Eden's Big Week

But first, some pictures of Eden from LAST weekend because I think they're really cute:

Two Friday evenings ago, Eden's little cousin had his 1st birthday party.  He HATED his hat, but Eden was more than happy to wear it.

The following day we went to another birthday party, and there were go-karts!  Eden became pretty obsessed with them as soon as she saw them.  I didn't think the place would allow Eden to ride them, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.  To my surprise, they let us!  We started out slow because I was pretty terrified that she was just going to fly out at any moment, but once I realized she was safe and strapped in tight, we went fast - like really fast.  She loved it and cried when it was time to get out.

 

Then last Sunday afternoon, Eden had a blast painting pumpkins.  It occupied her for the majority of the afternoon.  She took her work very seriously.

 

When she was finished, I put the pumpkins on the front porch.

I asked her to sit next to them so I could take a picture, and she plopped down right in front of them and smiled so big!  She was so proud of them.

A few days later, she went and sat back down in front of them.  She just kept smiling at me, so I guess she wanted me to take another picture of her.  I got my phone, took a picture, and then she hugged each one of her pumpkins.

 

Okay, so on to Eden's big week.  Eden had a big week because she went to preschool!  I'm filling in as a long term sub right now at FA for a teacher who had to have surgery.  When they asked me if I could do it, my only concern was Eden.  The school said she was more than welcome to stay over at the preschool for the two weeks while I teach.  I didn't necessarily want her there everyday.  It's a big adjustment.  So we worked it out to where Eden stays with my Granny on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Eden goes to preschool on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  I LOVE that she's right there at the school with me on those days!  I don't have any classes after one, so I go get her, and while I grade papers and get things ready for the next day, she has the run of the school.  The students and other teachers spoil her rotten.  I'm always so concerned that she's going to bother them, but they are always so excited to see her and are so good to her.  The students ask me a thousand times if it's time for me to go get her because they can't wait to see her.  The other day she stayed in Stacy's room during sixth and seventh grade art while I worked in my room.  Stacy showed her her sticker drawer, and the girl was in heaven.  Literally hundreds of stickers for her to play with.  I kept offering to take her out of the room, but Stacy and all the kids begged me to let her stay with them.

They tell me that she is doing just wonderful at the preschool.  Her beloved Momo (from volleyball practice days) is there, so in the mornings one of the preschool teachers will come up to us, ask her if she wants to go see Momo, and she gets all excited and happily goes with them.  On Thursday she took her very first field trip.  She went with the two and three year old classes to the grocery store.  On a bus!  They said she loved it.  She sits and eats with the big kids at lunch.  She dances around like the other kids during music time.  I can't believe she's so big already!

After doing pretty much EVERYTHING with her for over a year and a half, it's so weird for me to think about her doing all of these things without me!  I'm only away from her in the mornings, but I miss her so much!  I admit though, I love being back in the classroom. 

Volleyball season is over now, and I have one more week subbing, and then our lives will go back to normal.  Also, I have new respect for working moms.  It is HARD to get up early, get ready, get Eden ready, have her lunch made, my lunch made, her bag ready to go, dogs fed and be out the door before seven!  And as much as I love teaching, I forgot how tiring it can be.  I am EXHAUSTED when I get home in the afternoons.

Yesterday we went to a cook-off.  Dustin's steak won first place, and Eden ran up with one of our friends to accept their team's award.  So cute.

 

Okay, it's 8:30, and I'm seriously going to bed now.  I gotta get rested for this week!