Archive for May, 2014

Last day of the preschool year

Posted in Leah, School on May 30th, 2014 by c-had – Be the first to comment

Leah’s ready to head out to her last day of preschool this year.

Last day of the preschool year

She looks much more grown up than she did at the beginning of this year.

First day of school

For fun, here she is on the first day of preschool the year before. Wow, they grow up fast.

First day of preschool

Neighborhood gathering

Posted in Celebrations on May 27th, 2014 by c-had – 2 Comments

Some folks from our street and the street behind it gathered for some Memorial Day weekend fun at our neighbors two houses down from us. We had food and fun on a beautiful day.

Neighborhood gathering

The kids had fun with water. Molly really liked these water sprayers.

Water fun

When I tried to photograph Leah with the water sprayer, she decided she should spray me. I thought I was out of range. I was wrong.

Spraying me

Jen gets older, too

Posted in Celebrations on May 26th, 2014 by c-had – 1 Comment

Nine days after my birthday, it was Jen’s turn. She seems a bit surprised by Molly’s gift of some Bluetooth headphones.

Jen's birthday

Jen appreciated Leah’s gift so much, she needed a squish kiss.

Squish

The evening of Jen’s birthday we went to Grams’s house to celebrate both Jen and my birthdays with my family.

Family gathering

Aunt Caroline brought back a bunch of gifts from Costa Rica, including birthday gifts for Jen and me, this book she's reading to the girls, and the wooden frog instruments the girls are holding.

Costa Rica gifts

Glen Mar turns 60

Posted in Celebrations, Church on May 22nd, 2014 by c-had – Be the first to comment

Our church is now 60 years old, and we had a big celebration. We had a cookout, a DJ, an Irish band, and a bunch of other fun stuff. There was even a silly photo booth complete with props.

GMPhotoBooth

The celebration also included fun activities from Club Scientific like this rocket. It's similar to a stomp rocket, but uses a bike pump and flies a lot higher (up to 1,000 feet).

Glen Mar turns 60

These screaming rocket balloons were a big hit with Leah and Molly. They just kept inflating them and then letting them fly over and over.

Screaming rocket balloons

The balloons didn't fly too quickly, but they could go pretty high.

Fly away, balloon

Leah also took a turn on the rocket.

Pump

I'm not sure what was so funny.

So funny

Ready to launch.

Ready to launch

They also had a fossil dig set up for some junior archaeology, which Molly and Simon really enjoyed.

Archaeology

Leah and Matilda took a break from playing on the playground to watch a Chinese lion dance going on next to the playground.

Watching from the playground

The lion dance (and accompanying Kung Fu demonstration) captured the attention of the girls and adults alike.

Lion dance

The celebration was a lot of fun, and jam-packed with stuff to do. There was a lot more that we didn't have a chance to participate in (corn hole toss, dizzy bat tricycle race, kickball, and more). Perhaps we should celebrate like this every year.

Last hurrah as Cherubs together

Posted in Church, Leah, Molly on May 21st, 2014 by c-had – 1 Comment

The Cherub Choir sang in church for the last time this school year. Molly will graduate to an older choir in the fall, so this was her last time singing with the Cherubs.

I accompanied them, meaning that Molly, Leah, and I were all together. Hopefully we'll get to do it again in a little over 3 years, when Leah is in second grade and old enough to be in the same choir as Molly.

Outdoor play

Posted in Leah, Molly on May 20th, 2014 by c-had – Be the first to comment

We headed to Molly’s school again this weekend to take advantage of the blacktop and playground. They started by riding their bikes on the nice, flat blacktop, but then switched to playing hopscotch.

Hopscotch

I told Leah to see how high she could jump in hopscotch.

Jump high

Molly soared on the hopscotch course as well.

Molly too

On to the playground, so Molly can flip things upside down.

Hanging around

The girls wanted to pose in the playground windows. And, yes, Leah was determined to keep her bike helmet on the entire time. I guess she wanted to be ready to hop back on her bike at a moment’s notice.

Playground windows

Leah’s waiting expectantly at the bottom of the slide.

Waiting at the bottom

It’s so great to be able to play outside like this again.

Fun in a helmet

Lego Friends

Posted in Leah, Molly on May 19th, 2014 by c-had – Be the first to comment

The girls have gotten back into Lego Friends, and they used some Toys R Us gift cards to get some new ones. Here's Leah with her newly constructed rehearsal stage and jet ski.

Lego Friends

Molly still keeps her tongue out while working on detailed tasks. So, it was out pretty much the whole time she built this sports car.

Tongue = thinking

Molly like her new Legos. Ignore the wimpy thumbs up.

New Legos

Happy birthday to me

Posted in Celebrations on May 18th, 2014 by c-had – Be the first to comment

It’s official. I’m old. Old enough to be the President of the United States. For the big day we went to a fancy dinner at Mediterranean fast food restaurant Garbanzo for a preschool fundraiser, then headed home for presents and cake. The girls gave me a gift certificate for some new glasses to replace the ones that shattered when hit by a basketball a couple weeks ago.

Happy Birthday to me

Naturally, when G'Mom and Grampa sent a package with presents, the girls are not left out. These new shirts and a new book were part of the fun.

Presents for the girls too

It's a good thing we don't have another kid to blow from the 4th direction. Otherwise, all our breaths might have canceled each other out.

Candles

Swim lessons

Posted in Leah, Molly, Sports on May 17th, 2014 by c-had – Be the first to comment

Molly is back in lessons at the swim school, and this time she’s brought her sister along for the fun.

Swim lessons

The girls are doing fantastic, with new firsts every lesson. Molly swam the length of the pool for the first time here.

Swimming laps

Not long ago, she wouldn’t put her face in the water. Now Molly is swimming with her head down.

Head down

Leah got to wear flippers for the first time, which was loads of fun.

Flippers

Molly’s getting pretty good at making a splash when jumping in the pool.

Splash down

Hopefully, this will make summer swimming season much more enjoyable for both of them.

Field Day

Posted in Molly, School on May 16th, 2014 by c-had – 1 Comment

Molly had her Field Day at school, and I joined in the fun as a parent volunteer. It was a chilly, misty day despite hitting 90 degrees the day before, but the kids had fun anyway. I was assigned to one of the water/first aid stations, though I thankfully didn’t have any first aid emergencies to handle.

Field Day

Here she is with some kids from her class at the softball/tennis ball toss. Molly’s the one in the pink hat, throwing the softball. Please excuse the pictures, as it was tough to shoot through the mist.

Softball toss

Molly and Grace race around the cones with soccer balls squeezed between their knees.

Hopping fun

There were lots of activities in 3 primary areas (gym, blacktop, and lower field where I was stationed). I didn't see Molly too much, but I at least got a wave when she wandered by headed to another activity.

Hi Dad

We were supposed to eat a picnic lunch outside, but the grass was wet so the teachers changed the plan to picnic in the classroom. So I joined Molly’s class there.

Indoor lunch

By the end, the kids were chilly, wet, and very dirty thanks to running around a muddy field. Despite that, they had a good time, and almost all of them were energetically participating until the very end.