Goodbye, Creekview!

If pictures can say a thousand words, this next picture is one of them:

Miss Erika is our all-time favorite school secretary, and we will miss her smiling face when we begin at our new school. She knows every student and parent, including the names of spouses! When I was sick with pneumonia last year, I had difficulty getting the girls to school on time, and so she began a tradition of giving Kensington her own tardy slip so that she could have one like the big girls! She would write "Chubbers" (which was supposed to say "Choobers") on a little yellow slip that she could take home. But how can you correct the spelling on a name like Choobers?!

Whenever I called in to make a change in picking the girls up, she used her fancy Caller-ID, and without me saying who I was, she would say, "Okay, whose class is Raleigh in? Okay, whose class is Madeline in? And how is Dallas doing?" Very impressive. Even Emery was mesmerized by her. Don't you love people who know your name? I love it! Especially at my girls' school.

Raleigh's teacher, Mrs. Schrantz, was so great for her - a perfect fit. She genuinely enjoys her students but doesn't take any snuff, which is exactly what Raleigh needs in a teacher. Raleigh is very sensitive (and also very unconventional), and Mrs. Schrantz had just the right amount of love and tolerance. She even let Raleigh stand at her desk all day because she knew it would help her concentrate. That girl is full of creative energy.

This is Madeline with her wonderful first grade teacher, Mrs. Happe (pronounced happy). She just personifies the word! Her classroom had a great calm about it, and Madeline was a great leader in the classroom this past year. This picture was also taken with her friend Matthew, and here is an email his mom sent me that just made our day:

Although we've never met, I just wanted to drop you a little note about your wonderful daughter! Matthew invited Madeline to join us for lunch today. She is so sweet and from the first time I had lunch with the class for Matthew's birthday a few months ago, I could tell what a good heart she has!
She has looked out for him this past year and has tried to help him be included with all of the other children..I cannot express my gratitude for the friendship she developed with him. Developing friendships is very challenging for children with autism and from the very beginning of the school year, Matthew has always included Madeline's name among his friends!

Madeline with Mrs. DeCouto, her parapro. She told me on the last day of school that Madeline is the sweetest most well-behaved child she has ever met - ever. I love hearing things like that.

The girls are excited to start a new schoolyear, just about 5 weeks away. Wait, who's counting? We'll miss you, Creekview, but it's on to new horizons for us this coming year!

Dal

He woke up early and rode his bike a few miles to the starting line . . .

Where he swam, biked, and ran . . .

And we cheered him in again as he won the neighborhood-buddies-triathlon! And retained in his possession the golden chain.

These were the participants:

That's my Dal! (Pardon the grainy pictures.)

It was a wonderful birthday weekend! We threw him (pardon the pun) a Football Party. Madeline made a sign that said, "We think you're great!" with pictures of a football, a goalpost, a helmet, etc., and we made homemade pizza with tons of toppings (pesto and feta being some of our new favorites). We played some football-related games that I can't even remember right now because, really, the best part of the evening was this:

I love how those girls look at their daddy, and I love how he looks at them.

Here's our audience for Raleigh and Madeline's play they put on for us down at my parents' house. It was a smash!

And here's our birthday boy! Love you, Dal! (Better late than never, eh?)

Underwear Thursday Continued

Here's a random sort-of-underwear picture for a random sort-of-underwear post:

Last night as we schnuggled into bed early (as a new resolution) . . . and our "early" was 10:45 pm . . . (still need to work on "early") . . . Dallas and I got a bad case of the giggles. This happens every once in awhile, where we are in bed at night, tired as can be, and start saying things that make us laugh so hard we're crying.

I think it began last night when I told him about the underwear post. Except I was talking about all of the things that I didn't write. Like all the things that start going through my head when I see the fancy row outside our window. See post here.

It's one of those moments where you have to be really tired (and at least one of you has to be a Purdy.) Tell me if the following things might cross your mind:

Why are there two pairs that are not, ahem, completely white? And where on the row will they be next week? Or the next? Should I look forward to spotting them, or should I avoid spotting them? Should I even be using the word spot?

What if there were only six pairs on the line one week instead of seven?

Or worse, what if there were eight?

You follow?

Dallas noted, "Some people put themselves on the line; others put their underwear on the line."

And then everything went clear downhill from there.

Underwear Thursday

We recently moved into a little rental cottage across town. It is cute and quaint and feels like a vacation home. We love it. A few days after we moved in, I noticed that the lady in the house next door hangs her laundry out to dry.

How cute and quaint! And economical.

I told the girls, "At least they don't hang their underwear out to dry."

But on Thursday . . .

I was aghast to see seven pairs of billowing white underwear hanging from the line, right outside our kitchen window! I went around the house muttering loudly, "Oh my gosh! . . . Oh my gosh!" I think I even called my mom.

Then it started happening every Thursday. A predictable laundry ritual.

Seven pairs of white-y tight-ies in a row, sharing clothespins with each other while catching my attention every time I passed the window.

At first I dreaded the weekly visits from the underwear fairy, but now the girls and I look forward to Thursdays with a mixture of anticipation and dread. And each Thursday when the time comes, we shout to each other, "It's the UNDERWEAR!" and everyone runs for a window.

Today I told the girls that we need to start a tradition every time the underwear comes out. It is a little weekly celebration of sorts.

Any suggestions?