Ice Cream Social

Anna's school hosted an ice cream social for students and their families this evening. Since Mikel flew back to Detroit to visit family yesterday morning, just the children and I attended, but not before I gussied up the children just a tad for the occasion. It was lots of fun, and I'm pretty sure my kids, though perhaps the best dressed, were over dressed, as the whole affair was outdoors and kids were running around in the sandbox and on playground equipment after inhaling their ice cream. At any rate, here are two shots of the kids and their ice cream (even got one of Anna taking the cherry off the stem!) and a few outside our house before we loaded up into the car.

Speaking of school, it seems that, in Anna's school at least, what I would consider old-fashioned names are back in style! Besides Anna, there are two Emmas, an Ella, Annie, Isabelle, Rosemary, Ethan, Benjamin, Andrew, Jack, Charleston, Noah, Nicholas, Charles, Rockwell, and finally, even Henry. How cute! Of course, there are also some trendy names but I was struck by what seemed like a lot of old-fashioned or traditional sort of names. But then, maybe I've just not kept up with what's going on with kids' names these days. No Alexanders -- that's good to know for next year's class. (Side note: When I met my new Russian friend last week, she said her first thought when I introduced my son to her (and before she knew he was adopted from her home country) was something along the lines of 'Oh, what a good Russian name that is.')

In other school news, Anna's teachers report she's very, very busy! I keep asking if that's a good thing because sometimes it's code for hyper. They assure me it's a good thing in that she's interested in and curious about everything and that they'd much rather teach a child like that than someone who is very placid and ho-hum about the world around them. I did also get a report that she's likes to flush the toilet a lot — put new paper in so that she can flush more — which is weird because she's not like that at home. Her brother is! Anyway, I had a little chat with her about it and how she only needs to flush once and no play with potty. I think it got through (even though she should already know this) because she's repeated it back to me on various occasions.

I've had the privilege of dropping off Anna at school this week. Normally Mikel has done this on his way in to work. It's nice to see what the morning routine is like and to socialize with other parents, as all children are supposed to arrive at the same time. The teachers open the door for them all to go in at 8:30 a.m., and the parents are supposed to just send them off with a quick kiss and a "see you in a few hours" and not enter (we're literally right at the doorstep, where Anna and Alex are sitting in these photos -- it's not like we're at the end of the school yard). Anna has lingered a bit in wanting a kiss and hug, more than I would have thought. But she certainly hasn't been one of those children who must be peeled off the parent's leg by the teachers.

Anyway, it's all good right now!