BEES!

We came home to this last night...

There were actually two that size touching each other- but I couldn't get a picture of both of them without getting to close.

From what I've read, it is not a nest so much as a swarm. It has something to do with their reproductive cycle and the raising of a queen bee. I don't know. We are going to get library books about bees tomorrow.

There is someone out front right now extracting them to take to his house. You know in the movies if you mess with the hive they all swarm and chase you... here the guy essentially moved what they were working on and just sat with patience as they looked for and found what they wanted in his box. I'm just kicking myself for not getting a picture when he first started working and the bees were flying all around him.

"First I have to...."

Sasha is hilarious when you tell her to wrap up her computer turn. She gets a deep, gutteral voice and says "first I have to...." sometimes she finishes the sentence by telling us what she has to finish, other times she fades off and continues to play.

I swear, if she had been my first I'd make myself crazy with stress... but now I just laugh. Such a funny kid she is.

"Chocolate Monster, Eat me All Up!"

Every night I give the kids a kiss on their forehead "to seal in all the sweet dreams". Last night as soon as I kissed Sasha she told me in a gutteral voice she has become familiar with "didn't work. I had a bad dream!" She was obviously a little tired and a little testy. So I just said "oh yeah?" she grunts in to affirm, and says "Chocolate Monster. He eat me all up"

Silly Eliana

We have been talking tot he girls about attempting to save their allowance, and not spend it all on webkinz. Eliana is convinced she needs one more webkinz, a specific one she has been waiting to come out in stores... the Tiger Snake.

To help convince me she pulled this one the other day...

"brrring, brrrring
Hello?
What's that Tiger Snake?
You want me to buy you?!
ok."
hangs up imaginary phone
"Mom, Tiger Snake called and he wants me to buy him. So see? I HAVE to buy him"

School

If the house wasn't news enough for one day... shortly after hearing I went to check my email and found out that the girls had been accepted to a school with a focus on the arts. I called a couple weeks ago, and was told by the receptionist that she "thinks all those who have been accepted have been contacted already" so I had already assumed we didn't get in. We did though! It was almost to much news to take for one day.

I'm a little (ok, a LOT) sad to send the girls off to school. I really like having them close to me each day... knowing what their world is about. I think there are a lot of opportunities to be had out there though beyond my own abilities to facilitate. I think they are amazing girls who will do awesome though. I just hope I don't miss them to much.

Eliana is 5!

I am a little late on updating. As most of you know, Eliana turned 5 on March 28th. Some of you also know that a few years ago we started keeping a journal of each girl as they changed from year to year. Here are the pictures of us working on Eliana's journal this year.

Malia painting one of her hands for her hand prints:


Sasha painting the other, which apparently was quite funny:


Pressing her hand down with her:


Doing her first artwork as a 5 year old:


Showing it off before we glued it in her journal:


Her crown of flowers we made for her


We went to Krispy Kreme for a treat, I wasn't planning to take pictures but she struck this pose as the sugar rush hit and I couldn't help myself:


I can't believe my girl is 5!

Judo

Last night was Eliana's first time joining Judo, she did pretty good!

Learning back falls


Sitting perfectly in seiza


Though sometimes she got a little distracted...


Practicing her back fall


Learning to roll


Learning to tap out


And also exciting last night, Malia had her belt test and passed! She is now a yellow belt!

Here she is demonstrating O Goshi during her test


Waiting for her sensei to return (she didn't know she had passed the test, I'm not even sure she knew she was testing)


Here she was rising, and noticing the yellow belt in hand


Bowing to her Sensei


Putting her new belt on


Throwing us a proud glance


Here the girls are practicing together, Malia has Eliana in guard