A New School Year

Our pencils are sharpened, our backpacks are filled with snacks and lunches, and we're steeling ourselves for our first year with TWO school-age kids! I have a feeling our dining room table will be seeing even more snacks, homework, tears and laughter after school this year. Let the games begin!

 

Joey, 2nd grade

Clara, Kindergarten

Last Days of Summer

 

Thank goodness for iPhones! Without one, I wouldn't have captured any of these shots from summer, which means I might have forgotten just how much fun we had for three glorious, schedule-free months.

The kids lived in the pool, smelled constantly of chlorine and sunscreen, tracked grass, dirt, and wet towels into every corner of the house, littered every table with arts and crafts projects, inhaled the contents of our fridge and pantry (over and over and over again), and generally did their part to keep the neighborhood volume level dialed up to a constant Happy/ Angry/ Excited/ Hungry/ Insane Shrieking Level.

 

 

Sigh.

Clara's kindergarten teacher will have her work cut out for her this year (starting tomorrow!). We've heard through the mom grapevine that her teacher is amazing with antsy, strong-willed, out-of-their-seats, distracted boys.... which means she'll be a perfect fit for Clara!

Here's hoping she won't be treated to real-life moments like this ....

(That's a charming rendition of a little girl spitting at her brother.)

Cuteness

Tiny Dancers

Sometimes I can't believe my girls emerged from my womb.

When they ask to wear "cheek makeup," rifle through my drawers looking for lip gloss, and, lately, turn up their noses at books, I want to check whether they were switched with another baby in the hospital.

But when they seek the spotlight with dance classes and dance shows, I find myself completely flabbergasted. These things would have been miles outside my comfort zone, but they're loving every minute!

Here they are during their most recent forays on the "stage" during their little summer dance shows. I guess I can kind of see the resemblance ;)

 

 

Cousins in Twain Harte

For the sixth year in a row, we had a Cecchin cousin-fest at the Best Kids' Lake in the World (at least our kids think so... that makes it official, right?). 

 

With its awesome slides, floating platforms, and diving board, and its iconic Snack Shack and Rock, Twain Harte Lake never fails to deliver a good time, especially with the company of cousins Tommy, Marco, Lucy, lots of aunts and uncles, and Grandma Cecchin!

The kids had a blast playing in the sand, testing their water skills on slides and diving boards, and Joey "Muscles" Cecchin even rowed his mommy all the way across the lake and back.

This year, we had two swimmers pass the swim test, which involves swimming two laps of freestyle, and two laps of breaststroke between two of the lake's diving platforms. While we fully expected Joey to pass, we had no idea how determined Clara would be to pass as well... she even got extra credit for veering waaaay out into the middle of the lake before correcting her course and returning to one of the platforms during the first lap of her test.

We couldn't spend a weekend in Twain Harte without hitting up the miniature golf course as well as the local Mexican restaurant. But there was also plenty of down time in the cabin and outside in the hammock!

Here's to another fun weekend at an adorable little lake that holds lots of memories for both big and little Cecchins!