Hair Cuts

After having waited three years and three months to give the kids their first hair cut, it should surprise nobody that I waited another six months until the next one.

Here is the before:

Daniel, front

Daniel, back

Caroline, back

Caroline, front 

Max, front

There were fewer nerves than last time around. Though Daniel was terrified at first, he settled down after he saw how much fun Max had flirting with Sandy (and had a good game of hide and seek with Caroline in the Salon).

Sandy tried to put Caroline into a French braid, but with her wispy thin hair, it wasn't destined to last long.

Max got the cool-kid styling again.  

Then we all went across the street to Jamba Juice for lemon smoothies (it's what they wanted).  Hilariously, there was a table of teenager girls next to us being loudly teenagerish and for once in their young lives my kids weren't the loudest people in the joint.  Caroline actually came over to me and whispered, "Mommy - those girls are REALLY LOUD!"

Bikes and Beanie

When the kids were little, I bought them balance bikes because they seemed to be all the rage and I didn't want my kids to miss out.  I mean, I never learned to ride a bike as a kid, so I didn't want to deny my kids the opportunity and if this was how they could do it best, so be it.

Of course, the bikes were too big for them, so they sat in the garage for a year…until now.

Oh, and of course there's the new hand-me-down croquet set to play with in the back yard.

And then we got to take Bean for a walk! Uncle's girlfriend's sister's dog, Bean (or Beanie, to the kids) is a ball of white fluff with whom Caroline, particularly, is in love.

Chopsticks

The kids have been excited to try using chopsticks the past few times we've had chow mein, so I was inspired to order a few more sets of "training" chopsticks for them to try out.

Max

Caroline

Daniel

Dance Recital - #1 (Daniel & Max) / #3 (Caroline)

Way back in the Fall, I tried to enroll all three kids in after-school dance class.  After the first day, it became clear that the boys were not ready for it and so Caroline continued through two sessions of the class while Max and Daniel stayed in after-school "play care".  During the Winter, both Max and Daniel began asking when they got to go to dance class, so we enrolled them in the shortened Spring class.

The last Tuesday of the school year we were invited to watch a sample class and see the kids perform.  I was again surprised by how distracted Caroline seemed, but she had the excuse of not being well this time.    I also got a chance to see how the kids work together, which was a little scary.  Max seemed very interested in the class and following along while Daniel was more easily distracted.  It makes me a little concerned about how their personal dynamic may affect them moving forward in school.  But that's a concern for another time.

On with the pictures of dance class!

Stretch time (Caroline's in the stripes with Max and Daniel to the left)

Max and Daniel

Daniel, Caroline, and Max incorporate a triplet conga line into the class.

Conga!

Daniel got a little bored

Costume time! (Max)

Caroline getting her costume

Triplet Time!

Time for the choreography to begin

It seems to me that Miss Brianna looks a little tired after having all the Salvateenies in her class.