Amelia graduates

June 8, 2008 -- She's been attending "Joy School", a cooperative-preschool, now Millie has graduated.

She and her friend Kyle are the only students.  The class is taught by Melissa and Kyle's mom, Hope.

As part of her graduation ceremony, this video was shown, which documents the year-long course.

Now that preschool is finished, Millie is ready for Kindergarten, although mom and dad are a little freaked out about the idea.

Of course Millie could care less, and would love to start right now!

School starts in August.

Milly sings

March 15, 2008 -- Melissa has apparently decided now's the time to get Milly singing. 

Milly has been begging for some time for opportunities to sing.  She really wants to during Melissa's recitals for her students, but has been told that she needs to learn some songs first.

So, here's a look at one of Milly's first attempts at "Who's Tail is Curly".  Don't miss the vibrato at the end.  Hmm... Where did she pick that up?

I am a robot

February 2008 -- The girls got new boots and the boxes were driving Mom crazy!  Everyone was fighting and tripping over them. 

Just as they were headed to the garbage, Amelia tried to wear the hinged box as a hat.  A serrated knife, a few measurements, and a couple of minutes later a robot was born!

Amelia learns to dance, sort of

February 2008 -- Amelia is the one in the blue sweater, without the skirt.  She loves her teacher, Miss Stephanie.  The girls get a cute ink stamp on their hand each week when they behave.  

Recently Amelia noticed the lobby of the dance studio is lined with trophies.  She talks incessantly about getting a dance trophy, and the realization that you EARN trophies has helped her focus a little better in class. 

Amelia takes fall, splits lip

Feb. 4, 2008 -- It all happened while Dan was at work, I was at rehearsal, and Brett Taylor was babysitting.  Amelia fell from the couch and smacked the rocking chair with her face!  Her bottom teeth cut the inside of her lip, and her top teeth cut through the outside!  There was no ice in the house, so they improvised with snow in a baggie to keep the swelling down.  Brett even put drops of green food coloring in it so she'd like it better. 

Trisch came over to help, and shortly after, I arrived to find Amelia cuddled, sniffling, and clinging to her snow.  Things were all calmed down by then, and it was several minutes before I even took a peek at "the wound".  When I finally saw it, I thought I was going to see stars.  Woozy!  Hope Bingham (she’s a nurse) came over to see if it was serious enough for stitches.  She said yes! 

We drove calmly to St. Luke’s Emergency, chatting along the way.  When we got there, Milly said, “The hospital?  Who are we here to see?”  I explained that we were there to fix her lip.  She was so unconcerned, she tried to race me to the doors! 

The doctors and nurses made her feel very comfortable and important.  I was so proud of the brave way she behaved as she tried to answer all the questions they asked.  She was just calm and sweet.  There was a therapy dog, Nutmeg, who sprawled on her bed and kept her company while the nurses cleaned her up and checked everything.  The doctor, John Alquist, was really careful to stitch her up so she wouldn't get a big scar.  She only winced a little while he was giving her some shots of anesthetic.  

In the end there were four stitches, about 20 cute stickers, a fun pair of latex gloves, a hospital bracelet, and a little bottle of bubbles.  The only time Amelia cried was when I said it was time to go home!  So much for learning a lesson about hopping around on the furniture.

Click below to hear one of Amelia's favorite songs.  She used to do a hilarious "twisty run" around the coffee table anytime we played it for her.