Swimming

Swimming is such an important skill. I do not feel as though I am the best swimmer out there. Honesty growing up near the ocean I think you learn to swim differently than if you are always in a pool. I can tread water and have been able to get myself out of the rip tides by swimming along the beach but formal swimming...nope just can not do it. When I grew up swimming lessons were not something that people paid for. I know I just dated myself.

Living so close to the beach and having water in Gerard's parent's backyard (they live on a lagoon), it is extremely important that Anna not only know how to swim but she must mater swimming in my opinion. When ever Anna is at Gerard's parent's house the rule is if she is outside she has to wear her life jacket no matter what season it is. This rule is not to be compromised at all. Unlike so many of my other rules Gerard's mother agrees. Anna does not give us a hard time about wearing her jacket so it is normal for her.

This spring Gerard came home from the gym with a paper for swimming school. Up to this point Anna has not been involved with any outside schools like dance, cheer leading and so on. Gerard and I had decided months ago that we would enroll Anna into horseback riding when she was a touch bigger. When I saw the paper for the swimming school I thought PERFECT! So we enrolled Anna in March. (Yes I know I am a slacker for mentioning it for the first time in May.) There are only 6 kids in the class and the teachers are a husband and wife team. I am more than please at Anna progress. I love the approach that the teachers have with teaching the children to swim. I have heard that other school pick the kids up and throw them in to help them get other their fear...Hmmm how is that helpful?

Which brought us to this past Thursday. I had a ton of homework to do, and quite frankly I did not feel much like doing homework. There I said it, I have spring fever too. Anna was playing with a horse so I sat down and asked if she wanted to go to the beach. Like a flash of light she was up and in her bathing suit. My intention was to let her wet her feet but the tide was low (Which is perfect for Anna) and she ended up going in up to her knees. The water was much warmer than I had expected which is a wonderful surprise. This means it will be a good summer at the beach this year.
I did manage to get a few pictures of her playing in the surf.

High Heels

 A funny thing happened the other day when I was getting Anna ready for school. I have been trying to pick out Anna's outfit the night before and setting it aside on her launch pad for the morning. The less I have to do in the morning the better. I have been trying to incorporate a few of the Fly Lady tips into my household and this is one I love. So I picked out a skirt that has shorts attached with a coordinating shirt, hair tie, socks, underwear and shoes. This makes getting dressed in the morning easy peasy.

I took out the stack of clothes and started to get her dressed. Just then Anna started to melt down, serious tears, red face and all. According to Anna "I just can't like that!" Of course what ran through my mind was I spent a small fortune on this outfit why can't you like it but rather than argue and make her  upset we picked out another together. Problem solved.

The following day was the class party. While at the class party we were sitting eating pizza and watermelon, one of the little girls stood up and said "Look at my high heels!" Followed by "I love this skirt because it is short." No you heard it right all of this from a 4 year old girl. I nearly choked on my watermelon. The shoes were a wedge style that were easily 2-3 inches in height. The funny thing is the mother said "I just love dressing a little girl." To be honest with you the skirt was similar to what I was trying to put on Anna the day before with one exception it was in Anna's size. Now when I first saw the short skirt what ran through my mind was this little girl has had a growth spurt and her Mother got caught in a situation where she did not have the proper size for the child. After talking further with the Mother she told me that she has been waiting for her little girl to fit into this outfit. Oh boy is all I could think.

After the party Anna wanted to come home with me. We played with Anna's baby doll, feeding, changing and wrapping the baby. Out of no where Anna busted into tears saying "I need high heels! Like J." Now I know I am not a high heel wearing woman but I think at 4 true high heels are out of the question. I know for a fact that Gerard would freak if I came home with a pair of shoes like that for Anna. What are your thoughts on a 4 year old wearing high heels?

End of the year party

Anna has been so funny lately. I usually come to a point in our relationship where it does not get better than this. Believe me when I am thinking this it is because we are in a good, loving place. Anna is the moon, sun, stars and everything in between for Gerard and I. She is smart, quirky and funny. Lately it is all about being with me for her. She wants my undivided attention which I love which is fine with me.

I think having my Nanny watch Anna at our house has been even better than I thought for Anna. My Mother and Anna are getting a bit of a routine. First they play with play-doh, color and snack time then off to bed. Anna is starting to tell Nanny when she is tired and wants to go to sleep. All of this is amazing to me. She is growing up too fast.

