Now I'm the Lucky One...

My dearest Molly,

Today was your first random day off from school - end of the quarter or teacher in-service day or something.  So, you and Daddy were just going to hang out at home today. 

Then you had an idea.  You wanted to take me to lunch.  Check that - you wanted to SURPRISE me at work and take me to lunch.

So, I get a call in my office at 11:30 -- that I have visitors at the front desk.  I walked out front and you yelled, "Surprise, Mommy!"  (Much to the surprise of those all around...)  You picked out your favorite dress and most sparkly shoes and headband to match, too.

We had a wonderful time.  It was a giant boost to my day -- you'll never know how sweet it was.  Oh - and you brought your new camera, too.  Wow, do you love your new camera.  You're getting pretty good, too!

One of my favorite parts was watching other people watch you.  They had to be thinking, "Who is this little girl and who gave her that camera?" 

Thanks for making it such a special day.  Love you, peanut.

The Luckiest Girl...

Daddy and I dropped you off at school Friday morning, then headed out for breakfast before running some errands.  While at breakfast, my phone rings.  The caller ID lists "Molly's School - Office."

Oh... rats.

"Um, hello?"

"Hi, Molly's Mom.  This is Tammy at school.  I have good news."

And my heart starts beating again.

A couple weeks ago, Molly's school had a Walk-a-thon.  The students collected pledges and walked around the school four times, which equaled one mile.  I love this idea -- it gets students outside and exercising, 100 percent of the profits go to the school, and I don't have to sell overpriced wrapping paper, overpriced chocolates, overprices coupon books... well, you get the picture.  Every student who participated and collected more than $20 in pledges got a drawstring backpack.  Every student who collected more than $50 was entered into a drawing for a digital camera.  And the class that collected the most pledges in the school would win a pizza party.

"Yes, I'm calling to tell you that Molly won the Walk-a-thon drawing.  She won the digital camera."

Of course she did.  Of all the students in the school, our little Kindergartener wins the camera.

And not just any camera... this is a Nikon Cool Pix 10 megapixel camera.

Lucky little peanut.

So now we'll have lots more Molly photos to enjoy... now in high-quality resolution.  Here's one of the first photos you took today - a beautiful double rainbow in front of our house. 

Halloween Decisions... Part Deux

So, while Molly and I were at the Beauty Salon today, Miss Dana asked Molly, "So what are you going to be for Halloween, Molly?"

"A butterfly."

What?  Obviously, Molly does NOT read her Mommy's blog. Otherwise she would know that butterfly has been NOWHERE on the list of ideas so far to day.

Unfortunately, Molly and I were decorating for Halloween today and she discovered her box of Halloween stuff, which includes part of her elephant costume from two years ago and the antennae headband from when she was supposed to be when she was two...

Here's the inspiration, from Pottery Barn circa 2006...

But I didn't want to shell over the $100 for the Pottery Barn version, so I called Grandma.  Molly's crafty grandma made her an adorable black jumper... and Grandma and Grandpa worked together and made the cutest pair of Monarch butterfly wings you ever saw...  However, this is one of the few pictures I have of Molly wearing the one piece of the costume she would wear... the jumper.

You would NOT wear the wings.  Period.  Any time we tried  to get you to wear the wings, you'd FREAK out.  When I tried to wear the wings to show you how fun and fabulous they were, you FREAKED out even more... and tried to yank the wings off me, as if they were attacking me.

And for your big Halloween Spooktacular at school, what did you wear?  Oh, for that, you wore a costume of your own choosing...

This photo still makes me think of Nacho Libre... but I digress...

The butterfly wings still decorate one wall of your room... but you have never wanted to touch them since.  And when you announced today that you wanted to be a butterfly, I replied that you'll have to do some serious sweet talking to Grandma to get her to make you another jumper.

So, add Butterfly to the ever-growing list of Halloween costume choices of 2009.  My money is still on poodle-skirt girl... but we shall see what completely new costume idea tomorrow brings.

Halloween Decisions...

It's September 24, and Molly has not made a definitive decision on what she's going to be for Halloween.

I'm a little concerned.  This just isn't like her.

When she was three, on September 1, she announced on the way home from daycare, "Mommy, I want to be an elephant for Halloween."  And that was that.  She never second-guessed herself, never changed her mind.  Heck, she didn't even ENTERTAIN the idea of being anything else besides an elephant.

(And that costume was brilliant, if I do say so myself.)

