Claire's First Day of School

It has finally arrived--school is in session again! Claire went through quite a withdrawal when it ended in May, so she was more than ready to get back to St. Mark's for a new year. She had a little "meet the teacher" session last week where she found out her new teacher wasn't going to be new at all! Ms. Amanda, her wonderful teacher from last year, moved up to the 3-year old class and will be Claire's teacher again this year! Hooray!

Today is her real first day of school, and my what a difference a year makes. (Click here for a recap of last year.) Last year the only way to get her out of the car was through bribery, and this year she didn't even want me to go in with her! I insisted, though, because I wanted to take some pictures. And to make sure she actually knew where to go. She did.

And the school day went wonderfully! Madeleine and I were waiting outside for her class to come out of their building at the end of the day, but Claire was so intent on following directions and staying in line that she didn't even notice us. She said she had a great day, and her favorite thing was playing on the playground with Christian. She said she also had fun playing in the kitchen with Aidan. We stopped by the picture tree on the way to the car for the mandatory first day of school shot and picked up ice cream sundaes as a treat on the way home. She was too tired to eat hers, though, which means the day was a success!!!!

See ya, Summer

We planned a wonderful weekend to celebrate the end of summer and the last weekend in a long time that we'll actually be at home. The girls and I took advantage of the surprisingly pleasant weather and headed to Brackenridge Park by the Zoo for a lovely picnic along the San Antonio River underneath the ancient pecan trees. We ate our sandwiches and watched the ducks, then headed over to the train station for a ride. We ended our girls' day with a treat--cupcakes! Claire even shared hers with Madeleine while Mommy wasn't looking. (And, weirdly (and luckily), the egg reaction didn't appear, whatever that means....)

On Saturday, we loaded up in the car for a short drive up to New Braunfels. We had a great lunch out, then searched for the little airport so Daddy could enjoy his Father's Day present--helicopter flying lessons! We watched him take off, then hit the car for a snooze. We topped off the day with a swim and dinner at Honey and H's.

And on Sunday, we again loaded up in the car for a drive over to SeaWorld. Claire has been asking and asking to ride the Shamu rollercoaster, but I can't take her on it with M in tow, so we brought Daddy along to play, too. We watched it go a few times, then she and Daddy headed to the ride. She was a bit nervous, but said she'll do it again. We fed the dolphins, cooled off with the penguins, and watched the Shamu show, then headed home for a rest before Sunday dinner with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jamey and Uncle Jeff.

So long Summer, 2010! You were a great one!

After-Party

We rented a river boat for a catered dinner on the San Antonio River for all of our out of town friends and family who came in for the baptism. It was hot, but so much fun!

Madeleine's Baptism

Saturday, August 21
St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church

Thank you to all who came from near and far to join us on her special day! We appreciate you all so much!

Madeleine is Eight Months Old!

Happy 8th-month birthday, Miss Madeleine! You have had quite a busy month for yourself:

1. First international flight? Check.
2. Teeth? Check and check.
3. Mobility? Check.

Miss Magoodle has finally slowed down on the growing. I would guess she's around 17 lbs. She still fits into size 6-9 month clothes with no problem and still wears a size 2 diaper. And remember Claire's baptism dress that was too small around for her? Well, now it fits. She's just stretching out.
Food has been quite an adventure for Moodle. She's eating both finger foods and some purees and loves to sit at the table. Lunch turkey and sweet potatoes are new favorites and she's willing to eat cheese now.
Magoodle Noodle's personality is really starting to show. She has a definite opinion and is very quick to let you know it. Patience is not a virtue she has mastered. But she makes up for it by being so sweet and knowing exactly how a smile will win over a room.
And all those gummy smiles are no longer quite so gummy. Moosky has two sharp and pointy bottom teeth. I think more are on the way, too, with the amount of drool that we're seeing. (You can see the toothies if you enlarge this picture)
The biggest milestone of this last month, however, has been crawling. She was oh so close for such a long time, and she's finally figured out how all the parts work together. Claire is realizing nothing is safe, but is doing a great job of babyproofing her stuff. Along with crawling came pulling up, but she's still pretty wobbly with that. I'm sure that won't last long, though.