First day of kindergarten. Bus picked her up at 12:30. She was really ready to go. She got right on and sat with Noah.

Today at Quassy Claudia was stepping into the Tilt-A-Whirl and she tripped and banged her head real hard against the seat. Much blood ensued.

She was a trooper. The medic there cleaned her up a bit. As we finished Claudia turned to me with her sad face and said "When can we go back on the Tilt-A-Whirl?" So we rode before we headed for the hospital.

We just got back from the hospital and she got four stitches. She was really brave the whole time. No big deal at all. She will look a little banged up for her first day tomorrow.

She also rode many other rides there for the first time and was having a great time.

Claudia had her kindergarten orientation today. She was a bit overwhelmed but she did real well. As we know, she is both introverted and a bit nervous. But she fully participated and had a good time. She had no trouble getting on the bus for their "first ride". Mommy, however, was having a "heart attack".

While working on the garden she told me she was pretty nervous. She thought she was going to get lost. I told her Mrs. Rosa would be there when the bus got to school and would show her where to go. I think that helped a bit. During our conversation Claudia proceeded to tell me all the rules (no juice, what to do on the playground, etc...). She certainly soaks everything in.

She is definitely the youngest there (by a few months maybe) but she fit right in. First official day is on Monday. Bus should be here 12:05 or so.

Barn Buddies. Claudia worked really hard in the barn this week.

Kindergarten (!!) orientation is Monday. So far we know:

1. Claudia will be the youngest in her class, but one of the tallest.

2. She has 13 kids in her afternoon session with 2 aides in the room (yeah, Southbury!!).

3. She will ride the bus with Noah (our neighbor) and she is in class with Taylor.

4. Her teacher will be on leave soon for baby stuff.

We expect to keep on with soccer, dance, and piano. Swimming lessons might take a break.

Claudia has been having lots of fun at Mimi's. She has been brushing and taking care of the horses and she feels real important doing that. Mimi and Claudia sleep in the same room and I can hear Claudia giggling. Perhaps I should tell them to quiet down!

Claudia is telling these stories about her week. Daddy is typing.

We went to Lake Compounce. We went in the water and on rides.

We went blueberry picking.

We went to New York City and we saw a movie and a mouse was on our car! I had a good time with Nore and Huib.

Trying to catch up on pictures.

Claudia did the freestyle and sidestroke yesterday while she was swimming. She also did a good five second float. She can't lift her head out of the water to breathe yet but she is getting better fast. I think the swim lessons this year really helped as she feels really comfortable in the water.

Claudia has been going to camp the past week. It is a dance/singing camp. Our impression is that it isn't exactly "intense". Claudia had a better time the second day. The first day she thought they "did a lot of sitting".

We are certain Claudia will keep her teachers on their toes. She remembers everything and wants to work.

Claudia picked a ton of berries with Aunt Tootie yesterday. We also started to learn a little chess.

Great times in Vermont the past week. Mimi joined us again and this was Claudia's fourth trip to VT. A certain routine has certainly been established. We always go to American Flatbread on Saturday (great, great place). We always go to Two Brothers Tavern. We always get ice cream in Brandon. We always go to the Morgan Horse Farm.

Its neat that she is kind of becoming a big girl. She is a great sister as well.

Julie came over on Monday. Big fun. Claudia thinks Julie is really, really cool.

Claudia had a good time in Pennsylvania. She was definitely Mimi's assistant and helped all over the farm. She was eager to help in the barn and to go on gator rides.

Claudia rode Wendy with just a lead line; nobody walking next to her, and she did good. We also saw Toy Story 3 and both girls enjoyed it, although Molly fell asleep right at the end.

We head to Vermont soon. Claudia's fourth trip.

Claudia's new bed.

We are so proud of Claudia. She had her preschool show tonight and she was Mother Rabbit. She closed the show with a big solo. The teachers were all very proud of her! She had a huge crowd there to cheer her on--Grandma, Aunt Tootie, Mr. Jeff, the Shays, and us. Videos and pictures will be up on flickr soon.

She is a such a pro at this.



It was also the last swim class of the session. Claudia is actually kind of swimming now. She feels really comfortable in the water.

Claudia had her fourth dance performance yesterday.

Enjoy.

Daddy finally was able to take a day and go to preschool with Claudia. It was fascinating to watch her for 2.5 hours. She is a very good listener and certainly follows the rules. She had a lot of fun with Jackie, Zainab, and Sydney. I was very impressed by her teachers. They are very, very good at what they do.

Preschool ends in a week. Amazing.

Claudia was so excited to march in the parade this year. She marched with Charlotte and they led the whole soccer group. Claudia was awake about 3:30am this morning she was so excited.

The other blue kids behind her are on another team!

Claudia is really starting to swim. She can swim 2-3 yards a time. She is getting much better at soccer as well.

Whacking moles with Zainab

Claudia asked Zainab to go to Quassy with her tomorrow. We have a season pass and she is allowed to bring a "buddy". Zainab seems to be pretty cool.

