My sweet girl

No idea where these pictures were taken, or if there was a reason, but I just had to include them somewhere.  This is the sweetest girl on the planet.

First Day of Hebrew School -- Samuel

Turning 5 and starting public school brings a whole bunch of first experiences with it.  In addition to starting kindergarten and starting organized sports, Samuel also started Religious School this year.  Instead of hanging out with Torah for Tots, he has now graduated into the big kid realm of religious training.  Luckily, as you might see in the picture below, bagels and cream cheese is part and parcel of the deal.

 The first day of Hebrew School was held at Mitchell Park in Palo Palo Alto.  The kids played games, ate bagels, and started to learn each others names.  In these pictures, Samuel is sitting with the other kids in his Hebrew School class, and his teacher, Morah Leah.  His class has since added three girls to the mix, two of them twins, but he started out on this first day with all boys. 

2007 seems to have been a very boy heavy year.  Only one out of the four kindergarten classes at Samuel's school, is, in Samuel's words, "packed with girls." 

Shira's first day of preschool at MVPNS

Shira was mightily disappointed when she didn't get to go to kindergarten with Samuel, but getting to go to preschool at MVPNS made up for it.

 She loved getting her backpack ready with her water bottle, though she did wish she could put lunch in as well.  Samuel excitedly told her that "the Mommies" bring the snack, which is much better.  He also started filling her in on her need to make sure I would make pumpkin muffins when it was our turn to provide snack.

 

Holding the book The Kissing Hand so we can return it on the first day

 Walking into preschool

 

 Already got her red apple name tag on, and staking out a spot on the swings

 Guess where she spent a good portion of her first day

 

 What a smile!

First Day of Kindergarten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We figured getting up for kindergarten would be a breeze, considering this has been a very early rising family for a very long time.  The first thing we learned this morning, is that waking up at 6:30 on a consistent basis in order to climb into bed with Mom and Dad, and then getting up and playing and eating a leisurely breakfast, is NOT the same thing as waking up at 6:30, getting out of bed, getting dressed, eating breakfast, making lunch, getting bike and helmet out and being ready to Go To School by 7:40.

I think these faces express their unhappiness at this new turn of events

They did learn to mush their tushes, pretty quickly, though 

 

 We all road to school together.  It was rather nerve wracking.  There was quite a bit of traffic, you know, because it was THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.  Don't know why we didn't see that one coming. 

 

 Waiting in line in front of Mr. Wood's classroom.  That's Julia and Jeremy to each side of Samuel in the background.

 

 Obligatory first day of school pictures with Mom.

 

 Mr. Wood let all of the parents come in the classroom and watch him start his morning routine. 

 

 The Proud Parents.

 

 

 

 

 Already loving school.

 

And here he is at the end of his first day.  All smiles.

 

The first week went really well.  The second week, Samuel wanted to know when he could stop going every day.  But by the fourth week, he found his groove, and he has been loving school ever since.

Home Again

Morning after we got home from Minneapolis

 I love these guys so much

Summer Trip to Grandmapa's 2012

I am predating this post to the month when I should have posted it, but didn't.  This is the beginning of a bunch of backlogged posts, since I haven't kept up with the blog for the last 8 months or so.  Because it has been so long since these pictures have been taken, I won't have nearly as much memory of what they were all about, but it's better than nothing.  For the sake of keeping anyone who is interested straight, any post between this one, and March 2013, is being written in April 2013.

 

As usual, the kids loved our trip to Minnesota this summer.

 

 

 

 Grandma and Grandpa read them their bedtime stories each night.  I'd say this is one of their favorite things to do with Grandma and Grandpa when we are visiting, but pretty much everything they do with Grandma and Grandpa is one of their favorite things.

 

 

 We went canoeing on Lake Harriet. 

Paddling was more work than I expected.  Luckily I'm super buff from all my swimming :)

 As the expert on the boat, Steve did the steering.  I was impressed.  But it is possible it doesn't take much to impress this "almost never been on a lake before" girl.  Also, just about everything Steve does impresses me.  Did I mention I adore my husband?

 We took a train that when exactly nowhere.

 But the conductor let everyone try on his hat.

 This is clearly before our public school days had begun.  I would NEVER let my child try on someone else's hat these days.  Can you spell L-I-C-E?

 

 

 

 I can't remember how it started, but there were lots of discussions before we got to Minnesota about exploring the woods behind Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 You might notice the socks pulled over long pants and the long sleeve shirts even though it's 80 and humid.  This is due to our new terrified obsession with ticks.  Thanks to our tickalicious backpacking weekend.  Notice, I am not present on this excursion. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Grandma and Grandpa took Samuel and Shira to the Science Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And we took the kids to Target Stadium to see the Twins.

 Shira and I even made it through almost the entire game.

 And took some pictures at a giant baseball glove.  It was fun to be the goofy family taking pictures in front of statues.

 

 Kirby Puckett and the Kafkas

 I know I'm biased.

 But

They are pretty freaking adorable. 

 

 

 

 

 Board Games!

 

 

 

 

 Any self respecting Minneapolitan who has children or was a child will know this door.

 Let the Wild Rumpus begin!

 And if you're taking pictures, you might as well take one in front of a bear that blows bubbles.