Goodbye Summertime!

Our neighborhood is so much fun.  This weekend they had an end of summer bash, including Chickfila for dinner, cookies for dessert, ponies to ride, bounce houses, face painters, a live band, tractor rides…

Addy wanted to do the horses first, so we headed that way.  Addy was a natural- her pony rides at school are paying off.

But Piper surprised me with her lack of trepidation.  And she was even on the BIG one!

But as soon as they were off the ponies, Piper catapulted herself toward the bounce house.  I’m pretty sure she would have stayed in there the whole time if we’d let her.  Run in the door, bounce a while, climb up the stairs, go down the slide, repeat.  Oh, and giggle.  A lot.  There were lots of squealing giggles.

Cody, who was fighting something all week wasn’t invited into the bounce house.  This is what he had to say about that. 

While Piper bounced away, Luke took Addy and Cody on the tractor ride.  Cody, who’s currently addicted to anything with wheels (and stuck in the backpack) thought it was a great idea.

Luke and Addy and Cody were on the tractor, and Piper was trapped inside the bounce house, and I was chatting with a family who’s buying the lot a few houses up from us.  And being the stellar mom I am, I just assumed that Piper would continue bouncing her heart out.

So you can imagine my surprise when I looked over and saw this:

Shocking- my kid found her way to dance on the stage.  Glad she didn’t go too far, I s’pose.

We ended the night with ice cream from the food truck that was there.  Addy was dead set on blue.  Usually when I think “blue” I think blue-ish.  This was not blue-ish.  This was, well, BLUE.

Note to self: inform teacher tomorrow that Piper’s lips are STILL blue from ice cream, not respiratory failure or deadly virus. 

At the end of the night, there was a group of about five families in the bounce house.  And every one of them had melting down kids.  I told the girls they had ONE MORE SLIDE.  Addy looked at me, got her mad face on, and determinedly (loudly) stated “NO! TWENTY MORE TIMES!” 

You’re killing me, Addy.  And you’re gonna  have to work on those bargaining skills.

Addy is a BUBBLEGUM!

Adalynn had her first day of preschool this week.

To say that she was excited would not do her enthusiasm justice.

Piper’s been in school for three weeks; poor Addy has been anxiously, not-so-patiently waiting for HER turn to go to school.  “But Cody can’t go, because he’s not big enough!  RIGHT, Mom?  Cody can’t go because he’s a baby, right?”   

I’ve been hearing endless renditions of “My bunny Jack…” “I have twoooo peacocks- Peter is green and Angel is white!” “Mom!  Did you know I have PONIES at my preschool???”

And usually all I can think is “If I had all that to look forward to, I’d be excited, too- can I come???” 

Thursday was, finally, The Day.  She was all giggles.  And ready to go EARLY.  She had to pick out shoes that matched her shirt and a headband that matched her shoes.  “I wonder what we’re going to have for snack?  I wonder if we’ll get to see the animals?  Mom- I use the pink potties, right?  Not the blue potties, because those are for the boys.” 

And she marched up to that place like the owned the joint.  No hesitation.  No nerves.  No particular youthful excitement- just plain LET’S GET TO WORK.  She went to her room, hung up her backpack, found her name plate, stuck it on the wall, and was the first to enthusiastically. gleefully, answer the Question of the Day: “What classroom are you in?”  “I’M A BUUUUBBLEGUUUUUUM!!!”  

Anatomy of a Handstand

Graceful, yes???