Story and tea times abound

 We had a great time on Saturday - first stop was a Storytelling Festival where the girls got to hear John Bemelmans Marciano who wrote one of our favorite books, "Madeline in the White House".  Then Ellie got into doing some ballet moves when led by the author of "Vamperina Ballerina".

 Then Evie was off to friend Lia's Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party, where the girls got into making crafts, including the Mad Hatter hat below. 

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

It was a lovely fall day on Sunday, and the family decided to go down to Jones Point Park for a picnic and some playground time. There was a breeze in the air, so we also brought Evie's new kite that she got for her birthday.  Here, she is eager to get started without getting tangled up in the kite's string. 

Evie became a master of licking her finger and sticking it up into the air to test where the wind was blowing.  

 

And off they run, with Daddy giving it a little push to send it soaring (up in the atmosphere, up where the air is clear...)! 

 

The girls follow Daddy's lead. The kite got so high, cars from the nearby Wilson Bridge probably saw it (actually, it probably got as high as the trees but not that high). We still need a little practice and a lot more wind.

Ellie had a great time running after big sis and Daddy. It was also a big day because she started saying "Da-da" repeatedly for the first time!  We are so proud of our little girl - she's made so much progress in a month! 

Mom's Seventh 29th Birthday

Saturday was Mommy's birthday and Daddy, the girls, and Ba and Opa pulled out all the stops to make her day a great one!  Ellie gives a big smile with Mom, the ubiquitous Curious George always in presence.  

Ba and Mommy wearing smile for the camera.  We had delicious cheese and shrimp cocktails, followed by steak for lunch.  It was a gourmet treat!

 

Aunty Karin traveled all the way up from Yorktown to spend the day with us!  The kids were (somewhat) on their best behavior, with Evie serenading her with Beauty and the Beast's "Be Our Guest" routine which unfortunately also resulting in a little exhibitionism of her underwear. 

 

While opening gifts, Ellie gives Mom a back hug, which even feels so good despite be strangled around the neck.

Mommy and Daddy display the new artwork Ba and Opa bought for them.  Our house is becoming quite the gallery! 

 

Evie enjoyed reading all of Mommy's birthday cards.  

Practicing our "O" face [inappropriate Office Space reference] while blowing out the candles of Mommy's Baskin Robbins ice cream cake.  She already has everything she has ever wished for! 

Ellie's First Day of Preschool

On the eve of Ellie's first day of preschool, Evie gave her a gift - a Fancy Nancy book called "Jojo's First Day Jitters."  We all think Ellie looks just like little Jojo, Nancy's little sister.   

 

Evie reads the book to little sis as Ellie opens up the flaps.  Cute sister moment! 

 

However, the next morning Ellie was not too pleased with her sister taking the sign away from her for her first day pix! 

 

Ah, life is better now that the sign is retrieved.  

 

Daddy gave her a big hug for good luck!  Despite having some jitters herself, there were no tears!

It's a Superhero Party for Amelia!

The family had a nice little trip up to New Jersey and Philadelphia this weekend.  First stop was Bebe and Popi's where we celebrated Mom's birthday early with delicious cake!  But part of the fun was also meeting the newest member of the family, adorable "Dolly" the puppy. 

The family is all smiles!  

 

The girls give Bebe and Popi some big hugs before leaving... 

 

Then it was off to Smith's Playground to celebrate Amelia's fourth birthday party, super-hero style! The girls enjoyed the lollipops decked in masks and capes, the Wonder Woman twizzler lassos, the kryptonite rice krispie treats, and of course the Wonder Woman cake! 

The girls took a literary bent to the party's theme, Ellie is dressed as Ladybug Girl...

... and Evie decided to get imaginative and created her own superhero, Fancy Nancy Girl. Decked out in accessories and bling, a glittery FN Girl symbol on her chest, her super power is big words (as illustrated in the speech bubbles on her dress) and the ability to make people fancy.

Oh, my, could that be Amelia, daughter of the Amazons, flown in on her invisible plane? With her gold belt, headband, and cape, there is no need for accessories here!  

Evie teaches little sis how to punch out a hole in order to get a special treat in this intricate punch board created by Auntie Mel.  As Fancy Nancy girl would say, "Ohh la la!"  

 

The birthday girl and mom and dad pause to celebrate a successful party! 

 

Sonali, without a hole in her Mighty Morphin Rangers mask for her mouth, improvises by sticking a twizzler down the eye hole. A superhero's got to do, what a superhero's got to do.  

It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Ellie as Ladybug Girl, about to take flight! 

 

The three roommates from UVA pause on the playground for a picture!  What a fun party for all!

Evie's First Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Sunday was an exciting day - while at her friend Abigail's 5th birthday party, Evie's loose tooth finally wiggled/jiggled free while digging into the frosting of a sugar cone cake castle turret.  Here is the pink frosting-covered face of our proud girl, with the tooth firmly clenched in her hand, as Abigail gives her a big hug.  That night, she got her first visit from the tooth fairy!

... and then on Monday, the other front tooth came loose (and apparently got swallowed) while at school!  Evie shows off her new gappy smile! 

Rockin' in her school shoes...

Evie was all excited for her first day of kindergarten!  We'll have to make this an annual tradition to take a photo on the front steps. 

 

Unfortunately we were rushing around in the morning and Ellie had just gotten out of the tub, but she got into the festivities nevertheless. 

 

Then, Mommy walked Evie down with our neighbors the Olivers, whose daughter Ella was also starting kindergarten.  The girls pose in front of their school sign before walking excitedly into their new school.  There were no tears from Evie, although admittedly Mommy shed a couple of tears after she left. Evie had a great day, and after pick-up we celebrated with Baskin Robbins - surely to be another annual tradition! 

The last days of summer...

The girls and mommy have been having some special girls bonding time while Daddy has been away at the film festival.  We have been trying to make the most of our last days of summer before school is upon us...a water park with Ba and Opa, pool time with the neighborhood kids, birthday parties for Evie's friends, and of course, some chilling in the backyard. Here is how we play T-ball in our neighborhood, according to Ellie.  It's nice to rest the feet while taking a swing. 

Meanwhile Evie is building a beautiful home for fairies in our backyard, including a sand pathway, some leaves for hammocks, and some parsley and basil inside just in case the fairies want to make a meal.

On Monday before school started, we were joined by Ba and Opa and traveled downtown to the National Building Museum to play a round of mini golf (to tackle the 9 holes we never got to during the time we went earlier this summer).  The course was full of new challenges to conquer. 

  

 

Evie proudly stands near the hole with the ferris wheel that she got the hole-in-one!

 

Ellie really got into the game but refused to allow anyone to help her. She especially liked a hole that had a big clear ramp that she attempted to climb up and kept sliding down. 

Here's the Thomas Jefferson Memorial made out of cans!  Magnifique!