A new class, a frog, and the end of an era…

"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure."
-Ernie Harwell

The first day of 1st grade was this week.  This was not only a new class with a new teacher but a whole new program as Ashlyn enters Spanish immersion.  She was excited and had nothing but good things to say about her first week of class.  Several of her friends from Kindergarten also made it into the program and I’m sure it helped to have some familiar faces around.  We’ve decided that if James and Isla are going to enter the program as well then Mommy and I will also have to learn Spanish so the kids can’t have their own secret language.

There’s something timeless about a boy with a frog.  The two girls thought the frog was interesting for a few minutes but for James it became a new friend.  It took a little convincing before he agreed to let his new friend go in the garden.

While James was getting to know his new friend, we were preparing to say goodbye to an old one.  For over 6 years our house has been a home to a very special piece of furniture.  It’s special because it’s where three children slept, and night after night slowly grew from infants to toddlers.  Now that Isla has transitioned out of the crib into a bed, the crib has been passed to a friend of ours who is expecting.

The kids took some time to say goodbye in their own way, jumping up and down and almost breaking it before we could disassemble it.  Luckily for our friend, it survived the ordeal.

With the crib gone the kids wasted no time in helping setup the frame for Isla’s more permanent bed.  And Isla, tired after all the activity, fell asleep.

Seeing the crib go is a stark reminder that we have forever left that part of our lives behind.  It’s comforting thought to know there are still three children sleeping in the house and there will be for many years to come.

Reading, cookies, and a park visit…

"He that loves reading has everything within his reach."
-William Godwin

The heat of summer feels like it’s waning a bit.  Not much, but enough for the kids to want to go outside more.  And when the kids want to play, it’s hard to say no. 

Usually going to bed is an adventure similar to herding cats.  Blind cats.  That just rolled around in catnip.  Every now and then it’s the opposite though.  On those rare occasions, of which we have not yet been able to figure out how to intentionally create, the kids decide to dress, brush, and read together.  Those moments are special.

James and Isla spent some time with Grandma one night this week while Ashlyn went to meet her new 1st grade teacher.  They came back with a box of cookies, sprinkles, homemade icing, and enough sugar to keep them awake for days.  We were able to hold them off until Saturday but we had to finally break down and let them decorate and then eat a few cookies.  It was a mess, but it kept them entertained for a bit. 

Nothing beats a day a the park, especially when the weather is as good as it was on Sunday.  The kids attempted to fish, watched ducks, and played on the playground.  We were hoping it would work off some of the sugar from the cookies the day before but it apparently didn’t work because Isla spent her nap time playing in her bed instead of sleeping.

On a side note, Ashlyn is continuing to be more helpful around the house.  She’s even doing her part to make dinner.  I like insistence of Montessori to use real knives and scissors at a young age.  It shows in how careful Ashlyn is cutting vegetables.

Our final 2nd birthday party…

"I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness."
-Adeline Knapp

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen rain and we took advantage of it when a few showers rolled through this week.  The kids had so much fun they jumped holes into the yard and at one point when I turned my back on them Ashlyn found kid shampoo and started putting it in everyone’s hair.  Needless to say we took a bath after that.

Isla’s birthday party with the family was this weekend and the theme was “Tsum Tsums”, which is a Disney thing similar to Beanie Babies.   There was a Tsum Tsum cake, Tsum Sum balloons, and a watermelon cut in the shape of Mickey Mouse.

The party itself, like all family gatherings, was an entertaining way for the kids to work off some energy.  And as soon as they worked it off, more energy was provided through cake and pudding.  Thanks everyone for coming over and making it a fun day for our newest two year old!

The energy was still at high levels the next day and we did our best to work off the sugar by setting up various water toys.  The favorite was the Slip N’ Slide™.

Isla turns two…

"I thought it was a muffin, but it was poop!"
-James

We celebrated a major accomplishment this week:  we managed to keep Isla out of enough danger to reach her 2nd birthday.  This has been no small feat trying to a raise a little girl who has little regard for fear, which is one of the primary emotions that keep children safe.  As I type this Isla is trying to fling herself over the back of the couch and is only being kept from doing so by Mommy holding on to her leg.

Because of this achievement we spent most of the week celebrating our little girl turning 2.  It started on the morning of her birthday when the kids wanted to give her one present.  Isla enjoyed the gift (a giraffe with accompanying blanket) and kept it with her most of the day.

Before dinner we celebrated again with more presents.  And cake, of course we had cake.  Her favorite gift was the glider bike, she’s getting old enough now that she wants things of her own and this was a bike that’s really too small for James and Ashlyn.

On Saturday we asked the kids where they wanted to take Isla for her birthday lunch.  We were shocked (the italics indicate sarcasm) when they chose Chuck E. Cheese.  Unlike our last adventure there, which didn’t go well, they had a fun time.  Isla loved the boat and merry go round (she did it 5 times in a row) and James won the jackpot on a game when we weren’t watching and won a bunch of tickets.

To finish off the birthday week we went to the Dallas Zoo on Sunday before it got too hot (which didn’t take long).  The giraffes weren’t interested in eating while we were there but Isla was happy to see her favorite animal anyway.  We took a safari monorail tour, saw elephants, gorillas, birds, other animals, and all around had a fun time at the zoo.

I can’t believe that two years have gone by already.  It’s been great watching Isla grow and starting to see her personality come out.  Happy birthday little one!