Anna Grows

Anna is officially a "rising kindergartener." Friday was her last day of pre-school and Anna got to participate in a "stepping up" ceremony, complete with the awarding of her pre-school diploma. The room was filled with cheering parents, teary moms, and even some gifts for the graduates. Judging by the reaction of some parents, they really did not expect their child to finish pre-school. After the ceremony, all the parents enjoyed cake and punch while the kids said goodbye to their teachers and friends for the summer. It is safe to say that Ann a really enjoyed pre-school and especially her teachers -- Mrs. Zigo and Mrs. Madden. She made lots of new friends (she is pictured here with her good friends Ella and Sophia) and is anxious to begin kindergarten. Of course when asked what her favorite thing about school was, she responded "playing on the playground." Mom and Dad get to attend kindergarten orientation this week. Neither Theresa or Joe are sure ...

....does it make a sound? According to our neighbors, yes it does. Apparently not to us as the Fagella family slept soundly through the storm that brought a giant tree branch crashing down in the backyard. The tree branch was itself the size of an actual tree. Joe fired up the chainsaw and spent Saturday afternoon cutting it up while Anna and Theresa stacked it. Actually, Anna found more interesting things to do with the branches, like make swords and other assorted items. She also enjoyed using the tree as a balance beam before Joe cut it up. Speaking of trees, the other big event in the Virginia Fagella household this week is the final sale of the old house, scheduled for May 25. All of Joe's hard work paid off as the place had an offer within one day of going on the market. There will be a celebration of this milestone as we reminisce about the colorful neighbors and infamous tree that made Joe famous (at least in some real estate lawyer legal circles). At least we can now tell ...

One of the challenges for Anna these days is keeping a secret. In fact, any gifts in which Anna is included in the purchase are usually revealed to the recipent as soon as she returns from the store. This was the first holiday in which she managed to keep a secret (well, mostly) until she handed the present to Mom. Now that Anna is a little older, she has become an invaluable asset to her father in the gift arena. She remembers birth dates (especially Mom's) and holidays. She also remembers what Mom tells her she wants. This year, Mom suggested a big mixing bowl would be a nice gift. Anna dutifully reported the information to her Dad. In fact, two days before Mother's Day Anna mentioned that Dad still needed to shop for the mixing bowl. "It will be a surprise." Dad did a very good job in coaching Anna on keeping a secret. When Mother's Day arrived, Anna spent a good part of the day telling her Mom, "we have a surprise for you but it is a secret, ...