no kindergarten babies in this house!

Kindergarten is over. I pride myself that I manage to pack Kylinn a healthy, mostly-organic lunch and drove her to and from school every day. Well, every day except the 13 that she was absent, most likely because we were being awesome parents and sneaking off on mini-vacations.

why kindergarten is a party...

TRANSLATION: I made a yucky pizza.
It had spiders and slime and mold and flies and shampoo.
It is not good for you!

The semi-formal 5 year old

Last night Kylinn & Adam attended the "Daddy Daughter Dance" at her school. It was a luau complete with a huge meal, limbo & hula, sand, fish, live dj and a gift raffle. I had bought her a Hawaiian dress ahead of time, and a back up toile dress for my very particular fashionista. Of course, the Hawaiian dress wasn't "fluffy" enough, so she went dressed to the nines. This morning she told me that it was "the best time [she] ever had!" Adam (and I) wore our [matching] garb from Hilo Hattie. I'm glad that that one impulsive purchase in Hawaii 10 years ago has been worth it. Apparently, there was a scramble around here for aloha and the re-sale shops were stripped clean. The dads were all so sweet & funny last night. They were far more concerned about matching their leis to their outfits than their daughters were.

While it was so awesome for Kylinn & Adam to have that special time together, the event was put on by the PTO and I co-chaired, so it was fun to peek in on them every once in a while.

halloween holiday happenings

halloween a whirlwind holiday! it's hard to believe that 350 rick-or-treaters and our rockin' party have come and gone. our outdoor decor came down in a record breaking three hours. the inside, however, is still a work in progress.

the school pto halloween dance was a huge success. it was my first event with the pto, and of course- i volunteered to co-chair it. lots of festive fun was had by all, but it was also a lot of work.

our baby girl has lost her first tooth- and the next one will soon be on it's way out, as well.

my grandpa is doing okay. he is still in the hospital, after another emergency procedure to address the blood in his lungs, which later led to a mini stroke. we're still hoping for him to be home in time for thanksgiving. with my asthma (which is very, very bad at the moment) we haven't been back up to see him.. continued prayers are very much appreciated.

that's all folks!

on the eve of picture day...

just as we have done for three years prior:

a last-minute hair cut.

kindergarten kylinn

it's time to begindergarten kindergarten

yesterday we attended kindergarten roundup at our local elementary school.
kylinn was more than thrilled to take her first bus ride around the village.

first day of school 2008

school days, school days
dear old golden rule days
reading, and writing and aritmatic
taught to the tune of a hickory stick
you were my girl in calico, and
i was your bashful bachelor beau

kylinn is really, really, really excited to be back in school. she's grown up so much since last year. today, she immediately latched onto another little girl in a fluffy cheetah-print skirt. she was completely thrilled. tegan, on the other hand, is going to have a bit of an adjustment period. he sobbed most of the way home, and would cry out, "sissy.... sissy right back" whenever he could actually get the words out. sweet boy! remember this, dear little brother, the next time that you are being pommeled and are looking for intervention.

things that annoy me- number 2: fundraisers

unfortunately, they are also a necessity.

Hello to all of our friends & family! As you may know, Kylinn is at a new school this year which we're really excited about. It's a really awesome school, which has just an incredible philosophy about togetherness and parent participation. It's going to be a busy year, but I'm really looking forward to the change and the opportunities that both Kylinn and myself will receive from the new school. Unfortunately, the school requires that the parents collectively raise $5,000 toward additional building costs. Each parent is responsible for raising about $80. Anything raised over the required amount will go toward tuition reduction.

Please don't feel obligated to purchase anything, but if you are looking for small gift ideas (Birthday, Christmas, etc.) perhaps you would be interested in supporting our little school.

Thank you very, very much!
-Meagan (and Kylinn Vanover)

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