First day of camp!

She is surfing because it is "Perfect surfing weather" outside.

A little early morning music time

To start off the last day of Kindergarten right.

the big days just keep on coming.

today was penny's last day of school.  it was a half day, and alex and i both stayed home so we could celebrate with penny.  she got a for-real report card (she passed), found out who she's going to be in class with next year, and is now officially a rising first grader.  i cannot believe it.  the teacher sent home a bunch of her work from the beginning of the year, and her improvement in writing and drawing is staggering.  she has grown up so much this year.

First Day/Last Day

Today, Milo's walking markedly improved.  I got two videos yesterday, but as of this afternoon he can make it halfway across the living room with confidence. 

Also, he is getting a tooth on the top!  Alex said he thought he saw one, and then I stuck my thumb in his mouth, immediately felt it, and he bit me.  Hard.  I will, of course, try to get video of the new walking, and I will post the video of Penny's Closing Ceremony (it's 8 minutes long, so there's no obligation there).

Camp starts on Monday!  It all just keeps on coming!

such a big day.

today penny had her kindergarten closing ceremony.  it is not the last day of school, but she got a diploma, so she is a kindergarten graduate!  the class had an absolutely adorable performance - they recited 4 poems and sang a song.  penny's teacher is so wonderful - she wrote the parents a letter, and i was holding it all together really well until i started reading it - i turned to alex and said "nope.  nope.  that was a mistake," and quietly sobbed in the corner.  my girl - she did so well.  she is a performer!  she has learned so much this year - reading, math, science, art... i am so ridiculously proud of her.

also, in other big news, milo has started walking.  he can take about 4 steps at a time, and doesn't seem to like it very much right now, but he's doing such an amazing job of it!  he can stand for as long as he wants, and has discovered the joy of banging two objects  together while standing.  he is having the best time, and it's such a delight to see.

Our morning

Yeah, you know, Milo just sitting on a tiny couch, and Penny writing out notes for their morning meeting. I'm fine with all of this.

secrets!

overheard:

"you are the best baby ever and i love being your big sister and you are so cute and adorable.  sometimes when you cry it is too loud and annoying so can you please keep it down?"

Milo loves corn!

That was the deal

When Penny found out she was having a brother and not a sister, she was pretty upset about it. Then I told her that she was welcome to dress him up however she liked until he asked her to stop.
Bingo.

last family friday!

today was penny's last family friday as a kindergartener.  we both wore our PS 321 shirts.  as we entered the building, she pointed me to go in one direction while she went in the other.  i explained to the principal that she is getting me ready for first grade, and she cracked up.

last night i had a dream that we were at this family friday and the teacher pulled me aside and said "i have to talk to you" in a tone that implied i had done something very wrong.  she was walking me to a conference room when i woke up, so i don't know what i may have done to deserve a kindergarten teacher's wrath.  i told her about it this morning, and she assured me that i was fine.

penny read me her snail study (sample page: will a snail crawl up a pencil? yes.  a snail will crawl up a pencil. i know because our snail crawled up a pencil.), a book of weekend reports, and her folder of poetry.  i sat with her in her rug spot.  the teacher played a slideshow of photos of the whole year.

i looked around the room at the volume of people that had seemed so overwhelming at the beginning of the year.  there was always at least one boy and one girl that i didn't recognize, one parent that i couldn't place with a kid, but they're all a part of my community now.  we run into each other in the neighborhood, even without our kids, and we know what's happening in each others' lives.  now that i won't be walking her in every day, this interaction will go away.  unless she's in the same class as these same kids, i won't know them.  it's just one more step toward her growing up.  no more rug spot, no more centers.  first grade.  it's on the way.  lucky for me, penny's been easing me into it.