Then last year, in MAY, when we went to Walt Disney World, right before we entered the world's largest Disney Store, Molly stopped me.  She looked at me very earnestly and stated, "Mommy, I would like to buy a Cinderella dress.  And that's what I'll be for Halloween."  And she was.

So here we are... almost a month away from Halloween, and you still haven't decided on your costume!  Here's how we're tracking so far...

- First, you thought you would be Cinderella again.  Great! I thought.  Costume done and done.

- Next, you wanted to be Gretel from "The Sound of Music."  No one will know who you're supposed to be... especially your classmates.  But Grandma and Grandpa will love this since that movie was their first date.

- Then, after we saw "Mary Poppins," and you got the umbrella and carpet bag, you thought you'd be Mary Poppins.  Ok, I thought.  Might be a little tougher... but with Grandma's help, we'll figure this out.

- That didn't last very long...because then you wanted to be Jane Banks from "Mary Poppins." 

- Then we remembered that you had your poodle skirt from the 1950s prom at your preschool... and you I thought you had settled on that.

- And yesterday, you announced you wanted to be a cheerleader.

Luckily, we haven't bought a thing yet.  And I think you're going to go with the poodle skirt... although Cinderella is a good, solid back-up. 

Then again, we have 36 days to go... 

The String Cheese Incident

I wonder if the members of this group have five year-olds... because I appreciate that name on a whole new level now...

Last night, Molly was tired.  It was Wednesday - so she already has had soccer practice, two gym classes, and a WHOLE LOT of recess time because it's been so beautiful here.  She also has been fighting some sniffles.  I could tell when I picked her up from after-care, she was wiped out. 

Because she had been playing on the playground and had gym yesterday, she was a little sweaty.  So Daddy and I suggested we do bath before dinner.  Then after dinner, we can snuggle, read stories, and go to bed early.  She agreed... of course, I put bubbles in the bathtub and we DID NOT want bubbles. 
Daddy expertly corraled the bubbles to one end of the tub, so crisis averted.

But I should have sensed then that she was going to blow.

After bath, Molly asked for a snack.  She wanted string cheese.  So as I fixed dinner, I watched Molly get said string cheese out from the fridge and start to open.

That's when it happened.

The string cheese broke.

And Molly started walking straight to the trash can.

"What's wrong, Molly?"

"My cheese broke."

Molly opens lid on trash can.

"Molly, please do not throw that cheese away..."

"But it's... BROKEN!!!!"

Thus began 30 minutes of crying over broken cheese.  At one point, when I said "that cheese or no cheese," she walked over to the table, gestured with her hand, and replied through sobs, "But I can't eat THAT cheese.  It's broken!"

Finally, after a few moments of quiet on the naughty step (for talking back... not for refusal of cheese), she calmed down, then ate the cheese (it was that or no dessert) and a really good dinner.  We snuggeled, read books, and she was sound asleep by 7:40 p.m.

It's tough enough to be five and in Kindergarten.  But to have to eat BROKEN string cheese on top of that?  Really... it's too much.
  

Big Words... Big Thoughts

Scene:  Kitchen table at dinner time.  Family is finishing up.  Daddy pulls out of a shopping bag two flashlights.

Molly:  Oooh, Daddy!  Can I have those?  What are those?

Daddy:  Flashlights.  I got them today on sale...

Molly:  Pointing the flashlights at the ceiling.  Look!  The kitchen light is the sun.  And my flashlight is the Earth orbiting the sun.

Orbiting?  Really?  Awesome.

Big Girl Room

One of the little things Daddy and I decided to do as part of your fifth birthday was to redecorate your room.  We actually had decided to do this way back when you were just a baby.  We always thought that five sounded like a good age to have a big girl room... even though you've had the big girl furniture since you were 18 months old.

(Yeah - I always get asked, "You got rid of the crib when she was only 18 months old?!?!?!"  I don't know - seemed like a good idea at the time.  And Daddy and I were kind of tired of the crib.  And you NEVER had a problem with the transition... you actually slept better in the big bed... although now you won't give up your bed gate... but I digress.)

Daddy found a colorful Princess border at Wal-Mart that's reusable (basically a giant Post-It Note!) along with some other wall decals that all go nicely with your pretty blue walls.  (Yes - our ulterior motive was to NOT repaint your room... especially to repaint it pink, as you requested.)  We found the posters at Walt Disney World.  And I even asked for a menu at Cinderella's Royal Table and our wonderful waitress gave one to me!

So, while the girls went to see "Mary Poppins" a couple weeks ago, Daddy was busy transforming your baby room into a room fit for a princess...

I so LOVE the Cinderella opera poster...

