1st day of summer

(photography credit to Calvin for this one)

Today is the first day of summer for us!  I love June in San Diego. It is cool in the morning and then sunny during the day and then cool again at night. The kids enjoy swimming but for me, it is still not hot enough to swim!

Clare finished 1st grade. She had a good year in school. She has some really sweet friends and a good academic year.  For summer she is excited for play dates with friends, swim lessons and Scott and Lance coming to visit.

Alexey finished preschool (over a week ago). We had a nice year. We did a mom preschool swap two days/week from 9-noon. It was a good group of kids.  For summer Lexey is excited to learn to swim and start piano lessons. She will take lessons from one of the advanced high school students named Christine. Christine's lesson is right after Clare and we all love to ohh and ahh as she plays her scales for warm up faster than I can even image being possible! Lex is excited!   I decided that 5 year old girls are one of my favorite things. Lex is so easy going and cooperative, helpful and cheerful. Clare was the same way at 5! (Clare is still great but not as eager to please as she was at 5 and she is busier so I don't see her as much).

Calvin is still in school. He has today off but then goes back for another 6 weeks. His last day of 4th grade is July 30th.  He doesn't return to school until after Labor Day (the girls start around Aug 20th).  Summer is great for Calvin because he loves to swim every day after school.

Jo turns two this summer! She is such  a fun little person. She is a very easy going little person and so delightful.  We are going to have a family b-day party for her and probably give her a zoo pass for a gift. She loves animals! The girls, Clare and Lex, are planning a monkey themed b-day party.

Dave is back to work full time as chief resident. He started a couple of days ago and last night was the graduation dinner for the outgoing chiefs so they are officially gone and it all rests on Dave and Chiazo to lead the way through this year. He's excited to be back on clinical service and to be at the top of the pack so he has 1st choice on all the cases. He's already had a great few days!  Summer is a busy time since July the new interns start and everyone is on a new rotation.

Denise --  I love these 6 weeks of summer where Calvin goes to school and the girls are home. Things are relaxed. The girls play together for hours without any problems. I am hoping to get the girls to do piano practice and some math each day without too much fuss (from Clare). I'd also like to have rooms clean (clare). The school year is so busy and Clare is so tired at the end of the day that I have a hard time making her keep up with her room.

 Jo has a favorite book about animals. We read it 10x a day. Clare was reading to her today and was cracking up at the spider page. Jo says "ewwwww, yuck" and then shivers when she sees the spider.

Jo whacked Clare with a book on the head earlier today and made her cry so for the rest of the afternoon she rubbed books on her head and said "soft" "soft".