Swimming Lessons
Monkey and Bug started their first session of regular (not Mommy & Me) swimming lessons this week. I'd been really talking it up and we visited the pool (to tour and watch, not to play) where they take place last Saturday, so they'd at least be familiar with the space. Despite excitment leading up to it, Day 1 did not go well (cue Monkey's total meltdown poolside when the teacher arrived). They had barely gotten their toes wet as they huddled together about as far from the teacher as she would let them get. I've been very impressed by the lifeguard staff who would sit to talk with the girls to help them warm up to the idea and do things like bring them security objects--diving rings, floaty noodles, and rubber ducks--to play with. One lifeguard even jumped in to help with the reluctant swimmers (one little boy in addition to my girls). By the end of Day 4, they let the teacher tie a floaty around them and help them kick around the pool! Bug proudly informed me that she even got her hair wet. I'm excited about what improvements next weeks lessons will bring, and how they'll do in our neighborhood pool.

So Busy!
In addition to swimming lessons, this has been an extremely busy week. Here's the day-by-day rundown:

Sunday: We went to Sunday school and worship as usual at our new church. The entourage and I continue to enjoy it, and we're excited about bringing Daddy with us when he comes home. Monkey and Bug even received compliments about their good behavior during "big church," where they sit with me for 15 or 20 minutes before leaving for children's church. That night we were invited to a cookout with members of a Sunday school class I visited that day. We all had a great time getting to know some new friends.

Monday: After their first swimming lesson they asked if we could go to the library to "just chill and read books." We had a lovely, quiet time sitting at one of the little tables reading books that Goose brought us. I wrote down what we read, and we almost finished our summer reading program assignment of 35 books! That evening we headed to the Y, so I could attend a pilates class, and they all got to play in their classes.

Tuesday: We followed up swimming with another trip to the Y. Goose was excited, because on Tuesday our neighbors LA and H are in her class while Miss N and Miss J come to spin class with me. Monkey and Bug are a little jealous, but they're too old to play in the toddler class. That afternoon the girls and I celebrate Daddy's and my wedding anniversary by baking chocolate chip cookies. (That morning I showed the the card and present that Daddy hid for me before he left and told them how he sent me a note to tell me where to find it. This just a few days after he set up an Edible Arrangement to be delivered as a belated Mother's Day gift [we were out of town on the day].These girls are going to have very high expectations for their future husbands!) That evening we joined the neighborhood crew (four families this time) for a bounce house playdate at LA's house.

Wednesday: After swimming, we went to our little branch library for the first summer storytime (we skip the school year storytimes in favor of the homeschool playgroup which is on summer break now). We got to see lots of familiar faces, including the new friends that we made at the library party on Saturday, and we came home with these books:
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin!
Jabuti (South American folk tale)
ABC
Miss Bindergarten Plans a Circus with Kindergarten
Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly

Thursday: Our new friends (Miss K and her boys, N (3 years) and G (20 mos.) came over for a playdate after swimming. I think all the busyness of the week was getting to Bug; she informed me before they arrived that she didn't want to play with friends and she didn't think she could handle sharing. I was very proud of her for being self-aware enough to realize that, and she found fun things to do while they were here anyway (sitting in my lap while Miss K and I chatted, retreating to the landing of the stairs with her bear where she could still watch everybody, and making a bracelet at the kitchen table away from the other kids). Monkey and N hit it off immediately. Within 10 minutes of walking through the door they were animatedly discussing how best to fight off monsters with their light sabers, and Monkey was cheerfully showing off her trucks and showing him the best ways to get to the top of the climb-and-slide. Miss K and I were thrilled to discover that we really are running our households and raising our kids in remarkably similar ways. Since they're only a few minutes away, I think we'll be seeing a lot of them! That evening the girls said they wanted to go somewhere, so I packed up our dinner and we headed to a new playground for a picnic. The girls didn't eat a whole lot, but that playground is really cool! Goose's new favorite word is now "Climb!" Despite the late hour, it was still really hot outside, so we decided to stop and splurge for ice cream for their bedtime snack.

These were not the most exciting parts of the playground,
but these were definitely the best photos I managed to get. These girls are fast!

Friday: No swimming lessons today, so we just had our usual trip to the Y, followed by grocery shopping. Goose got to sit in the car part of the cart at the front for the first time. She handled it beautifully. When we got home we pulled in at the same time as Miss N and LA along with some friends of theirs and they invited us for a bounce house playdate. Miss N and I pooled our leftovers to feed everybody and the kids had a great time.

Saturday: I decided to try something new today and stay home all day! I informed the girls of "the plan," and they were thrilled. They spent most of the day playing relatively quietly. Our only real excitement was going for a walk in the neighborhood and finding things to start our "collection." We filled a tupperware container with pinecones, magnolia leaves, a sparkly rock, a smooth piece of wood, and several dandelions. At home I set the girls up with their magnifying glass and handheld microscope, and spent the next 20 minutes or so listening to a chorus of "whoa!" "cool!" etc.

Pretend Play
Monkey and Bug's pretend play continues to get more complex. It involves actual storylines now (usually a cycle of bad guys attacking someone who is then rescued only to be attacked again). The really new piece is how they've incorporated external thing into their play. When Goose started destroying the series of roads, tunnels, and bridges they built, instead of getting upset, they simply declared her the "bad guy" and started rebuilding and coming up with defensive measures. Saturday morning when I turned on our iTunes Instrumental library to listen to while we worked/played, they started taking their cues from the music as to what should happen next, and even asked me replay songs that had obvious cycles of ominous then triumphant sounding sections.

However, my favorite pretend play moments of the week were the following: Bug requested that I make her a construction paper crown. Initially I wondered if this was the start of what I hear is the inevitable preschool girl obsession with princesses. Far from it! She carefully placed the crown on her head, stood on the couch, raised her arms, and declared, "I AM THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING!" Who needs to be a frilly princess when you can have cosmic powers, right? (A few days later she walked into the room wearing the crown, and I asked her an unrelated question. She answered me, then politely requested that I address her "Queen of All." Well, of course, your majesty.) Monkey meanwhile was pretending to be a hunter. She gathered up a bunch of empty paper towel rolls which she explained was her gun collection and went off in search of animals. I don't think she ever "shot" anything, but she invited the Queen of Everything to join her, and they had a grand time.

The Queen at her computer.
Monkey requested a pink crown, but it didn't last long after this picture was taken.
She requires far more durable accessories.

Math Games
Monkey and Bug invented a couple of new math games to entertain themselves. The first involves asking me at random times to count up to a certain number that they name. I have agreed to count up to anything below 20, and they've been greatly impressed by my skills at getting all the teens in the right order (this may be the only time I ever impress anyone with my math skills so I'm enjoying it while I can). The second game involves adding up different groups of people on their fingers. For example: They say, "There are four of us girls. When Daddy comes home, how many people will we be?" We count them up. "Ok, if Daddy's home and we go to Nana and Papa Bear's house, then how many people will we be?" This continues with increasing complexity to include any friends and neighbors whose names they know. At some point we added up quite a list, and Bug exclaimed, "Wow, that would be a very exciting party!"