Todays Hike

Mama: What did you see today on your hike?
Oly: We saw NO mooses.
Mama: I'm sorry to hear that. What DID you see?
Oly: One deer track.
Mama: And did you go down to the creek?
Oly: Yes. It was moving so fast. I said to Robin, "The creek is moving soooo fast!" and she said, "Yes." And we did not see any fish or scary fish or sharks or whales or deep sea divers and no waves."

It seems like the hikes are really letting her down.

Pictures From School

I'm taking pictures at home mostly with my cell phone and it takes a looooong time for the camera function to load.  By that time anything cute that Oly was doing is over and she smiles a cheesy smile at me and yells, 'whiskey!' so we're not getting many good photos.  But every once in awhile we get an e-mail from her teachers with pictures of the kids at school so I decided to share these instead!

Getting ready for a hike in the nearby woods.  Oly told me, "We did NOT see any moose tracks."

Ethan and Jack G.

Lined up ready to go out in the rain.  They go out in every kind of weather, (unless it would be dangerous for the children.)  With the rain we've been having, she's in new clothes almost every day when I pick her up and the clothes that I sent her in are wrapped up in a muddy bag.  

Jack G. and Scarlett

Oly at the 'Nature Table', a table by the door with things the kids find outside.  For instance right now there's an abandoned birds nest, several different kinds of hornets, acorns, etc.

At their first Spanish class

With Nolan, Barb the spanish teacher and El Mono, the monkey puppet.  Oly now knows how to say 'hola', and 'toca su cabeza' (touch your head).  

Sing

Every Wednesday morning, SRV's entire student body, the staff and many parents squeeze into the music classroom and sing together for 25 minutes.  It's a powerfully moving (and sweaty) way to build community.  The older kids sing at the tops of their lungs and even have 3-part rounds down perfectly.  Oly just sits in my lap with eyes wide open, studying them.  As the beginning of each song starts she turns to me and asks what it's about.  Heigh Ho To The Greenwood?  Trees.  Alvin The Alligator? An alligator.  Loch Lomond? Love.  Swing Low, Sweet Chariot?  Uhhhh, a chariot?  I mean what can I say to a 2 year old about that one?

Anyway Tim and I were talking to Jodie, the music teacher and she told us that the other day she asked one of the older classes what they thought Amazing Grace was about.  She said almost 10 kids thought it was about a girl named Grace who was a wretch.

Very Exciting Week

On Thursday, I had a dentist appointment and left Oly here with Ashley and Tommy.  The two of them generally amuse themselves so I knew it wouldn't be too much work for her pregnant self.  Wrong.  They snuck away and opened a tub of Desitin (thick, oily, white diaper cream) and spread it all over their bodies until they were little smelly white ghosts.  Ashley cleaned Oly up then put her in timeout to wipe down Tom.  Oly broke out of timeout and went back to the scene of the crime to rub more Desitin in HER HAIR.  Still after three baths with dish soap, her scalp is a tiny bit white.

After that debacle they spent an hour building "the jungle" with all of the pillows on the couch.

Jumping on Tommy's neighbor's trampoline:

On Saturday we went to a Country Fair at the Okehocking Preserve where we had a lot of firsts.

This is just chocolate frozen yogurt, that's nothing special:

But this is petting sheep!

And getting her face painted!

Little Zebra checking herself out in the mirror:

And her first pony ride!

She was a little nervous (or as Oly says it, "I'ma widdle nerbus") but we went back over and over again.

This is just a picture that I really like of my little family:

AND we bought a bike at our neighbor's garage sale.  It has tiger stripes (or Flyer stripes depending on who you ask) and Oly already has the hang of it:

Pretty eventful few days.

Scenes From Babysitting Co-Op

Quotable

"Mama, when I grow up and I'm a Mama you'll grow into a tiny baby and then I will hold and take care of you." -Olympia

To help pay for preschool, we got Oly a job at the Red Haven Farm stand at the Media Farmers Market.  Here she is weighing hotdogs.

She's a Preschooler!

Yes!  It has happened!  Our tiny little baby is a pre-schooler.  Today was her first morning at The School in Rose Valley.  She'll be going three mornings a week.  These first five pictures are pulled from their website to give you an idea of how magical the place is.  

And here are the real pictures that I took yesterday at Orientation.  There are guinea pigs!  Here's Oly holding Gypsy Rose.

Those little creatures are saints to put up with these kids. In the picture below is her classmate Ethan and teacher Robin. 

Painting with classmate Scarlett.  In 1.5 hours she made probably 9 paintings. 

And here are pictures of the big day!

Kissing Papa goodbye while having smoothies and waffles for breakfast.

Dressed and ready to go!  How cute is this kid?

"But Mama now my socks are warm rain mittens."

 I dropped her off with no tears!  From me or her.  She gave me a kiss, said "Bye Mama!" and even brought a toy to a girl who was hysterically crying.  I went to the library, the bank, the laundromat, the dry cleaners, the post office and back to the laundromat.  And then I read a magazine while I waited for her in the car!  I love pre-school!

Here's a photo of when I picked her up.  Robin said she did a great job and was a joy to be around.  In the car ride home she wouldn't tell me a thing about what she did, who she met or what they had for snack.  It's a secret Papa and I hope to discover after the epic nap that she's taking right now.  She did come home with paint in her ear and sand up her nose- so it had to be a good day.