Songs

The girls had a "Song Festival" on the last day of school this year.  Luckily, I brought the big lens this time.  But I swear, after a few of these concerts now, I'm seriously thinking about taking up a fund for risers for the school.  The youngest kids?  Sat sitting down.  People were climbing over each other to try to see and get pictures.  Our kids stood when the sang, but you never know where your kid is going to be (and it's even harder to keep up with 3 at once, right, because they're inevitably spread out), so choosing a seat on the middle aisle seems like a good idea, until the music director (who directs sitting down?) puts a chair right in the middle of the front of the aisle.  Luckily, some friends let me move over by them while the girls were singing.  Seriously, they need rotation seating - I don't have to have a good spot when my kids aren't singing.  But for the three minutes that they are singing?  I'd love to be able to see them and get pictures of them that don't involve them standing behind other kids, or pictures that don't involve the back of the music director's head.

Rant over.

The girls were so excited to see us.  Non-stop waving.  When it was their turn, they sang a song about daffodils, and one about a rainbow, neither of which I knew.

They also insisted that we couldn't leave at the end without giving them a hug.  Apparently when they had their winter song festival, they got really upset and cried that we didn't find them at the end to give them a hug.  We made right by them this time, though.

Montessori Birthday

This was our first Montessori birthday celebration, so it was all new to us.  We started there just after their third birthday last year.  

I'm sure there are many variations, but the main idea is to celebrate each year of their life.  So, all of the kids were sitting in a circle, and then the months of the year are laid out around the circle.  The girls each held a small globe, and walked in a circle from January to January.  Each time they complete a revolution, they light a candle (well, a battery powered tea light) in the center of the circle.  While they were walking, we would talk about that year of their life - milestones, things they liked, etc.  Then, once they got to their fourth year, the whole class sang a birthday "celebration of life" song to each of them.   

I didn't get many photos, and most of them have other kids in them, but I did get these.  The girls came over and sat with us while it was someone else's turn.

I think they were most excited that mom, dad, grandma, and papa were there, more than they were excited that it was their birthday.

They get to have a special snack for their birthday, so we brought in bagels and cream cheese.

International Day

The girls' school had their annual International Day back in early November.  It was our first real "school" experience.  They started with a school-wide presentation in the gym... a tae kwon do demonstration, songs, dances.  The girls' class did a song that we'd been hearing parts of for weeks.  They had some scarves that they (enthusiastically) waved and danced a little.  Of course, the best part was when they spotted us in the audience and couldn't stop smiling and waving.

After the presentations, families had booths set up in the parking lot with information from different countries.

Lots of coloring stations.  This one was in Mexico, for the Day of the Dead.  I had to keep Julie's coloring sheet.  It's the most intent I've ever seen her on coloring and staying in the lines.  Emma and Becca finally moved on because it was taking her forever to finish.

In Italy, they made pasta necklaces.

Hats from China.

Coloring and snacking in Colombia.

There was also lots of good food.  Mama went straight for France for some crepes and cheese.  We had some good Indian food, too.  (The girls weren't so adventurous, but they ate all of the sweets.)

In all, it was pretty cool.  I don't think the girls have quite figured out the whole "countries" thing, so I don't know that they quite "got" it.