Kindergarten!

Today was Ali's very first day of Kindergarten! We were all very excited to see her start school - Ali is ready to be a big kid, Mia is ready to play with Ali's things, and Mom and Dad are ready for a few hours of quiet!! Ali is in Mrs. Knudson's class from 8-11am. She has decided after today that that isn't enough time. Funny... I was thinking the same thing!!

And what does a new Kindergartener do on her first day of school? Well, she says she talked to the kids at her table, but she doesn't remember their names. Then she was supposed to draw a picture of anything she wanted, so she drew a heart, a picture of her teacher and the words "I love you 2". Then they went on a gingerbread hunt only to find their classroom full of gingerbread cookies at every table when they returned! Then they went outside and waited for their moms and dads. Sounds like a great day, huh?

Started the day with a good breakfast of pancakes, pears and milk!

"Mom? Why are you taking a picture of me eating breakfast?"

"Cause you've never eaten breakfast as a Kindergartener before!"

Then she brushed her teeth till they sparkled..

"I haven't brushed my teeth as a Kindergartener before?"

"That's right!"

Perfect hair, new dress, new shoes, new backpack! She's ready!!

Could she be any cuter??

We have arrived at Kindergarten!

(A picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it?)

The cafeteria is called "Kids Way Cafe".

Little sister got in the car after helping see big sister to class and began shuffling through Ali's sticker book chanting, "Ali no mad at me! Ali no mad at me!! Me play Ali toys!"

Fudgecicles

Ali says to me, "Mom, I know she's doing the best she can, but can you wipe up that mess??"

Shortly after, Mia says, "Hand cold! Me all done!"

Chores?!

The girls are starting to find themselves responsible for more of their own messes. The nausea that is STILL slowing me down has really put into perspective all the "picking up" after the munchkins I actually do. For the most part, the girls seem to like having "real work" to do! Some of their jobs are putting away the clean silverware, clearing the table, taking out the trash in the bathrooms, putting away clean laundry and picking up their own toys. I can't say they are always eager to help - Ali frequently has some dramatic complaint.... "This takes YEARS to do!" "You NEVER just let me play!" "This is so BORING!" "I'm so TIRED!!" "This makes my hair look WEIRD!" But I think they are learning that part of being a family is working together.

Funny Stuff

Ali has had a few gut-busters lately and I thought I had to share.

A couple days ago the girls and I spent a day at my Mom's house. Sometime in the afternoon it got a little quiet with Mia busying herself in the sunroom and Ali up to something upstairs. Nobody was crying and I knew where they were, so I let them be. Ali came down and asked her Grandma how to spell her name. Grandma spelled "T-A-M-M-I". Ali went back to whatever she was doing and a few hours later we went home. Sometime after we had left, Grandma went upstairs to find wads of unrolled toilet paper in the bathroom and other messes. Taped to the bathroom door was a hand drawn picture of a Grandma-looking lady with a big X drawn through her and the words "NO TAMMI" printed above. Presumably to keep Grandma out of the bathroom and from discovering that Ali had been into things she's not supposed to get into.

Here's a conversation from the backseat of the car as I drove past a community carnival with rides and a Farris Wheel.
Mia: "Me go? Me go Momma? Ride choo-choo? Me go?"
Mom: "Let's ask Daddy. Maybe tomarrow."
Mia: "Me go, Momma. No Ali go. No Daddy go. Me go. No you go."
Ali: "Mia you're just little. You can't go by yourself. When I'm a big seven year old, I can take you in the car and Mom and Dad can relax at home. But you can't go by yourself now, you could get lost. Mia, do you LIKE getting lost?"
Mia: "No Ali! Me go! No you go, Ali!"
Ali: "Mia! Listen! You can't go by yourself! Some mean person might put you in a box or something and steal you away. Do you LIKE being scared, Mia?!"

At this point Mia burst into tears and all conversation was halted by Mom.