Rainy day fun

This rainy day activity began like this . . .

It soon advanced to this . . .

And continued on to . . . Oh my . . . this . . .

And eventually concluded like this . . . .

"I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny!" -Dr. Seuss (from The Cat in the Hat)

"Mom, can I please do some homework?"

What? Isn't that the request of every child? Ha! I don't expect this request often over the next 15 years or so, but it is something Little Miss asks most days at this point in time. She absolutely loves her homework! Her preschool offers "optional" homework once a week if parent/child are interested. So far the interest is totally there. If only this is a foreshadowing of years to come!?!?! One can hope!

I must say it is incredibly cute to see my little pip-squeak girlie intensely working on these school girl tasks. It is serious business for her as evidence by above photo.

This was her first homework assignment ever. This one's a keeper. Assignment was to read a book (Little Miss chose Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes) and draw a picture about it. I suppose we could call this a primative book report. In the drawing you will note a large Fancy Nancy (complete with arms and legs coming directly out of her head - love that!), and a smaller blob off to the right which is of course Frenchy the dog (come on, it's pretty clear what with all those brown legs hanging down and the straight line yellow tail). Nancy is "wearing lipstick because she likes to be fancy" says Little Miss. And Frenchy has blue "frosting all over his mouth because he ate the cupcakes". Not a bad synopsis . . . for a 3 year old!

The First Day of School

Today was an exciting, adorable, pride-filled, and heart-wrenching day! My little baby girl has become a "school girl"!!

Now, I realize she is not the first or last little girl in the world to do this. I realize I am not the first or last mother in the world to feel the above feelings. Still, the emotions of this event are potent!

There goes my baby . . . literally and figuratively!

Headed right into the school without hesitation . . .

. . . and with her usually enthusiasm and zest!

I love you Little Miss and am thrilled to watch you learn, grow, expand, and explore at preschool! The world awaits you little one!

A summer in review

Summer has flown by and we have been busy, busy, busy. Lots of good stuff, some not so good stuff. Much of the good stuff can be seen below. As for the not so good . . . J we are praying for your strength and healing! We love you!

Little Miss enjoyed her first summer camp experience of sorts . . . it was a one week ballet camp where she danced, danced, danced to ballet fairytale themes (i.e. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Swan Lake) and made related crafts and props. My girlie was in her glory plie-ing, pirouette-ing, and arabesque-ing her way around the studio. The only kink was that she became sick/feverish just before the performance on the last day. The show must go on as they say, and so it did . . . minus one princess! She did (for the opening number) flutter her swan wings across the stage, make a big circle on stage as was choreographed, but then she kept those wings flapping right into the audience and into my lap! She put her feverish head on my shoulder and that was that! Oh well, it was a week of fun anyway.

Little Miss after the performance was over . . . and after the Tylenol kicked in.

The fact that she did not perform didn't stop her from joining her fellow cast members for a group photo after the show. Little Miss ran right into the center of the dancers who were poised and ready for the photo and put on a big smile as if she had been the star of the show! She also welcomed the after show flowers offered to her by her adoring fans despite the lack of performance!

We enjoyed another fantastic Ethiopian Culture Camp adventure this year.

This was a demonstration and there is Little Miss all up in it.

Dancing with the Ethiopian ladies - I think her enthusiasm is obvious!

This was a demonstration also of church music/songs . . .

. . . and once again there's my girl all up in it with her own interpretive dance.

Family-versary!

Three years ago today, on a wonderful and blessed day, half way around the world in Ethiopia, we became a family! I treasure that day with all my heart! It was one of the greatest of my life. And still, each passing day brings more joy, happiness, and love than the ones before it. How I love being your mother Little Miss!

I love you so my sweet girl!

Olympic Moment

Alright . . . well maybe not quite Olympic, but still. To me, and the other parents in that gym, it may as well have been. It was simply the last class of the gymnastics session and EVERY child was given a medal. Yeah,so? The kids thought little really of the medallion hanging on them, and they were all actually pretty quick to remove it. However, we the parents of these 3 and 4 year old mini-gymnasts behaved as though it truly was an Olympic medal moment. Cameras snapping, videos recording, and mouths hootin' and hollerin' . . . we were a sight to behold. We all had a good chuckle over our emotional and zealous responses to ours kids performing one little trick, taking the "podium" and receiving their "gold".

Little Miss cared much more about the cheering than the medal.

A few kiddos were shy or even scared in their moment. Little Miss could have remained on that podium in the "ta-da" pose for quite awhile!

My girlie in action!

Handstand - Little Missy's favorite (legs were straight at one point despite what the picture shows).

A proud girl . . . and a more proud Mama!

College?

Yep college! That was my girl's plan anyway as she came downstairs in this get-up and said . . .

"Mom? I gotta go to college now!"

Oh Little Missy girl life is fast enough already, let's not rush it my eager beaver!