Kindergarten Assessment & Other Stuff

Danielle had her kindergarten assessment today. It's a state mandated Kindergarten Readiness Assessment - Literacy, aka KRA-L, test for kindergarteners. Afterwards her teacher told me she got a perfect score, which is something even her intelligent older brother didn't achieve (but don't tell him!). We stuck around after her assessment to see Tyler during his lunch period. She was still sleeping when he left this morning, so he left a good luck message on the chalk board for her. When she told him how well she did, he gave her a big smile and patted her on the back. It was very sweet. He is so excited about her being at school, too. No matter how much my brother and I fought, I always liked having him around (or knowing he was around somewhere) at school. I think that's how Danielle & Tyler will be, and I'm glad.

The highlight of Tyler's evening was the cookie dough salesmen at the door tonight. The high school girls' volleyball team is selling cookie dough for a fund raiser and were going door-to-door in our neighborhood this evening. While seeing 2 tall, blond, high school girls in short shorts at the door is usually enough to make Tyler happy, the real bonus is that his teacher is the coach for the team and was driving some of the girls around. While her team hit the pavement, she visited the neighborhood kids in her class and stopped and talked with us for awhile. She was so kind to Tyler, who can be a bit of a clown in the presence of a pretty girl. She is SO young (maybe 24?) but seems very nice. I hope my impressions of her are correct because I really like her so far.

Our painted ladies are still hanging around. We probably have another 2-3 days before we see any activity there. Our monarch caterpillars, though, are HUGE! I can't believe how fat those things are. They are eating nonstop now, too. The milkweed is being reduced to stalks, and even some of the stalks are being devoured. It's very cool to watch...if you like that kind of thing...and we do.