Dad Camp

So, it has been a while since I last posted and the girls have changed a lot.  Anyway, I decided to take 6 weeks away from the office this summer.  I will still be working in the evening keeping papers and email moving. But the days are about the kids (and some family vacation too).  Not sure how this blogging platform is holding up since there isn't an iPhone app...

Anyway, today is the first day of our summer off... And the Cavs won last night!!! A great day to be from Cleveland.

This morning starts the journey of orthodontia for Abby.  A quick in and out, but many more visits to come.  We'll see what the rest of the day brings!

Okay, so it has been 2 years, but here is a pic of the family

Not bad for a family selfie.  This is at Tinker's Creek Nature Preserve where we took a little hike here on Father's Day.  Sara is indeed enormous at the age of 8, and Abby is no slouch at 5 and already to start Kindergarten.  As usual, all three girls out shine the Dad ;)/

Busy day

Girls had a busy day today.... Farmer's Market (mini donuts), local arts and music festival, library (5 books for Sara). Then a nap (thank goodness), and since Dad was hot and tired after working in the garden he suggested a movie (in an air conditioned theater).

In the picture they are proudly showing off their free swag from the festival this morning.

Happy Birthday Sara

(courtesy of mygalaxies.co.uk)

Happy birthday to the best 6 yr old Sara a Mom and Dad could ever ask for!

1st place in mini-marathon

Today was mini-marathon day at Sara's school.  It has been pretty warm today and was in the upper 80's by the time the Kindergarten classes got their turn.  They staggered the boys and girls starts and some parents ran around the block with them.  I had the pleasure to catch the kids coming across the finish line and taking all of those pictures, including the cute kid in the picture above.  And, she came in 1st place for the girls (and only about 4 seconds behind the fastest boy if our ears were working).  All the kids did a great job, every one of them ran responsibly and had a great time.

Way to go kindergartners!

Abby dancing

After dinner tonight out with Grandma and Grandpa D. and Grandpa D's twin sister and husband Abby and I took a walk outside.  There is a stage there where there are free concerts in the summer, among other things.  Abby decided to start dancing to the music playing through the shopping center's speakers (Jeremiah was a Bullfrog).  And this is her story...

Spring has sprung

Well, if it is the middle of April it must be nearly 80 degrees here in Cleveland. (?)

Girls are doing well, healthy and growing with their own firm opinions on any possible topic. Sara will be done with Kindergarten in two months time and that's when Abby will move up to the preschool room. Sara is already signed up for a range of summer camps from swimming to science to regular daycamp.

The are both having a great time in swimming lessons and dance/gymnastics classes. Tends to make weekends a bit crazy, but we will probably let the organized sports slide for the summer.

We've finally admitted that there are benefits to the old living room on wheels, and should pick up our new minivan this week...

Anyway, warm day... Here is a nice picture.

Shades and snow

We had one of our few decent snowfalls yesterday: 3". Today it was 40, 50 later in the week... A very odd winter. Thank you la Nina.

A little pic from a walk with Abby this afternoon.

Happy 3rd Birthday

This girl has her birthday game face ON!

Abby is clear about who the princess in the house is...

The first time Sara has bought a gift of her own choosing, with her own money... her little sister loves it!

Cake!

Abby had a great birthday. We had a small party with some friends on Saturday and today schools were closed for President's day, so we were all home. We hit the Science museum and because it was also the 50th Anniversary of another Ohio citizen's first orbit around the Earth (John Glenn) there was an astronaut (Gregory Johnson) there to meet people and talk about that historic event. Abby is clearly a growing girl, 37.5 lbs and 38 inches. Still shorter than Sara at this point, but she is slowly and steadily catching up... Abby is having a lot of fun and school and especially in her swimming and dance/gymnastics classes. She is a very well coordinated monkey, through and through. Abby loves her sister incredibly strongly and they usually get along - when they don't well Abby is probably helping mix it up.

Hard to believe that she is three already... she can't wait for elementary school with her sister in 2.5 years, but I think we'll try to hold on to this for a while.

xmas cheer

Sara and Santa


Abby, after warming up to the guy in the red suit



Girls in more natural poses



On our way to a concert at Severance Hall

Note, see here for an interesting comparison

Heading on a trip with Dad.

Abby is headed to a conference, bringing her Dad to assist with the science. Get to hang with Grandma and Grandpa and even see her godmother. Well, we're about to takeoff....

Okay, this didn't post Saturday like it should have... so I will add. Abby did great on the plane and ran full tilt into grandma's arms at baggage claim. We even got to spend time with Aunt Laura, Logan, Jeanne and Roger. Had a lot of fun playing with cars and in the leaves. Today she's at the science museum.

First day of Kindergarten!

Well, today was the day. Over the past couple of weeks we have visited the school for various kick-off programs. Tuesday afternoon was Kindergarten orientation. But TODAY IS THE DAY. Sara started school. She couldn't wait to go. Almost no trepidation other than a little "I'm nervous Daddy." at breakfast. She had already met some of the kids, and skipped off to the bathroom hand-in-hand with one of her new friends before being led from the auditorium by her teacher. This girl is so ready it is unbelievable (Mom and Dad might be another story).

