kindergarten graduation

The entire kindergarten performing at graduation.  (Click on photos for a larger view.)

Front row twirling the jazz canes.
"Start spreading the news.  We're leaving today.  We want to be a part of it - first grade first grade.  We want to share and get along with all our friends.  We made it here.  We'll make it anywhere.  We're on our way .  First grade first grade."

Silly faces with friends at the reception.
With Sabrina,
Mommy,
and Daddy.

Daddy in the hall checking out the report card.

more happy feet

The white high heeled sandals in all their glory.

Along with other fashion statements.

worms

I never thought much about worms.  They did their thing, I did mine, and our paths did not cross.

Until last winter when Jim heard of raising compost worms on the radio driving to Chicago.  (Thanks, NPR.)  He mentioned the process that night but it was not until I was moving Christmas decorations to a cardboard box while shredded newspaper and worms were going into their old plastic storage bin that I understood the seriousness of his interest.

I winced as the drill pierced the top of the bin.  Surely this would not last, and my decorations did not need air holes.  "The second I see a bug or rodent, those worms are going outside!" I yelled as rotten vegetables were carted down to the bin beside the dryer.  

Imagine my surprise when a handful of small pale worms grew into a colony of fat pink ones that were released in the back yard.

Partners planning the release.

Products of their success - healthy worms and compost.

Eventually the worms crawled away and left compost for our tomato plants.

Greatest Show on Earth

The Greatest Show on Earth was, well, great.

Jim taped the performance with a zoom lens.  Since I am too impatient to transfer video, please come to visit and view.  In the meantime, here are photos taken from a distance.  Wish I had shots of the acrobats and strong men in action.  

The student only cast party included corn dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, face painting and Pickles, "a real clown".

Costumed and ready.

Trainer Jourdan directing Tiger E.

Lions and tigers with their trainers.
Clown parade.

Group shot after the performance.

On the way home from a fun day.

Stay tuned for the compost worm post.  

real tiger fun

Enough of that serious stuff.

tigers

E in full costume for the Greatest Show on Earth.  Check out the tail the other tiger's father made.  He sewed orange felt around a pre-made dinosaur tail.  What a dad!

Tiger twins.
Tiger twins with the tail maker...

and the stripe painter.

sunny day

We had a ninety one degree afternoon and broke out the sprinkler.  

Sunshine is a joyful thing after six months of snow!

my    Mutr  dos    not like   Bratz  but my Mutr  bot me a Bratz pillow.          

tiger stripes

We are gearing up for "The Greatest Show on Earth".  I have known for a few weeks that E will be a tiger.  She assured me that all costumes were hand made in class after I blurted, "Do you need a costume?"
One week ago I learned that the *masks* were made in class.  Tigers should wear "clothes that look like a tiger" but "No one should go to any special effort."  Excuse me?  

I purchased two orange t-shirts in an effort to simply this mattter for our family and the other tiger's family.  I excitedly called the other tiger's father, who tells me that they had a leftover toddler sized tiger costume that should still fit the other tiger.  Oh dear.  My child may not look quite as snazzy in an orange t-shirt next to the professionally made tiger outfit.  I google "child tiger costume", email all my local friends and hold my breath.  

Colleen immediately replies and DELIVERS this darling costume to me.  Problem solved.  Life is easy.  Until the other tiger's father leaves a message that the toddler costume is actually a lion costume and entirely too small.  "We are in with the orange t-shirts."

Which is how I ended up painting black stripes on two orange t-shirts from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. tonight.

Mission accomplished.  Sweet dreams, everyone.  Photos to come from the Greatest Show on Earth.

art show

E's school had an art show a couple of weeks ago and I left my camera at home.  Imagine my delight when this landscape finally made it home.

Program details.

Wish we had a photo of the art teacher.  E is completely enchanted.  Miss Storck is super talented, wears wild and crazy high heels and is getting married this summer!  

back to normal

Here are a few shots of our friends from last week.

Check out the baby center which still serves us well.  Thanks Nana and Papa!  Won't Will be a sweet daddy?
Oops.  Did not mean to upload this one.  It's a cute shot anyway, before the school art show last week.  Now, if only I had not put down my camera and forgotten to take it to the show! 

Carson girls...
Back to today.  

"Bringing home my baby bumble bee...won't my mommy be so proud of me?"

E is singing and moving things from her bookshelves and closet again, after a whole last week of hearing "Please don't drag that out.  We host playgroup on Friday."  Poor Rosie.  It's at her house tomorrow.

See you soon.

happy feet

Weeks ago E announced her intent to wear high heeled white sandals to the upcoming kindergarten graduation.  The adorable and age appropriate clog sandals ordered from a children's clothing catalog were immediately rejected.  "I want high *heels*, not high heels and toes.  These are high all the way across the bottom plus I did not pick them out."  The determination of a six year old to select her own high heeled sandals is disconcerting but there are bigger issues in the world so we struck out to see what the market offers.  Everything at Stride Rite Shoes was European branded, flat heeled and unacceptable.  

Presenting the last pair of high heeled white sandals available at Marshall's that just so happened to be E's size...  

You have never seen a child so happy.  She gave them a test run in the grocery store, dancing and tapping her way through every aisle.  
Miss Priss working on her pedicure.
Special note to my sister:  We'll be sure to take care of them because I know you want both your girls to wear them, too!

be back soon

We were very busy.  Sorry we couldn't catch up.  We were too busy.  We had some people over yesterday and it was very fun.  It took Mommy a long time to get things ready.  I had lots of fun.  I played in the backyard with Jackson, David, Cecelia, Warren, Joe, Aidan, Lucy, Fiona, Kathleen and Maggie.  We played trying to get the ball stuck in a tree.  We played with bubbles.  My friend Elizabeth S. came over.

happy birthday, Annajane!

Welcome to the world, Annajane.  We are so happy you are here, beautiful girl!  

Love to you, your Mommy, Daddy and big brother Eli.