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Cora’s political awareness began at age three when she started watching re-runs of The West Wing with her dad. (She called the show “Mr. President” because the president was her favorite character and that’s how everyone addressed him.)

With our family’s chance meeting of Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich this weekend, Cora’s exposure to politics goes up another notch. We explained to her that a governor is like the president, but only for one state. Cora was happy to get her picture taken with any kind of president.

Callie was less impressed. As we were talking with Governor Ehrlich she yelled, “A Cow!” and ran off to chase the Chick-Fil-A mascot who had just strolled by.

A selection of Flickr Photos from our trip to the carnival.

The girls got some new dress-up clothes this week from Gram. Cora’s is a Cinderella dress and Callie’s is a LadyBug outfit complete with antennae and wings. There’s a whole lot of princessing going on at our house since the arrival of the Cinderella dress. Cora has been quite taken with the Disney Princesses for a while now, but as of this week she has the official uniform to go with the big imagination. When she’s in her dress she wants to be addressed as “Your Highness.” (And, in keeping with royal decorum, she returns the favor by addressing me as “Sire”.)

Cora’s graduation was beautiful. After the kids sang some songs (with dance steps and all) they each came forward to receive a certificate from their teacher. They had obviously rehersed how the children should receive their certificates because each child in turn shook her teacher’s hand, gripped the diploma, and then turned to the audience with a bow or a curtsy.

There was a wide range of interpretation of the curtsy. Some girls nailed it gracefully, some girls just bowed. When it came to Cora’s turn she shook hands just fine, gripped the diploma just fine, then turned to the audience with a look on her face like she couldn’t quite remember how to curtsy. Then, keeping her back straight, she did what can only be described as a squat, bending both knees until her thighs were parallel to the floor. Her expression then changed to something like, “I hope that was okay,” and she returned to her seat.

This week Cora finished her last day of 3YO preschool. The teachers had a little commencement ceremony for the children with diplomas and all. This was the first commencement I’d ever attended where the graduates sang “I’m a Little Teapot” before they got their certificates and, let me tell you, those little scholars knew that song backwards and forwards! Great work, class of ’06.

We’re back from Jamaica and our bathing suits are drying in anticipation of whatever much-less-exciting swimming we may yet have ahead of us later in the summer.

Jamaica made for a wonderful vacation: our girls got their first airplane ride; the weather was beautiful; the Jamaicans were kind.

Photos at Flickr.com.

We’re beginning a Spring/Summer of travel and adventure with a trip to the Beaches Negril Resort in Jamaica. This is our family’s first big vacation since having kids so we’re very excited and a little nervous about it.

We live on the approach path for BWI Airport so the girls see dozens of airplanes an hour, but this will be their first time inside one. I’m sure the girls will love the ride but mommy and daddy aren’t so sure about the patience that may be required of us.

So, back soon. Please carry on.