1st Day of Kindergarten

Gracie and Kate started kindergarten in August. There were no tears on the first day...not even from me! I think I'd cried enough the week prior and therefore didn't have any reserves left for the big day. I finally got to read the Kissing Hand to my own babies which was definitely a more emotional experience compared to the times I'd read it while teaching. With a kiss on their palms, they walked up to Mrs. Leubner's classroom, gave a quick hug to Mom and Dad and never looked back. The first day went wonderful. As we walked to the car, Kate said, "Kindergarten is fun!" I'm so happy they had fun. I hope their learning is always a fun experience.

Thoughts on the big transition

I wrote this soon after the girls started kindergarten:

And so the letting go process has begun; my babies are in kindergarten. I've sent them out there to experience this world without my protection. Everyone says, they will be fine. I know they will be fine. I really believe they will like kindergarten. What I don't know is how to truly articulate my concerns which seem to run a bit deeper than whether or not they are fine. I think I'm having separation anxiety, not wanting to release them quite yet.

Needless to say, I'm a wee bit emotional over this big transition. It's not that bad... like I wouldn't break down or anything upon seeing a Wal-Mart commercial where the mom is helping her daughter decorate her college dorm room. Oh wait, that commercial made me um...cry. Perhaps it is worse than I thought! Maybe I've just been having way too many thoughts on the whole "kindergarten" subject and haven't been able to process them yet. Maybe I can start working through some of this today.

Kindergarten is such a milestone in their little lives. Until this point, they have pretty much been home with me every day, with lots of freedom...with lots of encouragement to be who they are and to explore their interests. They have been cherished. They have been loved completely for just being them. There have never been and will never be any conditions on my love for them. And now they are entering a world full of conditions. It's a hard pill to swallow. On one hand, I want them out there experiencing the school community and every wonderful thing that goes along with it. I want them making new friends, learning new and exciting things, reading and playing and making projects. I want them to come home with stories from the classroom. I love hearing about their days and knowing they are enjoying being part of something bigger than our family. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'm ready for Kate coming home and telling me that someone doesn't have a daddy because he was killed in war. What's war, Mom? Or hearing that Gracie didn't do her math paper because she was sleeping past the designated rest time. It just breaks my heart a little to know that my sensitive little one who needs her sleep and alone time is overwhelmed by the all day, every day structure of this school world. Can't we have Wednesdays off or something? :)

I am fully capable of comprehending that I need to let them go a little. I mean, it's logical to think that if you fill them up with everything good, their strength of character will prevail in difficult situations. You provide the wings that allow them to fly. I get that, really. I just think there is a fine balance as to when you should push them out of the nest, so to speak, and when they are truly ready to fly on their own. Of course being in kindergarten isn't truly being on their own, but it's a definite nudge out of the nest.

Since I have chosen not to homeschool, I need some reassurance that I am making the best decision for them. I guess I need to determine what it is I want most for them out of this school experience. On a questionnaire sent home the first day, the teacher asked: What are your goals for your child this year, both socially and academically? I answered I would love for [Kate/Gracie] to continue to develop her love for learning in a safe, nurturing environment. I want her to feel like she is an important part of the classroom community and to respect the other members of this community. I think at the end of the year I should evaluate this goal. If they are still curious, enthusiastic learners who feel respected for who they are and who respect others for who they are, I should feel satisfied. It's easier said than done, I'm sure, but being at peace with the decisions I've made for my children is important to me. I just want these precious little birds to have the strongest wings possible. This life is hard.

Lake Taco

After calling it Lake Taco instead of Tahoe since they were 2, Gracie made the observation this summer, "Hey, it's a food and a lake. Isn't that funny?" We think it's pretty cute that you're still calling it Taco after all this time. :)


We took our annual trip up north to Gardnerville in early July just as the heat was settling in across the southwest. The drive was a tad unpleasant this year, as we got delayed many times for a variety of reasons. It was actually quite comical the first day as we left Las Vegas and headed to Beatty, arriving around 9pm. Two little girlies in the backseat were NOT happy with this late arrival. Just a few of the complaints from the peanut gallery: I want my nice comfy bed! My butt hurts! I don't want to listen to all this racket! And of course the most obvious, I'm tired. I found this age of 5 1/2 to be the most capable of articulating complaints...might have to re-think the long days of road-trippin for future trips!

