Excellent, excellent

You came home on Wednesday with this:

It's a certificate of excellence for your excellent progress in grade one. You said only three other kids got one and everyone clapped when you received it. It's even signed by the principal. How nice to have this when I always hear your teacher tell the other parents what kind of trouble their kids got into that day - like the boy who got afternoon recess taken away because he was chasing girls with a stick over the lunch hour and someone got hurt. True story.

It might be because you draw rainbows so good. Or maybe that's just a side effect. While it's lots of hard work and the days are long, you are doing great. I wish we all our days were full of rainbows on giant pieces of paper.

Finn talks - another feat at 16 months

There's no going back...

Lily started grade one last week. She'd been waiting for it for a long time. Aside from a stolen (borrowed) flip-flop incident and only riding the bus once thus far, I'd say it was pretty successful. She even stayed for lunch on Wednesday.

She loves having three recesses (including the lunch one). She thinks having her own desk is pretty cool. She also thinks that it's great to have markers, crayons and pencil crayons to carry out her artistic endeavors. Her teacher, Monsieur Dubé, is very funny. He'd better have a sense of humour because there are 26 kids in that class.

I like seeking her out from our backyard on the playground at recess. Then I can see who's she's playing with or what she's doing. Otherwise, I'd never know... Typical answer to "What did you do today at school?" is: "I don't remember." Suppose I'll just have to get used to that.

Here's Lily's first after-school snack. Her brother was happy to have her home.

Finn at 16 months - Basketball Superstar!

Shootin' hoops - Finn at 16 months from Hood/Anderson on Vimeo.

This little guy has been obsessed with basketball. He can spot a net or a ball from a mile away and points out every one we pass on the street. He's mesmerized watching kids (and some moms) playing at the school yard. And yesterday, he tried to trade Nana his soccer ball for her new basketball. Sometimes you just know what you like.

This shot actually went in! Now that's talent.