Big tears :(

The day ended with big tears for almost all of us, but let's start with the good parts of our day :)

Connor went to his first day of "camp" at his new school today - a week long program to get the kids used to the routine of getting up and going to school each morning. Instead of doing much specific learning, they do a lot of arts and crafts activities and play outside. They especially encourage new students to attend so they can meet their teachers, make new friends and learn what school will be like. Connor had a lot of fun and talked all afternoon about how he wants to be the next "flag holder" (they say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning) and about how he got to be the goalie in the soccer game :)

Logan had his one year appointment this afternoon! He weighs 20 lbs 12 oz (20th percentile), is 31 inches tall (80th percentile) and his head circumference is 18 1/2" (70th percentile). He's doing well! Our doctor was happy to hear he's not taking bottles anymore and that he's eating mostly "real" food (not as much baby food, mostly our dinner cut up into small bites). The tears came during the shots, of course. He apparently remembers the room (a different room from where the exams happen) because he started fussing as soon as we walked in and started shrieking when the nurse arrived with the syringes. The nurse was actually more concerned about what Connor's reaction to Logan getting the shots might be, but he was fine! Connor has always loved doctors and nurses and hasn't really minded shots in the last couple years. He explained the whole process to Logan in the car on the way there by saying "it might hurt a little and you're probably going to cry but shots make you grow up to be big and strong like me!" Too cute :) He also helped to calm Logan down afterwards by saying "It's all over now, buddy. Now we can go home." :)

On the way home, we stopped to pick up Connor's dinosaur from Crackpots. He brought his penguin with him to meet the dinosaur and was very excited to bring them home together. When we got home, though, disaster struck. Connor was walking inside and tripped - he managed to keep himself upright but the penguin fell onto the concrete in the garage and, as ceramic pieces tend to do, shattered into a million zillion pieces (well, ok, really about 20 pieces but to him it seemed like a million zillion). That penguin was Connor's best friend over the last month - he slept in Connor's bed, watched out the front window for Daddy to come home, watched Shrek, sat in a prominent place on the kitchen table during all meals and even took a dip in the bathtub one night. Connor fed the penguin, protected it from Logan's slobbery fingers and held on to him tightly in the car since we didn't have a penguin car seat :) So, as you can imagine, the loss was devastating. Connor is not easily upset and is not usually so attached to toys, but this penguin was special. He cried and cried and it's the first time Jeremy and I can remember him crying for something he truly cared for. He's cried the tired, whiny cry, the angry cry, the physically hurt cry but this was the first cry over an emotional loss - truly sobbing because his heart ached for that poor little penguin. Jeremy scooped up the pieces and placed them in a box which upset Connor even more. It was so sad - as if we'd just lost a pet. His reaction to it made us all tear up. We calmed him down enough to eat some dinner and distracted him for the rest of the evening by going for a bike ride and playing at the park. He prayed for the penguin in his bedtime prayers and went to sleep.

As part of our parental duties, Jeremy and I just spent the last 45 minutes painstakingly super gluing that small piece of ceramic back together and I'd have to say we did a great job. It does look a little worse for wear and will likely just collect dust now as opposed to being an active participant in Connor's daily life, but we still saved the penguin :)