A couple of pics of the girls from today(!).

Soon it will be off to pick her up from a half-day (and one tomorrow). Next week it is full day all the way.

A few endings and new beginnings..

A busy week (honestly, what week isn't busy for anyone, but it is true nonetheless) here as there were several notable events this week.

First, of course was Sara's delivery to Ronald McDonald House on Tuesday.

Grandma and Grandpa D. arrived Thursday afternoon, and any grandparent related activity is notable in its own right around here.


Abby and Grandpa D. Picnic'ing

Fortunately, their arrival coincided with.... preschool graduation. Admittedly, an event I don't quite recall being common in my youth, but hey graduation is fun. Sara did the cap and gown thing, lead her buddies (er, fellow graduates) in, and they all proudly represented their school. Each kid received an award that exemplified some memorable attribute of that child in school. Sara received the Isaac Newton Award for "her great love of and skill in science." Each kid also, with the help of their teachers had a picture taken in front of their favorite thing at the preschool... for Sara it was in front of the display of model dinosaurs (dinosaurs were a relatively recent subject in Tuesday Science class). There was of course the diploma, and the ritual snacks. They all did a great job, a really great group of kids. Fortunately, for Sara she will have two of them going to the same school as her next year... relatively unheard of given the diverse communities that feed this preschool. Friday was her last day of preschool. On Monday she moves to the Summer Camp Program room until school starts in August...

In fact, Abby moves up to the pre-preschool room (Leap Frogs) the following week.


Sara and her Isaac Newton award

Today was also the end of gymnastics for Abby (for the summer at least) and soccer for Sara (possibly for more than just the summer). They both played hard today, and were very excited to receive their medal for a season well-done.

Abby has made amazing progress in the last 6 months. She is as fearless as ever (last week she did the high balance beam by herself for the first time!), but she is doing somersaults all over the place, monkey jumps (pre-roundoffs), jumping in general and as since day one, she is all about the uneven bars, especially the high one. She is also far more independent (always was, but more so), doing the group activities without my help as much and paying following the teacher's lead rather than looking to me first.

Sara had a good season of soccer, even got some excellent shots on goal earlier in the season. She did a good job of showing some aggressiveness (in a good way at times). This was all balanced by chasing butterflies while the game raged around her at others. She loves being with the other kids (and the snacks), but the action seems a little outside her at times. All perfectly appropriate for her age... we give a lot of credit to her Coach (the father of one of her preschool buddies) who has made the last two season a lot of fun for them.

We are taking a summer off of scheduled Saturday morning activities... we are hoping to travel a little, and maybe just saunter through the Farmer's market sometimes.



The all important reminder of the rules #1 Have Fun, #2 No Hands




Taking a break from the tall uneven bars, to just monkey out for a minute or five

One of those moments

So, Sara turned 5 a week ago. Had the big party, dinosaur cake carved and decorated by Mom, the she-bang. There are lots of those pictures, and I should probably post some soon. But these are my favorites, not because I didn't look at my settings and completely over-exposed them, but for what they represent.

Before we planned Sara's party we asked her if she would like to help other people (or animals) rather than receive gifts for herself. Sara's birthday is at the end of a very long and dense cycle of birthdays in her group of classmates, and a couple of other friends and their families decided to pay-it-forward. To Sara's credit, we barely had raised the question, and she said yes. A few hours later, as I was putting her to bed, Sara looked up at me and asked "Could we donate my presents to the Ronald McDonald House?" We had not even discussed and detailed possibilities yet, we were just proud she entertained the idea so easily, not that we were surprised, just proud. So, Sara came up with Ronald McDonald House on her own. She had asked questions about the place after leaving some money in the donation boxes at McDonald's and it clearly stuck with her.

For her birthday, rather than accept gifts from her friends, we merely let it be known that Sara would be making donations of books, toys, snacks to RMCD. And her friends and their families helped her out on her birthday. (lest you worry about the joy of being a 5-yr old, her type A parents, grandparents, and godparents took very good care of her, as usual) So, this afternoon, we picked Sara up from preschool early and went down to the local RMCD to make her donation. Two large boxes and a little extra to boot. While we were there they asked if she would like a tour (Yes), and the short or long one (Long). She (and her parents tag along parents) got to see the various rooms for activities, outdoor gardens (apparently among all the RMCD's the local one is referred to as the Garden House, and with very good reason), the double kitchens, a guest room, and even a handicap accessible treehouse. She was very curious and excited to see everything.

We aren't quite ready for her to be growing up so fast like this, but watching her be herself and trying to take care of others (and have fun at the same time) makes it easier to handle. As an aside: at her birthday party, a couple of her buddies had post-nap shyness/grumpiness and didn't feel up to participating that much, but Sara did her best (unprompted) to try to make them comfortable and to get them involved...

Anyway, here are a couple of pics from today.

Some spring pics...

Doing the Macarena at the pre-school spring concert... yes, the Macarena



Spring Soccer!



Abby's Approach to her sister's Spring Soccer

Dynamic Duo

A couple of pics...



A rare sunny day the end of April.



Hanging out on the train.. as in Thomas! last weekend