The last day of my first year back.

Today was my last day of teaching preschool this year. What a joy, trial and absolute rewarding experience. I am teaching 2 1/2 to 3-year olds. They are sweet, innocent, scared, cautious, loving, rambunctious and endearing. I truly had the best group of kids and families this year. A few pictures of my "adopted" family.

Cakes

Lissie you asked to see more cakes. The kids get to choose the cake and Banks has creative license. Here are a few of them:

Malina's 6th Birthday Cake: Pumpkin

Sophia's 4th Birthday Cake: Pixie Hollow Tree

The trunk was constructed of rice krispy treats with a plywood base.

Sweet Innocent Four-Year Old Love

Malina had James. Sophia loves her Noel.

I like sports...

Malina has decided that she likes sports which entails soccer, tennis and golf. Apparently all other "sports" don'tclassify. The girl has talent. She is incredible coordinated. Now we need to figure out how to get her focused. The girl daydreams. Is it her age or is it her genetic makeup unfortunately picked up from her mom?

Ok, I love this picture. This girl is Daddy crazy right now and to get the opportunity to have a Mother's Day luncheon with my sweet, dear Sophia touches me. My artist, chef, gymnast and outstanding bug collector is a gem. At the luncheon, I weeped like a baby when she sang songs to me and the below statements were read.

Eme, oh, Eme. You are a funny guy. You know you have your sisters wrapped around your little fingers...a sweet spot having two older sisters that adore you.

I love your recent request to "Come sit sofa" to read the encylopedia of animals and fish. What would I do without YouTube?? This Baker Family does not have boy videos. Banks and I often search for "Fire trucks + sirens" or "Cows + mooing" or "race cars" or "tiger + growl." This is the only way Banks can rip Eme from his arms in the morning to get a shower. He starts a six minute video on the laptop and he is immersed.

Different Personalities, Same Parents

MALINA
Likes: Sharks, moray eels, science, jump roping, soccer, sugar candies, singing, writing, fish roe sushi, inari, playing in the river, swimming, pogo stick (241 times in a row record), independence, being massaged, Harry Nilsson "Got to Get Up", all the colors in the world, FRIG water
Dislikes: Being cutoff when speaking (don't blame her), hair brushing, dresses aren't her favorite, getting dressed when she isn't in a hurry (before school in particular)

SOPHIA
Likes: Coloring, painting, drawing, fairies, hugs & kisses, princesses, chocolate, cooking, worms!, jumping, princesses, miso soup, hotdogs with the skin peeled off, hopscotch, rice, being the first one dressed in the morning, being a pleaser, Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty Suite, pink, milk, running around in her panties
Dislikes: Leaving the house without hugs & kisses, having someone else picking out her clothes, sleeping in clothes

EME
Likes: Yellow/Floral Blanket Knit by Grandma, fire trucks, cars, dirt, being outside, yogurt, his sissys, swinging, throwing, sitting in the driver seat of Mommy or Daddys' car, Johnny Cash "Ring of Fire", baths, climbing in bed to snuggle Daddy and Mommy in the morning
Dislikes: High chairs, putting more than one food on his plate, Daddy leaving, being changed

He has done it again...

I met this guy in college.
We talked about our ambitions, wants and desires.
We spent endless hours together working side-by-side.
We have beautiful children together.
Now, he is a creative genius.
Where did his skill for building decks, fences and most importantly CAKES come from?
He held back on me for 15-years.
Marriage is exciting and always changing.
I am loving this creative man of mine...
...the PTA mom's are HATING him!

(Recent cake made for school cake auction. Tribal mask on museum stand and real feathers. )

Sweet Sophia

Sophia is the sweetest peanut.
Sophia is always thinking about everyone else. If you ask her if she wants to go on a date night, she says yes but starts to name everyone else in the family that she wants to come too. She doesn't want to leave her sister, brother or Dad out. She has to hug and kiss everyone goodbye when they are leaving or she is going to school. My favorite recently is: she kisses her hand and lays it on your heart at night. Sophia's constant sharing, loving, giving has rubbed off on her sister. I believe this is the beginning of a very influential girl and woman.
Sophia, also, has a bit of the shy bug. If you ask her to talk to a stranger, neighbor or ask her to speak when she isn't ready, she clams up. Sometimes it saddens me because I want everyone to know our sweet, friendly daughter.
For now, Sophia lays deep in the hearts of Malina, Eme, Banks and myself. She is true gem.

Eme is racking up the bill...

Ok, you were right and I was wrong. Boys are much more destructive or should I say curious? My days of leisurely coloring at the table for hours are over. I have decided to keep track of all the "unnecessary" expenses of this destructor. I will present it to my dear son the day we are sitting down at the table discussing how much his 1965 Austin Healey 3000 will cost. I will happily whip out the piece of paper with the expense list:

$55 Toilet plugged (Tom's of Maine Toothpaste Tube) April 29th, 2008

$50 Time lost - Mom had to have car jumped because you like to spend hours in the front seat of my car playing with the lights. April 30, 2008

$325 Labor and Repairs for the black permanent marker on my steering wheel, ceiling upholstery, leather car seats, windows, rear view mirror, etc April 27, 2008

All of this happened in a three day span. The beginning...