Sophie's First Day of School

This morning Sophie had her very first day of kindergarten!  She was so excited and couldn't wait to get to her new school.  We had to stop to take some pictures first, of course:

Sophie was so happy about becoming a kindergartener, she didn't even cry when we dropped her off.  She was grinning from ear to ear:

Since the first day was only a half-day, Nick and I took Sophie to lunch after school let out.  She chose one of her favorite restaurants, Red Robin.  Afterward, she asked to go to an arcade to play some games: 

We all had a really great day and Sophie can't wait to go back to school tomorrow.  We are so proud of her and so excited to see what the school year will bring!

Eleven months ago...

I took this picture of Helena.  It really captured my absolute favorite thing about her laugh - the way she crinkles up her little nose when she's belly-laughing:

Now, she's a little bigger, a little older, and has more teeth and more hair, but she still crinkles her nose when she laughs hard.  I have to confess, I think it's just as cute now as it was when she was tiny:

I can do it myself!

Lately, Helena has been very interested in trying to do everything herself.  She especially likes to do this after her bath.  She likes to clean her own ears:

And comb her own hair:

Helena also likes to try to put on her own shoes:

Then, she even helps us clean up:

We couldn't ask for a better baby!

A Visit From the Tooth Fairy, Part 2

This past week, Sophie lost her second tooth!  She was very excited about the tooth fairy coming to visit again so soon.  Sophie also has four more that are loose and her first permanent tooth is already coming in.

We're pretty sure that at this rate, she'll be looking like a Jack-O-Lantern in plenty of time for Halloween:

A few days earlier, we were afraid that the tooth fairy might be visiting Helena as well.  She took a pretty bad spill while walking, and one of her bottom teeth twisted and pushed through the front of her gum:

Her mouth was very sore the first few days, which kept her from eating much, and we were afraid that it might have to be pulled.  Fortunately, after a visit to our physician, a visit to our dentist, and a visit to the pediatric dentist, it was determined that her tooth was healing and she could keep it.  Although her tooth is no longer in quite the right spot, she's able to eat well again, which makes Helena very happy.

The Tiny Tornado

Helena's nickname is the Tiny Tornado.  Why?  Because everywhere she goes she leaves behind a path of death and destruction (okay, not really death, but definitely destruction).  Here's a sample:

She may look sweet and innocent, but it's all a ruse.  I'm pretty sure that her greatest joy in life comes from removing every item we own from its proper storage place.