We leave for the beach in the AM! Very exciting. Lots of bags are packed downstairs – games, crafts, books, food, sunblock, towels, tennis rackets, beach toys, electronics, etc etc etc. On the one hand it's easier to pack when they are older, and on the other, they expect to have more stuff with them. Tomorrow morning they will pack their Silly Bandz.

Today was the last day of kindergarten! So hard to believe. The year went by quickly. They had a picnic outdoors and finally got the elusive Golden L, which is awarded to classes and individuals that are good citizens, act responsibly, and remember to do things like wear sneakers on P.E. day. Their class also gave their teacher a hardcover book of photos and memories of their kindergarten year. I ordered a copy too, and M is, as expected, obsessed with it.

Olivia, Deb, Ron and Dina are here, which has been fun. The girls are getting along well, tho we had to put the kibosh on a sleepover in M&A's room because they wouldn't settle down. Olivia is adorable. She likes to help me do things. Tonight, she helped me pack – I picked out clothes and ran them by her; she gave her approval and put them in my bag.

We had a kerfluffle tonight because the girls all got out of bed at 10ish, and walked by the door to my den, where I was sitting. M had changed out of her pajamas into her clothes for tomorrow, A was nowhere to be seen, and Olivia was naked. Turns out they wanted to surprise us by putting on their outfits for tomorrow, but Olivia's was downstairs, so M was sneaking down to get Olivia's clothes. Of course I saw them, and had to be brought in on the whole plot. But then Daddy and Grandpa were annoyed that Olivia was out of bed and naked, so I had to explain why, and then M was furious at me for spoiling it.

A has been corresponding, again, with the Tooth Fairy. Last night, she asked the T.F. whether she could teach A how to fly. Tonight, she asked – "Do you have 1,000 eyes (since she must in order to see all those kids)?; How do you shrink?; and What does it feel like to be the Tooth Fairy?" The Tooth Fairy has been leaving some entertaining responses – let's see what he she comes up with tonight. Last night's response mentioned A's upcoming trip to North Carolina and the fact that she is reading Dr. Doolittle, which she was very impressed by.

The girls have a first grade summer reading list. I went to the library today to take out some of the books for the trip, but some other even more Type-A mom beat me to the punch, because none of them were there. Guess I will have to go to BFE Maryland to try to take out these books.

So this may be my last post for a while. I am going to try to take a break from posting, and make it a real vacation, but I will likely break down mid-trip and post some anecdotes.

Back in a week!