First day of school!

Days before kindergarten started for Dani, we got the call:  our city would offer full-day Pre-K...but since the funding was new, the pre-k students would not start for a week or two while the district figured out the logistics.

 

So, Dani started kindergarten!  Tori was a bit bummed that she could not yet RIDE. THE. BUS. TO SCHOOL.

 

But Dani was stoked...with her light up Mario back pack.

Ten days later, it was time for Tori to go to school too!  A whole day means that she rides the bus with Dani and gets to do big kid things, like pack a lunch and forego naps!  Tommy looks excited in this picture but is woefully lost without the girls around.

 Dani was so excited for Tori's first day, that they agreed to dress the same!  And, every day that week they wanted to be "twinsies", wearing the same clothes to school. Dani was lecturing Tori about the importance of listening to the teacher, and behaving on the bus.

 Tori, meanwhile, had been dreaming about riding the school bus since she saw Dani do it a year ago!

 She mounted the stairs of the bus, with nary a look back.

 Peeked outside the window, and started her journey.

Trip of a lifetime.

 I've got really cool parents.

They're fun.  Super fun.

And they've blossomed as grandparents.  They are so engaged with our kids.

Mom recently retired and they planned the trip of a lifetime.  They bought an RV, and headed east.  Their trip will ultimately take them across the country before heading back to NC.

They spent six days at the house, enjoying the pool and the sunshine.

Motorcycle rides.

 This is what the folks will call home for the next three months.

They left on a Monday with the girls, headed to Rhode Island.

Each of us have a special place--a place that holds memories, that we long for when we are not there.

For me, and my parents, it's the Charlestown Breachway in Rhode Island.

I spent the better part of every summer in a camper, just yards from the beach, playing on the beach, roasting marshmallows, making summertime friends that we'd see every year, and as I got older, flirting with the college park rangers and lifeguards.

There is no place that I would rather spend my time than this sleepy little beach town.

 I was so excited to get there, I convinced Wes that we should leave a day early.

This is the first picture of Tommy's first day at the ocean.  Dani and Tori, having arrived before us were happy to show us around.

 I didn't turn on my laptop once.

The kids didn't miss the lack of electronics.

They were too busy running in the surf and looking for hermit crabs in the breachway.

 Dancing in the ocean.

 Enjoying the glow of the evening sun, showing Grandma their hermit crabs.

 It was dinners out, and the freshest seafood.

Pleasantly wonderful manners too.

 The nightly post-dinner trip back to the beach, just to enjoy the sounds and the sand.

 Maybe the taste of the sand too?

 The smiles never left their faces.

 Ice cream at the end of a hot day.

 And the beginning of sunset while the waves crashed.

Chasing sea gulls.

 Throwing rocks.

 Beautiful sunsets.

 Family.

 The excitement of a door with a Tommy-sized window.

 Snacks at the picnic table.

 The feel of the sand between your toes.

 And just enjoying the love of family.

 Pretending to drive.

 Enjoying the sun.

 And back, for more hermit crabs.

 And then it was time to go, but it felt like we had just arrived.

Because time just kind of stops there.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a trip of a lifetime.

We love you.

Mother's Day 2014

 We started a tradition of going to River Stone Manor for Mother's Day brunch.  Everyone gets dressed up, and there's only one seating so we have the table for the afternoon.  Fancy glasses, and cloth napkins and children on their best behavior.

It's always lovely.

I woke to presents, and kisses.

At school, Dani had made a vase and planted a seedling, that, after two days in a brown bag, was wilted and yellow.  But it was beautiful, sunny day, and with a little water and some sun, it perked up, and the kids have been able to watch it grow daily.

Even our little caveman managed his own full size silverware with no messes!

 After we ate, we walked the grounds.  We took this same picture last year.  I hope to take the same one every year.

 Getting everyone to look at the camera is generally impossible.

 We managed it for this one!

 Look at her.

 This one's my favorite.  Walking side by side.

Some days, I just look around, take a deep breath, and give silent thanks for the love of an amazing husband and three little sweeties.

