Pocket Pal

For the first couple of days Cora was devastated when we dropped the kids off at school because she didn't understand why they got to leave the nest while she had to wait another two weeks for her school to start. To a three-year-old Coco-bird, two weeks may as well have been an eternity! She'd whine and moan and on the very first day of school planted herself on the sidewalk as a peaceful-ish protest to me forcing her back home. What can I say, that girl knows how to tantrum like only the baby of a family does. 

But slowly she realized something I had been trying to tell her all along: being Mom's pocket pal is the ultimate dream. We spend our days while the Bigs are away playing princesses and make believe and cooking in her pretend kitchen. We clean and check off our to-do's, yes, but we also set up train sets and cuddle on my bed for stories, we do dot art in the homework area and she has free reign of the magnatile bin. A few days ago Coco got it in her head that we should make muffins and 30 minutes later we were in a clean and quiet kitchen making blueberry muffins. Why? Because without others dominating my attention I really can just focus on Cora Nicole and what she wants to do, and it's been so much fun! 

For the last few days her tune has changed and now she cries when it's time to go pick up the kids. "No Mama," she says. "I want it to just be you and me for a little longer." I can't blame her, this little season feels extraordinarily special to me too. These are my last few days before I'm a full-time school mom. Our two weeks is almost up and my baby bird will start preschool on Tuesday. I can't wrap my mind around her being old enough for this to happen, but I'm holding it together with the knowledge that we'll still have an hour or two of alone time before we get the others even when her school starts. I love having her as my pocket pal.

She graduated from her toddler bed and into the trundle under Quinny's bed and is loving her new princess sheets and extra space. I can't believe how big she is looking all of a sudden. 

Train tracks are cool and everything but what she really likes to do is take a train and try to make a ridiculous amount of noise by racing it on the hardwood!

Folded laundry and had to send a quick email and when I shut the computer I started laughing because Daniel Tiger characters were surrounding me!

Blueberry muffins made completely by Coco. I was so impressed! (All I did was crack the eggs...but she probably could have done that too?!) The cutest part was when she said she would take care of the "covingtons" AKA--muffin tins!!!