New comforter and sheet set courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa for your birthday...

The menu from Cinderella's Royal table is the small one to the right of the big poster.  I'll get a better photo of it... because it is BEAUTIFUL.

Daddy unveiled the room to you when we got home and you instantly LOVED it.  Your reaction -- your hands going to your mouth in surprise -- absolutely melted Daddy.  (And me, too.)

Love you, princess.

The Three Amigos

How Do You Spell What?

"Mommy, how do you spell please?"

"Let's sound it out..."

(A few moments later...)

"Mommy, how do you spell middle?"

"What are you writing, Molly?"

"Grandpa left his shoes in the middle of the floor and I tripped on them, so I'm writing Please don't leave your shoes in the middle of the floor."

And that's exactly what you wrote.

Meet You At The What???

So Molly plays soccer at one of the local Catholic parishes.  To answer your question, no - we are not Catholic.  However, we live in this parish and a lot of Molly's friends play there and it's MUCH better than the Y so we're really enjoying it.

After Molly's first game, she wanted to run up the big hill towards the parking lot.  (Because she's five and still thinks running UP hills is fun.)  She called out to Ellie, "I'll meet you at the Jesus!"

What?

I wonder what Molly would do if I took her to see Touchdown Jesus at Notre Dame?

The Ladybugs' First Game

Since they have red shirts, Coach John and the parents have nicknamed Molly's team The Ladybugs.  (Although Aaron suggested Red October and Ellie's mom suggested The Red Menace.... both of which got a big laugh from the parents.)

Um, Molly... you're looking the wrong way...

The first game was very exciting -- all of you looked so cute in your pink soccer socks!  We played your friend Isabella's team (The Blueberries), so it was great to see her.  I have to say, soccer is MUCH more exciting to watch than t-ball.  We cheered for everyone and it was amazing to see how some of your teammates really got their game on!  Paige was throwing elbows and Hailey was kickin' it like Brandi Chastain. 

Right before kick off. 

Coach John and Molly

Best of all, you really seem to be enjoying soccer.  No complaints about practice or having to go (which is FANTASTIC).  You're getting a ton of exercise.  And the weather has been so freakishly, unseasonably nice, that's it's wonderful to sit outside and watch you run and run and run.

My favorite part:  "Good game... good game... good game... good game...."

Headin' home...

Ballet Debut

Last Saturday, Molly and her two best friends -- Ellie and Abby -- started ballet with their new teacher.  (Or, as Molly would correct me, "We're going to ballet at my new studio.)

It's a nice little new studio less than a mile from our house.  Miss Rosemary moved her studio here from a more rural area.  The good news is there are only four ballerinas in your class!  The bad news is... there are only four ballerinas in your class.  We hope -- in this economy -- that Miss Rosemary's other classes are a little more full.

You and Ellie posed for me before you started class.  I took one look at this photo and immediately knew that it is one I will cherish forever.

Love you, ballerina.

MPF: Soccer!

Another Molly Paige First:  Soccer!  You started practice a couple weeks ago. 

Luckily, you're on the same team as your two best friends.  Of course, that means you have a tendency to talk and goof around with them sometimes when you should be paying attention to the coach...

You have a FANTASTIC coach who is EXTREMELY patient with 11 five year-olds.  And so far, you really love it!  I think it's much more engaging than t-ball -- and a lot less standing around.  You kick really straight and have fun running... but after about 30 minutes, you're pretty worn out.  (Which makes for an early bedtime!)

You got your team shirts last week -- they are red.  So you're probably going to be the Ladybugs :) 

First game tomorrow night.  Go Ladybugs!

Kindergarten is Kicking My... Bottom

Molly,

It's Day 12 of Kindergarten...

The weather has been so unseasonally beautiful here that you're playing outside twice a day... plus PE three times a week.

When I called you to dinner and you didn't answer, I figured you changed your dinner protest from whinning to silent.

Instead, I found you like this at 6:08 p.m...

Daddy and I tried to wake you up, to no avail. I carried you upstairs, but as soon as I laid you down, you woke up claiming to want dinner. (You always did that as a baby too -- you could go from a dead sleep to wide awake and hungry as soon as I would let go of you...)

We came back downstairs. You ate EVERYTHING on your plate, plus seconds. (Funny how an hour earlier you didn't like ANYTHING I was fixing for dinner. But I let that go...) As soon as you were done eating, we returned to your room, read a chapter of Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator, then tucked you in.

We haven't heard from you since.

Who knew that Kindergarten was such hard work???