Tommy's October Review

Tommy's most notable accomplishment from October is that he was promoted from Level 1 to Level 2 in gymnastics.  Miss Paulette reluctantly signed his ribbon and rang the bell announcing his promotion. She was reluctant because Coach David was starting a young Level 2 class for other kids Tommy's age who were ready to move up (most of the Level 2 classes are for 7-8 year olds).  Miss Paulette didn't want to let go of Tommy!  Level 2 is a longer class and much more challenging, but so far Tommy is doing well, working hard, and getting stronger.

Tommy initially remained neutral come Bruce Mahoney time...

Bridging the divide

but as the game wore on Tommy fell in love listening to SI Sports Radio.  He kept the earphones on the entire game listening to (and repeating for us) the play by play.  He absorbed every moment of that game and asked a hundred questions of Daddy, Papa, and a very generous religion teacher who happened to sit next to us.

I caught him reading upside down one morning.  He seriously read an entire paragraph to me out loud with the book upside down.  I'm not sure why...

Time with cousins is always a special gift

 With Bianca and Shen helping to clean up campus after the Halloween carnival

Giving high gives and a "good game"congratulation to every tree between the parking lot and WingStop

Tommy and Mama have developed a good system of reciprocal foot massages

Tommy confessed today that he voted for Mitt Romney in the online election they did at school.  I (calmly) asked follow up questions.  He'd heard candidate speeches from junior high kids the day before.  Was there something about Romney's platform that he liked?  No... he just wanted them to add another president to his Presidents vs Aliens iPad game.  I replied, "and that's why they don't let kids vote, Tommy."

Lucy's October Accomplishments

Lucy has settled in well at preschool.  We even had her first Parent-Teacher conference this month and she got pretty good reports.  Some highlights include that Lucy communicates better with adults than with her peers, Lucy likes to play in the dress up corner (even when it is not dress up time), and that Lucy G and Lucy K are "frenemies" or seem to have a love-hate relationship.  Girl drama starts early, apparently.  She loves tracing her name and doing arts and crafts.

Early in October, Holy Name celebrated the Feast of St. Francis and the Blessing of the Animals.  The K-8 students bring their pets to be blessed.  The preschool students brought their stuffed animals.  We felt, Brown Bear could use all the blessings he could get and a little holy water certainly wouldn't hurt!

Lucy & Daddy play with Legos

She continues to enjoy dance class

and an eclectic sense of style around the house.

We squeezed in one last trip to Great America for the year

and Lucy visited with Lucy at the Academy of Sciences

She still loves a good playground

or a game of catch with Papa

got a little silly with a marker at Nana's house!

 

and most recently, helped Grandma pick walnuts in Gilroy.

 as Lucy inches closer to 3, she continues to pave her own way.  Thanks to the dress up corner at school, she has now acquired princess language (oh well, it was a fun 2 3/4 years).  The other day she told me "I wish I had yellow hair."  I think it was the meanest thing she'd ever said to me and my brunette heart broke.

Other than that, she is sweet and adorable and continues to make us laugh on a regular basis.

5 and a Half!

Happy Half Birthday, Tommy!


(Full disclosure, I took this pic yesterday... But I was going to be away and didn't want to forget)

Tappa Tappa Tappa

A few weekends ago, Lucy was stuck at school with me while one of our choreographers held an audition for her Bollywood style piece.  Lucy decided to try out too

Then, one of my students came into class a couple of weeks ago and let me know that she was going to be teaching dance this fall.  She was very excited to  have her own class.  Upon further inquiry, I found out she was teaching a 3-4 year old Ballet & Tap class at the studio 2 blocks from our house.  

Will you take a 2 year 9 month old who is already potty trained, goes to preschool, and takes gymnastics without parent participation?  Fantastic.  Sign her up!

So Lucy got her first pair of TAP SHOES!

When she took ballet earlier this year, that was very cute and all.  But when my girl put on tap shoes I was seriously in heaven!  Like her mother and her grandmother before her she seems quite at home in a pair of taps. (it should also be noted that her father took tap in college...)

Her two teachers are both two of my dancers, they are twins actually... so I'm very comfortable and confident in their abilities.  I dropped her off and walked out the door....

... this little Stage Bro peeked through the window!

I got to go back in halfway through to change shoes.

The best part is the quick walk to and from the studio!

Recitals in December and June folks... mark your calendars :)