Peace, Man / 1st day of Kindergarten / Happy Birthday Charlie!

This is going to have to be three posts in one; if I wait and do them individually, you'll learn about Charlie's birthday when she's six and a half.

Peace, Man

Saturday afternoon we hosted four of Charlie's friends for a "Peace"-themed party. All the guests were requested to wear their finest "peace" clothes, we tie-dyed t-shirts, and ate psychedelic cake (only looked psychedelic - no hallucinogens were given to the children).

Pretty trippy, no?
Dressed in old shirts of mine to (mostly - sorry Alice!) protect their clothing, the girls got to work on their t-shirts.
Left to right: Alice, Katalina, Ginger, Anika, and the Birthday Girl.CAKE!
Later, Chris and Charlie modeled their shirts.
This was Chris's first time making tie-dye shirts, and he and Charlie both really got into it. So into it, in fact, that after watching a half dozen tutorials on all the different designs, they got more shirts and more dye and did a whole second batch on Sunday.

First Day of Kindergarten

Charlie is officially a student in the Chicago Public School system. The first day of school went off without a hitch - Charlie can't wait to go back tomorrow, and I really only cried just a tiny bit!

Happy 6th Birthday, Charlie!

Last but certainly not least, today is Charlie's birthday. It looked a little like Christmas in our living room earlier tonight.
A new properly-sized scooter.
Instead of birthday cake, Charlie opted for a "bowl full of cookies". We do wish she was willing to have her picture taken without a silly face, but we sure do love that kid!
To Charlie, I say this: You are a funny, funny girl. I think that you have a pretty sophisticated sense of humor, but at the same time someone saying "butt" can send you into spasms of laughter. You're extremely artistic, drawing better than your Dad and I can by far. You have an excellent ear for music, and you can play "name that tune" to great success. You're on the cusp of being an independent reader -- in fact if you weren't so stubborn about not wanting to sound words out for fear of getting them wrong, you might already be reading all your books. Soon that will all change, we are sure (see above re: kindergarten). You have mastered the scooter and are working on learning to ride a two-wheeler. You are completely generous and kind to your little sister - traits we hope will stay as she gets older. You can talk a mile a minute for hours on end given the right topic. I both love and am exhausted by your question of "What should we talk about?" when we have to walk anywhere. This summer we discovered that you love roller coasters as long as they don't go upside down. This summer you also stopped being so shy in new situations and met new friends at camp. I loved picking you up and having you declare, "I made a new friend today!" You have a sunny smile almost all the time -- it is a beautiful smile, and your joy in life makes your Dad and I very proud. You are, without a doubt, the coolest big kid we know.

Oh, and where has Juliet been all this time?