One last photo from last Thursday (I promise): one of Avery and some of her (very happy) classmates. I can’t get enough of their smiles…

-M

Some family photos from Thursday, including an old-school (black & white) one with our special guest visitor: Pop Pop!

-M

A taste, now, of the singing at school yesterday. During the two-hour service, the kids performed more than 10 songs – some in Hebrew, some in English – and each student spoke in front the audience. This last part made Avery particularly nervous (I hate crowds,” she told me the night before. “Since when?” I asked her. “Since I was born!” she responded) – but she did just fine! And she was all smiles while up there singing, especially for the last song – a crowd-pleasing rendition of the Alef Bet (Hebrew alphabet) song.

-M

Today was a really big deal for Avery: Per school tradition, she and her fellow first graders led an all-school prayer service. And before it began, we got to present her with a prayer book that she’ll carry with her through the end of eighth grade. I’ll share some more photos and videos of the morning (which Pop Pop flew in for!) soon – but first, my new favorite picture of Avery.

-M

To wrap up Zoe’s first year in chorus, she and her classmates put on a performance for parents and friends. Here’s a small look at their Tuesday evening performance.

-M

Two girls, just hanging out on a nice sunny day…

-M

A few weeks ago the girls started playing with one of my old Cabbage Patch dolls – which had long been sitting, untouched, on Avery’s bed. Then they got really excited when I brought my second one out of storage – they’ve been playing with them every day since!

-M

An exciting week for Zoe, who got to sing – along with the rest of her school’s chorus - the Star Spangled Banner at yesterday’s Giants game. I couldn’t be there, but Q and Avery were there to cheer on the group (as was, evidently, Lou Seal – the Giant’s mascot).

-M

As mentioned here previously, Zoe joined a running club at her school – and one of the things she’s been training for was Girls on the Run, a non-competitive 5K race through Golden Gate Park. The race was this past weekend, and our little runner was the 3rd girl (and 7th overall) to cross the finishing line! Most exciting is the fact that there were about 3,000 people racing, including many adults and kids much older than her. I’m one proud mama!

-M

Like last year, Avery’s class planned an end-of-the-year family camping trip at the beautiful Costanoa Lodge; we just got back. Despite dreary weather reports (cold and rainy), it was a beautiful weekend – perfect for hikes to the beach, playtime with friends, and lots of cook-outs (including, of course, s’mores). Next year’s trip is already marked on the calendar.

-M

The end of the school year is approaching, which means a ton of activities and events between now and mid-June. A ton? I’m exaggerating a bit, but there’s:

• the first-grade camping trip
• Girls on the Run, a 5K race that Zoe’s running
• Zoe and her school’s chorus singing the National Anthem at a Giants game
• a separate chorus concert for parents
• an all-school prayer service being led by the first graders
• Avery’s class’ opera performance
• the first-grade pool party

When you factor in permission slips, food and volunteer sign-ups, and tons of related emails (on top of, y’know, life), it’s enough to make one’s head spin. But it’s all good stuff (singing at the Giants game alone is super exciting!), and we’ll get lots of memories (and photos) of it all. We’ll just have to rest after June 17.

-M

Two more pics (including one that’s hanging outside of Avery’s classroom).

-M

Seems like only yesterday that Zoe was a first-grader learning all about the development of chicks and ducks. Now it’s Avery’s turn, and her classroom’s first batch of eggs hatched last week.

-M

The older the girls (and Q and I) get, the faster time seems to go. I have so many thoughts about this stage of the girls’ lives and parenthood these days, but it’s been a challenge to find the time to write them down. Here, though, are a few thoughts:

-I’m continuously fascinated by what a difference 2.5 years makes in a child’s life. While the girls still share many interests (they enjoy the same games and shows, for the most part), nine is just so much more mature than six-almost-seven. It’s partially personality, not just age  (of course), but Zoe can be very serious and independent – and she does things (sitting and reading thick books for hours, recording things in her various journals, for example) that are more “adult” than “kid.” Avery seems so innocent and little girl-like in comparison: She’s always bouncing around the house, jumping on top of me and Q and asking to play, and she gets really excited about small things. (You should have seen her face when she excitedly described what was happening with the chick and duck eggs in her classroom – more on that soon.) A recent event at school also clearly displayed the differences: The students were marching to a school assembly and the parents were watching. When Avery walked past, she gave me a huge, happy smile and big wave; when Zoe saw me she gave a shy half-smile and quickly looked away. It’s like we have a teenager already…

-I’m also intrigued by how different the girls are when it comes to school and learning. They’re both very happy there (phew!), but Zoe seems to have more of a natural love for academic work. She’s the type of kid who does her homework without being asked and actually gets sad when she’s on a break from school. Avery, on the other hand, often has to be prompted to do her homework and especially to read (which she is supposed to do 15-25 minutes/night, admittedly a lot for a six-year-old). In school, it can take Avery a bit longer than her sister to get things (note that this could be a product of her being one of the youngest in her class, while Zoe is one of the oldest), and she can be hesitant to pipe up if she needs help. (Her teachers say she appears to do better in a small-group setting than in a large one). But she does wind up getting things and, perhaps most importantly, she does really care: Her teachers report that she is a perfectionist who always wants to get it right and doesn’t give up until she does. So I guess in that respect, she and her sister are alike!

-For the past few months, there’s been a clear pattern with the girls’ play: First thing most mornings, and most afternoons after school, they go in the back room and play Lego Friends, Calico Critters, Barbies, or Groovy Girl dolls. Unless they have a tiff (which does happen) or we have to go somewhere, they could play together for hours. It makes me happy for many reasons: I love that they’re close, that they’ve having fun and just being kids, that they can entertain each other and give me and Q time to do other things. But I’ve felt a bit torn about it lately: If they’re always playing together, that means I’m spending less time with them. And I feel guilty about rarely joining in; I know I should, but I always wind up thinking, “They’re having fun together. Just let them be.” And it is nice to have some kid-free time even when we’re all in the house. I realize as I’m typing that this is a good problem to have, and I know from almost ten years of parenting something else: This is likely a phase, and it won’t last forever. Enjoy it while it lasts, Michelle.

-M

I realize I’m a bit late to this, but last weekend the four of us went up to Sonoma and Napa to celebrate Mothers’ Day. On my wish list was to take the family to a restaurant that serves delicious farm-style breakfasts; I had been there with friends before, but never Q and the girls. We drove up very early to avoid lines, enjoyed some biscuit, grits and other goodies and from there went shopping at the nearby outlets (another thing on my wish list) and took in the pretty Wine Country scenery. We wound up not having the energy to visit a winery, but that was okay: It was a pretty fantastic day.

-M