grace & the girls: School!

The winter is finally over (I say with such a huge sigh of relief). This was a long one! Both girls & I were sick with one thing or another, non-stop from Thanksgiving until this past weekend. I think it was all the usual stuff that has been hitting everyone from coast to coast, but with twins (and 5 nurses and two roommates), you tend to pass stuff back and forth so it makes each thing last longer : ) Warm weather, sunshine and healthy girls are welcome changes to this Whitacre-Blanco household!

In other news: both girls are starting/have started school! Havyn's is a spanish immersion Parents-Day-Out program here in East Nashville (El Jardin de Los Ninos - a fabulous program, with fabulous teachers, and a director whose love for the kids is evident in everything she does). She was thrilled to be going to "school" with the other kids, and has really thrived in the loving environment there. Here's some "first day of school" pic's. Isn't she darling?

Havyn's teachers are phenominal. Here's one of them, Miss Amaia, posing with Havyn at the lunch table. (Havyn is too busy to smile for the camera because she's working on getting her entire birthday cupcake in her mouth at once) ; )

Ava Gray will be starting school too, once we figure out which METRO program she is assigned to in our area. We got to check out a few of the potential classrooms, and Havyn came along. Both girls REALLY loved the classrooms (can you tell?). It was encouraging to discover that there are so many wonderful teachers & schools out there who are doing such a good job with these young ones. (Havyn's the one in the red shirt):

We are SO thankful that God has worked it out so that Ava Gray's nurses will be able to ride the bus with her to school & back, as well as be with her the entire time she's in the classroom. This is such a huge relief to me & an answer to prayer.

I'm also very thankful for the ways that our friends and family invest in these girls. Even out of the classroom, the girls are read to, played with, enjoyed, and spurred on to grown and learn and develop into the delightful little girls they have become. Our nurses have been hugely instrumental in helping Ava Gray to hit milestone after milestone (and all the therapists are telling us it's just a matter of time before she starts to walk - how huge is that!!??). Those same nurses have also stepped into Havyn's life as well - it is so amazing to watch both girls blossom in the presence of these amazing women who come into our home every day.

Both girls really do love being read to. Here's Havyn's UB reading her a new book. I don't know if she's more enthralled with the book or the reader ; )

And lest I paint a completely unrealistic picture of our household, the girls ARE three now; testing out their independance, flexing their "toddler" muscles and challenging most everything that isn't their idea. My sister sent me this card ("The Force vs. a toddler), and it made me giggle. Isn't this just the way it is??