Five on Friday (Back to School Edition!)

1) The Wilsons were here last weekend!  We were so glad to be able to have them in town for a once-again too short weekend.  We took the opportunity to "host" a LSF reunion of sorts at our pool with them.  Once again, Kellie's pictures were the best.  (More here) So many kiddos to photograph!  It's always wonderful to see them all play together and then to enjoy grown-up conversation with our dear friends as overnight houseguests.
 
2) First week of school--DONE!  Things went really well for everyone.  Mali is a little sad about the transition from last year to this one, but is handling it overall okay. We are all adjusting to the earlier morning routine and the necessary early nights.  Brinn was absolutely thrilled to stay all day and eat lunch at school.

3) Speaking of Brinn, first grade should come easily for her this year--she's a reader now.  She had been right on track with her Kindergarten phonics curriculum, sounding out letter and such.  All of a sudden, this summer, I was reading aloud to the girls and Brinn realized she knew basically all the words.  I always want to remember her then reaching for "The Boxcar Children" and reading a few pages aloud to us.  A switch had been flipped.  It's really fun to watch.

4)  Carrigan was my biggest surprise this week.  No tears at all, just a straightfoward good-bye to me on the first day and enjoyed herself in her big-girl preschool class.  Perhaps she is simply all cried out from the EPIC tantrum she threw at bedtime last night.

5) And finally, a quip from Mali.  I was helping her think through new friends for the school year (her best friend from last year is homeschooingl this year).  I suggested she could get to know S. better.  She responded that S. was really good friends with L. I then suggested that she could be friends with both S. and L.  Her answer:  "L.?  Who would want to be friends with a late person?"  (That's my girl!  Although I have to admit that certain late people can be pretty charming.  Especially the former late one that I'm married to).