KIT... C U Next Year!

Clara started off her year at preschool like this...

Nine months later, at her sing-along send-off on the last day of school, she looks like a different little girl!

I thought it was my imagination, but then I started paging through the "memory album" her teachers gave to us on the last day of school. The very first page of the album proved that she's done a lot of growing over the past year!

She had a ball at preschool this year, continuing her tradition of independence, and running headlong into the classroom without a backward glance every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Although she would happily move on to kindergarten -- or college, for that matter! -- next year, we're keeping her in preschool for one more year so that she won't be one of the very youngest in her class, and so she can eke out one more year at a very special school! She'll move on with many of her buddies -- mostly boys, but a couple of close girlfriends as well -- to the Pre-K class.

I love that she'll have one more year of uncomplicated fun, celebrating big and small events with a tight little group of friends, laying the foundation for the learning to come later on, and developing a little more maturity before she's thrust into the kindergarten classroom.

With that, here's her 2011-2012 year in Miss Margaret's classroom, disposable camera style. The parents were asked to provide these for the classroom this year, and I'm so glad we have these snapshots!

Cutie-patootie.

My Christmas present. Don't be jealous.

Another present, this time for Halloween.

Pajama day! Getting to bring a flashlight to school might be the coolest thing ever in Clara's book.

Boarding "Uncle Mark's" firetruck when it came to school.

Her Christmas pageant...If only she was this angelic all the time!

"Puzzling" with her favorite group of boys.

An art project that I'm very glad took place at school.

Barnyard day!

Putting the finishing touches on my Mother's Day present, a super-cute dishcloth apron that she legitimately helped sew. Miss Margaret is much braver than me!

"Surfing" on Beach Day with the six other girls in her class.

 

Trouble brewing: One of Clara's favorite friends, Cameron.

Proof that she has an older brother... she doesn't hesitate to join in on the boy fun!

And finally, another favorite, Peter! Definitely a budding romance that will continue to be nurtured over the summer, since these two see each other -- and love each other -- at the gym childcare as well! Yikes!

Stay sweet and enjoy your summer, preschool! We'll see you in the fall!

Pious

Our most irreverent, exasperating child is also, unfailingly, our most pious. Clara believes in a most omnipotent God. Case in point: today's conversation in the parking lot of Big 5.

Joey: "Mommy, what would happen if our antenna fell off of our car?"

Me: "Well, the antenna helps us hear our music on the radio, so we wouldn't be able to hear it anymore."

Clara (unreasonably shocked): "I hope that doesn't happen!"

Me: "Why? What songs would you miss hearing?"

Clara: "I would miss all of them! That's God singing to us on the radio! We push the buttons to decide what we want to hear, and he sings us all of our favorite songs. I would be so sad if I couldn't hear him!"

We might have the biggest groupie of all time.

Trio

Our trio has gotten a whole lot bigger than they were the last time we booked a professional photo shoot... almost two years to the day!

(Jacqueline Elizabeth Photography)

Enjoy!

All photos below taken by Ruth Woodruff Photography

Bellying up to the Bar

There's nothing our little pint-size patrons love more than pulling up a stool at the bar and enjoying a Capri-Sun! Here's to the first day of summer vacation!

Baseball Boys and Their Sidekick

This year, Grandma Cecchin's birthday fell on the day that the Giants played the A's at AT&T Park, and somehow, she got talked into attending the game with three (of many!) baseball-obsessed men in her life -- Tim, Joey and Art. Every woman's dream! She still has a smile on her face, though...

They had amazing seats behind home plate, and Joey got his first scorekeeping lesson -- along with his first bobblehead (Brian Wilson!).

Travelling Troupe

Have you ever wondered what travelling on multiple planes with three small kids in tow looks like? Since I don't recommend trying out this experience personally, here's some snapshots from our trek to and from Spokane last weekend.

The objects in these photos appear much happier and more relaxed than they actually were in real life. Not pictured:

The countless older women who ooh'd and ahh'd over the kids as they stampeded through the airport.

The sound waves generated by Molly's shrieks while engaged in boisterous activity with her siblings.

The silent prayer those same older women sent up to the transportation gods, once they realized that they might in fact be on our plane.

The sighs and annoyed looks from the people behind us in the security line, once they realized just how long it would take us to get our horde past the TSA. (Pat-on-the-back alert: We are absolute pros at this now, but we still get the sighs.)

The sheer quantity of snacks and bright plastic objects that are essential to any flight with small children, and had to be purchased at exorbitant cost at the airport newstand.

The calories burned during the short trip down the jetway and onto the plane, as we negotiated carry-ons, children needing to be carried, and a seemingly 100-pound toddler carseat.

The look of grim resignation on a fellow passenger's face as he approached our aisle in the plane, saw our family of five spread out across all but one seat in a row of A thru F, and realized he was going to be up close and personal to a few hours of mayhem. And he actually paid for this.

The long, tense moments when electronic devices were powered down and we knew that our arsenal of weapons to head off a toddler meltdown was severely compromised.

The toddler staredowns -- alternately fiercely suspicious, and then outrageously flirtatious -- that Molly engaged in with multiple perfect strangers on our journey. Mostly seated behind her.

And finally, the words of praise and encouragement that we received from fellow passengers when we emerged on the other side at baggage claim, battle-weary and exhausted. Because apparently we made it look easy!

Jammer Joey

Joey's official swim season got off to a belly-flop start on Sunday with his first time trials, but despite coming in either last or close to last in every event, he couldn't be prouder of himself. He legitimately completed a lap in freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke -- and got to debut his new Speedo Jammers, too.

One day, I'll remind him that he had to be almost forcibly talked into the knee-length Speedos instead of the much "briefer" regular Speedo attire - which is definitely not en vogue for the 6 and under set. In case he questions you, be sure to confirm that these ones make you go much faster.

Here's the whole team - ages 5 to 15 - getting a last-minute pep talk from Coach Matt. 

Just one example of Joey's "dive."

Joey and one of his best buddies, Sebastien, who lives a couple of houses away, had the pool to themselves for this heat of 6 and Under Backstroke.

Here they are celebrating afterwards!

The 6 and Unders get corralled early for every event... here they are walking to the starting blocks as a group. Can you imagine this belly stuffed into a real Speedo?

Joey had lots of down time behind the starting block before each of his races, hanging out with his classmate and friend Will.

And finally, here's a short video of his butterfly race.

Overall, things can only improve from here! As one dad put it, after Joey triumphantly brought up the rear in backstroke and emerged oblivious to his last-place finish: "It looks like baseball is definitely his sport."

My swimmer self took a little offense, while Tim rejoiced. He has definitely logged more practice hours hitting and catching than he has in the pool, but with seven weeks ahead of him of daily swim practice, there's plenty of time for him to "pop" his times!