It’s been a momentous school year.  The girls had a successful term at school, academically and socially. They worked hard, learned a lot and made new friends.  Here are some developments in their young lives that I think they’d like to remember when they’re my age:

(1) Chloe dove into algebra (and is only a little worse for wear because of it) and Sophie began to understand the concepts of multiplication and division.

(2) Chloe read at least two books a week. We read at least 10 books a week to Sophie, who hasn’t yet developed the same obsession with the written word as her older sister, but is now reading more frequently on her own than she used to and is fast becoming a fan of graphic novels.

(3) Our beloved babysitter, Esperanza, retired and Chloe enjoyed the independence of being a latch-key kid for a few months.

(4) Sophie’s artistic skills blossomed and Chloe mastered the history of ancient civilizations.

(5) Chloe started washing and folding laundry to earn money and also enjoyed a regular babysitting gig; Sophie sometimes helped set the table and washed our cars in exchange for some cash of her own.

(6) I finally succeeded in convincing the girls to swallow their vitamins almost every day.

(7) They both grew like weeds and Chloe and I can now share shoes.  It’d be nice to share clothes, but  that ship sailed for me about 30 years ago.

(8) We had approximately ten sleepovers at our house over the course of the year – for Sophie’s and Chloe’s friends.

(9) Chloe almost experienced her first concert – Lady Gaga no less – but Lady Gaga cancelled the show, much to our great chagrin.  I’m not sure who was more disappointed, Chloe or me.

(10) Chloe and Sophie both expanded their palates.  Chloe, unsurprisingly, was more adventurous but Sophie also got into the game. Both girls happily (most of the time) serve as my guinea pigs when I try new Chief Mom Officer recipes.  Tonight’s chicken dish, made with a homemade teriyaki sauce, was a resounding success.  The onion bacon quiche of a few weeks ago, on the other hand, will not be repeated any time soon.

(11) Chloe has become fixated on nail polish. She poisons the air in our house with the smelly stuff at least two times a week, rarely remembering to open the windows to rid her room of the malodorous chemicals.  Thankfully, she has not yet become fixated on makeup.

(12) Sophie is as much of a fashionista as she’s always been.  Shoes and clothes make her just as happy as her stuffed animals, which is saying A LOT.

There you have it. One more year down.  Six more to go for Chloe and ten more for Sophie.  Then college.  Perish the thought.