My Shadow Abigail

Last spring, while Adam was in school three mornings a week, I started taking Abbey places most days.  I wanted to spend one on one time with her before Ellie came and also wanted to help her get past her obvious anxiety over new and different places.  We started going to breakfast a lot.  We tried different places and she LOVED it.  We went to Wade's and Dahl's first and after that, she had the hang of it.  She'd bring a purse with her treasures de jour and I'd bring a couple of books and she'd walk right in and pick a seat.  One of her favorite places was Mom and Pop's Diner, above.  They would change the television to kid stuff for her and tell her how cute she was.  The food was so-so, but it is owned by Mr. Preske, the former Physics teacher at my high school, so he'd come out and say hey, weren't you a student?  It's also done up like a 50's diner.  I liked the food at the Oswego Tea Company.  It tended to be more crowded, but the food was worth it.  The first time we went, I was worried about Abbey but it turned out I spilled MY cup!

We went back a few times.  What I like about these photos is how happy she is.  It shows that both my goals were met...she was having fun and learning to try new places.  I found once Ellie was here, I missed these dates.

Above is at Panera, where we went several times right before I had Ellie.  We both liked it there a lot.  She wanted to get this flower cookie that she barely ate but loved anyhow.  I ended up finishing it for her :)  

This past spring, I took this photo of Abbey at camp.  So her.  Running around in Adam's old camos with balls and wearing pink.  She just loves it there.

 My favorite Iphone photo to date...another spring photo at camp. Miss Abbey with her purse.  When we go there, she runs right to the dock and has to restrain herself.  She stopped carrying the purse everywhere we go.  I kind of miss it.

 So a few weeks ago, I took her to Little Lukes for a tour.  I had warned them of her tantrums and her Mommy issues, which are stronger since I had Ellie.  She does NOT like me to leave without her, always having one ear on the back door to make sure I'm not sneaking out.  It went better than I thought.  She was excited when I told her we were going to school, trying on a backpack :)  She was good until we went to head to the classroom and she started a tantrum.  We started without her and she stopped.  Nobody reacted.  I knew this was the right place.  In the classroom, she was cautious at first, but warmed up when she saw a play area with a purse.  Then one of the teachers read a book and I finally got her to the carpet.  They were jumping over a candlestick like Jack Be Nimble.  She could NOT WAIT to join in.

 The she spotted the sand table and was in love.  We had to work to pry her away to make the craft, a lamb.  As I knew, once she understood what to do she was fine.  But when we told her it was time to leave, in typical Abigail, she was at the door yelling for me to get going and realized I might leave without her.

I am nervous for tomorrow, even though logically I know it will be OK.  I'm nervous about leaving her and about her being gone for five hours.  My anxiety is high on this.  I just have to remind myself that this staff is clearly nonplussed by tantrum behavior and this is what is best for her in the long run!  I will miss my shadow, she is never often more than a room away, but I'm excited for her to gain the confidence for independence.