Some things going on for Claudia:

1. She is starting to swim. She puts her head under and swims a few feet. She likes her swimming class.

2. She had a piano lesson with Miss Eileen.

3. We heard kindergarten classes next year might be very small--under 15. Waiting to see where she gets placed.

4. She is dancing really well. Her performance is in a few weeks.

5. We have tried to get her to do "big girl" stuff at bedtime. As many of you know, she is very easy to put to bed, except we need to stay with her for 5-10 minutes while she falls asleep. We almost got her to use a flashlight instead. Yes, we put Molly down and leave the room.

6. She got a new bike.

7. Claudia likes American Idol a lot. She is a Crystal fan now. So does Molly. Kasey likes Lee. I'd be happy if they stopped singing.

Claudia works very hard at soccer. She runs real hard and is a good teammate.

Claudia loves to put on her shows right about now. We have four or five performances each night. These performances are eclectic with dance, costumes, singing, instruments and her trusty sidekick Molly. Last night was singing and playing the piano. Claudia was really proud she played Twinkle, Twinkle with Mommy's help.

Florida was a big hit with Claudia. She really enjoyed spending time with some of the family. It was a great vacation!

Claudia is here with me (mommy) to tell about her vacation! My favorite thing was the parade at the Magic Kingdom. I saw Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Cinderella, and Belle!
I also loved Sea World. I loved the whales, dolphins and getting caught in the rain. I had a great time in Mark & Joan's pool learning to swim with a noodle!! I liked the hotel, pirate pool and my room. I also had lots of fun with Grandma :)

Return

Claudia is in the air and returning from Florida. I will leave soon to pick her up. Can't wait. I will post pictures and video over the next few days.

Claudia had her first soccer practice today. She had a big crowd come and watch (4 out of 5 Kopecs?).

Mimi and Aunt Susannah are here. Claudia is very excited. She prepared a ritual welcoming ceremony.

I continue to be impressed by Claudia. She is starting to put on shows a lot. Definitely doing something this summer, probably at NMS in New Haven.

We had our first parent conference today at Claudia's preschool. The teacher was very complimentary about Claudia which was nice to hear. She always listens, participates, and helps clean up. She is very happy that Claudia is there.

She thinks she is absolutely ready for kindergarten. We are off to orientation on that tomorrow. No final decision yet, but it is definitely rolling in that direction.

Claudia is currently enjoying watching American Idol. There is a girl on there from Middlebury (where she goes to preschool). Claudia also loves watching the basketball. She figured out how to find the score on the screen. She knows when the game is tied, but we are still working on figuring out who is winning.

Claudia and I (Mommy) had a wonderful night out at a March of Dimes fundraiser. It was a Bridgeport Soundtiger Hockey game. There was an open skate before. Claudia did super and actually made it out to the middle.(With a little help) She enjoyed the cotton candy a lot too!

Claudia and I went to New Haven tonight. It was a fun night. We went to Kitchen Zinc for pizza. She really likes that pizza. We then went to Claire's for dessert. She had a really big chocolate chip cookie.

We then went to the Yale Band Concert. Well, we tried to, but the concert was actually last week. Oops. So we went next door to the Yale Chamber Orchestra concert. Nice to be at Yale. Free concert just waiting to be seen. She sat through a whole Stravinsky symphony, but was pretty tired so we hit the road after that. She does very well at concerts.

Claudia said the best part was walking back and forth. She loved trying to catch snowflakes in her mouth as she walked. I have to agree that was my favorite part too.

Claudia and Mommy had fun making a snow fort and spent the past hour having a snowball fight. This massive snowstorm closed most of the state (almost every school cancelled LAST NIGHT). It has snowed almost 3 inches so far.

Claudia's friend Taylor has spent the day with us. Taylor's parents are on FEMAs dog search team and there is a big explosion in Middletown. Currently Taylor is getting ready for the sleepover. Claudia has never had a sleepover, we aren't sure about Taylor. Lets see how this goes....

Over the monitor:

Claudia: What story do you went to tell? We can only tell ONE story.

Taylor is currently telling that story....

Claudia had her "kids" birthday party with kids from pre-school on Saturday. It got really crowded at Monkey Business but we all had a fun time. I'll get pictures up soon.

Claudia and I attended a benefit concert for Haiti on Monday at Yale. Claudia has lots of questions about earthquakes and Haiti. She wants to make sure we give money so they can have playgrounds. She was very good at the concert and we had lots of fun going for pizza at Kitchen Zinc (fabulous place). She is becoming a big girl so very fast.

Claudia has her big birthday party at Monkey Business this Saturday. Lots of kids from preschool are coming. It will be quite a crowd.

Claudia saw Erin McDermott in Vermont last summer and sings her music in the car all of the time. She "learned" all the lyrics herself.

Claudia and I had a fun walk at Phillip's Farm today. We discovered that new trails were made and took the blue trail. It was fun since I asked Claudia to find our way back to the car. She did a real good job. Growing up fast.

Claudia has been sick for a few days but is getting a little better. She slept really late today which helped.

