This Week Was All About Gwen.

Gwen, the middliest middle child ever, had a LOT going on this week. I was happy for her. She needed it.

When we moved here two years ago, I signed Gwen up for a kindermusick class at our town's community center. Miss Cindy leads the group, and she and Gwen had an instant connection. Since we decided not to put Gwen in any sort of preschool, we kept signing her up for session after session of kindermusick. She knows all of the songs and instruments, and she always gets excited to go.

Miss Cindy has never had a kid stay in her class as long as Gwen has, though Gwen's friend Vinny started coming about a year ago consistently. Miss Cindy made up certificates for each of them at this last Thursday's class, as it marked their last class ever before starting kindergarten in the fall.

"Hold your certificate to your chest so that I can see it, Gwen! And smile!"

No and no? Okay then. That's my Gwen.

Later that day, I took Gwen to her kindergarten orientation. She was SUPER STOKED about this because she cannot wait to go to school. She thinks she is riding the bus (she's not), and she thinks she will be in the same class as June (she won't), and every time we discuss those two points, she cries. Should be a fun September!

This pic below is Gwen waiting in line to get inside the cafetorium (is that a real word because I have only ever heard it called that here) so that we could get our name tags and itineraries. She thought the wait (at most 5 minutes) was terribly long.

But I was grateful for the extra time because it allowed me to examine this weird mural on the wall of the school. It's a nature scene, but for some reason this beaver is holding a ruler.

Lest you think there were other animals with school supplies, alas there were not. Lots of other animals but no school supplies. Just this beaver. I guess he's going to measure that stick. I don't think beavers do that.

Gwen got to go on a school bus ride with the other kindergartners, which will only make the fact that she doesn't get to ride it all the harder. (I wish she could, but June's no longer eligible for the bus so it won't make sense to put one kid on the bus and take the other to school.)

While all of the kindergartners were on the bus ride, we got a big talk from the principal and kindergarten teachers and nurse about not sending our kids to school naked and with lunch boxes full of sour patch kids and with lice and ticks and fleas. Lots of parents around me were taking copious notes, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was just grateful to be there and able to sit on a metal chair with my 4835974 pound baby inside of me without keeling over.

I may be a little cranky.

It's like today when my wonderful bishop asked me how I am feeling (because my pregnant belly almost knocked out three people as I entered the chapel). I told him I'm at the murderous rage stage of pregnancy, and then I told my sweet bishop--who is 6 foot 4 inches and played for the NFL--that if he needed anyone "dealt with" today, that he could send them to me. He chuckled a little, albeit nervously.

He's really great, and I hope he doesn't remember me this way.

Wasn't this post about Gwen? How did I end up talking about myself? Weird.

Anyway, Gwen loved being with the other kids but was dismayed when it was all over in an hour because she didn't have time to make any friends. She thought we were going to stay all day and that school was officially starting for her.

I really do talk to her about things and explain things but to no avail.

And then this weekend, we had Gwen's huge dance recital!!!

Gwen's feelings toward dance have been hot and cold, to say the least. She was so excited to sign up, so excited for the leotard and tutu and tap shoes and ballet shoes and all that.

But, as every kid finds out immediately after starting dance, piano, whathaveyou--practicing something is not fun. Listening and following directions--not fun.

So it was a bit of a battle to get her to go some weeks, which makes me wonder what I am doing. Why are we paying for this?

I told her we at least had to get through the show.

For the first time, I put some makeup on her.

And we went to the dress rehearsal.

And then did it all over again the next night for the performance.

She was in two numbers, one tap and one ballet. Dan has never seen her practice or anything, so it was fun for me to watch him watch her. He may or may not have shed some tears during "On The Good Ship Lollipop". She was really good during that one.

I didn't know how she was going to do because her attitude is kinda stinky sometimes, but she lit up while on the stage. She was excited and happy and dynamic. It was fun to watch her. And yes, all of those girls are doing different moves in that picture, and yes they are all supposed to be doing the same moves. I guess that's dance for four year olds.

And here's Gwen, front and center for the grand finale.

She was beaming when it was over. She told me she loved being on stage, and she loved watching the older girls dance when it was their turn. I gave her a rose, and she really had a Sally Field "you like me, you really like me!" moment for the rest of the evening.

So are we going to continue with dance? I don't know. She also wants to try soccer (which I know she would love a lot--lots of aggression in that one), so we will see what we decide in the fall. I don't want to have a 5 year old in a thousand activities.

And here are all of the kids ready for church this morning.

I finally get a good picture of the three of them--and an empty diaper box!

All of my dreams are coming true.

The End.