Thursday, August 30, 2012

1st Day of Pre-School

Big changes this week for the Mayer Hammer family! Lily started pre-school and was so darned excited.  Mainly, she was looking forward to her new cubby where she'd be able to put all of her things.  About a month ago she said, 'I'm SO excited for my new cubby!' Then she asked me, 'What's a cubby, Mommy?'

Anyway, she got her school clothes, packed her lunch and school supplies, and was off.

Monday wasn't a sad day for Steve or I at all. We're so happy for Lily's new journey. Can you believe how grown up she is?




Lily with Miss Crystal
All wiped out after her first long day of learning.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Erin's (attempt at) Hobbies- Photography

A few months back I decided to take myself on a silent retreat to a little cabin in the woods. I ended up bailing early due to boredom and king-sized ants, but while there managed to take a few shots.

I plan to have a do-over of the silent retreat now that I know what to expect, in case you were wondering:)



I also took this shot of my cool uncle, Ivor. Enough Said.





Sunday, August 19, 2012

Weekend at Grandma's v.1

We've been lucky enough to spend the past few weekends with ALL the grandmas and grandpas... Here are some pictures of our time with grandma and grandpa Hammer, Emily, River, and Canyon.












Rowan LOVED the hot tub- Lily doesn't like to get splashed- they boys love to play- and everyone loves the kids. We had a great time. What a lovely weekend.


Friday, August 3, 2012

Pre-school, here we come!!

The past two weeks I've been pretty obsessed with this whole pre-school thing... When is the right time? How do you select the right school?

I'm sure some will think- 'sheesh, your kid is three-and-a-half years old, don't worry.'  And I'm not worried, but I have had thoughts rolling through my head that pertain to her future. (Steve was involved in this, too... but I'll just speak for myself).  I have been wondering what kind of life I'd like for my daughter- what kind of opportunities I'd like her to have- and how I can help provide her with all things necessary to make her a smart, kind, and thoughtful person.

I've been fortunate to spend quality time around a lot of people whom I consider to be educated, wise, well-rounded, respectful of other cultures and races, open to new and different experiences, and on and on. I've spent time with people I wish I could be more like, and whom I would love my daughter to be like.

Me? I'm often hesitant to try new things and feel I've led a fairly sheltered life.  Some of this is because of my personality and some because of where I grew up.  I went to a very small school from kindergarten through my senior year- graduated with 26 in my class- and went to a small University 17 miles from my hometown.  I just didn't have the drive to experience more. Now I do, though.

Bottom line is that I want Lily to do as much as she wants to do, to travel, to experience all she can- and I want to support her in that.

So, Steve and I have decided to enroll her in the Children's Montessori Center in Fargo.  We took Lily there today to tour it and to meet her new teacher. She took to it as we expected she would; she jumped right in and played outside with her new friends.  But what she was most excited about was the cubbies. That is huge for her- she talks about her cubby all the time.  So if anything, we've got that!!

Here is a video of her new school! (This must have auto-corrected to Lilly...by the way)





I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Montessori programs...