She's found her voice.....again

I remember when she was a baby-baby she had found her voice. Then I thought it was cute. Now, not so much. Since she already has a voice, this time around I guess it is more accurate to say she has found her volume. Lately she has been whining and crying (especially in the car seat when there isn't much you can to about it)to get something. Usually when you glance back at her she stops and smiles. Once you put your eyes back on the road she starts it all over again. It works out much better if there are 2 people in the car, but if it's just you.....it makes for a horrible trip. She does this at home, too, but it is either not as much or not as hard to deal with since we can divert her attention much more easily. Our latest saying around the house is "Use your signs, not your whines." I think it does more to make me feel like I'm being a good parent than it does helping the situation. Not that it is necessarily a "situation," more like a phase. I hope. I'm sure it's just a phase. Right?

We took her to an introductory Gymboree class Friday. She loved it. Lots of climbing structures for her to try. She did a great job figuring out how to get on to the equipment. She did pretty good at getting down, too. The classes are a little expensive, but I think we'll sign her up for at least a few months. The exercise will be good for her, and it'll be good for both of us to get out of the house more, especially to a place where she is free to roam.

Speaking of getting out of the house more. Childcare starts In a week. Am I ready? No. I'm not ready for school to start, either. We have a parent-teacher night on Wednesday and an open house on Friday. I'm sure she will love it there and do great. I'm in the middle of making her a quilted blanket to take with her. Not that she needs a blanket as a snuggly (or lovey), but we do need to send her with a blanket. I really didn't want blankets to get mixed up, and it would be nice if she had one that wasn't like every one else's (nice for me, I admit). I will post pictures when it is finished. Of course as much as I thought I had all the supplies at hand, I don't. I'm not much into math, or thinking about math, or properly planning ahead, so I need to make a craft store run for more binding. I'm hoping to have it done today so she can play with it this week and get used to it. Hopefully having it at childcare will make the transition a bit easier.

Is it lame for me to want to call it school instead of childcare? For part of me, the word childcare (and especially day care) just doesn't sound good. I like to think of it as social skills school, or something like that. Since we're electing to send her and it isn't really necessary (although my sanity says it is definitely necessary), I think her being at the childcare center is a bit different than for the kids whose parents don't have any other options. Whatever we decide to call it, I'm just glad we have other options if it doesn't work out well. But I'm sure it will. She seems to do well in new places. We couldn't keep up with her at Gymboree.


First music lesson with her cousin