Counting time

Meredith likes numbers and counting and other math skills. One morning last week she started reciting her new skill with no warning. Here is a video demonstration. Don't worry, it's not as long as you first may think!



Without interruption of a cameraman, Meredith was able to get down to the mid-70s before getting bored.

First day of kindergarten!

UPDATED: Below is Meredith's picture in her classroom on her first day of kindergarten. She reported having a fun day that was very "busy." Her bus ride home was long, but she liked looking out the window. They had recess, and snack time, and lunch and she got to see friends from other classrooms. At some point I'm sure there was some learning in there.


This morning the whole family brought Meredith to school for her first day of kindergarten. It is in the same school, just down the hall, that she did pre-kindergarten last year (International School of Minnesota). But it's been a long summer and the excitement that it's kindergarten has made Meredith to be a little apprehensive.

It's understandable. She has new teachers, mostly new classmates, a new classroom. It's all very different for her. It didn't help this morning that she had to go to the bathroom when we got to the school. Fortunately her classroom has its own bathroom right there. She went in, but then had a bit of trouble getting out! It's no fun to be stuck in a tiny bathroom and not knowing how or when you'll emerge. In a quick moment she was helped out, but a little shaken from the experience.

Meredith has been getting over a cold and the bags under her eyes make the fading black eye from earlier in the summer reemerge. But the pictures we took of her are still really cute! (We'll show them here within the next day.)

Meredith's teacher told her all the exciting things they were going to do in kindergarten. With tears, we were able to separate from Meredith and tell her goodbye. We know before long this will all be familiar and she'll love school, just like last year in pre-kindergarten.

This afternoon Meredith will experience another nerve wrecking first: a ride on the school bus! Each day I'll drop her off in the morning and she'll ride home on the bus. We'll have to do a follow-up report on how that goes.

In summation, wow, the girl is growing up!

Pigtails!

Elaine's hair is just getting long enough for pigtails. She had some in her hair over the weekend. We thought she looked super cute.

Rocket ship art

Meredith draws lots of pictures. She loves her coloring books. She has an alphabet workbook that has connect the dots and mazes and other similar exercises that she'll sit down for nearly an hour doing. She is especially good at the mazes. Meredith also does a lot of cut paper glued together in two and three-dimensional forms.

Below is just one recent examples of a picture. The lighting isn't very good. But it is Meredith's picture of a rocket ship. On the right is me and on the left is Meredith. I believe the rocket ship has a launch tower/scaffolding, but was unable to confirm that. Above the rocket ship is the Sun, which is where we are apparently going.

Seven years of bliss

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary. According to one internet source, it is the wool or copper anniversary!

We celebrated our anniversary a little early during our trip to Missouri this summer. (Incidentally, if you find yourself looking for a good Italian restaurant in Springfield, Missouri, be sure to get in touch with us!)

It's hard to believe it has been so long. It seems like yesterday that we got married in a hastily reconstructed ceremony after being chased indoors by a torrential downpour. Those who were there can attest that ain't no exaggeration!

Since then, we moved to Minneapolis. Got a cat. Got new jobs. Got a house. Got a kid. Got another kid. Got a law degree. Got a new career. Got a dog.

So we've been busy these last seven years.

Does the seventh anniversary mean that we'll have a lucky year? I hope so. Although the last six years have been filled with good fortune too.

My gosh, we look so young!