Eventually we made it to Uncle Bob & Aunti Diane's beautiful Gardnerville residence, met by lovely weather and lots of opportunities to be outdoors. After getting Kate's stitches removed in Truckee, we headed to South Lake Tahoe and let the girls run on the familiar Pope beach for awhile. Poor Katie wasn't allowed to get her chin wet and was so good staying on the sand or going knee-deep in water. We spent a couple more days at the beach, had a lunch at Wally's Hot Springs, made necklaces in Truckee, played at the park and enjoyed the view from the deck. Gracie and Kate enjoyed walking Bob and Diane's new doggies too.

The Drive Up
Wikieup "Jail", Hoover Dam Bridge project, Me and girls at the Dam in blowdryer weather, Mama and girls enjoying nature in the Lida mountains

Playing on the Beach

Fun Times

1) G & K with Angie and Gigi 2) sitting in Truckee with their new necklaces
3) a wishing well at Wally's 4) Wally's Hot Springs

Ouch!!!

In Kate's own words

On how she got the stitches:
I was jump-roping with yellow blankie at Mama's and I accidentally hit my chin on the floor. I banged it super hard so it bleeded. And then Mama put a wash 'closh' on me so it wouldn't drip. Mama gave me an ice pack and a paper towel to block the ice pack. And then my Mommy came to Mama's to see what happened. Mommy took me to the kid's hospital. They gave me some cold medicine to put on my chin. It got warmer and warmer and warmer until it was good. It wasn't that hot. And then they put seven blue stitches in and we left.

On getting the stitches taken out:
We got my stitches out in Truckee. It hurted on one of them but all the rest were really good. My chin looks better now. I have to put lotion on it every day to make it heal faster.

Staycation

We decided to try something new this summer in terms of vacationing so we took a drive maybe 2o minutes south to a pretty little resort and stayed for a couple of days. When we pulled in to the hotel, both girls spotted the waterfall and just gushed, "This is the best place ever!" Whew! Good thing we didn't waste our money on some exotic destination like Hawaii. Phoenix is just as nice...right??? Anyway, the girls very much enjoyed the pools and the water slide. It was nice to eat out and not have to wash dishes or clean up. We might have to make this an annual event.

The morning we left we went to IHOP for the first time, which Gracie calls HipHop. Both girls ordered huge plates of pancakes, filling their bellies for the long ride home.

Baby I'm a Star!

Wow, the first dance recital! Who knew it would be such an ordeal for a little 2 minute tap routine! From costumes, to make-up, to pictures, to rehearsals, etc., it seemed a little much at times but it was all worth it in the end, as the girls were absolutely thrilled to perform on the big stage for an audience. I will have their huge performance smiles etched into my memory forever. I was so proud of them (along with all the tiny tot dancers) for getting up on stage and dancing. It makes me a bit emotional to even think about it...these little teeny things just getting up there and sharing what they've learned. I'm so glad they had that sweet experience and that I got to witness it.

The girls danced to "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story; all of the numbers were from popular movie songs. Unfortunately I don't have pictures to share from the performance because we weren't allowed to take them, but I do have before and after the recital pictures. We did buy the video which is very sweet.

The girls with Miss Jessie, their fabulous teacher

Kate and Gracie with their friend Calle

The following three were from picture day

The Best of Tee-Ball

H-O
H-O-M
H-O-M-E-R-U-N
HOMERUN (clap clap) Gracie
HOMERUN (clap clap) Kate

Watch out sports fans, here they come! Gracie and Kate are the names...tee-ball is the game. It was so much fun to watch the girls play another season of spring tee-ball. Baseball is one of the only sports I can handle and actually enjoy, perhaps due to my childhood experiences watching my brother play little league...or maybe due to my time on the pitcher's mound playing softball. Either way, I'm a little attached to the sport and am happy my girls enjoy it too. They had a fun season learning a little more about the game and interacting with their teammates. After a 'team name' brainstorming session, the players settled on the Cheetah Monkeys. I think one of my girls contributed the 'Cheetah' part. Upon hearing the name, Mama and Papa bought a stuffed cheetah and a stuffed monkey to serve as the team's mascots. Cheetah and Monkey made an appearance at most every game. Here are some fun pictures from the season:

Gracie up to bat

She had this funny ritual of tapping her bat to the ground before she swung.
Some might say the tapping was a little excessive, but hey, she "whacked that ball".

Kate up to bat

Favorite Pictures

Gracie sprinting home

Kate waiting for the next play


Strong Gracie

The MVP's of the Cheetah Monkeys
Gracie, Kate, Hava

The girls with Coach Scott