Saturday, August 31, 2019

Role Call

Here's to the latest and greatest school year... 


The first of the first days started for E and R. Breakfast of choice was banana chocolate chip muffins which went off without a hitch. E declared that she didn't want anything special for breakfast but that's not how we roll around here. 


This is the first time we attempted an age order group pic and C wasn't being super cooperative but we got one somehow!

4th 

grade


I see lots of books in the future for this year

2nd

grade


Cursive and lots of math facts will fill her year. We've already been impressed by R's penmanship in the first two weeks of school!


The second first day. M had orientation two days after her big sisters started. It was first-day-ish but really was only an hour. Breakfast of choice was cinnamon rolls which older sisters may have had a hand in that. 

Kinder

garten


Kindergarten is usually a cause for a pause because it means I lose my lunch and afternoons with whoever is going into K. I'm sad to lose that time with M but there is one person who misses her more and that is A. He has asked where she is on several occasions and for someone who doesn't like playing with C - he has got some getting used to. In the first two weeks, K will definitely be an adjustment for M on tons of levels, new school, new friends, new routine and I think she's picked up on what I have come to find - Kinder isn't fun and games and centers and playing. It is not the school. It is not the teacher. It is the curriculum in our diocese and state. It is not the Kindergarten I went to. Anyhow, I digress. She comes home pretty exhausted but I did see a spark of old M on the soccer field the other night which made me happy. This year will be filled with not losing any teeth because I think she got all that out of the way before school started, except for the one super loose one that got knocked out at a birthday party the weekend after the first week - that story is for another time and place but nothing like first impressions and profusely bleeding within 15 minutes of coming to a b-day party.



Mass Day Friday.

Yes they have to wear their hair down. Yes they can put it up after Mass. Yes it is a weekly debate. No I'm not interested in opinions or if anyone else does it or not. If you don't like it, and your friends don't do it... maybe their family will take you in. Probably only my mother can truly appreciate my insistence on this issue because I was a skirt-hating, ponytail-wearing girl basically my entire childhood. 


The last first day because we really needed three. A (and C kinda) decided on pancakes. Lee made the batter and dug the griddle out of the garage - which I did not spray before cooking the first round of pancakes. That morning almost killed us getting out the door but we made it. Nothing like coming home to lunch only to be met by the disaster left by breakfast

3s

preschool


Oh the 3s. A is going to have such a fun year especially because M has given him the full lo down on his class and teachers. If he makes it to the stage for the Christmas and spring programs this year, I will be thrilled

2s

preschool


I think C might be a bit excited about her elevated status to preschooler. She has new shoes and a bookbag to prove it. She walked around the house the week before preschool started saying "I cute, I'm cute, I'm cute" She walked into her class the first day and didn't look back but every day since has been a bit tearful and I'm hoping that will get ironed out before she officially becomes a big sister. She's the youngest 2 we've had (hi June bday) but she is quite talkative even though sometimes it is babble - more often than not she is definitely making a point and it is pretty understandable. 

Attempted age order shot fail.. thanks to C 

Almost got it but C wasn't have it 


Papa requested a bookbag pic


So this one's for you Papa!

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Summer Swim 2019

Summer swim team had been over for nearly three weeks and with school starting next week it is worth recapping the season 

E had a good season. She swam at a few practices above her age group and had fun with the girls she swam with. 

Second from the left

I don't know that there were huge strides made in anything in particular but she had a fun season. Probably my most memorable moment of her swims this summer was the 25 free at the conference meet. She swam in bizarrely fast and when I asked her about it afterwards she said she just decided to not breathe for the entire lap. That certainly made a world of a difference is hopefully she'll keep up her speedy ways going into the fall season. 

R had a good season as well. She got down the butterfly and worked hard on breaststroke. Her dives need a bit of help but it is a work in progress. 

Evidence of the butterfly which is probably the hardest stroke to race - I would argue breaststroke is the hardest stroke to master the rhythm.  

This girl is forever smiling in the pool. Outside the pool when she realizes she didn't win is a bit of a different story but she is the smiliest swimmer. 

That's how she finishes the race

M had a great season thanks to the month of Y swimming before summer league. I am quite sure she would not have had the confidence to swim unassisted had she not swam in May. 


I can't say she's got the strokes truly legal but she's a pretty good backstroker like her big sisters. 


And the summer would not have been complete with her BFF from up the street!

E and R swam in a relay together which was neat!


At conference - and they all swam the same strokes which they found hilarious

Post conference CFA despite the insanely long lines!