First Day of Preschool!

Madeline has been ecstatic waiting for Pre-K to start! So she could hardly believe it when I casually told her on Tuesday afternoon that the next morning was the first day of school. She yelled, "School school school!" on repeat the way only a four-year-old can, and literally made the car sway as she danced in her carseat.

Yesterday morning, she came downstairs and was delighted to find a special sign her daddy made her wishing her a happy first day of school! She had a fun breakfast, then I asked her to get dressed and pick out whatever she wanted to wear, just like I do every single morning. She chose the flower girl dress she wore in Mollie's wedding -- I thought it was so sweet that she wanted to get dressed up for her first day of school! She put on her new ruffled ankle socks, her green Stride Rite tennis shoes and helped me wet her hair so her lovely curls would show. Then we put on a squirt of my perfume so she would feel extra special. I made sure to tell her teacher that anything she wears to school is officially play clothes, so I was happy to see chocolate milk dripped down the front of her at pick up. Messy kids usually equal happy kids. At least that's what I tell myself since mine usually have mulch in their hair and dirt under their fingernails.

Madeline put on her new backpack and proudly marched into her classroom, pausing only to give me a quick kiss and high five, our signature good bye. Charlie was just as excited for her, literally shouting, "Boi-boi, Mimi!! Boiii-Boiiiii!!" I loved that he reassured her that we'd be back, just like I tell him every time I have to leave. He was still shouting bye to Madeline as we drove away from the church.

I wanted Madeline's big day to be just as special for Charlie; afterall, she's his best friend and he's going to miss her. Plus, now he gets to be the big guy for four hours every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So the boys and I went on a date to Starbucks in downtown Franklin, where he sucked down a kiddie hot cocoa and the organic vanilla milk he helped himself to.

Then, with Johnny in the stroller, we walked half a block to a boutique toy store, where Charlie played for 45 minutes with their train table. Next up, waving to all the firefighters and ambulance drivers in front of the courthouse. Then joy riding up and down in the elevator of the public car garage. We crossed the street, and sat on a step, which he pretended was a firetruck and vividly acted out rescue scenes, insisting that I "climb in" too and eat what he calls firefighter snacks (we pretend to eat a lot of them around here). After a PB&J and chocolate chip cookie at the Swedish bakery, Meridees, we hopped in the car and went to pick up Madeline.

School was a total hit! Madeline had a ball, proudly showing me all her art projects and telling me about how she loved playing on the playground. Her teacher, Mrs. Lynne, told me that Madeline asked that the class call her Mimi!

All the mommys snapped pictures from outside through the window

Joyriding in the parking garage elevator!

Putting out fires in his firetruck

A lunch note

A poster sized note from Daddy!

The things they say!

Every day, the kids say something that takes me by surprise and makes me laugh out loud. I always think I'll remember, and of course it slips from my memory before I can even tell Rob. So this week, I wrote their quotes down the second they said them. Here are a few:

• Madeline, through peels of laughter after she and Charlie discover they can touch tongues: "It's like our tongues are high-fiving!"
• Charlie, eating mandarin oranges: "This is 'tastic! It smells like fun!"
• Madeline: "How did God make us? Did he use a sewing machine or glue? And how did he get our heads on our bodies?"(As she tried to detach hers from her neck)
• Charlie was playing with a talking Elmo doll and was absolutely delighted because he was certain the recording said "Hi Charlie!"
• Charlie, casually observing while I nurse: "Hey! You've got two of those milks!"
• Madeline (being totally serious): "Johnny's diaper looks kind of full. Maybe he did a big load." (Nice Rob! I can't take credit for this one)
• Charlie was playing with trucks in the bathroom while I put on my make up one morning. (I thought Rob would appreciate the truck bit, judging by what's coming next.) He asked me to see my eyes, so I bent down and showed him my sparkly eyelids and mascara. "Stylish."
• Charlie loves the cartoon Diego, Dora's animal-saving cousin. He saw some leopard underwear in a laundry basket and excitedly shouted "Baby Jaguar!"(Diego's sidekick on the show).

Hair Cuts!

This morning, Madeline and Charlie had their first-ever professional haircuts at a kiddie salon. I've been taking swipes with scissors after their baths for the last couple of years, begging my sisters to swear they'll tell me if either one ever has a mullet. Then of course there was the haircut that Madeline gave herself a last Christmas. But at 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old, I figured it was officially time to put their soft baby curls in someone else's hands.

What a riot. Charlie held perfectly still -- like he was frozen by a stun gun -- while the girl snapped a penguin smock around his neck and drenched his fine blond hair with a squirt bottle. Then he got really into an Elmo toy camera he found and seemed to forget he was even getting his hair cut.

Madeline was so excited and felt so special -- I told her it was her Going-to-School hair cut! She politely asked her girl not to cut off any of her curls. As a four year old, she graduated from the Princess cut to the Diva and got the whole nine yards -- a hair washing with her head tipped back in the basin, glitter spray (only after they put "product" in her hair, which sort of made me chuckle because, c'mon...she's four! Product?) and a sparkly pink star on her cheek.

Both kids left happy with lollipops in hand!