Amusing things about Charlotte . . .

Here are some things about the Queen City that I've found amusing lately . . .

There are A LOT of parochial schools in Charlotte. Of course these schools need mascots and I guess not everyone can be the saints, padres, etc. but I found this one kind of funny considering the name of the school (sticker on some random person's car). Crazy I know, but bulldogs and the Holy Trinity don't really go together in my mind.

My favorite hood in Charlotte is called Plaza-Midwood. It reminds me a lot of Berkeley with it's eclectic shops, down-to-earth citizens, and funky restaurants. One of my favorites is an edgy consignment shop called

(Think Rocky and Bullwinkle)

It's still got it's religious element too. Right around the corner from Boris and Natasha is a beauty salon whose name cracks me up.

Fun at the Park

We've had gorgeous weather lately - 80's with a nice breeze so we've spent a lot of time at the park. Here are some of the latest pics:

Our little daredevil

Siena overcame her fear of the fireman's pole

All Things Kindergarten . . .

We've been doing a lot to prepare for kindergarten lately. First we went to Beginner's Day at Siena's new school. The kids got to see a program by current kindergarteners complete with singing, actions, and costumes. Then we broke up into groups and the kids had milk and cookies, heard a story, made a craft, and got to board the bus while the parents discussed with the teachers all the details of the first year of school. Siena had a great time and I was, of course, on the verge of tears the whole time. I'm sure I'll be a mess on the first day of school.

Next she got the dreaded last set of immunizations that are required for public school. We talked and talked about trying to be brave and that it would only hurt for a minute. She did really well for the first two but lost it completely for the last two. My ears are still ringing.

I've since filled out a huge pile of paper work and signed myself (and Mike) up for several jobs on the PTA. Here we come Eastover Elementary!

My next birthday cake . . .

My friend Pamela found this cake online and said that it reminded her of me (use your imagination). Isn't it the greatest thing you've ever seen?! I've been giggling about it all night. Who wants a bum piece?!

I dedicate this post to all my fellow mooning friends of years past - you know who you are.

More Pics of Tree Hugging, Dirt Worhipping Duncans

My family often went hiking while I was growing up (and still does - my 65 year old dad and brothers hiked 16 miles last weekend!) which earned us the nickname "Swiss Family Larsens" from my high school friends. Last weekend we continued the tradition with a short hike in McDowell State Park. It was border line hot in the city (80 degrees - I'm still a NorCal girl at heart so that's hot to me) and we drove to the woods to cool off in the shade. The highlights of the hike were the abundant caterpillars and toads. Siena and Mike were sure to move any caterpillar they saw off the trail (for its own protection, of course). The toads were well camouflaged and would surprise us as they hopped out of our way in front of us. Talia liked stomping on the dry leaves around the toads to get them to hop even more. The hike was beautiful. Everything is breathtakingly green right now.

Toward the end of the hike Mike decided that Talia needed even more cooling off (and he likes to get a reaction out of her) so he poured some water over her head. She kept coming back for more and took matters into her own hands and used the rest of the water bottle to drench herself, which entertained the rest of us immensely. She didn't seem to mind riding home completely soaked (thank goodness).


We got home just before a huge thunder and lightning storm broke out. Crazy southern weather.

Spring Break Adventures

During Siena's spring break from preschool we took advantage of our free time and went on a few adventures. We drove down to South Carolina to visit Greenville and their fun zoo with the Burton family and enjoyed the beautiful southern sunshine on a hike in the woods. And, yes, Siena is wearing the same shirt in both sets of pictures - I'm just that lazy and have no desire to fight over clothes with her.


Talia really liked the zoo and was VERY excited about all the animals. I loved watching how amazed she was by the giraffes in particular. I kept trying to imagine what it would be like to be see these animals for (essentially) the first time (no zoo in Charlotte so this was her first time since we left Berkeley). Siena had a blast running around with Anne and James.

The Greenville Zoo is great because it's just the right size for young kids (not too big) and it has a playground in the middle for when they're tired of walking from exhibit to exhibit.



Hiking with the girls was a lesson in recognizing all that nature has to offer. They were so enthusiastic about everything from the water running in the creek to the butterflies on the flowers. It was good to get my "city" girls out in the wild!

Politicians Bow to Me, I'm a Soccer Mom

It's official. I'm one of those super proud, loud cheerin', bumper sticker sportin', minivan drivin' (not really but just thought I'd throw it in there for effect), orange slicin', Soccer Moms. Siena had her first practice today and I had so much fun watching her on the field. She had a blast too. She worked really hard and wanted to practice more when we got home. Her coaches are great and definitely know their audience. I heard them using princess references during some of the drills. She plays soccer like her mom plays ultimate frisbee - lots of yelling and laughing. Hopefully she's more coordinated. Poor Talia was dying to get on the field with her sister and darted after every stray ball. We're all excited for Siena's game tomorrow.

Go Green Butterflies!

* team name chosen by team members via democratic vote. 4 for, 2 against, and one abstained by picking her nose. Green Grasshoppers and Green Lizards (parent suggestions) did not receive enough votes to be statistically significant.