Girls’ Weekend in Milan

I was excited to finally get to go away on a girls’ weekend. I tagged along with Camilla and some ladies from her book club to Milan to visit a mutual friend. I flew down on a Friday morning in late September and hung out with Snigdha and her family. The ladies were thrilled that I had prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) chilled and waiting for them when they arrived at midnight. We shared a suite so there was plenty of room for the six of us. Jimmy was disappointed that we stayed up late talking about U.S. politics rather than having a pajama party. We took a walking tour on Saturday; we especially enjoyed seeing a ballet rehearsal at the amazing opera house. The Duomo above was also very impressive and made a beautiful view during lunch. The weekend was over too quickly, but we had time to have some great Italian food, did lots of window shopping, saw some art and had some deep discussions.

Safety in the Science Lab...

Veronica’s first project in middle school was to produce a poster about safety in the science lab. She got frustrated trying to figure out how to draw kids doing things dangerously, so I suggested she use her camera instead. With a little help from her daddy planning the photo shoot and a very cooperative model, she was able to do a great poster.

Instead of posting that, I thought you’d enjoy seeing the best photos of Brooke, the “bad student who never follows the rules.”

First Day of School...

Just two days after returning from California, it was time to head back to school. There were a lot of changes for all of us. Veronica cycled off to middle school to start 6th grade. She was worried about having to remember her locker combination, but otherwise loved her first day. Her intense weekly schedule includes the usual courses plus geography, food technology, design technology, art, music, Dutch, French and German. She has a lot more homework, but so far is able to stay organized. I cycled along with Ashlynn in the opposite direction as she started 3rd grade. It’s a 25-minute ride if it isn’t too windy; quite a change from taking the train and tram. She likes her new teacher because she’s funny and doesn’t yell.

Homeward Bound...

The day after we returned from Croatia, we headed back to the airport to pick up the girls. It was so exciting when those doors opened and we saw their smiling faces (especially since we weren’t 100% sure that Ashlynn was returning). Instead of doing traditional “Welcome Home” signs, Jimmy made “Wanted” posters which he hung up on a pillar in the arrivals hall. The attendant that accompanied them was disappointed when we didn’t give her the reward money. The girls said the flight was long, but they enjoyed sitting in the pilot’s seat of the 747 after they landed. And this time they didn’t get in trouble for smuggling an Apple, although this time they technically did since they had our new Ipod with them.

Fun Inside at Grandma & Grandpa’s...

The girls did occasionally get out of the pool and come inside for daily piano lessons with Grandpa. Neither girl had ever played, but made good progress in just a few weeks. Of course, they didn’t fully appreciate the luxury of learning on a grand or with such an experienced musician as their grandfather. They also enjoyed TV time in Grandpa’s office where they frequently camped out to watch the Olympics. It was a great visit! In fact, Ashlynn had such a great time with her grandparents that she threatened to move there permanently.

Favorites Times in California...

There’s no doubt that two of the girl’s favorite activities while in California were eating sushi and playing in the pool. Lucky for them, my parents are regulars at Naomi Sushi and always get top notch service from the owner. They were very spoiled by going there three times during their visit. Rarely did a day go by that the girls weren’t in the pool practicing their synchronized swimming routine. One day was more special than the others when Ashlynn’s best buddy in Holland came over. Iyala was in California visiting her uncle in San Jose and the timing worked out great for her to hang out with Ashlynn.

Happiness is Time with Grandma & Grandpa...

The girls had a great time visiting my parents in California for 2 1/2 weeks. They kept amazingly busy--eating sushi, playing in the pool, building sand castles on the beach, going to the movies, visiting the animals at the San Francisco Zoo, and shopping for school. While last year they starred together in a backyard Shakespeare play, this year they went to see Romeo & Juliet at an outdoor amphitheater at UC Santa Cruz, which the girls loved. They also were lucky enough to have a joint birthday party although their birthdays are actually three months apart.