Elsie's first day of 3 year old class at Maggie's

Elsie made the big move up from the 2 year old class to the 3 year old class today. She has decided, apparently, that as a 3 year old she will now use the potty. Though she did not use it today, she did sit on it, which is progress for her. She now has a drinking fountain, 2 turtles and a hamster in her room. She continues to act both 3 and somehow 17 at the same time. One thing I love about Bug is her willingness to help. She constantly is asking if she can help me. She does some of Elliot's chores for him. She FINDS things to do around the house. It's fabulous. I am hoping hoping hoping that one of her spiritual gifts is the gift of service, with which unfortunately neither Michael nor I were endowed.

She told me that she played with Virginia, whom she loved last year in her 2 year old class. I'm hoping to maybe get Virginia over here to play soon. I still love Maggie's Morning School, and happily, Elsie seems to, too.

First Day of Kindergarten

Elliot literally went from 0 to 60 in about 10 seconds this morning. He was SO excited for his first day with Mrs. Satcher at Heard Elementary. He explained to us this morning while dressing that his outfits would follow a 'pattern - green, white, green, white'. His uniform is a green or white top - thus the pattern. Here you see him in front of our door, on campus, and then in his classroom figuring out what to do first after placing his lunch box in the designated row and hanging up his bag.

I picked him up in the carpool lane and already he looked older. He showed me a large family picture he drew, including Stripes' square feet, and informed me that he indeed had homework this evening. He finished drawing his number ones and colored one corresponding bear after dinner. Having tackled that, he promptly fell asleep before 8:30.

All yesterday and this morning he kept telling us, 'it's a big day! It's gonna be a big day!' And a big day it was. Walking down the hall this morning with lots of parents with cameras, cute little people in uniforms, new book bags and lunch boxes, excited kids and teachers, that wonderful new school smell, and our little uniformed Elliot was almost overwhelming. I almost cried. Not because I was sad, just because it was so right and good, all this newness and a highly anticipated beginning. So I'm thankful. I'm thankful that we live in a city where there are some great public schools, and that Elliot got into one. I'm thankful that Elliot happened to get one of my best friend here's next door neighbor as a teacher, and that I already know and absolutely love her. I'm thankful that he's still only 5. Because it all seems like it's going very, very fast.

Elliot's 5th Birthday Party

Click here for a one minute video of the cake scene. It was 1,000 degrees, but a lot of fun. The kids went on a treasure hunt and came back with all kinds of precious finds like little bouncy balls, airplanes, finger skateboards and the coolest, parachute men.

First date

In an effort to keep their relationship open and talking, even when she's 15, Michael and Elsie went on a date yesterday. A first date. Hopefully this is the first of many, many dates. Now every girl knows that the first date needs to be a good one. Special, but not over the top, planned and deliberate but not overwhelming. So Michael took Elsie on a carriage ride. Because she's under 5, she's still free. This also had something to do with his choice. They both dressed up and apparently had a wonderful time. Elsie talked about her 'date' all day and even told her papa when they were nearing the end of it, 'I don't want our date to end.'

Ah, yes. That Michael is a charmer. I didn't want our first date to end, either.

There's no place like home

Overheard

From Elliot's room while he and Elsie were playing:

Elliot: Bug, if you get scared because you feel all alone, I will be with you.

Elsie: Ok, Elliot. Thank you.

Sometimes, they're just sweet. Not usually. But sometimes.

Fast and cool

Elliot's large feet continue to defy all expectations and grow out of shoes. Hence, the new 'fast' shoes he got from Walmart, just in time for the last two nights of soccer camp. In an effort to cool off, he got his first buzz cut. We tried to convince him to leave the mohawk, but being the conservative hearted child that he is (Jack), he forced us to cut it off.

In other news, while at the grocery store this morning as I was repeatedly saying 'no' to Elsie's requests for cookies, she finally looked at me and said, 'mama, you're fwustwating me!'

The big 3

Elsie has had quite a few days of celebration for her monumental 3rd birthday on August 3rd. She had a party at Yaya's house by the pool where she enjoyed a Dora cake, a heap of presents and a ridiculously cute and very purple princess outfit, among other wonderful tutus and girly things (more pictures to come). This morning she had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and took cookies to school for her classmates (all by the work of her papa). We finished the evening off with noodles and a HUGE brownie ice cream sundae at Chilis. The girl has been celebrated.

I'm so thankful for my little Bug. She has more than enough personality for her 3 years. I can't wait to get to know her more as she grows!

New bed

So at some point we expect a new baby to show up on the scene. Only God knows when - literally. So I've been thinking about space in Elliot's room, since this is where the baby will go. We started looking at bunk beds and lofts, trying to figure out what would give us the most space for the least money. What we found was the bed on the top - for $450. So we shopped on Craigslist for the actual bed, the Savannah Mission for sheets and a mattress, and Big Lots for curtains which were hemmed into panels for the secret space beneath the bed.

Elliot thinks it's the coolest bed ever. And we like the extra space and the fact that you can hide LOTS of toys in the secret space without having to actually clean up properly. Of course we did all this in our usual neurotic way completing everything in less than 24 hours.

Yesterday Michael walked into Elliot's room because of a long period of silence which made us both nervous. When he pulled back the curtain he found both kids sitting quietly. Elsie said to him, 'Shhh Papa. We're sleeping.'

That's worth ALL of our redecorating efforts!