Once Upon A Dream

We started the summer reading program (Got the bug for reading?) at the library today. Every Wednesday, there are activities, stories, songs, and crafts. We used to go to the programs in Staten Island, and we are happy that we were able to find some down the street from us at our new library. There was a class for Gillian (24-36 months), and a class for Gabby (3-5yrs). It was a lot of fun and very convenient for taking out books. You can see Gillian trying to do her picture/photo pose. She stands this way everytime she says cheese.

We played at Gabby and Gillian's school playground this morning and in the playroom while waiting for lunch. Gillian loves the moonsand.

Gabby had her first swimming lesson today. She loved it, and she can't wait to go back again. She was so tiny, that she had a hard time touching the floor of the pool in the shallow end. She was excited to find out that she knew a girl in her swim class that she had met in the neighborhood...Anna. Her teacher's name was Mitchell....and she proclaimed to us in the van on the way home that she "really" likes boy teachers. hahaha

Gianna, her mom (Anita), and Auntie (Teresa) stayed over last night. The girls had a little bit of time to play together. They wanted to dress up and dance. We also broke out the moon sand. It is always messy and always fun!

Happy Birthday to Uncle Tony this week. We celebrated with him last weekend. Aunt Lena made some chocolate covered pineapple with the girls, and she made this gorgeous cake that was completely edible. She even made each little flower. Isn't it gorgeous?

While at Great Adventure, the girls had a private Q&A with the Dolphin trainers. They were able to ask the ladies anything they wanted....play with the dolphins, feed them, and get their pictures taken with the group. The trainers were lots of fun, and the dolphins, Cody and Avalon, were so beautiful.

Last weekend, we took a little trip to Great Adventure in New Jersey. They have an awesome Safari...with tons of animals. There were lots of rides for the girls to try, but they loved the animals the most. Gillian loved the mommy and baby zebras. Gabby had a good laugh at all the ostriches. There were also bears, tigers, lions, and monkeys etc...that didn't make it into the entry. Gabby got to play some drums with a group that performed percussion numbers using all materials that were recycled.

We traveled back to good ole' Staten Island to see our friends from Dance Xpress in their 2008 recital. Gabby attended from September through December before we moved away. She was so happy for all of her friends. She was excited to see them all again and see how their performances turned out after all that practicing. She was especially happy to see Miss Alli! Gabby was called up onto the stage at the end of the show. Miss Alli recognized her as a former student and gave her a special present. Thank you Soooooo much! We love and miss you....Dance Xpress.

An exciting side note...Dance Xpress has been chosen to dance the final number at the lighting of the Rockefeller Tree this year. Congratulations!

Gabriella hit her 750 book milestone today. It was just in time for the school to close its doors for the summer. Mrs. Sogoian presented her with a 1000 book kid t-shirt. We will start the completion of the program on September 5th (Gabby's first day of Kindergarten). We just found out the date for her first day of school, her teacher's name (Mrs. Bacchia), and that she will be attending afternoon kindergarten. How exciting!

We had a riverside picnic today. The weather was perfect. We brought sandwiches, bubbles and badmitton. The girls didn't want to leave. They were loving the view as much as me.