Tete a Tot First: Big Girl Beauty Salon

We normally get Molly's haircut at the CUTEST kids' place in the world -- Cookie Cutters. It's great because it the kids sit in cars and watch videos while they get their hair cut. (And the woman who cuts Molly's hair is named Vicki and she even spells it right!) Oh - and it has a slide with Clifford on it in the INSIDE of the salon. (If Molly was awake and helping me write this right now, I'm sure she'd want that feature noted.)

Unfortunately, Cookie Cutters is not here... it's where Grandma and Papa live (three hours away). It's been a great special thing we always do during our visits to Papa and Grandma's... but then Molly's hair got CRAZY. And we need to have it cut more frequently than we can head over the river and through the woods.

So, now that Molly's hair grows like her mommy's (read: FAST), we had to find a closer solution. Luckily, Ellie's mom (as always) had a great suggestion. So we visited Miss Dana this weekend at an adorable boutique just down the street from Molly's school.

Here's the before:

Here's the during. (Molly especially loved the big clips in her hair... "Those are clip ponies," she informed me...)

And here's the after (note the fancy little braid):

"I don't believe what I just saw!"

Thirty seconds of joy

Enjoying the pretty weather a couple weeks ago in our backyard. And Molly was loving every second...

Tete a Tot First: Graduation

Molly,

Tomorrow is the big day - preschool graduation. I remember the day you started at this school... you had just turned two. You picked out Baby Bear -- who was my Care Bear -- to take with you. You were so "cited."

That was just yesterday, right?

Love, Mommy

The Last Dance

Sweetie -

Tomorrow is your last ballet class at preschool. The last one. Wasn't our first ballet and pancakes Friday just yesterday?

(Wow - these first lesson vs. your last lesson photos say it all, don't they? You were so LITTLE way back then...)

Ballet and pancakes has been such a special tradition for us. I know we'll have a new ballet school to look forward to and many new traditions to enjoy... but it's just another reminder that Mommy and Molly Fridays are quickly coming to an end. You told me tonight, "You know, Mommy - I'm going to go to Kindergarten five days a week."

I know, sweetie - I know.

(P.S. - 14 Molly and Mommy Fridays left until Kindergarten!)

Tete a Tot First: Prom!

Last Friday night, we had a super-fun first: Molly's preschool hosted its annual "prom."

(Yes, Daddy freaked out when I first said the "p" word... but I quickly assured him that it was just a fun costume party to celebrate the pre-K classes. NO dates.)

And this year, the theme? A 1950's sock hop. Awesome.

Unfortunately, Daddy was out of town. But Molly and Mommy got all dolled up. Daddy even ordered beautiful corsages for his girls. Then we headed to a friend's house for some pre-prom photos...

... with a classic 1955 Chevy!

So after a few fun photos with the Pink Ladies, our cutie car hop, and our Danny Zuko stand-in, we headed off to the prom.

We had a FANTASTIC time. The school's owner and director went ALL out -- there was a diner with hot dogs, burgers, and root beer floats. And the dance room had hula hoops and lots of Elvis music. Molly rocked and rolled with her friends and teachers. It was so much fun - and it made me realize how much we'll miss her preschool this fall!

We ended the evening at the local ice cream shoppe. (The workers there thought we were from the local civic theater production of "Grease.")

Such a great evening with fun friends!

The Number Is In...

Molly finally got her t-ball uniform (a.k.a. t-shirt and visor) last night right before team picture day and her first game.

(Something Mommy learned last night: don't wear turtle-print underwear if you're wearing white baseball pants... but I digress...)

Daddy was very concerned about Molly's first sports number. So, when I got to the game last night, Molly was up to bat and Daddy was watching her proudly.

"So, Daddy - what number did Molly get?"

"She's number eight."

"Is that acceptable?"

"What? Oh... eight... eight... OH! Yeah - it's perfect. It's Cal Ripken!"

So, thank you, Cal Ripken, for being the Iron Man and giving the number eight respectability!

Last Days of the Dinosaurs: Molly's Version

Here's the story I got tonight, as Molly was taking a bath.

"Mommy, Brooke brought in a book from home about the dinosaurs and how they really DIED."

"Really, Molly? What happened?"

"Well, the pterodactyls... you know, the pterodactyls -- the ones that fly in the sky? Not the ground dinosaurs but the sky dinosaurs? Well the pterodactyls were flying and flying and flying and saw a HUGE fireball comet. And they warned all the other dinosaurs to get in a cave. But all the ground dinosaurs didn't listen. And Sue the T-Rex didn't listen... because they were all eating other dinosaurs. And so all of them died because they didn't go into the cave. Except for a few. But when they came out of the cave, there weren't any more dinosaurs to eat. The only thing to eat was dirt! So then they died. And then their bones went into the ground and became fossils and Sue Hendrickson and the other fossil hunters dug them all up."

So glad I asked. :)

(Editor's Note: I spelled pterodactyl correctly on the first try. Woo hoo!)

Molly's Reading Pick o' the Week

So, we're at the grocery store to pick up our corsages for prom, when we walk by the magazine aisle. I get easily distracted by the magazine aisle, so I start to look... when Molly says, "Mommy, I want this one."

Here's the cover:

I kid you not.

As she starts thumbing through National Geographic and its newest cover story "Ice Baby," she comes across this picture:

"Mommy, why does that elephant look so sick?"

(And here I had to suppress every sacrastic bone in my body...) "Um, well, sweetie... probably because it's dead."

So I started explaining to her it's a mammoth that lived a long, LONG time ago... and it's so great that they found it, just like SUE the T-Rex because it will help scientists... but why don't we pick a different magazine.

Nope, not the Nickelodeon magazine... not Thomas the Train... not even a Tiger Beat with David Archuletta on the cover.

Nope. Molly wanted this one. She hugged her copy of National Geographic and took off down the aisle.

Here we are later, reading about the death of Lyuba. She fascinated by it, which is fantastic. But the sad, shriveled mammoth on the cover is making me a wee bit sad. I don't know if I could handle watching the TV special on this. (Shhhh.... don't tell Molly it's on!)

Tete a Tot First: The Lasts Begin

Today was the last watch day at ballet before the recital... the last watch day of ballet at your school... the last watch day of our Mommy and Molly ballet and pancake Fridays.



It's been so incredibly special, being able to be there... watching you as you do something that I always loved so much.

I'm going to miss our Mommy and Molly days -- but there are some of the most special memories I have.

Love you, ballerina.

Love, Mommy