Her second year of pre-school is quickly coming to an end. She will be devastated when she does not get to see her friends on a daily bases. I do have some plans for the summer time for her that hopefully she will be able to see them but that is for another day. Wednesday was her end of the year class party. I felt so different about this than I did last year. Last year I LOVED the teacher's assistant who was in the classroom but she was needed in a different classroom. I wish I could say I felt the same this year. I have mixed emotions about her teacher, the assistant and room Mother this year.

The one beautiful thing about working the night shift is I am home all day, everyday. This is the one true assets of working the night shift and perhaps the only one. Even though I had to work the night before the end of the year party I was able to get a quick nap and still go. As I was leaving for work Anna started to get upset about my leaving. I told her that I had a surprise. The surprise was that I was coming to her school tomorrow for her party. She was very happy with that news and was okay with me leaving.

When I got to the party I got a very warm welcome from Anna. She was so cute because her teacher who just had a baby was there with her new little girl. Anna was so excited to see the baby. She proceeded to introduce me to her current teacher and every parent at the party. Yes I already had met them all but to Anna this was a big deal. I think the party was a lot of fun and I am so blessed that I did not miss it although something very interesting came from that party that I hope to write about tomorrow. For now I am off to bed.

Putting life into perspective

Anna has had a hard transition since Gerard started working again. I am fortunate that my Mother is able to watch Anna. I know that my Mother enjoys the company as well as enjoying her Nanny role in Anna life. Up until this week Anna was staying at Nanny's home because Gerard was sleeping. My Mother felt that it was what was best so that Gerard could sleep. Gerard and I agreed. Anna on the other hand did not. Anna loves to be home in her house which is such a blessing.

About 3 weeks ago Anna started to protest going to my Nanny's house when I worked. Gerard's shift change came at just the right time for us as a family. Tuesday night was the first night that Nanny watched Anna at our home. I left at 6 pm and by 8:15pm Anna informed Nanny that it was time for bed. She gathered her things and marched herself into my bedroom to get into what we call "the big bed." My Mother was shocked. I have the feeling that Anna was having a hard time settling down at Nanny's house and that going to bed was a harder task than Nanny wanted to admit.

Nanny followed her into the bedroom to lay down with Anna but was stopped in her tracks. Anna told her "No...this is Momma's bed, only Momma and Daddy sleep with me." Nanny pulled a chair over and sat with her until she fell asleep. According to my Mother she was out in less than 10 minutes.I love how Anna has learned that home is a safe place to be. I love that she loves being home with us.

Which brings us to last night, Nanny thought it was perhaps a good idea that I bring Anna to her house more often just for a visit. I agree. Honestly I never thought about it but recently when we go to Nanny's house it is usually to drop her off. So on the drive to Nanny's house Anna started to say "I don't want to go to Nanny's house." I reassured her that she was coming home with me tonight. She thought about it for a minute than told me "Nanny might cry if we leave." Anna is learning about other people's emotions right now which is really cool to watch. I told Nanny might be sad when we leave but she will be very happy having us for dinner.

During dinner I got a text message from work that they needed help. At this point I felt torn because there have been so many nights that I have needed help at work and a co-worker has come in to help. I looked at my Mom who offered to watch Anna on the spot. Anna than told me "They will be sad because you can not go to work tonight you have to sleep with me in the big bed tonight." I have a very wise little girl.

Anna has given me so many gifts in the past 2 almost 3 years. I think putting life and my priorities into perspective has been one of the best gifts. Work can wait and yes I am sure they were sad but Anna needs me right now more.

I think his shift change is going to be a good thing. Let's hope it lasts for a while.

