Updates

Duchess is done with kung fu camp. She loved it, and is very excited to start the after-school program* in the fall. Also, in the end-of-the-week demonstration, she broke her very first board. This was a great surprise to her, and a source of enormous pride.

There are a few exciting things going on in this photo. First , Duchess's board, and her new kung fu t-shirt of which she is also very proud. Second, Skipper's new Barbie doll, which we found free on the curb, and has subsequently had many baths and a haircut. Third, a very small apple, on our brand-new apple tree, located above and to the right of Duchess's head, on the other side of the roses. (I cut all the other apples off in their infancy, so the tree can focus on just this one apple.) It has been a very exciting summer so far.

Swim lessons this session are going less well for Skipper, who was horrified to find that she had two male teachers, and refused to participate at all for most of the first class. She's warmed up to it, but still refuses to do most of the group activities. Eventually she may learn to swim.

Antarctic Uncle is back! The kids are thrilled. Skipper hugs him at every opportunity.

And that's the news.

*They pick up the kids, drive them to the studio (which is a 10-minute walk from our house), and give them an hour-long kung fu training session along with the usual homework/hanging-out time she would get in regular aftercare.