Off we go

1st day of Kindergarten.  Everyone's been so excited to get on the bus.  Everyone was out on the porch by 6:45 (bus comes at 7:15). The jitters hit by about 7:05, but by 7:14, they were clearly gone, as the bus rumbled to a stop.  There wasn't even a glance back. Or a wave. Or any hesitation.  She's obviously been ready for this for a looooooong time.  To Harry's extreme big-brother credit, he sat right down with her in the front seat.  Off we go...

New Paradigm

So today marks the first, of what will hopefully be many, of Harry & Ainsley’s adventures together, but without one of us to accompany (and more importantly to document).  Today the local YMCA camps that each are attending, are coming together as a larger group with all of the YMCA’s around the region… they’re all piling on buses, heading across the river, for a big thing called Thingamajig.

This is really the first time that I’ve really come to the conclusion that I really wish one of them had a camera, a phone, something… What are they doing?  Where are they? Are they together? Are they having fun? 

It’s not that I’m worried about them, I’m sure they’re in great hands, and their counselors are wonderful (and even if there was a problem, Harry has become quite the shepherd for his little sister). I’m not sure that came across as me convincing myself or not… So back since about a month before Harry was born, I started this little blogging endeavor, and similarly for Ainsley.  Granted these days of 16 gazillion various social media outlets (yes I’m looking mostly at you, Facebook & Twitter), the entries have certainly fallen off a bit, but rest assured there’s a digital record somewhere of just about every event/happening/occurance/participation in varying levels of significance, from the last 9 years.

What will we have for THIS event?!?!?! 

The thing is, I feel pretty confident that 2 things will happen upon their return today… 1) neither of them will offer up a straight answer on what they did, did they have fun, etc, even when pressed, and 2) neither of them will remember (to the point of being able to recall) any of it by tomorrow.

Who’s taking pictures this time?  Who’s updating statuses? Who’s tweeting???

Wait… wtf just happened there?

so fast

It's amazing that we "finished" at Abra only 2 weeks ago.  For something we'd been doing for so long, all day every day, it seems like we've been gone forever.  With only a few minor hiccups along the way, Ainsley has certainly moved onto the next chapter.

She's "reading" (reciting) books to us at bedtime, she's off on her own at day-camps in new environments making friends and experiencing life as a Kindergartener.  As much as we'd anticipated, I don't think we expected the transition be such... well... a transition?!!

In deference to the inevitable aforementioned "hiccups" along the way, nothing that hasn't been recoverable yet.  Fortunately, when the 2-week swim camp went south on day 2 of 10, there was a way to make amends.  Another wonderful point has been her ability to interact with Harry during the day, in controlled doses.  She sees him here, bumps into him there, and moves on with her day.  She even sees his friends, an they report back to each other.  I'm thinking this will be a nice precursor to the brief time, that they'll ever be in the same school building.

Last Day at Abra

It's the end of an era for the McDermott family

The Big 5.

As seems to have become the custom, we were off to Disney...



To check in with some princesses...







To see a few old friends...



 











(it is, in fact, a small world after all)







Do some sightseeing...

 





And return home to get your ears pierced!







Happy birthday Ainsley!

I'm a Big Kid Now

Big day today.  Ainsley begins her Genie career at Abra.

She was very excited to get into class (first one there, of course) got her bag hung on her new hook, quickly deposited a little something in her pocket (her new favorite, story cubes), and got her blanket into her new cubby.

She couldn't get us out the door fast enough.

4th birthday at Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom