Back to our routine

 The new year has settled in and we are happily back to our normal routine.  Melanie is absolutely elaited to see her friends at school again and play to her hearts content.  Yesterday, she was insistant about finger painting and painting for hours.  She would then bring her paintings, one by one to me for me to look at and comment on, egarily awaiting my reaction. Her little hands are starting to devolop the small muscle corrdination necessary to learn to write!  On Sunday, we were taking down the Christmas tree, (it was my hope to have it all taken down before she woke up from her nap, but she beat me to it) and she was very upset.  She kept looking at the mantle where the nutcrakers were displayed and said “No, mommy, No! ..more Christmas – Christmas lights, Mommy!”  It was touching to see the “pout” on her face.  So, we reassured her that Christmas is a very special time of year and that it will come again next year.  Then to ease the trasition, we left up the garland around the doors and I displayed my snowbabies farm collection on the mantle and put white lights in it.  So now she still has some Christmas lights to plug in every morning.  She is still happily singing her Christmas program songs and reliving the whole momement in her mind.