A is for Apple

Gracie has been having a really good week.  On Tuesday she had a fun day at school and at daycare.  She was in quite the happy, teasing mood when I picked her up at daycare and that just continued into the night.  Gracie, Jeff, and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary by ordering pizza and just hanging out and playing.  Later Gracie and I were talking about family and I told her that daddy, mommy, and Gracie were a family.  A little bit later she called Jeff into her bedroom where we were hanging out and she gave him a big hug, then she pulled me into the hug, and then her little voice said "family".  It was so sweet.  A little bit later, she signed the letter A and then verbally told us that "A is for Apple".  They are learning about apples at school this week. 

Yesterday Gracie and Jeff joined Gracie's class for a field trip to an apple orchard.  It wasn't Gracie's day to go to school but she was invited along.  I am a little envious as I would have loved to have gone along.  She had a fun time, she brought an apple home, she also got to go on a wagon ride, pet bunnies and goats, and got to see chickens.  Jeff said that EVERYONE knows Gracie.  Jeff met the bus load of kids at the orchard and many of the kids and the adults too all greeted Gracie.  They also got to go through a corn maze and stamp a card at various stations through the maze.  The only thing that really didn't sit well with Gracie is that they were all sitting in an area to learn about apples, but the plan changed and they decided to have the wagon ride first.  Our dear Gracie doesn't do well with transition and she was very unhappy as she wanted to sit and hear about apples.  She made a fuss about getting on the wagon, but once there enjoyed herself.  The apple orchard was covered in walnuts....ugh.  So Jeff ended up having to be extra diligent about washing her hands after she pet the bunnies or touched anything. 

Last night Gracie and I were home alone when she went to pull a crystal dish off of one of our stands, I very firmly said "Gracie no", but her listening ears weren't working and it fell to the floor and just shattered everywhere.  This on carpet no less.  I was so scared she would step on it with her bare feet that I picked her up and put her in a chair and I told her she had to stay there.  Gracie stays no where, she just doesn't have it in her to sit anywhere for any given amount of time and even though I didn't get mad, I think she thought she was in trouble.  It was quite a mess to clean up and it took a while and she didn't move a muscle.  When I was all done, I went over to her and I said "Gracie, I'm not mad that you broke the dish, it is just a thing, but I'm disappointed that you didn't use your listening ears when mommy told you no."  We've been talking alot about using listening ears and she touched her ears when I said this.  Her face was very sober.  Then I told her the reason she had to sit and not move is so that she wouldn't get cut while mommy cleaned up the mess and that I loved her very much.  I got a smile then.  I think this was a very good lesson for her and I don't think it is one she forget quickly. 

Gracie is home with daddy again today and they went to the library for story hour and then came and visited me for a few minutes.  She was all smiles.  I think she is enjoying her time with daddy. 

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie