Milestones!

Fiona called tonight.  We did not talk last week as Jane was out of town and sadly the regular staff don't typically remember to call.  This is a consistant problem that I have experienced with contact with my daughter.  Jane is literally the only one who has consistantly made sure that the call happens.  I don't understand why only Jane seems to understand how important it is to all of us, but apparently that is the way it is. I have tried calling in myself on nights when Jane is not there and it doesn't work. The switchboard is set up to go to voice mail and all I can ever do is leave a message.

Anyway, that wasn't my point when I started writing.  We set up our next visit when we were talking tonight. I have wanted to do this but had to wait till after KC's recital.  He misses dance class when we go into the Big City and I knew he could not miss unless it was a dire emergency in the final few weeks leading up to the recital weekend.  Fiona was good about this too--I explained it to her--but I wanted to make sure that once recital was done, we immediately set a date to get together.  We go into the city June 4th and will spend the day together.  It will be our 3rd off campus visit which means that hopefully the next visit, they will let Fiona come here.  I am so stoked for this to happen.  Not because I mind going into the Big City.  I really don't.  Not because it is easier. Because it may not be.  But because I want my daughter to emotionally be in a place where she feels that this is home.  A place where she is always welcome.  Even though she doesn't live with us--lots of 19 year olds don't--but I want to someday know that she will be able to come here for holidays, that she might pop in for a visit . . . Dreams and milestones.

After the call, the littles wanted to practice riding their bikes.  I love bike riding but I don't teach kids to ride all that easily.  We seem to never leave training wheels as quickly as others do. LOL  But we  have fun. Tonight, for the first time, Lissa and KC could both ride all the way to the park.  It is about 1/2 a block and they were so excited.  Rob rides to another park about 1/2 mile from our house and they felt like they were really "big" kids.  And they kind of looked it too, taking off their helmets and storing them carefully on their bike seats. . . . memories and milestones.