I had a date night with Araceli Friday that included listening to her cello play-in, (cello ensemble) then eating cream puffs, followed by picking up the older girls from a Brazilian carnival.  We even got to enjoy some shish-kabobs and some dancing.  Who knew this kind of revelry was taking place in our sleepy little town?  A random assortment of activities, but we had a good time.  Ari was ready to cut loose, 4th grade style with her Lemon-Lime Shasta, after working so hard on her binder full of cello ensemble music for the last few weeks.

Ari is going to be a dynamic and mature fourth grader.  Lately, she has developed the knack for being prepared wherever she goes.  At the pool, I look over at her and she is reclining in a lounge chair, reading a book with her sunglasses on, sipping a drink she fixed from water and lemonade mix and eating a snack she packed for herself.  It cracks me up.  Sometimes she overpacks, but most of the time, I marvel when she pulls out a diaper and some wipes or a snack for Xanthe or a little pouch of hair supplies.  I even noticed the other day that her usually hairy legs were smooth and bare.  She casually informed me, "Mom, I've been shaving for, like, a month.  Some of those hairs were seriously an inch long!"  This girl takes matters into her own hands, no doubt about it.  It's a strength that will serve her well the older she gets, so I think I'll let her run with it.  Besides, you never know when she's going to whip something out of her bag that I might need.  Love ya, Ari!