cathedral park

I can't stand that this has turned into the Blog of Josie, but I don't know what else to say and don't have much time to say it. Bleh.

In the meantime, we came across a stage at Cathedral Park this afternoon, which turned today into Josie's Best Day Ever. Here is her rendition of Katy Perry's Hot n Cold (kind of):

more on josie's first day

Don't mind me while I fill up the interwebs with more pictures of Josie's first day of big-kid preschool:

obligatory backpack shot

"enough with the photos already!"

I have this same photo of all three kids outside the prison gate...
(no, I'm not planning to post all of them)

the first thing Josie ran to inside the classroom

saying goodbye to us from the "goodbye window"

I came back a little early to watch the kids playing outside

a quick story before saying goodbye for the day

first days, through the years

Josie started preschool today (not to be confused with the pre-preschool that she started last year), much to my obvious delight. Both of our older kids went through this same preschool and I couldn't be more excited to have her follow in their footsteps. Of course I had to go the vault of photos from the past to dig out pictures of Avery & Cayden's first days, way back in 2003 and 2005. If nothing else, they're a very good reminder about the massive improvements in photography since then!

freeze time

If I could freeze time for Josie for some period of time, I think it would be right now. She is getting so big and I feel like we're going to blink and she's going to be sitting at the dining room table pouting over her 4th grade homework in no time. While the rest of us are frazzled beyond belief with our busy lives, she just goes with the flow and is living life to the fullest.

She is so ready to go back to school (she'll be starting at her new preschool next week). We've been going in here and there to help her teacher get the classroom ready for the school year and I think she would move in if we'd let her. All the activities are right up her alley; she's going to have such a good time there.

She has become intensely interested in imaginative play, which she prefers to do solo.

(Can I get a "Hallelujah?!")

She had her whole little set-up yesterday: the princesses in the block box and the Playmobil guys in the dollhouse, with the ambulance and school bus somewhere in the middle. I asked if she wanted me to play with her, but she said no. That left me with two hours (TWO HOURS) of time to catch up on email, phone calls, laundry, dishes... life. I can't even express how huge that was. Now that the big kids have gone back to school, it's become glaringly obvious how much stuff was put off this summer. Raising kids is a full-time job you know.

Some of the dialogue overheard:

"It's time to get on the bus for summer camp. Don't be afraid, you'll come back on Tuesday."
"Mulan, I'm your twin sister so you have to do what I tell you to do."
"Don't give me a high-five, Cinderella. That hurts my ears."
"Ariel, are you in here? No, I'm in our new house but you can't come in right now. I'm seeing the doctor after lunchtime."
"Good night, everyone. It's time for you to sleep, but I don't have to because I'm a grown up.

At least we know she's playing attention, eh?

When she would tire of the princesses & guys, she'd move on to the little "art station" she had set up. She went through about 12 pieces of paper, filling each one up with letters and people holding hands. If I remember correctly, the people pictured above include Mommy, Daddy, Bear, Perry, Zeke, Elizabeth, Everette and Zinnia. Among others, and subject to change, I'm sure.

Yes, I think 3.5 is going to work out quite well for us.

zinnia: one month (plus two days)!

It takes a lot of adults with cameras to take pictures of so many cute kids.