Although Mio started preschool two days a week last month and we have playdates with her friends during the week, I wanted to do something special with her before her baby sister is born, because I know it’ll be a lot harder to give her my undivided attention. I enrolled her in a Mommy & Me arts and crafts class in which we learn ABCs and 123s through arts and crafts we do together at the local rec center, and today was the first day. It meets weekly every Friday morning for an hour for 8 weeks, and there are lots of other kids Mio’s age (between 2 and 3) there with a parent. At the beginning of class, we have circle time in which we get in a circle and sing each child’s name together, and then the instructor reads a book to the kids (today it was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom) and we work on a related art project or craft afterwards. I thought it’d be something fun and creative that we could together as mommy-daughter bonding time, and Mio seemed to enjoy her first class today!

Mio working on her Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree...
Mio creating her Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree… We worked together to glue down the tree trunk, leaves, coconuts, and then Mio got to place the foam letter stickers down all over the tree.

 

ABC & 123 Class
The finished product!

 

ABC & 123 Class
A bashful smile of accomplishment.

 

ABC & 123 Class
Good job, Mio!

 

ABC & 123 Class
Hanging out with the inflatable pumpkin in the lobby of the rec center.

 

As we left, Mio stopped to say “thank you” and “bye bye” to the instructor. Looking forward to the next class!

Gotta enjoy this one-on-one time with my first baby while I still can, during the quiet before the storm! Last night, Dan and I were looking back at photos from when she was a newborn, and we’re continually astounded at how much she’s grown up already. We’re excited to be having another  sweet little baby to experience it all over again with, but we can’t forget to treasure each moment with our Mio too, as she grows more and more independent each day!