Ringing in the new year with the folks.

 A few days after Christmas, my parents flew in for a visit.

So the kids had a second round of presents and holiday cheer!

The kids were so excited!

My parents are in their mid 60s, but you'd never know it by their boundless energy.  They are the most attentive and fun grandparents you can imagine.

 They wanted Grandma and Grandpa to watch Despicable Me.

 Tommy and Grandma doing a New Year's Eve conga.

 New Year's Eve wouldn't be complete without noisemakers!

 Wes had to go to work but I managed to sneak in a quick photo before he left.

 

As we start this new year, I resolve to take nothing for granted, to appreciate every moment, at home, at work, with my family and friends.

Cheers!

Five!

 Dani turned five this week.  Five!  Where does the time go?

It's been quite a year for our not-so-little Dani.

She started Pre-K.  She waits for the bus, with her Super Mario backpack, just like a big kid.  Every night at dinner, she's so eager to tell us about what her buddies did at school, to sing us songs, and tell us about her day.  When we drive around town, she loves to point out her friends' houses, and she's learning how to get places, telling me while I'm driving which way I should be going.

For weeks, she was singing songs in anticipation of her Christmas concert at school.  When the flyer came home, I was scheduled to be in court, but at the last minute, the matter was adjourned so I was able to go.  With some help, I snagged a second row seat.  She walked out with the twelve children in her class, anxiously looking around, and she saw me and Grandma Deb.  She frantically waved, and was so excited to sing to us.  Tears rolled down my cheeks while she sang and danced, "I'm a little snowman, look at me." 

There was my baby, up on stage, at school, in her first concert.

 She's the first one to offer to help, before I have to ask her.

Usually, she's the first one to tattle, unless she's joining in the mischief with Tori and Tommy.

She's quick to laugh, and make silly faces and sounds.

She's getting good at talking back too--Mommy, apparently, is very often wrong, you know.

And she's getting SO BIG--she's the tallest kid in her class, and comes up almost to my shoulders.

And she still wants to snuggle, as often as possible.  But these days, she reminds you more of one of those big dogs who doesn't realize she's not a lap dog, as she piles on top of me on the couch or asks me to pick her up.

 It's hard to believe she's five.

I swear, just yesterday she was a baby, trying to gnaw my face off.

And wow, I had far fewer grey hairs back then!

 It was so much easier back when there was just one.

I had so much time for just focusing on her...and celebrating the silliest of holidays, like her first St. Patty's day photos.

 She loves fiercely.

From the moment we brought Tori home, and she exclaimed "Baby" and kissed her, she embraced the role of big sister.

 And she couldn't wait to do it again with Tommy.

 She usually sets a pretty good example for them to follow.

And she is naturally good at sharing the spotlight.  It's interesting that when she chooses characters that she likes best, it's most often the supporting ones.  She prefers Luigi to Mario, Robin to Batman, Widget to Wubbzy.  She's the first one to hand over the coveted toy of the moment so Tommy won't cry, and to share her goodies with Tori without being asked.  An action not accompanied by please or thank you is nearly non-existent with her.

She changed my life.

She taught me how to love with a depth I did not know I possessed.

She taught me, and continues to teach me every day, important lessons like these:

A walk around the block can be magical if you find pinecones.

The boxes stuff comes in are often more fund to play with than the stuff.

Everything is better with sprinkles.

Always make time for another kiss and hug.

Bedtime songs are way better than bedtime books...Raindrops on Roses is still her favorite.

Getting dressed is more fun if you don't care if your clothes match.

You don't need a reason to turn off the lights and have a glow stick party.

Knock knock jokes don't have to be funny to be funny to toddlers.
All you need is a sunny day and a maple tree seed pod to turn into a unicorn.

 

And the most amazing part is that this is just the beginning.  The beginning of the life of my amazing little Dani.  As much as I selfishly hate to see her to grow so independent, I love to see her roots grow stronger as my little flower reaches for the sunlight.

Happy birthday, Dani.