We've Been Expecting

And she arrived today!

Stats:
September 23, 2011
1:34 pm
Weight: 111.3 lbs
Height: 33.8 inches

Seriously, we have been living like real pioneers over here. Washing our dishes with our own bare hands - meal after meal after meal. Day in and day out. But those days are over. The Guys just deposited a lovely new dishwasher right in our living room. She is beautiful.

Yesterday, Aunt Ellen came over and before I blinked she was at the sink washing dishes. She grew up washing dishes so she knows the art. Sadly, in the last month of dishwasher-lessness, we did not rediscover the art. All our dishes have a greasy film over them. Like when they came out of the old dishwasher. That leaked and soggi-fied the subfloor.

(Did I trick you a little bit? Did you think I was holding out on you about a pregnancy? Discuss.).

Shaking Some Legs

LEG ONE:



Syd's got serious moves.

Below, at the end, she asks, Where's the Lion Costume? It's a size 18month Halloween costume she's been sporting around lately. It endows her with extra attitude.

Also, below, watch how Clara demurely asks Talmage to dance with her.

LEG TWO:



I like watching them ping-pong ball around. The music in these legs are by a local group, Pink Martini. We heard them last night (courtesy of IIAGPTW) and enjoyed it.

LEG THREE:



You can listen to the song in Leg Three here. Brit translated the lyrics for me - they're hilarious - about losing your body parts all over Paris.

Clearly, A Beautiful Mountain

Labor Day weekend we camped with Dinesh and family at (don't snicker ...) La Wis Wis Campground. It was their first time camping. It was very fun. Anu made really tasty Indian food. Dinesh got a kick out of s'mores. It was stressful trying to keep Clara out of the firepit (when the fire was going, I mean. It's fine if the ashes are cold).

Hai-yah!

Clara. Clara, Clara, Clara.

First Day

In a few years time, or maybe even a few days time, the routine of going to school will be old hat. But not today. Today it is a big deal. Last night we had a "going back to school" special dinner that is all the rage these days. Then a father's blessing.

This morning:

First day of kindergarten

Talmage has been excited for kindergarten for what seems like years. He is excited he can ride the bus (for now. just wait until he learns what 45 minutes feels like-the length of his morning ride). He's met his teacher, Mrs. Weber, twice. He's in good hands. Maybe one day I'll look at this picture and think he looks so little. But right now, to me, he looks very grown up. He'll do great.

First day of preschool

Sydney is excited she gets to ride with dad in the truck to school, which is right across the street from his work. Sydney was up first, got dressed first, and was raring to go. She kept asking Briton all morning, "Are you ready? Are you ready?"

Sydney leaves at 8:50-ish. Talmage waits for the bus at 10:25-ish.

And waits.And waits.

Finally, it comes. I don't know if he's feeling butterflies like I am, but he is all smiles. The moment he's been waiting for has finally come.

The bus driver is not smoking.

And then he's gone.

A lump rises in my throat and a few tears escape. What is this emotion? What is it about sending your first kid off to kindergarten? I walked back down the cul-de-sac with Clara, yet felt empty-handed. So I held her closer and appreciated the now. Then she got wiggly and demanded to "-aalk!" End of emotional moment.

Building an airplane...

...involves precise measurements and lots of tools -- like pruners.

Ahh, the long, lazy days of summer. But, "sigh not so, but let them go, and be ye blithe and bonny ..." because school starts tomorrow!

"Does a [kid] get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”

Useful uses for the Wall Street Journal

The fence wasn't the only thing whitewashed...er, greywashed.

The fancy "creative-things-to-do-with-your-kids" blog said to use tempura paints. But we didn't have any. We did have a few totes of acrylic paint, though, that we'd inherited over the years - most of which had gone clumpy. We squirted out tube after tube until it was gone. A good exercise in decluttering.

Note: when the blog-moms say use tempura, there's a good reason. This activity falls into the category of: clean-up time exceeds set-up/play time.

But .... It was fun while it lasted. So, whatever.