Tie-dyed

Jenny made tie-dyed t-shirts with the kids last week. Here's the best shot I could get of the kids with their new threads on.

Swim lessons

Ellen and Anais started swim lessons again. For some reason Ellen insisted on striking this pose for the photo. I guess she's preparing herself for her first beauty contest.

The Mushroom Festival

In case you are not aware, we live in an area highly regarded for it's mushrooms. In fact if the wind is blowing right, we enjoy the sweet stank of the mushroom "farms" - unsightly shacks filled with manure. The annual Mushroom Festival was held over the weekend so we loaded up the car to enjoy a day celebrating one of my favorite pizza toppings. Ellen enjoyed the "Monkey Maze" which had some crazy mirrors. With her hair in braids and her body elongated, she almost looks old enough to listen to Hannah Montana! Anais chose the "boat-ride" for her carnival ride. It was a hoot to watch.

Tropical Storm Hanna

We finally got some rain thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna. The girls decided to go out with their raincoats and umbrellas and work on some "watercolors".

For the politically minded...

The gender card

First day of school

Today was Ellen and Anais's first day back to school. This year they will both be in Miss Marguerite's class. It's a montessori program for 3-5 year olds. Although Ellen is old enough to start Kindergarten, because of her mid-August birthday we decided it was best to give her another year in preschool and be one of the older kids once she started in elementary school. With the montessori program, she will be able to learn as much as she'd like - reading, early math, etc. - so we don't feel that we are "holding her back". It will be a chance for her to build some confidence and be a leader as the older kids are encouraged to help the younger ones in the classroom. Anais enjoyed her first day and seems to love being in class with her sister. I'm hoping it'll be a good experience for the 2 of them. They are close but we think Anais is independent enough to not be overshadowed by Ellen in class. Should be a fun year!!!

A day at the Beach

Shawn and I took the 4 kids to the beach in Lewes on Sunday. All things considered, it went well. Traffic was light, we were able to park close, we didn't have to wait for the shower and there were no "blow-outs". Just small amounts of sand were injested by the boys while the girls had fun making sand castles with Shawn and collecting rocks and seashells. A day at the beach isn't without hassle and lots of schlepping back and forth but it was nice to spend the day as a family!