It's been a LONG time!

Vladi asked me the other day, "Why did you stop recording all these hilarious things she says?" and I didn't have an answer! So here I am...

Shortly after we arrived in BG we took Nicole to a great kid's store called Piggy's House, which is like a tunnels and balls play area (think Chuck E. Cheeze, minus all the food and coin-operated games) combined with a children's store with everything from strollers to shoes to baby food and diapers - even toys! And a small cafe with cakes, tea, coffee and other treats. In the parking lot our friends asked Nicole if she wanted to go in, she said "it looks very mysterious" and having just met her, they were unaccustomed to her off the wall comments, and cracked up - so did I. When we left, our friends asked Nicole if she liked it and she said, "OH yes, its my FAVorite!" She seems much older than her years, even her voice is very direct and sure in her answers and opinions.

On Nicole's first day of Kindergarten, she really showed off what she knew during story time. The teacher wanted to be very inclusive with Nicole and paid her special attention, while trying to tie the questions into the lesson from the story (The Little Red Hen: helpers/friendship). I was in the hallway waiting for V to pick me up (out of sight, since she thought she'd already sent me on my way) and so I got to hear it ALL.
The teacher asked her what she would be when the baby comes out of [my] tummy(maybe she was hoping to hear 'helper' or 'big sister' or something I guess?) and she said, "A princess, like Mommy."(hee hee!)
And then Nicole went on to add to that, "Mommy and Daddy got married! And Mommy wore a princess dress! And I was in Mommy's tummy and I came out." Not exactly how I remember it - I thought we'd been married over a year before we conceived, but thats ok, its her story.
"And babies come out through a special DOOR." And the teachers are listening and saying, "Uum hmmm" and kindly allowing her to finish her important story before moving on to The Little Red Hen. And she quickly added, "Babies come out through a special DOOR, its called a VAGINA." And after a surprised noise from the male teacher's assistant, the teacher led right into the lesson with "...and at our school today, we're talking about helpers and..." (so I guess that was the end of trying to get her to bring up 'helpers' on her own).

She also told the assistant teacher that she wasn't feeling very well and that she had been sick and she had to sleep on her side to keep her from getting sick (when she coughs repeatedly we tell her to roll onto her side) and I couldn't hear very well but it sounded like she mentioned fleas? I can't be sure, but if she did I don't know where she heard about them. Caesar has never even had fleas? And she certainly hasn't. I didn't know she knew what a flea was? But as the sentence ended (whatever she was talking about, fleas or not) she said,"And I feel very yucky about that." hee hee!

Nicole is really loving Kevin Henkes books right now - especially Chrysanthemum. She knows it word by word! And can actually 'read' it to us. And its full of words like "absolutely dreadful" and
other such colorful phrases! And being a library book, we have to take it back (can only keep them 3 weeks) but I think I'll order it for her birthday. I was surprised how fast she learned it though - it really fascinated her. I think because they were both starting school and because there are lots of little girl mice in the book, and she's sooo fashion conscious - she always points out their clothes and accessories and shoes. (that's all her own thing - she's always been very 'girly').

On the first day of school Nicole told me in the car that she wants to go to ballet school, like Angelina (Ballerina mouse), not to the regular school we'd been visiting. "Take me to a ballet school Mommy! I want to do ballet!" I told her I would try! (they're hoping to set this up soon at her current school, but I'm on the lookout for a kids ballet instructor that speaks / hopefully teaches in English.)

Nicole has been showing us yoga moves since last Thursday (first time she met the yoga instructor at her new kindergarten). Today she wanted to do yoga and ballet in her long princess dress. It was VERY entertaining! (I have a video clip I'll try and upload)