Preparing for Summer

These past few weeks have been so busy with final school and sports activities. Hannah successfully completed her first year of preschool at Knollwood. Alex's soccer season has come to a close, he completed a set of swim lessons and kindergarten is now behind him. Now we can think about what summer will bring. Alex and Hannah start "summer camp" next week - Alex will be taking weekly field trips and pool trips while Hannah will take dance lessons and watch live shows for kids like Reptiles Alive and Magic/Music shows. We will probably enroll Alex in another set of swim lessons but he'll take a break from sports teams until the Fall when he'll participate in his 4th soccer season and coach-pitch baseball.

Now that the end of the school-year craziness is over I can start thinking about my Oregon trip next week. I'm really excited about spending a week with my grandma and mom. We will spend some time in Portland, drive down the Oregon Coast, and we can't pass up a few winery tours (and tastes) and possibly a brewery or two.

Mostly, I looking forward to leisurely weekend mornings where all we have planned is a trip to the pool. We also have our first family beach vacation in the Outer Banks this year but that's not until the end of August so I have several weeks to plan for that. Hannah keeps calling the OBX trip her "beach party" since we will celebrate her 4th birthday while on vacation. Here's to a relaxing and peaceful summer!

Last Day of School!

Today is Alex's last day of Kindergarten. He went to school with mixed feelings this morning - he is ready for summer fun but he will miss seeing his teachers and friends on a regular basis. Alex had wonderful teachers that helped make the transition into elementary school very easy. Alex had a very successful year socially and academically. He received a couple of "Character Bears" and lots of Happy Grams and is on his way to reading independently. I can't believe that 9 months ago I waved to the yellow bus carrying my little boy who couldn't read and only write his name and today I will wait for the bus to bring home my little boy who is now a couple inches taller, can read and write full sentences, and solve basic math problems. As we bid kindergarten farewell we are also welcoming a summer full of fun and enjoyment.

Celebrate Fairfax 2009

We went to the Fairfax Fair a couple of weeks ago and had a great day. What could be better than rides, ponies, a petting zoo, kettle corn, and winning 4 goldfish? Alex was tall enough to go on some of the cool rides this year like the bumper cars with daddy. Hannah and I on the other hand only went on Dumbo - we both were feeling woozy after the ride so we were satisfied with watching Alex ride. Alex was insistent on winning a goldfish. So, Jeff bought the biggest basket of balls and let Alex have a go at the game. Alex wasn't very successful but Hannah came along and tossed a ball in the bowl on her first try. Thanks to Hannah we walked away with 4 goldfish. Unfortunately, none of the fish last longer than a week. Regardless of the fish loss, we had a fun time.

Flag Day

All of the Kindergarten classes at Alex's school presented "Flag Day" to their parents and family members last Friday morning. It was very cute and especially moving to see and hear 6 year-olds sing patriotic songs. Alex volunteered for a speaking part and did very well as you can see from the video. I attempted to create a short Flag Day video with a few highlights - granted the picture is a bit wobbly from Hannah pulling on my arm and I had a great view of the Principal's head sitting directly in front of me but you get the gist of the show. Although not on the video, the best part was when the kids sang "I'm Proud to Be An American" at the top of their lungs.