We have been home from Disney for a couple of days but between work, school and LAUNDRY I have not had a minute to upload any pictures. We had a wonderful time at Disney. I am so glad that we made the last minute decision to go. I highly recommend the Polynesian resort because it is so close to everything. I think we are done with Disney for a while. We need to start to save up for our Disney cruise in 2013. We waited to tell Anna that we were going to Disney until the morning after I got home from work. Her reaction was very interesting... she was disappointed. I think she is more like me and enjoys the anticipation. Now when I say she was disappointed believe me once we were on our way she got more excited and had a blast. The short stay was nice for Gerard and it fit into my schedule but I do not think it was enough for Anna. She really enjoys swimming in the pool but with the limited number of days she did not have enough time to swim. The first night we went to Epcot to have dinner with the princesses. Anna's favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty. Anna really loves to play with little dolls and animals. When we were leaving she did make sure that we had Maleficent packed to show Sleeping Beauty. As soon as she saw Sleeping Beauty out came the Maleficent doll. I am not sure Sleeping Beauty got the same chuckle out of it that Gerard and I got. I forgot to bring her book for the characters to sign but we were able to get pictures anyway. The next day we ventured off to the Magic Kingdom. One thing that you may not know about Gerard is he takes FOREVER to get ready to go anywhere. Even Anna has started to tell Gerard "Come on Daddy we can not be late." We got a later start at the park than I had wanted but it was still okay. We rode the Dumbo ride, teacups but Anna's favorite was the Barnstormer featuring Goofy. I love rides...Gerard not so much. He will not go on anything that goes upside down or in his mind is dangerous (which is a lot). Anna sat with me, I put my hands up and so did she. Gerard was yelling from behind us "Hold on, both of you!" Honest, Anna was very safe on this ride. The next trip on the Barnstormer Gerard wanted Anna to ride with him when she figured it out she insisted on riding with me and told him "I put my hands up, Daddy." Here are some pictures from our trip. I have not bought the Disney pass CD yet so these are taken by Gerard and I.

Yes he is holding on for his dear life!

Almost over already?

Well our little vacation is almost over but we truly enjoyed our time here. Today we are not quite sure what we are doing so it is still open, maybe the water park, the pool or perhaps a little shopping. I will write more tomorrow.

Surprise Vacation Booked!

To say I have been in a funk for the past couple of months is an understatement. Gerard was stern with me a couple of weeks ago which made me mad. He told me that "Life is what you make of it and we have a good life!" This is a good way of thinking and honestly how we think most of the time. Our lives could be short or they could be long there is no guarantee or expiration date written on the bottom of my foot so making the most of everyday is the only way to live. That did not stop me from being mad at him. I was mad for a couple of reasons but I need to live life for today. I think I was mad at him because I know he is right. I have been feeling a little better since Gerard scolded me for my mood.

Now on to the fun stuff! About ten seconds after I realized that Gerard was going to have a couple days off in a row I suggested a vacation. I know this is no real surprise to anyone who knows me but when Gerard said he thought it was a good idea I was shocked. This is so uncharacteristic of Gerard. I told him the story of Anna looking to see which date we were going to see Mickey Mouse and the decision was made. Off to Disney we will go!

I booked the airline tickets. YIKES! Gerard and I discussed the cost and he was still on board for going. I think we all need this vacation. Gerard will not be able to put in for vacation for another couple of months so it is now or never. I was able to get one of the two days off that I needed thanks to my friend Jaclyn who said yes to me in a matter of seconds. I am still working on getting another day off but even if I do not I will just have to make sure I am able to get out of work in enough time to make it to the airport. I can sleep on the plane after all because life is short.

My dream has been to stay at Disney's Polynesian. Gerard knew that this was my dream. I started to price out the value and moderate priced resorts because after all the Polynesian is a bit pricey. I showed him the options and he said "I think you should just book the Polynesian." My first reaction was "WHAT? Are you crazy?" He proceeded to make his argument for booking at the Polynesian, honestly it makes sense. Anna really only likes the Magic Kingdom and even though there are buses to and from all the parks we are only staying a couple of days. I told Gerard I wanted to think about booking the Polynesian for a day or so before I made my decision. So I waited and thought about it. Talked to Gerard some more about the cost when he told me "I would rather go for less days and stay there than add another day onto the trip." So that is the plan. We are booked at the Polynesian resort for the weekend.

Gerard really only likes short vacations. I like long ones. So over the summer I will take a long vacation with Anna and Gerard will join us for his days off. I could not be more excited about this vacation. Our first trip to Disney for Anna's birthday was so much fun even though it was a turn and burn trip much like this one. Gerard is super excited about going to the pool with Anna on Saturday. Sunday we will do the Magic Kingdom and perhaps a water park on Monday that off to the airport.

