(water) wings

After more than two solid years of Mommy & Me swimming lessons, Nico finally moved up to big boy lessons this week. Instead of going in the pool once a week with me, he'll now be going twice a week with three other toddlers and his teacher, a woman with saintly patience whom he hilariously calls Miss Lazy. (Me: "It's Miss Lacey. Can you say Lacey?" Nico: "Miss Yazy." Me: "Lay-cee. Laaay-cee." Nico: "Yazy.") Watching his class through the poolside window is both adorable and cringe-inducing, depending on whether it's my kid wandering off or totally ignoring her as she tries to get them all to come together to play a game or practice kicking their little legs by the wall. So far it has definitely supported my experience that teaching three-year-olds is a little bit like herding talkative cats. He's only gone twice and hasn't shown any sign of being a Phelpsian prodigy, but right now I'm pretty thrilled that he'll get in the pool without me at all. I'm willing to wait a few more months for stunning results.

school rules

Preschool has continued to go well. On the second and third days, he's trotted right off to class with such eagerness that I've had to remind him to come back and give me a goodbye hug. On Tuesday we were ready about ten minutes too early to leave the house, and Nico was so impatient to go. He went and put on a hat and stood under the coats calling out, "Mama! We go to preschool now?" I hope his enthusiasm persists. School also seems to be wearing him out in a good way. Tonight we ended up staying up about 15 minutes past when we usually start bedtime and by 7:30 he was draping himself across my lap and asking to go to bed. Preschool, I want to kiss you on the lips.

the other child

I'll be 34 weeks on Monday and I've reached the stage where people are starting to say understandable things like "I bet you're ready to be done!" But no, no, I'm at the point where it's starting to hit me that there will be TWO CHILDREN and also that this one has to come out somehow and no, that's okay, I'll just stay pregnant for a while. Maybe for a long while. No worries. Just pass me some Kix. I'll be fine!

unintentionally melodramatic

Nico suffered a night diaper failure at 2 AM the other morning and woke up crying in soaked pajamas. Other casualties included his toddler-sized quilt and his lovey, the blankie called Bee. I put all his wet stuff into the wash and the next day (or I guess later the same day) he wanted to know where Bee was.

Me: "He's in the laundry, remember?"

Nico: "Why is Bee in the laundry?"

Me: "He had to get washed. He got all wet with pee."

Nico: "And tears."