The last 2 weeks have flown by. Not sure if we were really busy, or just trying to enjoy the last fun days of summer. Of course, it was cold enough to think it was October, not August! Chris went back to school for inservice last week. On those three days, the girls and I had 3 different play-dates. Then on Friday we visited the Milwaukee Museum before I went to work. Sunday was a trip to Morton Grove to my friend Jessica’s house for a Class of 94 reunion. A group of my best friends from high school tries to get together every few months for brunch, but this was the first time we’ve brought all of the kids along. 8 moms and 12 kids – it was fabulous! Monday we saw the Domes and the Zoo before coming home for naps. I think everyone slept a little – finally worn out from all that good summer fun!

Today however, all that fun ended! It’s the FRIST DAY OF SCHOOL! Maggie was so excited for her first day of Kindergarten that when I came into the kitchen and said “Good morning Maggie” she responded “Don’t you mean KINDERGARTEN GIRL?” She was fed, dressed, and ready to go about 45 minutes early. I let the girls watch a TV show and then we headed out to the bus stop, a full 10 minutes early. She got so tired of waiting that she was convinced the bus wasn’t going to come, but it did, she hopped on without a care in the world, and off she went.

Katherine and Abby and I chased the bus over to the school and met her coming off the bus and helped her find Mrs Potter. Then we watched her follow in line into the building. I got a little teary-eyed, but didn’t have time to wallow, it was off to GYMNASTICS!

Katherine started a gymnastics class today. Once a week for 45 minutes, and with her best friend Emily (who will also be in her preschool class.) She was so excited to wear her “weed-a-tawd wif spawk-els.” She told me her favorite part was swinging from the rings and doing freeze dance on the trampoline. She misses Maggie though – asking 3 times before naps if it was time to go and meet the bus yet. Next week she’ll start her regular school hours, and then she won’t have time to miss Maggie. School is M-W-F, 9-1115 and gymnastics on Tuesday morning.

Cute Katherine story from the weekend. We spent a lazy day on Saturday, cooking, working in the yard, not going anywhere, so Chris didn’t shave. That night, as he was giving goodnight kisses, she pulled away and said with disgust, “Daddy, you’re face is TOO SCRATCHY!” He, of course, then rubbed his cheeks on hers even more as she squealed with glee. But ultimately, she took his face in her hands and declared “I will only kiss you like THIS!”

Abby doesn’t seem to care who kisses her or how - she LOVES kisses and raspberries and anything goofy. She is all smiles and giggles. She wants to be involved in everything around her. If she’s on her back on the floor, she tries to lift her head and sit up. Obviously she can’t, so instead she’s getting a great Ab work out! She also will turn her body wherever she is so she can see what all the commotion is about. She will engage you in conversation, if you blow raspberries at her, she’ll answer with her own. She changes her volume and facial expressions as she “talks” and it is beyond cute. We brought the exersaucer out over the weekend and she is entertained by it, but not for long. She’d rather roll on the floor. She tried rice cereal last week, and it wasn’t her favorite, but she is practicing. She doesn’t spit it out, but she isn’t thrilled about it either. She’ll get beans or bananas by the end of the week and maybe she’ll like those more.

Somehow, we found time to make 2 videos in the last week also. The first was an update of Abby’s tricks, which you can see here. The other was Maggie riding her bike, finally without training wheels. For all you Katherine lovers out there, I’m working on a Katherine video. Believe me, I’m sensitive to the plight of the poor middle child!

Edited to add:

Maggie did make it home from school. However, due to some bus snafu at the high school, all of the elementary busses were late. Maggie waited outside her school, with the other Bus #64 kids for 1/2 hour. This might not have been so bad, but the other 2 kids she knows who ride her bus were not there (they got picked up instead.) And it was the end of a VERY long first day of school for her. Chris and I were patiently waiting on her corner. Well, he was patient, I was nearing a frantic state. Once she arrived, she crossed the street with Chris, and then RAN into my arms, threw her arms tightly around my neck and started crying. I think it was just sheer exhaustion and relief to finally be home. She immediately started laughing through her tears, and was excited to tell us about her day. She said she LOVED everything about kindergarten. However, she did put her lunch bag in the wrong basket, so at snack her lunch bag was missing. It was found, but she explained that was why she hadn't eaten most of her snack, because by the time it was located in a different classroom, snack time was almost over. She thought that listening to books with headphones was "super cool" and her favorite parts of the day were lunch, recess and rest time! All in all, a successful day. And she is ready to go back again for more!