The In-Between

This week, I have been straddling the end of the summer and the start of the school year. I had my first two teacher workdays on Wednesday and Thursday, with Thursday being an extra long day with Open House that evening. Both Wednesday and Thursday were very busy, but I felt good at the end of each day, tired from the work but energized with how well both days went. When the school year ended in June, I hadn't formally told all of my staff that I was pregnant, so a few of my coworkers were surprised by my very noticeable baby bump. I was happy to see everyone again, and I am excited to be entering my third year at East Surry. I don't feel quite so brand new and while I am a little nervous about the transition before and after my maternity leave, I am otherwise hopeful that it will be the best year yet.  

Before and after the workdays, we have filled the rest of the week with as much summer fun as we could. On Monday, we fit in one more trip to the Science Center with Aunt Megan, Grammy, and the cousins. With no nap that afternoon, Emmy fell asleep in the stroller during our post-dinner walk. You'll notice all of the friends that she typically brings along with us!

On Tuesday, Emmy and I went to the YMCA pool. We even ventured down to the bigger pool, where Emmy played on the steps but also let me take her out into the deeper water. I forgot her puddle-jumper (Mommy-fail!), but we attempted some swimming, in which Mommy kept a tight grip of course. That evening, we celebrated my grandpa's 90th birthday. What a big birthday! We gathered at Kerner Ridge where he is staying and used one of the meeting rooms to have dinner together. The three great-grandkids loved helping him blow out his candles. 

On Wednesday while I had my first day back at work, Emmy spent the day with Grammy and Grandpa. She had a fun morning playing with the dollhouse and then going to the library. Emmy picked out another Fancy Nancy book and also played in the kitchen in the kids' area. In the afternoon, Grammy and Emmy made cupcakes with special Peppa Pig wrappers and sprinkles. Grammy and I both noticed that Emmy was feeling warm, and that evening, she spiked a 102.4 fever! We are still unsure what brought about the fever, but it lasted for about 48 hours and was enough of a concern that my mom took her in to the doctor on Thursday. Luckily Emmy had not been to the doctor since her well check-up when she turned 2. The doctor visit didn't exactly reveal anything, but it was worth the co-pay to have the doctor look her over. Besides the mysterious fever, she is otherwise a healthy 29-pound, 3-foot tall little girl. 

On Friday, Boomer and I had one last summer day off together. Thursday evening, we weren't quite sure what we would do with the day. The initial plan was to go to the zoo, but with Emmy's fever earlier in the week and the threat of rain, we thought we may need to come up with an alternative. That morning though, Emmy woke up fever-free, and the forecast was showing mild temperatures, with the chance of rain only later in the afternoon. So we set off for the zoo! We first made a quick stop by the daycare to drop off a few items for next week. Emmy will return to daycare on Monday, and she will be in Ms. Kristina's class with the 'Older 2s.' Since we were eager to get to the zoo, we were in-and-out in under 10 minutes, so I didn't have any time to get sad. I am praying that next week goes well as Emmy returns to school. Hopefully it will be an easy transition for both Emmy and Mommy! After leaving the daycare, we arrived to the zoo around 9:30AM. We covered Africa first, had lunch at the Junction in the center of the zoo, and then we walked through North America back to the parking lot. I'm not sure who had more fun, Boomer or Emmy! I joke that it is like having two kids sometimes! I love his excitement for our family adventures. He has always liked going to the zoo, and this is the third year in a row that we have been able to go. It was a pretty perfect day. Besides a tantrum early on at the Aviary and a major tumble that resulted in two skinned knees, I am so glad that we made the spontaneous decision to go to the zoo after all.   

Today, Boomer and I went to the Wyndham Golf Tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. Boomer has been to the tournament several years now, and this was my second year going. We went along with my dad and the Houston crew, walking together some and then also splitting off to follow different golfers. Boomer was most excited to follow fellow-Deac Webb Simpson, who is in red in the background of our second photo. Webb had a great round today and could have a real chance of winning tomorrow. After two full days of being outside and walking a lot, it will be nice to watch the final round from the comfort of our air-conditioned living room!