Hello Sunshine!

Today was a big day for Ava, off to her first day at pre-school! She has been eager to go for months now, saying "I go pre-school in September" to anyone who would listen. She'd even cry when we drove past because she wanted to stop and go in. So when it worked out for her to go earlier we jumped on it. We'll dearly miss her nanny Carmen but it's time to move on and she will continue to be a part of her life.

Ava was awesome on her first day, so poised, so brave, so sweet. Granted mom was near by and will be for the next few visits but she was off on her own exploring every corner of the classroom. She was asking all the other kids what their names are and introducing herself. She played with clay, found her cubby, held snails, met "Brownie" the class frog, jumped at circle time, had snack time, road the horse in the playground... but the highlight was the potty and sink that were just her size.

We're really excited about the preschool. Not only is it a small community preschool near our house but it is within a very unique school that has a specially designed program and facility for infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her class is comprised of primarily hearing kids but also those with hearing aids and cochlear implants. All the teachers and preschoolers use sign language through the day and it's considered a bilingual classroom. Our amazingly verbal little girl is going to thrive in such a language rich environment. She'll also have the opportunity to learn from an amazing group of kids and teachers at the school. Ah, the beginning of Ava's education!