Elia’s June was all about graduating from K-Prep at Bright Horizons. Erin’s parents came up for the event and we took pictures and video for Albert’s parents. Unlike Curie, who we kept in pre-school up until she went to kindergarten, Elia will be going to camp this summer with Curie. We have some misgivings since Ms. Chelsea is really doing a better job than Ms. Ariel did preparing the kids for kindergarten, and we worry whether or not the repeated changes will be too much for Elia. On the flip side, learning about the changes and adjusting to them is not a bad thing either. In the end she will be okay, but Albert remembers the days at camp feeling awkward and alone. We also discovered that Elia won’t be with Curie at camp as the kindergartners go to the little school rather than the big campus at Congo Camp (spoiler, it is July and this all works out).
Elia’s graduation was very cute with the kids dressed in cap and gowns, they sang and did their Gruffalo play, we got to see their work, and a baby picture show. Elia was all set with a pretty dress and a matching Jojo Siwa bow, but at the last moment wanted to wear Wonder Woman, which as mentioned in a previous post was fitting since Curie wore Superman/Supergirl at her graduation. That morning Curie had two teeth extracted so she felt terrible and though there was a party at Agnes’s later that day, we decided to go home. Elia was beaming the whole day, very proud, very happy.
June wasn’t ALL about Elia’s graduation, In the days leading up to it we hiked Lake Accotink with the Powells, went on a kid-reluctant Huntley Meadows trip, though Elia did get out of the wagon and draw hearts on the trail in the dirt like Curie did at around the same age. The kids got their hair cuts, went to the dentist (where Elia was okay, but Curie needed more work), and discovered which side of a t-bone the girls liked (Elia filet, Curie strip). The kids went to birthday parties, where some let siblings go, others they did not. In the two younger ones, At Ada’s birthday party, Curie met Alexa, the daughter of a mother who went to Irvine High like Albert. Curie was able to go to both pool parties and for Curie’s friend’s party, Elia and Albert shot Nerf guns in the basement making up a new game with the cardboard box apartments becoming blinds for Elia to shoot from. That day also Elia got a Fancy Nancy doll from Target as part of not being able to go to the birthday party. Elia had a great time.
We went to Curie’s play and Curie’s belt test both of which Elia was very well behaved and was very interested in the activities we suspect because she knows she will do them some time.
Elia has a distinct fear of bees, to the point where she will decide she does not want to play outside anymore. We are working with her to help her understand that they will not bother her if she does not bother them but the fear has translated to any flying bug. We think she will grow out of this since she will be going to camp and will have to confront the bees and mosquitos as part of being at camp.
Elia painted for Grandma before they arrived, we went to Dave and Busters while Erin was away, we planted seeds and a garden. Elia and Curie helped clean the house without fuss when Alice came, and didn’t ask to watch when we ate with Alice at El Paso. We did find out that she had Alice help her wipe after going potty. The girls made Alice a mug and each painted half of the mug for her.
Much of the rest is a list, SpiderGwen costumes; Elia getting mad that she couldn’t open up her present; going to the bathroom with just Curie taking her; the Chengineering dollhouse; Curie and Elia playing fashion designer and making the parasol picture in the collage; feeding the birds and squirting squirrels; being silly right before bed; Curie doing Elia’s hair, playing hair stylist; veterinarian kits from JC Penny. Every day is a joy with the kids whether it is eating on the deck or watching them run out when the squirrels come out, there is so much each day to appreciate about them. We should note that Elia really likes to dance, she likes to pretend to dance ballet, but what she is really good at is contemporary dance with the way she expresses herself.
As Elia ends preschool and gets ready for camp a few things have happened. Albert has gotten to miss Elia on the commute to work where they have been going together for more than two years. “This is the first day after preschool, the girls are in camp. I drove in by myself and missed Elia in the car.” With it being the last day of second grade for Curie, she ended school early and as her “second date with Albert” they went to Wasabi, made minifigs, then Curie asked to go pick up Elia at school and see all the things that Elia experiences when Albert picks her up. The little target, the little store, the grocery store across from Target. Elia was so excited to have Curie visit her school two weeks in a row, in fact had asked if Curie could come back to visit after the first week. For Albert it was taking Elia back to the little store on the last days and to the little Target as it was the end of a time of being together in that way.