The weather here has been cold and damp so I will welcome the big ball of sun and the hot weather of the Sunshine state. We have not told Anna yet that we are going. My plan is to tell her that morning just before we walk out the door. I asked her this morning what she wanted to do this weekend and she told me "I want to take Hans to Belle's castle." According to the Disney agent Belle's castle is not open yet so we will miss that this trip.

Now I have to finish all of my crazy homework so that I can relax this weekend. I only have 8 more chapters to read and 3 nights of work...hmmm I think I should start praying that I am able to get it done.

Beauty and the Beast

Yesterday Gerard and I took Anna to the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast in the State Theater in New Brunswick. I wish I had bought tickets sooner so that we would have been a little closer but perhaps it was better that we were a little farther away. This was both Anna and Gerard's first Broadway musical. Gerard had some interesting comments about musical theater. Mainly he wanted to know why a movie that is about an hour and a half turned out to be over three hours long.

I love musicals and I believe Anna will too...Gerard not so much but he will go if Anna asks. Anna decided that she wanted wear her Belle costume. I was happy to see some many others also dressed up too. 

At the beginning of the play Anna was scared of the Beast. She squirreled around between Gerard and I for the better part of the first half than sat on my lap for the rest of the time. Towards the end of the show she really started to get into the play. Overall I think Anna really enjoyed going to see the play.

As I am writing this post she is making Gerard watch the Beauty and the Beast movie. He is the Beast and she is Belle. It is so sweet watching her make him act out the part. She is really getting into being a princess.

On the ride home Gerard had the idea of stopping by the Russian grocery store for some treats. About 2 minutes before we pulled into the parking lot. Gerard and I looked at each other and decided we would let her sleep and instead we would take turns shopping. With no discussion he jumped out and said "Me first!" This made me chuckle so I let him go first. He searched the store and managed to find 2 of our favorite cookies and a new type to try. He left the stuff at the register now it was my turn. I added two different types of pickles one with pickled tomatoes.

In all the day was exhausting but filled with fun.

Switch up, Change up!

I got the news the other day that Gerard's schedule is changing. This is a hard concept for me to grasp but basically anytime one of the other people in his department takes a vacation all the people in the department have to rearrange their schedules to cover the other person's absence. This change can include his days off and shift that he will work. We knew that this was part of the job requirements so I have been expecting this to happen.

We are blessed with a family who is willing to watch Anna are so accommodating. Currently, Gerard works 11pm to 7am with his days off being Friday night and Saturday night. I love having him off for the weekends but the hours really stink. Usually sleeps from about 4pm to 9:30pm than is off to work. This gives him very limited time with Anna. His new schedule will be 3pm-11pm with his days off being Sunday and Monday.

I could see that he was a little nervous about telling me about the schedule change. He has never worked the 3-11 shift before only days or nights. His concern was that he will not see Anna at all after school. I pointed out to him that with his present schedule he does not get to see Anna much now anyway (which we have noticed she really dislikes). I pointed out the positives aspects of the change so I think he is now embracing the different schedule.

Because I work the 7pm to 7 am, on nights Gerard and I both work Anna has been staying at my Mother's house. Now Anna loves to stay at Nanny's house but I think she loves being home more. My mother offered to watch Anna at our house on these nights but it is difficult for her to keep Anna quiet and from not trying to wake up her Daddy to play. 

Because of the schedule change my Mother will be able to watch Anna at our home and it will be easier because Gerard will not be sleeping. My mother will be able to stay or go home depending on her mood once Gerard gets home. I think this is a good change for Anna.

An added bonus is Gerard will get a 4 day period off because of the change next weekend. Now everyone who knows me knows that the wheels in my head have started turning immediately. I am making plans for that time off that I think Anna will LOVE. More on that later this week once everything is confirmed.

For today we are off to see Beauty and the Beast the Broadway production that is on tour. The tickets were very reasonable and we do not even have to drive into the city. Anna is even more excited that I am. I had my calendar out putting in commitments and she asked "Which day are we seeing Beauty and the Beast?" I sat her done and I wrote it into the book than I let her write her name next to the day. On instinct she started flipping through the pages of my calendar and asked "Which day are we going to Disney?" The girl loves Disney which makes me very happy. I told her to make a wish and we will see.