September 30

 These pictures were taken within 5 minutes of Clay getting home from Vegas. Everyone's favorite playmate has returned!

 

Pushing her baby at the park "Hmmm... let me check the time." (This was taken last week. We've all been in pants this week)

September 29

Elliott tested for his 4th black stripe on his white belt. One more stripe and then he will be moving up to the next belt.

 

September 28

 6th grade

 5th

 1st

Pre-K

September 27

Co-op #6 was yesterday. This year is going by quickly!

 Elliott's PE class having fun with a parachute.

 

Pre-K Story Time craft. Lucy was in the bathroom for the group picture.

September 26

Clay left yesterday morning for Las Vegas for a work conference. He dropped Julia off at her gymnastics camp on his way to the airport. I took the other three rugrats to church and then we spent more time running around town getting pictures done for our photo scavenger hunt (we want to win that grand prize!!!). We watched Julia's gymnastics hip hop dance (what gymnastics and hip hop have to do with each other, I'll never know), and then knocked out a couple more pictures done for our scavenger hunt. Is it bad that I am starting out my week as a single parent, totally worn out!?! Probably not my smartest move.

 Lucy decided that our sign was her grocery list.

 

My little viking and his dragon ship

 

 Julia's in the gym somewhere, likely upside down.

 

September 25

In addition to Abbie's birthday party yesterday, Elliott had a play date with his buddy Samuel, Julia had a gymnastics clinic from 9-4 and Kat had a cross country meet.

Kat finished 48th out of 120 girls with a time of 16:09 in 1.8 miles. She finished first among her teammates. We are very proud of her. 

September 24

Happy 5th Birthday Abbie!

September 23

 Happy 10th Birthday, Kat!!!

The kids and I had fun celebrating Kat's birthday by doing a photo scavenger hunt around town (Kat's all about games - especially when prizes are involved).  

First stop was to the Falls of the Ohio (a huge fossil bed). We were supposed to capture pictures with the Louisville Family Fun sign, so you see the kids holding it in some of the pictures.

 

 Jumping for joy on the "beds"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Touching the tippy top of the tallest building downtown.

 Whispering secrets to our favorite downtown statue.

 Showing the troll some love.

 Ready for story time with Abe.

 Flapping our wings with the metal chickens.

 

 

 We stopped for a treat.

 

 

 

I had never been to this area before. It's beautiful! Kat and I decided it would be a good place to come back with a picnic blanket and a book.

 Thinking

After Clay got home from work, we finished celebrating Kat's 10th birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese.

September 22

Fall is finally here! Cool weather should be coming soon... should be. I am, ready for the cooler weather. Somehow it doesn't feel like fall when we are still wearing shorts and t-shirts and the temps are still in the 90s.

We went through all the kids winter clothes yesterday to see what fits and what we need to buy. With all the hand-me-downs we got, I only have to buy a handful of things. Awesome! We are well-stocked in clothes. The clothes are still in boxes under the kids' beds, because, well, who needs pants and sweaters when it's 90 degrees outside!?!

We also got schoolwork, laundry, and cleaning done. I also got most of my Chemistry/Physics class prepped for Monday. Somehow I keep teaching science classes at co-op, which is fun (more hands-on learning), but also requires me to learn alot in order to teach the kids. I mean, I have a masters degree - in social work! Protons? Electons? Covalent bonds? It's been over 20 years since I have had chemistry and physics! It's been fun to relearn it though. I am full prepared for the gameshow "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?". Ha!

We sang "Happy Birthday" to Kat at AWANA last night - opera style

September 21

The kids helped seal and stamp 100 envelopes yesterday. These are part of a church project to invite all the families living within a 5-mile radius of our church.

September 20

 

 

Clara and Eliot come home from co-op with us yesterday for a few hours. The kids had fun making structures out of toothpicks, marshmallows, and pumpkin candy. It's a little confusing having two Elliott/Eliot's in the house!