The morning after Avery’s proclamation about boys, she spent a long time lingering at Zachary’s desk (in Zoe’s classroom) at drop-off. From the looks of it, Zachary didn’t mind the attention!

-M

The other night I asked Avery if she had played with any boys at school that day. “I don’t like boys,” she told me, echoing a comment from earlier this summer. “The only boys I like are Zachary, Daddy, Grandpa and Pop Pop.”

She’s not her sister – that’s for sure!

-M

The other evening, Avery came running up to me, sniffling and complaining that her sister had squeezed her arm. I called Zoe into the room and the following exchange took place:

M: “Zoe, did you squeeze your sister’s arm?
Z: “Welllllll, I wouldn’t really call it that.”
M: “What would you call it?”
Z: “I would call it lightly touching and grabbing it.”

Someone would make a good laywer, I think!

-M

Hard to believe, but Avery has started her last year of preschool! She’s now a big kid at school (she’s in the Elan class, along with other 3.5- and 4-year-olds), and she sure has changed a lot since her first day two years ago!

-M

I forgot to mention that Zoe experienced a (not-so-pleasant) first when we were on our recent trip: She got stung by a bee. The girls and I were in the lazy river when Zoe started hollering and saying her hand was “paining me;” once I realized what had happened I plucked the girls from the water and ran through the water park to the first-aid area. (I’m sure we were a real sight, with me and Avery dripping wet and Zoe screaming and holding up her hand.)

Zoe wound up being fine, of course (the good thing is that we know she’s not allergic!) and Avery wound up enjoying herself (she got free Dippin’ Dots from the hotel out of the deal). And what I’m most happy about is that Zoe hasn’t developed a fear of bees after the experience; when a bee landed on my floral bathing suit the next day, Zoe was calm and told me not to panic. “Don’t worry, Mommy,” she said, knowingly. “The bee just wants to pollinate.”

-M

School is just about to start for Avery, too, and there was an open house at the preschool on Friday. Avery met her new teachers and classmates, explored her new classroom and, of course, posed for a few pictures on her way out.

-M

I took off work for Zoe’s first day of school, since it was a noon dismissal. Before Avery and I picked her up, though, we had our own fun: meeting up and playing around with a bunch of little siblings (for whom school doesn’t start until Monday) at the zoo.

-M

And here’s a self “portrait” that Zoe assembled on her first day.

-M

So, Zoe’s first day was a big success. Her teacher was as warm and sweet in person as she was in her letter, and the feelings of warmth of community were overwhelming as we walked in the classroom. It was clear Zoe felt right at home as she reunited with friends from last year – and I couldn’t be happier!

-M

When we got home from our trip on Sunday, there was a package waiting for Zoe. It was from her new teacher, Ms. Eisenhauer, who sent a letter of introduction and several gifts – including a first-grade bookmark, pencil and bracelet, as well as the confetti Zoe mentioned in her video. In the letter Ms. Eisenhauer wrote how excited she was to get to know her new students and how much fun first grade was going to be for her and the kids. She also wrote:

I bet you are a little nervous and excited about the first day of school. I want to tell you a secret; even teachers get nervous on the first day! Really! But I know once we meet each other and start playing and learning together the nervousness will disappear.

From the look on Zoe’s face, she’s not nervous for today, the first day of school – she’s just excited!

-M

Zoe begins first grade (!) tomorrow, and like last year I did a little pre-school Q&A with her. A few things to note: She calls it the “chick class” (at the :08 mark) because her teacher has baby chicks in the classroom; the “Hebrew kids” (:44) are two new classmates she thinks might be Israeli (because they have Hebrew names); the Death Star  (1:47) is a way-too expensive toy that she wants; and the confetti (1:55) was a gift from her new teacher to fight off the night-before jitters.

-M

More pics of our trip, which – like with our first day – was all about hanging by the pool (oh, and mini-golfing to get a break from the sun).

-M

Our summer travel season (three airplane trips in seven weeks) came to a close yesterday, when we returned home from our trip to Phoenix. The first thing we did when our plane landed there last Wed. was jump into our suits and drive to one of our favorite spots (with the lazy river that Zoe first went in as a baby); from there, it was just sunning, swimming and relaxing. My kind of vacation!

-M

More stories to add to my recent entry on Avery’s love of princesses. “I love Cinderella so much – I can’t wait to meet her,” she told me earlier in the week. And when we surprised her the next day with a princess lunch box (in honor of the upcoming school year), she was so excited that she slept with it.

-M

I’ve mentioned before about Zoe’s connection with Leo, the little boy who she met at preschool when they were both two, and how they’re occasional pen pals. Zoe sent him a little card last week and a few days later received this note via e-mail. (A very modern courtship.)

-M