New Beginnings

Today was D's first day of kindergarten. I always thought that I would be choked up and sad about reaching this milestone, but mostly I found that I am just really proud of how grown-up my daughter is and excited for her to delve into the adventure of REAL school! I don't think she was (is!) truly prepared for how different kindergarten is from preschool, but she will soon find out!As they say - breakfast is the most important meal of the day! If it's a weekend or a special day, Daddy makes it even more special by preparing his special homemade waffles! Yum!
D's school shares the same building as her sister's preschool. Gotta do the obligatory by-the-sign pose, right?
She couldn't wait to get to kindergarten! She didn't want to wait for daddy to meet us, she was rushing to GET IN THE DOOR!!
I think nerves started to set in though, once we actually got in.
She loves having her own cubby. She is also wearing her very own kippah (required for boys AND girls at her school).
Her class is taught by two teachers - Miss Claire teaches general studies and Miss Annelynn teaches Judaics. D loves them both already! Her day today was very short - only an hour and a half. They ease them in, apparently. Their day consisted of learning each other's names, exploring the classroom, and talking about appropriate behavior.
We celebrate the special day afterwards with lunch at Nordstrom Bistro.

And then, since we were there, we bought new shoes!
Today marked another touchstone in Dovi's year - the last day of her horseback riding lessons for the summer.
The lessons were more than just a fun diversion; she acquired real skills. In the beginning, she always rode with the instructor on the back, she is now riding confidently on her own. She can walk and canter the horse, sitting or standing in the saddle. She can steer the horse, get it moving from a stopped position and even get the horse to walk backwards.
Muscles! Taking horseback riding also teaches D responsibility. She doesn't just get to do the "fun" stuff - she is also expected to carry her equipment and gear, help groom the horse, and lead the horse in and out of the stall. These can be hard jobs and I think it's great that she is learning how to get her hands dirty.
Keith is a true cowboy and an excellent teacher. We look forward to taking lessons again next year at Autumn Rose Farms.

I hope today marks the beginning of a wonderful journey for our oldest daughter!

Today's workout:
15 min. stretch
60 min. easy run (6 mi)
25 min. strength training
60 min. yoga