Syd...the party planner

So, this sweet girl is just amazing.  The other night (7 p.m.) I was washing dishes and she came up to me and said, 'Oh, Mom...by the way....WE (meaning herself and the other eight/nine year olds at school) have planned a surprise birthday party for our teacher!'  I chuckled to myself and said, 'Great!  When are you throwing your party?' She replies, 'Tomorrow--and I signed up to bring the decorations....and the cake.  Can you tell me where a tablecloth is that I can bring?  I really need a tablecloth!'  I immediately started laughing....hysterically.  This little lady is literally turning into her mother.  (Poor thing!)  I began laughing even harder after I asked her what everyone else was bringing to the party and she told me they were assigned to be the 'distracters'....no one else bringing treats....no one else bringing decorations...just her ;)  I sense a hereditary pattern forming!

Going once....going twice, gone!

Going once....going twice, gone!

That is about how it felt over the last fourteen days as Sydnie lost BOTH of her two front teeth! (It seems like they have been loose forever!) What is it about kids getting those big, grown-up teeth--right there in the front? I feel like it is one of the last official steps of sucking the "baby" out of my baby. She is already looking like such a big, grown-up little thing (not to mention she already is as tall as my chest!)

Sydnie is, of course, thrilled. Most of her other friends have already sent those beautiful, baby front teeth off to the Tooth Fairy. Tonight, Sydnie eagerly awaits the arrival of her friend, the Tooth Fairy, to bestow her with gifts in exchange for that last glorious symbol of being a "little" girl...my little girl. Hopefully that Tooth Fairy takes an extra moment as she conducts the delicate exchange to put her aching heart aside and place a fairy dust wish upon the head of that precious girl as she takes that precious tooth.

She is one fantastic and incredible girl!
May she continue to grow in beauty and grace...and may her two front teeth also do the same, please? ;)

Last Day of School!

This week has been filled with the joy, anticipation and tearful goodbyes of the last day of school. Both Sydnie and Kade finished up this week and left me whirling, thinking, 'where did the time go?' Kade graduated from his preschool and we said goodbye to his angel teacher, Mrs. Dove. He had an amazing year, and learned so much about reading and writing. I can't believe how much he has grown! They ended the year all smiles and celebrated with a Circus Party (thus Mrs. Dove and her cute clown costume). Once Kade comes to the four year old realization that pre-school is really over, I think he is going to miss it a lot. He loved being silly, but he also loved learning. I spent Thursday in tears throughout the process of his little "rite of passage" simply because I can't believe he is on his way to Kindergarten...and oh, so ready! ;)Sydnie also finished up her year in First Grade in an amazing whirlwind of activity...much like our Sydnie! Her class had their much anticipated Zoo field trip, we celebrated her "summer birthday" with a root beer float party, there were reading contest celebrations (as part of which her awesome principal ate WORMS!), she read and studied every night to pass off her final list of sight words....the sixth grade list, we made fun 'thank you' gifts for her teacher and school staff and she had her dance festival on the last day where the whole First Grade danced the "Funky Slide"--so cute. She worked so hard! She made goals with Don and I about what she wanted to accomplish before the end of the year, and she accomplished each one of them. Add that to more teary good byes with friends and her amazing teacher, Ms. Pothier, and it was definitely quite the end to an incredible year.After all was said and done, we all took a breath and smiled a big smile. As parents, we couldn't be more proud of our kiddos. They are becoming the greatest little..."people." They excelled, progressed and grew. They made new friends, conquered fears and did hard things. They are both excited for summer, but it only took us driving about 2 minutes away from the school on Friday for Sydnie to sigh that deep sigh of hers and say, "I miss school already." I'm afraid Fall will come a little too soon for this Mom. In the meantime we are going to play and swim and sleep in (and we also headed straight out to enjoy a well-deserved celebration lunch at one of the kids' favorite Mexican restaurants). They are the absolute greatest, and we are looking forward to "family day" every day...for the next two months or so!

Way to go Syd and Kade! We love you!...bring on the Summer!

Syd...the Science Kid

Our Sydnie has a knack for science. Ever since I can remember, she has been right behind me while I garden.....turning over every rock....looking for ants to watch, bugs to put in her bug catcher, or worms that she can hold and play with, and then "return them to their mommies." It's amazing....there is no fear, only wonder. It truly is one of the things I adore most about her. Her eyes sparkle...and my rock borders remain crooked...as the search continues each Spring and Summer.

She recently brought home the Science Fair flyer and insisted on entering. I discounted the thought since it was only a week or so after she would be through her "tonsil recovery period." However, she persisted, as did my guilt, and out of persistence, guilt and the long standing traditions of Grandpa Larry....a science project was born!

Amazing Ants!... was the experiment of choice. Syd had received an ant habitat last summer for her birthday that she loved. She (and I) spent many hours watching those ants tunnel and dig their way around. For her project, she devised a hypothesis that ants that were colder wouldn't be able to dig tunnels as well as ants that were warm. Off we went....

She built two ant habitats, filled them with dirt, added Harvester Ants, food, water, and placed one of them in the basement where it is pretty chilly these days. Sydnie carefully kept an observation journal where she noted temperature and progress on those tunnels. Sure enough, those cold ants hardly dug any tunnels at all! Sydnie's hypothesis had proven correct...and a six year old scientist was born.

Next....the Science Fair... We spent hours talking about what she wanted her board to say, typing up captions, looking up pictures on the internet, and preparing her display. She sat so patiently with me as I helped her type up the labels, and was so excited as we sprinkled sand over her display board to make it look like there were ants tunneling through it. I truly think she hardly slept the night before, and she awoke at the crack of dawn to push me out of bed so we could run up to school and set up. She was so excited to share her discoveries, and let everyone see her "hairy ant" in Grandpa Larry's microscope. After a day of sharing, we returned that evening with the family to find a bright, shiny blue ribbon next to her Amazing Ants. Sydnie had won First Place amongst the First Grade projects. The surprise on her face was priceless...she was so proud!

I sat and watched her that evening as she proudly stood by that display representing so much of her sweet time and energy. She motioned with her cute hands towards the microscope, and invited the parents, students and teachers to watch those ants tunnel. My favorite was when she got to the part where she exclaimed, "and my hypothesis was right!" She looked so grown up to me, suddenly. One of those Mommy Snap Shots that you take with your heart--and take a step back as you reluctantly realize that your baby is growing up... wow.

What an experience! What a smile...what a girl.
Our Amazing Sydnie and her
Amazing Ants! [One science fair down....??? to go? ;) ]
We love you Syd! Way to go!