opening time

The weather has been beautiful lately; so warm for April.....I picked up Elle yesterday from daycare and I got to see her outside for the first time, normally they go out during the day not toward the end of it. I snuck out there and one of her teachers directed me to the area she was playing in. She was with 2 little boys and they were in this little play house trying to climb up on the little bench and she was smiling and laughing but the very second she saw me she ran so fast toward me with her arms up in the air. She loves when I pick her up and give her a big kiss and then I am not allowed to put her down. Then she immediately does the sign for "please" and wants a snack out of her school bag. So as I am packing her up, I give her one of her little snacks and water.....I remember that first week dropping her off at daycare. It was tough, I was really concerned and I was sad she had to go there. Now, I couldn't imagine anything different. I love that she goes to daycare and is surrounded by other kids. She has so much more fun and learns more then I could ever teach her at home. Yeah, the colds here and there stink and the other stuff that gets passed around...(winters are tough) but the overall experience she is getting will prepare her for her future and onto real school one day. I still have my worries...if they're offering her water enough with her sippy cup, is she safe, etc.. but for the most part I have learned to ask the questions and so far, we have been pretty pleased since moving to this new classroom. Hard to believe Elle is now the oldest in her room. Seems like yesterday, in January, when she was the youngest. The fears I had about the bottle transition, real food and napping on a strict schedule.....and now she is doing just fine with all of it.

Elle and I will head back to MI this weekend so I can meet ted up at the lake to open up my parent's place in Harrison. It's that time again and we want to have it ready for May as Ted is hosting his brother's bachelor party up there. We've been throwing around ideas of something we could do to honor my parents up there...and planting a tree wasn't good enough. So, with the help of our best friend Josh, the boys are building onto my Dad's current boat dock and adding about 12 feet so we can turn it into a sitting place. I envision a place we can sit together and get some sun, drink a beer, and to remember how much my parents enjoyed hosting their family and friends up at the lake. They were stress-free when up there. It was something about the air. I wish I had gotten up there more the last few years, they loved it when we all got up there. I'm looking forward to this new addition to the house and I have ordered a cedar plaque that is pictured above that will be proudly mounted on the dock once completed. It will continue to be heartbreaking for me to be up there without them-especially when I see this sign with their names on it. We're kids trying to run this place and we all just miss them so much and we're so aware they're missing. It's so quiet and I still get shocked when I am up there and close my eyes and realize, wow, they are gone and they left this place behind. They only got to enjoy it for 10 years. Dad never got to build his dream basement as he was planning to do......so much left in life they wanted to do, see and complete. I'll head up there tomorrow to clean, dust and organize...get the towels and linens washed and enjoy some wine by the fire with the boys. Elle will enjoy a night back in MI with Gramma Close.....I am sure she has new clothes and new toys waiting....

Melissa