare Penguin Art

Lilly has been going to daycare full time on Tuesdays for a few weeks now and is responding really well to her experience there. Dropping her off is difficult because she always cries but Peg assures me that she stops crying the second I am out of site. Her caretakers call her a ‘chatterbox’ and say that she talks in gibberish non-stop throughout the day. This is great to know because Lilly is very talkative around Bill and I but gets quiet around her friends and most other people, so she must feel really comfortable there!

The second Lilly sees me when I pick her up she starts crying. It’s actually kind of funny because I can hear her start when I walk past the window. She calms down quickly but I get quite the guilt trip. Lilly is as happy as can be for about an hour after she’s picked up and then she pretty much slowly melts down. Every Tuesday she goes to bed at least 45 minutes early and I am thankful for that because she is more work than she is at any other point during the week!

I’ve noticed in our various classes that she is much less tentative to play with the other students and especially to interact with the moms. I definitely attribute this to her experience in daycare and am so thankful that we can provide her with this opportunity yet still have me stay at home with her for the rest of the week.

Franklin Cider Mill

The older I get the more I love the Fall.  It is an extra special time with kids because there are many fun activities to do as a family.  We’ve already been to the cider mill several times and take daily walks (or runs) in the early morning when it’s still cool outside.  One of Lilly’s favorite activities is to collect leaves and store them in her car ‘trunk’.  Fall also inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen, and I have been doing plenty of that (click on this link and this link for two of my most recent favorites)!  Many fun things coming up in October:  Detroit Marathon, trip to San Diego, Grandma’s visit, Halloween(!), and much more.  Keep checking our blog for fun updates!

Lilly at 14 Months

Every new month with Lilly is my ‘favorite’ and 14 months is no exception.  This is a fun age because her personality is shining.  She is very headstrong, has a super-sweet tempermant, shows affection freely, loves to scribble, and has a special bond with our cat Roary and Nana and Bapa’s dog Rocket.  Lilly has a renewed interest in books and loves to share her toys and food – especially with Roary!  She tells us exactly what she wants and when she wants it and there’s never a doubt in our mind what she is trying to tell us.

Waiting for Peg to answer the door!

Today I sent Lilly off for her first day of daycare.  She will be going to Cameron Childcare in Bloomfield Hills (right around the corner from Nana and Bapa) every Tuesday.  Bill and I decided awhile back that Lilly would benefit from more intense social interaction with kids her age.  A friend of ours referred us to Peg’s at-home daycare and we were very impressed with her education-based program.  She has four assistants and a total of 10 kids, serves all organic foods, and sends Lilly home with an art project every day.  It was difficult leaving Lilly for the day but she was happy and VERY talkative when I picked her up.  Between daycare and all the classes she’s signed up for, we’re both going to be very busy this Winter!

Enjoying Nana's blueberry pancakes

Sending daddy off for his 20 mile run

We just got back from a fun-filled long weekend at Nipigon with Nana and Bapa.  It was a bit cold and rainy but fine with us because we were able to relax indoors, nap, and play board games.  I rode a bicycle alongside Bill while he was completing his 20-mile run on Saturday and we spent a nice afternoon on the Island Sunday.  Lilly had a great time playing with Rocket and running around the cottage.  We look forward to more visits next Summer!