Very special weekend

It's been a very dry winter.  California is in a drought and the snow levels are drastically below normal.  Every year we've had a ski lease, the snow has been "not great", but there is always a weekend in March when there is a ton of snow.  This was that weekend.  In addition to having good snow, Grandma Carrie and Aunt Maggie came from Denver to spend some time at the ski house.  But the snow and the visitors weren't the only reasons this weekend was special.  About an hour before we were due to leave for Tahoe, Tom and I decided I would stay home.  By myself.  All weekend.  I struggled with the decision and felt very guilty.  I knew Carrie and Maggie would help Tom, but that's a lot of driving by himself.  But he knows I've been really overwhelmed recently and that I would really enjoy the time to myself.  So Friday night, I kissed them all and waved goodbye as they drove away.  For the first 24 hours or so, I was completely freaked out by how quiet it was at home.  I was also uneasy not doing anything for other people.  Instead, I got to focus on me: I went to yoga every day; I got a mani pedi; I organized closets and drawers.  Don't get me wrong, I missed my family, but a little solitude was absolutely amazing.  I told Tom I'd like to do this at least once a year.  

They were gone all the way until this afternoon.  They had fun skiing and spending time with Carrie and Maggie (who were very understanding and supportive of my absence).  

Tom didn't take too many pictures, but here's one of the kids ready to go out on Saturday with some parkas on because of the rainy/snowy conditions. 

 Maggie and Leo (sporting some snow in his hair).

 Getting some grandma hugs.

The whole crew on the slopes on Sunday.  

 At brunch this morning.

One thing I didn't do while they were gone was grocery shop, so we went out to dinner tonight.  

 I missed these goofballs, but the break was great for me.  I think I forgot what silence sounds like.

Serafina sharing

I worked in the preschool classroom today and saw Serafina and Victoria playing "hairdresser".  It was pretty cute.  

It was Serafina's sharing day and she brought her big Hello Kitty from Build-a-Bear.  Lots have kids have been bringing in their Build-a-Bear creations so I think she was inspired.  

Leo's third grade reading buddy, Sarah, gave him this card today.  

I love her rendering of Leo.  

Kindergarten concert

Tonight was a very big night for Leo.  All the kindergarten students have been preparing for their concert and Leo has been singing the songs for weeks now.  He was excited and we were all excited for him.  

The program was called American Symbols on Parade and it included classics like "Grand Ol' Flag" and "My Country Tis of Thee", but also some lesser known songs.  

 Leo got to have a "costume part".  He was a bald eagle.

The kids performed for the other grades during the school day yesterday and today.  A friend recommended I go to the daytime performance to take pictures.  Best. Advice. Ever. 

Serafina and I came rushing over after her dance class and got there at the end of the first song.  

 The second song was "The National Bird", which featured the cutest bald eagle ever.  I was so proud of him.

Here's a little bit of the bird in action.  

 Then he was back in the chores for some more songs.

 Leo came back out for another song.  Here he is getting some help with his costume from one of the kinder teachers.

 It was great to see the "matinee" and get some good pictures.

 I brought him to his classroom this evening to get ready for the final performance.  Tom came home early, and he and Serafina got seats in the cafeteria while I helped the class get ready.  Here's Leo and Sadie.

For this performance, the teachers decided to have the "costume parts" stay in their costumes the whole time and stand in the front.  

 Excited for showtime.

When I got in the cafeteria, I was extra happy I had gone earlier in the day.  It was jammed packed and I couldn't see him at all from my seat or even standing along the side of the room.  

Tom was able to get a couple of pictures because he's tall.

 He walked back to class in the costume.

 Here's a group shot after the performance.  All the kids did great, but I was especially impressed by my adorable bald eagle.

Serafina's first swim lesson

Serafina had her very first swimming lesson today.  We talked it up and tried to get her excited about it.  I was so tense driving there, I thought I was going to throw up.  Why, you ask.  Well, Serafina has gone through major bouts of hydrophobic behavior.  Baths and showers were torture and the screaming was so bad I was afraid the neighbors would call the police.  She even was resistant to our pool on occasion, and she only goes in with a floatie (sometimes with a swim ring too).  I hired one of their babysitters last summer to get in the pool with her and try to get her swimming.  I thought the one-on-one instruction would help.  Serafina wouldn't even put her face in the water.  

But now she's older and use to taking classes because of dance.  Plus, we can't put it off any longer; girlfriend needs to learn to swim.  We have a giant drowning hazard in our backyard and even with the fence and watchful adults, nothing beats having kids that know how to swim.  

Serafina asked all day if was time for her swim lesson yet.  She tried on her bathing suit hours in advance.  I took these as good signs but I was worried despite.  The lessons are at an international swim center, well know for the elite swimmers it has trained.  They have an Olympic size outdoor pool and a smaller, shallow pool under a dome.  It was drizzling rain so I was glad her lesson was in the dome.  Serafina's enthusiastic mood changed once we entered the dome (of doom) and she began to cry.  Here she is looking anxious.  

 Worst fake smile ever, complete with tear.

But then we headed to the office and bought her a swim cap.  That cheered her up and she turned into a sassy little swimmer.  

Her instructor seemed nice and strapped her into some flippers.  

She went into the water with ease. 

 And there they go.

 And then things took a dramatic turn.  She was away from the wall and let out a blood-curling scream that echoed through the dome.  She spent most of the lesson crying and screaming and calling out "mommy, where are you?".  It was brutal for me.  The pool deck supervisor went and checked on her.  She told me not to worry because Serafina is tall enough to touch the bottom, and it was better if I just stayed on the bench and let the teacher deal with it.

Here she is doing some swimming through her tears.

What she really didn't like was having to put her head under the water, but I was happy they were pushing her limits and I'm confident she will gain some good skills with this school.  The teacher seemed unfazed by Serafina's drama.  I rewarded her for making it through the lesson with some chocolate Easter eggs.  She seems okay with the fact that she has to go again on Thursday.  I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes a bit smoother; my nerves can't take it.