Exciting Times

Both kids are having exciting weeks!  Finley's preschool started Monday, and this year he will be in a class with two friends, Macy and Jake.  Finley has known these two since they were all babies.  He will have the same teachers as last spring, which I hope will make the transition back to school considerably easier.  The school is located here in Stanley, about a 12-15 minute walk from our place.  We get plenty of exercise walking Finley to and from school twice a day!  Though I'll be honest, there were some days in June when I was wearing a cranky baby in the carrier and dragging a 3-yr-old on the verge of a tantrum in the insane heat while sweating profusely and carrying a diaper bag where I just said, "Forget it, let's just take a bus home!"  Finley loves to ride the double-decker buses and would do it every single day if I let him.

Finley went straight for the drums at school

Singing with classmates

Macy, Finley, and Jake

Passed out after a fun first day

Elise seems to have gotten the memo that she is turning one in a few weeks and has been growing and developing like mad, trying to prepare.  She is a super fast crawler and doesn't really have incentive to learn to walk, but recently she has discovered that she can in fact stand on her own, and has even started taking a step or two before plopping down again to speed crawl.  Elise's personality just keeps blossoming.  She loves rolling around all over the bed or couch (so safe!).  She laughs and smiles and makes funny faces.  But she is also learning to protest when she wants or doesn't want something.  She has started arching her back and trying to throw herself out of my arms, as well as making none too quiet verbal protests.  I think she's going to be a feisty one like her mama!  Elise is also starting to point, take objects in and out of containers, push buttons, use objects as tools, and turn pages in books.  She climbs all over everything she can get on!