Most Exciting Week Ever!

Lexie in the midst of her most exciting week ever!  On Monday, she started Kindergarten.  On Wednesday, she started gymnastics.  Today, she lost her first tooth!!!



This morning, her tooth was literally hanging on by a thread.  She didn't want it pulled out, which was fine with me, because loose teeth gross me out!  I sent her to school with a bag, a washcloth, and a bottle of water, knowing that she was most likely going to lose it in school. 

Sure enough, she raced to the car after school, grinning at me, and shrieking, "I lost my tooth!  I lost my tooth!!!" 



She said that she lost it during story time.  She was too shy to raise her hand and tell her teacher while he was in the middle of reading, so she held it in her mouth for a few minutes until her teacher finished. Then, she raised her hand, and told him that she lost her tooth.  Classic Lexie!  

All of her classmates apparently thought it was the coolest thing ever and crowded around her!

Lexie was so excited and so proud of her missing tooth.  She says she looks just like a pumpkin and thinks it's cool that she can stick her tongue through the hole!

She is now in bed, eagerly awaiting her first visit from the tooth fairy!

My Little Gymnast

Once upon a time, I was certain that Lexie, the little girl who wore nothing but dresses, would be a little ballerina.  I envisioned dance classes, dance recitals, and adorable recital costumes. 

Lexie was certain she was going to take ballet.  That is, up until she went on a gymnastics field trip with her preschool class!  Suddenly, all I heard about was gymnastics.  Then, the Olympics aired.  My princess was glued to the screen, and announced she would be a gymnast someday.

Today, her wish came true.





She love love LOVED it!


And so begins our journey into the world of gymnastics!  Move aside, ballet. She has declared herself a future Olympian!

Exploring

Last week we headed back into Pittsburgh for one last summer outing with friends!

This time we went to the Carnegie Science Center.

Hometown pride is strong here.  In case you forget...

 

Our first stop was at the Sports Works exhibit, just outside the science center.  I have never been in there before, so it was fun to visit!  My friend's daughter, Audrey, convinced me to ride the roller coaster simulator with her, so while we waited in line, Amber watched the rest of the kids and took pictures.  That was a difficult task, considering Lily fell asleep on her shoulder!

They went rock climbing, rode through the human body, raced on a track, became a human yo-yo, played giant operation and other games...all while we waited!

 



Finally, we reached the front of the line.  They locked us in this coffin-like box (not cool!), and off we went.  Let me just say, my stomach dropped immediately.  We were often completely upside down, and Audrey kept eating my hair!  It definitely came close to riding an actual roller coaster!



After all that excitement, we moved on to the main building. 




We didn't get a chance to go on the submarine, but the kids checked it out from afar.



They also watched the incline coming down Mount Washington.  For those of you unfamiliar with Pittsburgh, the incline is a type of public transportation.  A little cable car takes people up the "mountain"...and back down...all day long.

 

Our first stop was the guitar exhibit.



Then we moved on up a level to the robot and train exhibit.  One "robot" surprised Amber and I by actually being a real person!!!


 



The kids loved checking out the view of Pittsburgh!



Lily, however, was a bit overwhelmed by all the robots and all the people!




The next level is an aquarium level.  They had fun exploring!





The top level is just for kids!  It's the most fun level for them.  There is a huge playground, ball zone, water play area, and many things to climb on, touch, build, and explore. 




Why, yes, that is a ball in Lily's mouth...





Audrey had fun rolling Lily along on the conveyor belt!




The big kids loved this floor the most!



My favorite exhibit when I was a child was the Earthquake Cafe, which is an earthquake simulator.  They still have it!




It was a great, memorable trip to the science center with our wonderful friends!  The kids had a great time. It was the perfect outing for our last week of summer vacation!

Back To School!

Happy First Day of School to Dylan and Lexie!!!



It was a big day for both of them! Dylan has 2 years of school under his belt, but second grade is in a new school.  He was a bit nervous about finding his way around, but so excited to go back!  

Today was a huge milestone for Lexie! Going to Kindergarten is a big deal!

I barely slept last night.  I tossed and turned, worrying about how the morning was going to go with Lexie.  I envisioned her clinging to me as the bus pulled up. 

Much to my surprise, the morning went off without a hitch!  Dylan and Lexie woke up so excited.  Grant went to the store late last night to pick up donuts for their back to school breakfast.  They loved their special treat, but they were too excited to eat!



They eagerly got dressed, brushed their teeth, and put their backpacks on.  They were both ready long before the bus was scheduled to arrive!  That left plenty of time for back to school pictures!




I have never seen two kids so excited to go to school!  They practically dragged Grant and I to the bus stop. 






The excitement continued while we waited...and waited...and waited.  They were all smiles, and kept dancing around!  The only hitch was the almost forgotten lunchbox!  Luckily, Grant raced back to the house for it, losing his shoe in the middle of the road, and made it back just in time!

I held back tears all morning.  I was feeling emotional to begin with, and I couldn't believe it was already time for school to start, and time for my baby to go to school! A man even drove by, and leaned out the window, telling me, "Try not to cry too much!" I say it all the time, but it's true.  Time flies.


 






 

 

And just like that, it was time to send my baby off. My baby of 4 1/2 years. 



Finally, the bus started down the hill.  Thank goodness for sunglasses.  I popped those on over my tear-filled eyes, hugged my babies goodbye, and watched as they climbed the bus steps. 

I was so surprised.  Not a single tear from Lexie.  Instead, she pressed her face against the window, flashing us a huge, excited grin, and began waving goodbye.  As the bus rounded the corner, my tears fell.  Of course, Grant laughed at me.  All I can say is thank God for baby snuggles.  At this rate, we're going to have to have a baby every 4 years! ;)



Kindergarten is just half day, so at 11:40, I had to go pick her up from school.  It was my first experience in a school pick-up line.  I'm going to log in a lot of hours on twitter and facebook there!

Once I pulled to the curb, Lexie ran to the car with a huge smile on her face, and told me how much she loves school, and how much she loves her teacher.  Apparently, he dances on the tables! I now know why he's the coveted Kindergarten teacher!

Afterward, my friend and I treated our new Kindergartners to lunch at McDonalds!





After lunch, Lexie had an appointment for a dental exam and cleaning.  My sweet girl is thisclose to losing her first tooth!!! 

It was such a big day for her!

We returned home, and the girls got to play a bit before Dylan came home.



We waited a long time for Dylan's bus to arrive.  It's always really late on the first day!  He climbed off the bus with a big smile on his face. He had a great day!  He loves his new school, his class filled with friends, and his teacher!



I am so glad they both had a great first day!  Here's to a successful AND fun school year!