Back to School!

Millie is officially a kindergartener!  Everyone kept asking me if I was doing okay with it, and I was...up until the day before and I got a bit emotional.  I had a realization moment when I was stuffing leftover bday cake in my face and feeling teary.  That only lasted a day though, and Millie's excitement helped make it all better!

Meet-the-teacher was the day before school started.  Ms. Helm seems great and so far, Millie really loves her! It helped put Millie's mind at ease to see her classroom and teacher.

Night before school celebration dinner at Chuy's!  Syd stole the show: she drew her first real drawing (a spider - when JKK was holding it, she said he had it upside down...ha!), and then she choked on a peppermint.  At dinner.  In the middle of the restaurant.  It was extremely scary.  Not 2 minutes before this happened, my gynecologist walked into the restaurant.  So when Syd choked, I picked her up and was heading to Dr. Hinton's table!  Thankfully, Syd was able to cough it up before I needed to make a scene, but that was only seconds away.  Phew!  Scared all of us, including Syd.  No more dancing around the table while eating and no more peppermints.  Ever.  Goodness, it feels hard to keep them alive sometimes!

We had fun reading the Night Before Kindergarten.  Notice Syd's ankle bracelet, which she has been sporting constantly since seeing Jocelynn wearing one camping. ;)

Then it was time.  Our big girl was ready to go!  I love how excited she was...so brave because she didn't know anyone in her class.  We decided to start her in a local charter school for several reasons: smaller class size, PE every day, rest time for kindergarten, introduction to various arts (orchestra, choir, guitar, STEAM lab, dance, and drama are the kindergarten arts classes).  Another big reason is that we've bought a lot to build on in a different school district, which means there may be a rent house in the middle.  I didn't want her to have to go to so many different elementary schools.  This way, we can leave her here until we are ready to move her.  Sad though because all of the friends she has grown up with go to another school right by our house.  

First day of school mommy note <3

We received this cuteness from her teacher.  She had such a great first day and loved talking about it on the way home!

Her first school week only had 2 days in it, so we celebrated with the annual grape festival!

Ferris Wheel - side A

Ferris Wheel - side B

The girls won a donut pillow!  It was a pity prize, but we'll take it.  Millie had one of the biggest meltdowns of her life when we were leaving because we didn't get ice cream there.  Sobbing uncontrollably.  I think the first week of school was catching up to her.  Syd provided some comic relief (over Millie's wails) when she held the pillow up to her face and said "donut head".  JKK and I were laughing anyway. 

Introducing our new summer 'do: the smoosh-up.  This came from Millie not wanting to brush her hair, so I'd make her bend over and smoosh all of her hair up into a ratty top knot.  Voila!

Spontaneous Sunday zoo trip - twinsies!

Coco, Dan, and Luc met us there!  Coco snapped this cute pic of Syddles

Wish I had my selfie stick here ;)

my favorite

The girls rode Annie the camel!  I'm surprised Syd allowed this, but she did great!  They also fed some giraffes and rode the carousel twice!  It was the perfect zoo day.

I've really missed Millie, and I know Syd has too.  But it's also been fun to have some one-on-one time with Syd!  She's really getting into puzzles!

Still battling some potty training issues, but she did manage to fill up a reward chart with Xs, so off to Chuck E Cheese.  I really don't like that place.

This.  This face completely sums up Syd's feelings about going to preschool.  Tuesday was meet-the-teacher, and Syd was so worried.  She kept asking me why I couldn't stay with her and she was so quiet.  Then we met Mrs. Kim (Millie's old teacher), and things got better.  She let go of my leg and played on her own for a bit.  Once she saw some kids in her class that she knew from MDO, I think she felt better.  This face broke my heart though.

Millie did a wonderful job helping us convince Syd that preschool would be fun and that Mrs. Kim is the best!

So that Wednesday morning, Syd was super excited and ready to go!  I want to blow this pic up poster size.  She still loves dresses and shoes and she was so happy to wear a bow.  Very fancy.

Sister hugs and kisses.  When I picked Syd up from school at lunch, she RAN out of the building yelling "momma I love school!".  Cutest thing ever.  Proud of my babies for being so brave!

Wednesday also happened to be Nana's birthday!!  We enjoyed some pink champagne and salty chocolate pie!  Birthdays are so fun!

On Syd's first full day of school, JKK and I went to eat lunch with Millie Bear.  She was so happy to have us there!  Look at her gorgeous, beaming face.  I think it's going to be a fun year!