A week of Firsts and Lasts

Firsts:
Slept (willingly) without a binky
Went to preschool (loves it...asks every day to go again)
Rode the big bus (loves it and I'm so glad, but what a difference of opinion from when Phoebe was three! Different kids = different decisions)
Shopped for Cmas presents for her family (at preschool)
Told me to say something in Spanish
Asked me what a sign says (other than STOP signs I didn't know she knew signs "said" things)
Counted to 20 on her own (no prompting)
Sang Twinkle Twinkle and ABCD on her own (no prompting)
Attended ballet class (with lots of prompting)
Left the house early one morning and rang the next door neighbor's bell without my knowing she was even gone (mother of the year award!)

Lasts:
Escape; we have the alarm back on the door (took it off when we moved)
Ballet class?...since she didn't really get into it and I have to decide next week if I want to buy a costume for the spring recital. At least I already had practice clothes, so no expense there.
Suck....on the way to get ice cream, I told her to enjoy it. She has done surprisingly well without it and hasn't even tried to hijack a binky from the one year old I tend.
Tantrum. Hahaha, just kidding. She does seem to have shorter ones though. I think there is a light at the end of the very dark, loud, tunnel.

Eating her birthday/binky sunday.

Riding the big bus for the first time. Having friends by your side makes anything better. Lina and Elsa made sure she stayed in her seat. (They didn't have a harness ready yet)

Observing the ballet class. She did better than I expected, but not as good as I hoped. She watched from the sidelines for quite a while, but at least she was watching. She eventually saw me and became clingy. She still wanted to be there, but with me attached to her at every moment. Not possible in a small, crowded dance studio, with a one year old on my hip. (Phoebe was at home with nanny Sally).

I took a few shots with my phone (not bad, actually) but there was another mom who had her camera and I begged her to take a couple of photos for me. If she did, and emails them to me as requested, I'll trade these out later. After I got home and unloaded the diaper bag I realized I did have my camera with me after all. Arghhhh! Two of the new photos below...

Ms. Lisa, her teacher, helping her follow the steps she demonstrated.

Holding her nutcracker.