And, We're Off!

Madeline and I went back to school this week. I met a new crop of sixth graders, and Madeline started second grade. She is really happy with her new class and her teacher. Her friend Sarah Jane is in her class, and she is reunited with her good friend, Grace, from kindergarten. Unfortunately, her best friend Andrew was placed in another second grade class, so Natalie and I aren't going to be able to keep tabs on them quite as well. :(

Meeting her teacher and checking into her new class:
And just like Sophie, one week after starting school, Madeline is in bed with a fever. At least it's the weekend, and I don't have to use any sick days. I hope she is better by Monday, and that the rest of us can stay healthy.

An Oldie

Sarah Jane's mom recently shared this picture with me. Madeline and Sarah Jane in Calabassas and missing the same tooth!

Sophie Starts Pre-K!

Little Sophie on her first day of pre-k:
My little Sophie started her pre-kindergarten program this week! Wow! Of the three classes at her preschool (same place she went part-time last year), my little "Scrappy" is in the oldest class! I can't believe it! She has the same teacher Madeline had a few years back, and it feels really comfortable and familiar when I drop her off. And, even though she has only been to "school" about 5 times since June, this week has been an easy transition. *insert sigh of relief here* I have been picking her up after lunch this week, but when my school resumes classes next week, she'll be full time. Wow. Again.

Ready to start her year:
According to the state of California, Sophie can enter kindergarten next fall; however, I have given the matter a lot of thought, and I am definitely leaning towards keeping her out an additional year. Seventeen seems just too young to take your kid to college! Besides, I know these years are going to go by fast, so I figure by delaying her entrance into public school by a year, I'll actually gain a year with her at home :)

And, of course, three days back at school has produced a miserable cold for my girl. Oh well, better this week than next week, right?

Labor Day Weekend

We love Leo Carrillo State Beach! First we hung out on the Ventura County side (bottom 3 pics). That's where people can bring their dogs. We didn't bring ours, but it was fun to look at everyone else's. We chose the Ventura side because it is hardly ever crowded, even during Labor Day weekend, and Kent wanted to do some surf fishing. Turns out there is too much kelp floating around close to shore to get tangeled in, but he gave it a few tries.

Since Madeline loves the tide pools on the L.A. side, we went there, too (first 5 pics). However, the tide was coming in by the late afternoon, and the tide pools were disappearing, so the kids opted to play in the surf instead.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, "Sophie's First Day of Pre-K!"

The Fair!

We spent the day at the L.A. County Fair! We've been living here for 9 years; it was high time we made an appearance.

I've contemplated the fair a few times over the last few years, but at 17 dollars a person to enter, which includes nothing, it seemed a little too steep in price. However, this weekend, you could get in for just one dollar, and since Team Malisch agreed to join us, we decided to give it a try! It was hot, and the fairgrounds were HUGE, and we easily spent close to 70 dollars between the parking, two ice-cream cones, 3 beers, 4 rides, and 2 games. But, it was really fun, and we had a great time. I am even thinking about going back before the fair leaves on October 3.

Signs Your Kid is Growing Up

Signs your kid is growing up: Number One: Their teeth start falling out. Madeline has lost 4 total, two this summer.

Number Two: They want to pick out their own back-to-school clothes for second, SECOND!, grade.

Birthdays!

We've been busy celebrating birthdays around here! Madeline turned 7, and we had two celebrations. On her actual birthday, she chose to spend 100 dollars at Toys R Us and have dinner at Buca Di Beppo's rather than her usual backyard party.

Posing with her $$$$

Madeline chose a pogo stick and Elefun at Toys R Us, and then we went to Michaels to shop for arts and crafts stuff. She had a little spare change left over:

On the day before her birthday, Jessie, Adam, Emmet, and Sawyer joined us for an afternoon of grilling, Spongebob cake, and present opening.

And then a week later, it was time to wish Kent a happy birthday! We went to Riverside so Kent and Adam could golf; we grilled some more and had even more cake! Jessie made this beautiful and delicious strawberry shortcake.