THE PROPER WAY TO SWING ON A SWING

When the parade was done (only about one mile), we all met up at the Black Diamond Elementary School. Although there was a small carnival going on there we did not stay long as we were all quite famished. So on to El Corpral we went and boy did they ever make some good strong margaritas. Just the way I like it.

LABOR DAY PARADE IN BLACK DIAMOND

Mimi has been on the team one full year now. It just seems longer though. Maybe because she has been doing gymnastics since she was 4. Last year Labor Day in Black Diamond was her very first parade ever.

She really hates her leo and cried all morning long. "I wish the parade was yesterday", cry, cry, cry "I wish the parade was tomorrow" followed by more crying. They purposely make the competition and parade leos a smidgen tighter than the practice ones so that when the girls go to do their stunts nothing and I mean nothing is showing.

She also detests being a "twerp" as the girls are affectionately called by their teammates. Can't be helped though I tell her. She comes from short people. Even Elsie is a smidgen taller than she is now. I told her that the upside of being short is that she gets to be in the front and hold the banner and won't have to do any stunts down the street. That made her smile. I think that Elsie may have been a bit jealous of Mimi though because in the past it was always the other way around and Elsie loves being in the front. I say this because Elsie had made mention that half way down the parade route she was going to trade places with Mimi. That did not happen.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL/SECOND GRADE

Today is the first day of school for Mimi. Some kids started last
week, today is Mimi's turn and tomorrow will be the rest of Washington
state kids.

Mimi was excited about school so much that she was ready to go by 7
this morning. On the other hand she was a bit apprehensive because she
was afraid that she wouldn't know many of the kids. As it turns out
she knows about 3/4 of her classmates in her room.

Pictured here from left to right is Briella, Mimi and Kaiya. They were in Mimi's first grade class. Then there is Devon, Caleb, Rachel, Maddie, Blake, Olivia, Hayden then plus some more. Too many to mention.