We Have Liftoff!

Four years ago just about now we started with a nanny. It felt so much gentler to have our childcare come to us - we didn't have to get a tiny baby and her 2- and 4-year old sisters bundled up and out to daycare every day. I worried myself sick about how we would pay for it all and whether we picked the right person to watch a 12-week old infant in our house. (Turns out we did - Hi Jill, if you're reading!)

How fast time flies! Now we have all three Roses in public school! Hooray!

Rose #3 started her school this week. Classes don't start until next week, but her extended day program took the 4-year-old kindergarteners this week (thankfully). You can't tell from this picture, but she was feeling nervous this morning! Don't worry - when I got back, she was walking around like she owned the place! She did very well today. She was very, very tired at bedtime - fell asleep in about 30 seconds.

Rose #2 and #1 are going to the same school this year - happy day. Here they are at the bus stop this morning:

And getting on the bus together. I LOVE it that they ride together; they can keep each other company, or help each other if another kid is bugging them.

Here are all three Roses together:

The only thing that marred this day is that my mom isn't alive to get the full report. She would have loved to hear about Rose #1 being so responsible and mature, waiting for me at Discovery Club like the big girl that she is. Rose #2 was so enthusiastic and excited to see her new school and do her first homework - she read out loud from Trumpet of the Swan for 15 minutes today. Guppy, there are some really hard words in Trumpet of the Swan. Celebrity! Squealing! Chambermaid! And Rose #3 made new friends at school, and she spotted her 4-year-old kindergarten teacher in the lunchroom and went up and gave her a big hug.

We miss you, Guppy.