Toothless wonder to the extreme

Another night, another tooth. That makes 3 in less than a week, if you are keeping track. She has another that's a little loose, but we should be a few weeks off. How she'll eat, I don't know.

Unfortunately, she pulled this one over the sink. Not such a bad idea for messiness, but the tooth went down the drain. Dad is working on it now.

I added a picture to the blog. This is the book we are reading now. Look similar?

Another one down

"My teacher needs to have her tooth chart done, 'cause this girl just lost a tooth!"

Soaked to the bone

I decided to walk to pick up the kids from school today. I saw some grey clouds overhead, but they didn't look too ominous, so I continued. About a third of the way there, huge raindrops sprinkled down. Oh well, a little light rain. So, I continued.

Then it really started raining. Again, I figured, how bad could it get, and stayed under the trees. Now I was late and wet, but I tried to convince myself that it was a nice summer rain and that we'd have fun walking home together.

When I got to the school, the kids were gone. As I started up the hill, it was pouring. I continued home (what else could I do), soaked to the bone and blinded by the rain in my eyes. Finally, a good samaritan mom picked me up. Turns out her daughter is in Sam's class. So nice. I rejected her offer initially because I was dripping wet, but she said, "no problem! I have leather seats!" I explained I was worried about my kids and sure enough, we found them huddled together, walking home.

We picked them up too and made it here safely. We had to strip off the soaked clothes-- my running shoes may never be the same-- and take warm showers.

Kate just sat down next to me and said, "Sam told me we'd survive, and we did. He was right, God did have a plan for us to get out just in time!"

So cute. God does have a plan. (I think it includes no soccer this season for Kate, unfortunately. Haven't had practice in 3 weeks due to rain. In the desert of all places!)

First day of Kindergarten! (oh yeah, 3rd grade too)

It's finally here, the long-awaited day when both of my kids would be in school at the same time, same place even! Wow! I've been waiting for this day for so long, I expected to throw a parade or leave the school skipping and singing while the wind swept through my hair and the diet coke fairy bestowed a fresh, bubbly beverage in my hand and throngs of mothers everywhere would line up on the side of the street and say "Well done! You made it! Free at last!!!"

So I know you're as surprised as I am that I was a little emotional about the whole thing. It didn't help that our morning was a little, well, off-plan. But, when we got out there, and headed on our way, the kids looked good, Stu joined us for his first 1st-day experience, and all was sunny and warm. I felt bad when we dropped Sam, which became sort of an afterthought to the big FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN thing for Kate. He was fine, though, and told his new teacher he was ready to go.

For Kate, I have wanted her to be a kindergartener for so long, and she's been so ready for so long, that over the last week or so it occurred to me that I wasn't giving her first day the same weight that I did Sam's way back when. But once we were there, on the kindergarten play ground, in line to go into class, it hit me that this is a big deal. My big girl is finally where she belongs, where she wants to be.

I am so happy with her teacher, Ms. Consalo. When the bell rang and the kids lined up, she stood on the chair at the front of the line and yelled, "Good morning Ms. Consalo's pirate class. Are you ready for a pirate adventure? If you are, say "Aye aye mate!"" and then all the kids yelled back. It was so fun! She marched them off to the class room, telling them that the big people who were there (Parents) were all soft and weepy about the big day, so she needed the kids to be super strong ("Show me your muscles!" she told them). She read a weepy story (The Kissing Hand), and told the kids to run and give their parents a kiss and say good bye quickly. Kate looked up from her spot on the rug like, "I'm not getting up. You people can go now." She did finally get guilted into coming back and saying good bye, but she was NOT doing the kissing hand thing. See ya mom and dad. Ugh. My heart. Breaking.

I know, I'm proud she's a tough girl, and I taught her to be that way, but geesh. Just a little kissing hand? Please?

Silly faces.

Happy faces.

First day of school faces!