Claudia is four! She got a Barbie Jeep for her birthday that she can drive herself. It a bit icey out, but she did well. She has a good cough and we hope she does OK today.

She wanted pizza for breakfast, macaroni and cheese for lunch, and spaghetti for dinner. Her cousins will come over for dinner. Mimi and Aunt Susannah are here today as well.

Lots of videos and pictures put up on the flickr site.

We went to Claudia's concert at her preschool today. I give so much credit to her teachers. Claudia learned so many songs! She was front and center and did such a fabulous job. I'm a professional, I know about these things. We were so proud of her.

All the recordings are going up on flickr. Claudia is the loud singer with good pitch and great diction. You can certainly hear her! These are instant classics.

Claudia demonstrates her memory. How does she remember this stuff?

Claudia went roller skating with Santa tonight.

"Daddy, I want to go to the gym with Mommy. They have a play area. I could play while Mommy does her exercising"

"Well, maybe you could exercise too, Claudia. What type of stuff would you do in the gym"

"The weights Daddy. Definitely the weights."

Claudia had a really good time in Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. She and her sister were really good travelers, especially on the long trip home. Claudia worked really hard feeding the horses and letting them out. She even rode Wendy without a saddle. She was a big girl.

We did the usual activities. Claudia sat at the table the whole evening for dinner and was lots of fun. We also went to Uncle Tyler's restaurant which is always a big hit.

Trouble.

Claudia had fun at the cross country banquet last night. She took a big step up and helped Daddy pass out the awards. She felt like a big girl. She wore a very pretty dress and even got to talk to Julie (which was her favorite part).

claudia just had a jelly bean

These sisters take care of eachother!

Mommy's birthday present was getting pictures taken. It took awhile to happen as we got moved by rain two times. But the pictures turned out great.

THREE DESSERTS! - Claudia LOVED the buffets :)





Johnnie Rockets was a big hit in Vegas with their dancing waiters and hats! She couldn't believe she got to take it home with her. The turtle Grandpa got her at the Shark Reef and the hat from Johnnie Rocket's were the first things she wanted to show Daddy when we got home :)

Claudia: I'm three and half, I'm not even afraid of ghosts. By the time I'm four I won't be afraid of anything.

Claudia had such a wonderful trip to see her Grandpa. She was up at 4 am to catch the plane and was truly giddy the ENTIRE day. She did an amazing amount of stuff in 2 1/2 days and wondered if we had seen EVERYTHING in Las Vegas??? Not even close :)
Some highlights of the trip included the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus, Johnny Rockets restaurant, the buffets (with their unlimited desserts) Grandpa's pool and of course the windy bridge!!
The pool at the Trump was really nice too. Mommy loved snuggling with the girls in their big bed/lounge chairs.

It has been Patriarch week for Claudia. She had a great trip to Las Vegas to visit her Grandfather last week. She went out to dinner, played in the pool, and had lots of fun in the really nice hotel room. She was a great passenger on the plane.

This weekend her Uncle Mark and Aunt Joan visited and she really had fun with them. They both related to Claudia and Molly very well, despite seeing them so infrequently. They should open up a preschool.

Claudia is off to Las Vegas for her big trip to visit her Grandfather. She called tonight and told me all about it.

"Daddy-the hotel--they have a phone in the bathroom!!"

She said she is really tired and is going to bed as soon as they eat, "but its still light out". She was a really good traveler says Mommy. I am sure she is a huge help for everyone. Its nice to have such a good 3 year old.

Miss her lots!

Claudia had lots of fun at the cross country meet yesterday. She ran with the girls, did lots of dancing, and even drank from the water jug.

But best of all she rode the bus for the first time! And she sat with Julie! Claudia said she talked "the whole way home!" but she let Julie talk "just medium". Very exciting stuff for such a big girl.

Claudia seems to be enjoying preschool a lot. I think she likes doing all the crafts and getting to play. She plays with the girls and "some of the boys, maybe two of them".

She started dance again and was so, so, so excited that both Miss Jonelle and Miss Rachel were teaching the class again.

She has a new teacher in swimming (Miss Colleen) and is trying many new things. She jumped into the water from the side at the last lesson. We are still working on getting our head under water.

Claudia has a big couple of weeks ahead. Mimi visits next weekend, she heads to Las Vegas to see her grandpa the following week, and her Uncle Mark and Joan will be here when she returns. Popular girl!

As you can see from the clustrmap we get some visitors. If you are a regular visitor we would love if you say hi again in a comment. Who are you and where from? Good thing for Claudia to look back on.

Claudia is off at preschool! She got off just fine. Very excited to start.

We are practicing our questions for her. Trying to avoid "How was school?"

Claudia had fun today at the Labor Day parade in Newtown. She liked getting up for candy and listening to the bands. She is such a good three year old girl. Afterwards we went to the Zamary's and she swam in very cold water but she had a lot of fun.

This is a big week for Claudia: swim lessons, preschool on Friday, and dance starting again next Monday. Definitely a growing and changing girl. We can't wait to see how school transforms her. We think/hope we found the right place for her unique set of talents.

Three girls. Two popsicles.