This year Skye is playing softball with the Saco Girls Little League. It’s her first year playing and she’s having a great time. Last night was their first loss, but it was close. Today we have a double-header to make up two games that were cancelled due to rain.

The girls switch positions in the field nearly every inning, so they get to try it all, which is nice. It’s fast pitch, but most are balls and there are a lot of walks. The girls’ skills aren’t well developed, but the games are fun to watch and probably more fun to play. They all seem to have a great time and get along with each other well.

It’s fun to sit and talk to the other parents. I have really enjoyed cheering for Skye and her teammates.

Skye and I play catch in the yard nearly every day. She is very good at throwing and her catching has improved dramatically since the start of the season a few short weeks ago. It’s nice to see her progressing and refining her skills. It’s been a nice time for us to spend together doing something we both enjoy.

Slugger Skye

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Yesterday was a brilliant Maine day. Temperatures were in the upper 50 °F with partly cloudy skies. Perfect. Kirsten had to work so the girls and I headed out to explore and enjoy the big outdoors.

First we went to nearby Saco Heath Preserve, which is a short 3.6 miles from our house. The hike through the woods and out into the heath were ideal. Skye and Hayley took copious notes on every sensation they experienced, including smell, touch, see and hear. They frequently stopped to sit on the boardwalk to search for frogs or to snack on the trail mix they had each prepared prior to our departure.

Jenna explores the Saco Heath Preserve

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Yesterday Kirsten and I had the opportunity to visit Hayley’s kindergarten class for an end-of-the-year beach party. It was a lot of fun. Mrs. Arnold’s pupils went through their usual morning routine before reading to us a book they’d written and illustrated. Then Mrs. Arnold played for us a slide show that was absolutely wonderful (a tear jerker). She is an extremely talented photographer and was able to capture not only the activities of the students, but their personalities as well.

Kirsten and I feel very fortunate that Hayley had Mrs. Arnold this year. She has great command of her students and exudes compassion for them.

Hayley was Star of the Day

Hayley got to sit in the rocking chair

Hayley reads her book to Kirsten

The Flying Dog, illustrated by Hayley Danler

The slideshow was phenomenal!

Hayley's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Arnold

The girls’ artwork is current on exhibition at the Saco Museum. We visited yesterday morning. It was our first time at the museum.

Hayley made a stuffed fish in her art class. It’s isn’t a fish you could filet and eat for dinner. Nor could it swim in the ocean. It’s mostly made of paper. They drew with oil crayons over the paint. With the red crayon Hayley made lipstick. Then they cut out fish shapes, stapled the edges together and stuffed them with newspaper.

Hayley's stuffed fish (with lipstick)

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I’m very pleased with the schools here and with each of the girl’s teachers. We recently just met with them for parent-teacher conferences.

We first met with Jenna’s 2nd-grade teacher, Miss Holland. She just started teaching at Fairfield this year and seems to be a good match for Jenna. Jenna told us that she doesn’t like recess because there’s nothing to do. Apparently she just stands around watching the other kids. She likes to swing, but the swings are always being used by other children. We mentioned our concern about Jenna’s anxiety to Miss Holland, who ensured that she would observe Jenna during recess. She did mention to us that Jenna has been coming out of her shell since school started and has been speaking up more during class. She is interacting with the other kids at her table and seems to be adjusting well. She is doing very well academically, and particularly enjoys math, reading, and writing. Jenna loves to read. I enjoy listening to her while she reads aloud, with her various voice inflections, and I am often surprised by her subject matter choices. She’s very inquisitive and loves to learn. Miss Holland’s only suggestion for Jenna: to color the accompanying pictures to her stories more often. If that’s her main concern, I think we’re doing pretty well. She’s in Brownies again this year, which she absolutely loves. She gets to sell Girl Scout cookies, so now I have a great excuse to buy those Thin Mints…

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