First Grade!

Today was the first day of first grade! We met our new teacher last Thursday, and we both liked her very much. There's one little boy in Mary Beth's class that was in last year's class, and one little girl that we knew from Pre-K. Our teacher's room theme is dogs, so that made Mary Beth very happy! This was also Mary Beth's first day to ride the bus. It stops right across from our house, so she doesn't have far to walk, and we have lots of neighborhood friends who ride. Here's the neighborhood gang waiting for the bus to arrive.Today, I took Bella for a walk right after the bus came, so Mary Beth got to see me and wave as they passed me twice while picking up other children in the neighborhood. Mary Beth will take ballet again this year, and she's also signed up for a tennis class. We're looking forward to a good year!

Summer Fun

Sprinkler dancing

Long car trips with a best friend

Sand castles

Water sliding with Daddy

Picnic in the park. Cigars optional.

Glow sticks and fireworks

Beach walks at sunset

Late nights watching the stars

Friends

Last summer, we were the new kids on the block. I had a very lonely little girl moping around the house. What a difference a year makes! This summer, hardly a day goes by without at least one or two extra children hanging out at my house, and sometimes, the entire neighborhood gang. I've had to come up with a "secret code" to let them know when I'm teaching piano and they shouldn't come and knock on the door to see if Mary Beth can play. I hang out a special door hanger to let them know I have a student!

Kindergarten Graduation

That's my baby - front and center in the green gingham dress with the ribbon tie. She lost another front tooth, learned to ride her bike without training wheels, and graduated from kindergarten all in the space of about 2 weeks. Suddenly, she's changing from a little girl into a big one - all at once.

At the graduation ceremony, they sang songs for us and presented a video of photos the teacher had taken during the year. We were very happy that Kevin got to come - he managed to leave work a little early that day and surprised Mary Beth. The night before, she had begged him to come and told him he should "sneak away from work." She was so excited when she saw him walk in!

Missing Tooth No. 3

Easter

Easter morning started bright and early for the Lowe family since mommy and Mary Beth needed to be at church by 8:00. The Easter bunny had left some candy and a single egg in Mary Beth's basket. Inside the egg was a message to tell her where to find the next egg. After a pre-dawn hunt through the yard, it led her inside to a basket in the closet...

where she found the tennis racket she's been wanting! Wow, the Easter Bunny knows everything!

Take a good look at the dress. She won't be wearing it again. At Sunday School, she somehow stepped on the overlay skirt and pulled it right out of the waistband. I don't think it's fixable. It sure was pretty.