Race Day Again!

Nation's Triathlon race day and I managed to take only 2 pictures -- TWO PICTURES???? What was I thinking?  In my defense, it was really, really early in the morning when we started out, I have this new camera I'm still trying to figure out, and it's hard to keep two four-year-olds entertained when there is a whole lot of hurry-up-and-waits.  Anyway, here are the few photos I managed to take of Bill's triathlon in downtown DC...

Dad getting started on his bike with his new Abita Restoration Beer t-shirt GiGi got him for his birthday.  Looking good, Daddy -- ride fast!!!!

The next place we saw daddy?  At the port-a-potties! 

Caught ya!  He actually had to veer off course for this pit stop between the bike and the run; good for us because we got to give more kisses!

Next we went to the finish line to wait.  It was a bit of a wait before the girls got to run across the finish line with Daddy, so I let the girls play around with my camera.  Here are a few Katie and Ella shots...

Their Hello Kitty water bottle.

A nice shot of momma's wrinkles

Puppy and Pink Baby

The apple on Ella's shirt.

Katie

Mom's bum.

Katie and Mom's bum.

Ella's sparkly princess shoe.

Momma and Ella

After the race I asked the girls if it was fun watching Daddy race.  Ella said, "Yeah!, but it was kinda boring." Even with only seeing him for all of about 2-minutes during the race which lasted 3+ hours, we really did have fun, and we're really proud of daddy.  Katie and Ella even ran across the finish line with him.  Hopefully, I'll have that photo to post soon.

Daddy's Birthday!

We had a busy week -- not only did preschool start, but Daddy's birthday was this week too... he was "in training" (his race was in two days) and didn't want to do anything too much, so we had a nice, quiet (as quiet as can be with two four-year-olds!) dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, Pistone's, and then home for some yummy BR ice cream cake.

Here's daddy with his girls, Katie (in pink) and Ella (in blue) waiting for dinner to arrive.

Cake time!!!!

The girls had me ask for "sample spoons" from BR so they could eat their cake with them.  They actually kept up with them all day and pulled them out as soon as it was time to cut the cake.

Telling Daddy EXACTLY which piece they want...

Katie fully enjoying her cake!

Ella not-so-patiently-waiting for her piece.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!!!  WE LOVE YOU!

First Day of Pre-K

It's school time!!  Katie and Ella started pre-K this week in SEPARATE classes.  Wow! what a big change for them -- after being together 24-7 since they were born, they are finally getting a little break from one another.  We told the girls they were in separate classes the moment we received the letter with the teacher assignments.  Ella's response was pure excitement.  Katie was a little less exuberant and admitted to being "... a little nervous".   When the big day for school orientation arrived, however, they were both raring to go.

Daddy walking the girls to the first day of pre-K.

First stop, Ella's classroom.  We spent about an hour exploring her new room, meeting her new teachers and some of her new (and old!) classmates.

Ella telling a classmate's mom about her fun trip to Sesame Place this summer.

Listening and reading along to a book.

Next it was time to see Katie's classroom and meet her teachers.

Katie and Ella getting to know Mrs Aliea.

 

It didn't take long for Katie to find the art corner.

And she enjoyed listening to a book and reading along too.

This is the official first day of school -- it was raining cats and dogs! But, the girls love any reason to use their princess umbrellas and wear their rain boots, so it was an exciting way to start school.  Mom, however, was all discombobulated and didn't get a good shot of them in their cute first-day-of-school outfits... I'm thinking I  may have to re-create the big day and post an update -- shhhhh, don't tell anyone...

This is the prayer that the girls sing before snack time at school.  It was posted on Katie's classroom wall.  I thought it was so sweet and just had to include it here.

Lake Barcroft's Official End of Summer

We have such mixed emotions about the Labor Day games... on the one hand, it's such a fun day; on the other, it's the un-official end of summer.... the end of hanging out at the beach with friends, playing in the sand, swim lessons, soaking up the sun, and splashing in the cool water.   What a great lazy summer we have had and what a great way to end it!  Here are a few snapshots of us enjoying the games...

Katie (in the polka dotted cover-over) and Ella (sporting a braided pony tail) digging for pennies.

Showing me their loot (the sun was hurting their eyes, hence the squinting!)

Daddy getting the girls ready for the 3-legged race

All the competitors lining up

(the twins next to Katie & Ella were the winners of this race!)

As you can see the girls are having a BLAST, even if they didn't win!

Now it's time for the individual sack race. 

And, they're OFF!

Again, having a GRAND time!

Daddy and Mr. Kevin, giving the optimistic "#1" before the canoe race.

And, actually they were in the lead on the return home, until hit from behind by Pirate Dann!

Ella (and Katie too, but I didn't seem to get a shot of her) playing in the sand and making towel forts while Daddy raced.

The last competition of the day was the tug-o-war.  First up, the little girls vs the little boys. 

Here, Ella and Katie are getting a feel for the rope.

The big girls are encouraging them to, "PULL, PULL, PULL!"

Here's Ella having so much FUN and enjoying the attention from the big girls.  And even more fun was the seven, 6-and-under girls whipped the seven, 6-and-under boys! 

On the last tug-o-war competition it was all the kids, big and little, in a boys vs girls free-for-all.  As the boys made their final pull to win, Katie took a hard tumble and ended up getting a really bad rope burn on her wrist and under her arm.  Even though it hurt (and needed some serious TLC), she was a trooper about it and even seemed to take a bit of pride in her hard earned boo-boo.

The Piano Player

This scanned image doesn't do it justice, but our budding artist, Katie, sketched an amazing piece of art during church last week.  We went to early mass, and as always, we sat next to the choir.  Katie seemed particularly interested in the piano player that morning.  We thought maybe because she has recently been sitting downstairs and tinkling the piano at home that she was enjoying watching the piano player play.  But what she was really doing was sketching the pianist.  She had opened her little art pad, pulled out her colors, and sketched the lady in motion as she was playing.  Katie even went into detail with the green shirt that the lady was wearing.  The piano player's adult daughter happened to be sitting behind us and was paying more attention to Katie's artwork than we were.  After mass, she pointed it out to us and then called her mother over to see it.  After seeing it, the pianist was so excited she ran to show it to her choir mates, and then asked Katie if she could have copy of it to hang up at home.  So, here it is, Katie's first piece of almost commissioned art for a customer..."The Piano Player".

 

Ella's Photography Exhibit

I was downloading some photos from the camera to the computer and I discovered these photographs that Ella took.  Here are some that she picked out to share with everyone.  I asked her to either name each picture or tell me what she was feeling at the time or now when she sees the photo and I've labeled each photo with her description/title.

First are the self-portraits:

Spider

Purple Eyes

Ella Happy

Dark Eyes

Swaying Ella

Next are objects around the house:

Field Eye

Fork Eye

Pinky

"makes me feel like the song PINK by Rocknocerus"

Tootsie Roll Favorite

None Forks

The Dinosaur Picture

Nice and Crazy

Air Force

Chandilier Shoot

Eating

White as Snow

Movie Theater

Big Bowl

Rosie Red

Last, are photos of the artwork made by her and her sister:

Cinderella and the Ball

Kittens at the Park (picture drawn by Katie)

Daddy and Katie (picture drawn by Katie)

Princesses (drawn by Mommy, colored by Ella)

Banana Hanna (picture draw by Katie)

Butterfly in the Storm

Double D Friends