Moving Up

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity.

Amid everything else I was doing Wednesday (deliveries for Mark, baking, All-Star Reader Celebration for Charis), we were able to tour the school Esther will attend next year. It's a regular public school in our district, but it will be closer to the charter Charis and Zoë will be attending, it starts 25 minutes after the charter (instead of 5) so I'll have ample time to take all kids to school, and she'll be at the same school as a friend from the orphanage. Esther and her friend will have different teachers (which I think is a great idea), the ELD teacher seems very supportive, and the school supports our decision to retain Esther in third grade.

But we have a lot of work to do this summer to get her ready. I am SO GRATEFUL she was getting some schooling at the orphanage, but realistically, she's about two years behind. But she's a smart girl and will catch up.

Esther's last day of school was Thursday. She told me she was supposed to dress up as a super hero. OK. I'll buy that. (However, she had told me the day before she was supposed to bring blankets to school to make a tent. I happened to pick her up from school that day and saw no one with blankets. But no biggie.) So Thursday, Estee went to school as ...



Super E!

Thursday's schedule was another insane day. After taking Charis to school, I took Zoë to the dentist to have her third cavity filled. At first the dentist thought he'd have to do a pulpotomy (alternative to a root canal on baby teeth) on two of them, but thankfully the dentist was able to just fill them normally. Zoë handled it like a trooper! (It doesn't hurt that there was a TV on the ceiling either).

Then there was a little party at Charis' school for all the kids with summer birthdays. Then we had lunch at Chick-fil-A, where I ran into a friend and her daughter. Then a birthday party at the park for another friend. Then gymnastics. Then home to meet Esther off the bus.

And then there was caking to be done for Charis' graduation ceremony. I'm glad I waited until evening since we seemed to have skipped spring (we set a heat record for that day and we don't have A/C).

But cake, complete with a frosted Kinderbear, was made and stored in the chill chest. Half-sheet lemon cake with "Congratulations" written way too small. But at least it's spelled correctly and I won't end up on Cake Wrecks.



And then Charis' big day arrived. Kindergarten graduation. It seems like it was only a few weeks ago that I stood in her classroom, trying (and failing miserably) to hold back sobs as Mrs. Wright read "The Kissing Hand." Now my big girl is a first-grader. Sigh.






Esther, Zoë and Charis after graduation. (Esther fell off her bike a few days ago and and did a good job scraping up her arm).



Family shot