Cicadas

After school, post-snack and homework, we ended up with a little impromptu science lesson. The climate outside was actually hospitable to human beings so we ran outside to enjoy it. We have been hearing the cicadas en masse for several weeks now and they leave their little exoskeletons hanging off of everything, but the girls have not seen them. Helen came wandering out with her binoculars and notebook ready to write her observations so I helped out a little by dropping a cicada skeleton on her book. Daisy said, "Ewwwww!" Helen got to work on her sentences. I printed out a bit of info and we learned why there are holes in the ground around my oak tree, why it's so loud out there, and that people in China eat them- Ewwwww!

Gymnastics

So Daisy started gymnastics a couple of weeks ago. As you can see, she may need to be a ballerina also based on that photo standing on point. The girl can walk on her toes- I mean on. the. end. of. her. toes, easily... She also has no problem bending her toes under and walking on them that way too. But for now, we're in gymnastics. She is the tiniest one there. So much so that the teacher came out the first day to ask when she was turning 3. My response, "Uh, she's 3 and a half." Great for a gymnast though right? I hope she gets some strength in that little body. She is going to have to work hard not to get knocked down in the school hallways. I keep seeing a little Vietnamese girl at the girls' school who is in Kindergarten and I know that is going to be Daisy in 2 years. The girl is so tiny and I saw today that she is still in a car seat, not a booster seat. But you can't see that picture of Daisy up above and not see that there is a giant personality in that teeny body!

Go Pack!

The girls are getting reintroduced to Wolfpack football. Tonight's game was so typical- have to wait to the last minute to type that we won even when we seem to be running away with it. Of course, they were in bed before halftime even though they don't have school tomorrow. We have to work hard to instill the NC State love in this land of Longhorns, Aggies, Cougars and who knows what else. Well, let's enjoy the moment: 3-0! Go Pack!

Triathlon

Helen participated in the Sugar Kidz Triathlon in Sugar Land today. She swam one lap of the pool, biked 1 mile and ran 1/4 mile in the 5-7 year old age group. There were about 350 kids age 13 and under. She was escorted by a lovely 10-year-old girl to be her "guide" and help her get around the course. I was so emotional it was beyond ridiculous. My picture are terrible and I don't have any of her actually swimming because I was crying the whole time! I am just so proud of her! She was not in any particular hurry but that was just fine. She also took a spill on her bike when another kid ran up on her from behind, but she got back on the bike and kept going so she has a little blood to show for her first triathlon.
One of the charity recipients was the C-different foundation, which works to help blind and visually impaired athletes compete. They have assisted blind athletes in competing in Ironman competitions and in other events like the NYC Triathlon.

Fan club!

Helen and Triona

Finishing up the bike ride

Transition area

Almost there

Finish line!

Daisy's First Day

Daisy had her first day at her new preschool, The Owl's Nest, on Wednesday. It is a private preschool on-site at Helen's elementary school. It is very different from where they previously went to preschool in several ways. The most obvious is that it's at Helen's school. This is extremely convenient for me since I have one drop-off time now. Daisy goes in "early" at 8:00, same time as Helen, and then the preschool is from 9-12. I pick her up at 12 and Helen at 2:45. Secondly, there is only one 3-year-old class and one 4-year-old class, both of which have 25 kids and 3 teachers. Many, many, many more than her previous preschool, but the ratio is not too bad. I think Daisy will handle it well and it will familiarize her with the school where she will go to elementary as well as developing many friends who will also likely go to Lovett.

So Wednesday was her first day. They have half the kids go Wednesday and half Thursday to get them used to it before the big onslaught of kids. The problem is, because she is a second child I'm sure, I neglected to take any photos on Wednesday or even think about it until I was the only one without a camera (or even a video camera!) on the first day. So sorry my second child. Mommy loves you just as much, but I've run all out of energy I guess! So our "first day" photos are actually from Friday, which Daron assures me is just fine since that was the first day with all the kids.

Daisy dressed herself this morning as she often does and Helen decided to match her since she has a shirt like that too. Helen is actually loving Daisy going to her school and shares her school breakfast with her in the cafeteria before the bell rings.

On Daisy's first real day, she said she had fun but fell off the swing and cried. Today she also said she had fun. Both days, she deigns to give me a quick air kiss to humor me so I will go and leave her to all the important fun she has to do. I was quite choked up on Wednesday. Something to do with her being at a "big kid" school and wearing her Elmo backpack. But today I painted the breakfast room (maybe my new office?) with my new-found kid-free time.

So cute!

What a big girl!