Thanks, Alice!

Thanks Michele, my girls are definitely super excited about going to kindergarten. We got a list of 80 sight words and numbers up to 30 that they want the kids to be able to read/recognize at the start of the school year, which is a little intimidating. They're starting to read, but the only sight word they have so far is "a." We have some early reader books that they were looking at this morning. DD1 is getting pretty good at sounding out words, and DD2 is right behind her. DH learned to read mostly by sight rather than phonics, so helping them at home is a little bit challenging for him

DH and I are off tomorrow to our friends' wedding, so I'll "see" you all next week!

Have a great time at the wedding Jessica!

Dagmar

The tumour came out well but the deep margin was only 1 mm. I could put her through another surgery to take out more tissue but I'm not going to do it. I will have a lung xray done next week - most likely place it will spread if it does - and we'll do regular check ups every 4 months and repeat the xrays. She'll live as happily as she can for as long as she can - the average with this type of tumour is 2 years - and then we'll let her cross the bridge when she's in pain.

It sucks but at least I have some more good time with her. We're going to enjoy our summer!

Dagmar

Hugs, Dagmar. How old is Trixie? I've had way too many pets die of cancer. Always so sad.

Today I'm taking two students on my yearly Librarian Field trip-- the parents bought it at our auction-- this year will be a first grade girl and a second grade girl (who did it last year too). It's always fun but a little out of my comfort zone. We go to a local bookstore to browse and buy some books, and then to a Fro-Yo place, so I've got an off plan treat planned then!

Weekend should be pretty low key with hubby gone. Planning on working out, getting my hair colored, grocery shopping and meal prepping... nothing too exciting...

Roll on summer, Dagmar. And everyone else too.

Trixie is 8 years old.

Dagmar

Been drowning my sorrows - in cookies and ice cream. Done now. Though the weather here is conducive to "winter" eating still - no shorts or taking off the jacket for at least another couple of weeks. But it's time to get back on the maintenance wagon and get down to "summer" range.

Dagmar

Dagmar - big hugs to you and Trixie. You've been on my mind all weekend.

Jessica-- how was the wedding? How'd the girls do? I hope you don't stress out about the kindergarten sight words and such. Whatever the girls know will be great. Schools just want the kids starting out with some learning base, so they aren't teaching them their ABC's. We have Kindergartners starting at my school fully reading and others that barely know their letters. They all do fine.

Dagmar, my best to you and Trixie both. To everyone - hope the spring is bringing you sunshine and serenity.

I've been trying to embrace the "do something that scares you every day" approach to life. That "something" tends to involve mountain biking more than anything - but I've done a few things at work too. It feels good to be scared, in a strange way.

JayZeeJay-- I was listening to a podcast and part of it talked about doing what you're saying-- trying things that scare you. I tend to not do that at all, so I need to stretch myself. I like my routine and find it hard to deviate.

To add to the pet worries, I'm worried about my dachshund, Dewey, and I'm fearing (maybe unfounded-- thanks to Google) that he may have diabetes. He's been excessively thirsty and urinating a lot and having some accidents (I haven't seen him have the accidents but I'm assuming it is him and not my other dog). So.... now I have to figure how to get him to the vet with all the crazy end of school activities and commitments.

Speaking of getting out of the box, we are having a staff kickball game vs. the 5th grade students today. I'm TERRIBLE at any sport involving a ball. I don't have fast enough hand/eye coordination-- so the past several years I haven't participated. I signed up for today and will do my best....

If not diabetes, this could be a kidney issue. Best to get him tested. Hope he'll be okay.

Dagmar, hugs to you and Trixie.

The wedding was great! Lots of fun seeing old friends and I also had a chance to visit my aunt. I got a ton of exercise while there (went running one morning, lots of walking) but I also ate waaaaaaaaay too much food and am up several pounds. The girls did fine with their sleepover other than keeping my in-laws up all night. Apparently one night one girl was up a lot not feeling well, the next night there was an incident where someone wanted water in the middle of the night, and the last night one of them had night terrors. They've been sleeping great since we got them home though. DD2 has been very clingy and whiny, and she's the one who was up with a cough and with night terrors, so I'm thinking she may just be fighting off some kind of virus. This morning she nearly had a meltdown because the papers she was stuffing into an old party hat kept falling out (at 7:30am right after breakfast so it's not like she was worn out or hungry already).

Michele - Thanks! DD1 is doing quite well with sounding out words and yesterday read a simple first reader book that had sentences like "The cat has a hat." DD2 can do it if she really concentrates but has more trouble with connecting the individual letter sounds into a word. I expect she'll pick it up pretty soon though. Both of them are also very enthused about math and were giving each other math problems to practice counting on their fingers yesterday.

Lots of fun! And the reading will all fall into place.