They put their heads together, threw a penny in, and wished for their daddy to have a happy Father's Day.
I'm pretty sure he did [more on that tomorrow…].
Travelingjenny
Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood
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In keeping with the Quaker value of simplicity, the girls' school discourages purchasing end-of-the-year gifts for teachers, but welcomes handmade cards. Grace has had her kindergarten teacher for the past two years, and they have a special bond. Corie has consistently gone out of her way to accommodate Grace's quirky needs and extra energy, and has always made Grace feel secure, valued and confident.
In short, we felt the need to do something special for Corie, so Grace and I came up with the idea for a book entitled, "I like Corie because she…" Grace worked on this book every day for a week, and came up with 13 different reasons she loves Corie, each accompanied by a drawing. She took it very seriously, and she did a wonderful job. In the video below, she reads the entire book, just as she read it to Corie on the last day of school. Grace also made her a necklace out of shells with natural holes, collected during their many explorations around the island. Corie seemed genuinely touched.
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This is one of the advantages of living in the country. Also, you don't have to mow your lawn very often, and you can let unruly weeds overtake things (like the swingset) and no one will look at you funny.
We like it here.
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Monday marks the beginning of twelve weeks of summer vacation with these two little beauties! (Wish me luck!)
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Today was the last day of school. It was a good day; a special day. But it also made me sad. I just can't figure out how it is possible that my little girl is now a first grader!? (Thank goodness Tess has another year of preschool, because that certainly would have put me over the edge!)
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About three weeks ago (I know, I'm terribly behind here), the girls' school had the last potluck of the year, and we were treated to musical performances by the lower grades. Grace's kindergarten class sang a sweet song that involved sign language (in the photo above, they are smelling daffodils). They had been practicing it for several days, and sweet Grace was beyond excited to be performing. She took it very seriously, and I might be a bit biased, but I think she did an exceptional job. [See the video link below!]
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The other morning, a monster came into our room to wake us up. Grace had cut out the pieces a few days before, with a monster in mind, and had gotten up that morning and taped them together. Of course, because she is Grace, she had also taped the whole thing to her hand. I love that kid.
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Well, it's a very good thing that last weekend was so perfect, because this weekend was very, very rainy. Which is just not what you're hoping for in June in Maine. So instead of boring you with tales of going stir crazy inside the house, I'm going to tell you more about last weekend.
On Sunday, we finally took the girls on our favorite Maine hike — Dodge Point (between Boothbay and Damariscotta). We first hiked there shortly after we moved to Maine, when Grace was about 18 months old, and that little powerhouse walked the entire way (3+ miles)! Watching her happily soldier on was something Adam and I will never forget, and it's part of the reason we're so fond of the hike. Also, the trail hugs the coastline for a good distance, and there is a great beach that is perfect for playing, resting, and swimming (if you're a Newfy). All five of us had a really good time, and we definitely won't wait five years before visiting Dodge Point again!
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Grace's kindergarten class has been studying the ocean. They've written a play, drawn a picture of the ocean food web ("it is not a food chain, it is a food WEB"), read lots of ocean stories, and have even built a wooden play boat with the help of a handy parent. So this week, to complement the theme, the class went on a field trip to an estuary at a nearby beach. (A really cool, big wave kind of beach, with no public parking.) One of the dads, an avid fisherman, taught the kids about the food web, and helped them find bloodworms (ick!) to use as bait. Then they got to do some fishing. They didn't catch anything, but a man fishing nearby did, so they at least got to see a fish up close! It was all very interesting and fun. Boy, am I going to miss kindergarten!
Travelingjenny 