To add to my speechlessness, we've had a string of tragic events happen in/around our ward recently and it's left me pretty numb and unexcited to write about anything from the changes in season, to fun things we've done, to how much the kids are growing up. I guess writing random things on facebook is satisfying my need to make any kind of comment about life too.
Still, I know the grandparents love to see new pictures and video of the little darlings. Grace and Hattie have really filled the fall season up until it's bursting at the seams. New school schedules this year, for both of them, are making them very tired and hungry by the end of the day. We can't seem to get a grip on a routine that works yet. They are both in karate classes and riding lessons now too, which entirely consume 2 of the 5 weekday evenings. It's a lot for them. Who are we kidding, it's a lot for ME!
Well, here's the report anyway, for the Grandmas and for the book:
Grace: loves 1st grade, but not as much as kindergarten; still refuses to do anything with her long goldilocks hair; is nearly impossible to get ready for school by the time the bus comes - it's a squeaker every morning; is a pro spelling test taker; does homework with painful precision and attention to detail yet does everything else at home with as little effort as possible; continues to ride Tink in her riding lessons and is getting very good - can now post the trot quite well; continues to love karate and is anxiously awaiting her invitation to test for the purple belt but needs to polish her forms for the test first (and gets a little lazy about the polishing part, thus, no invitation for her yet); finally learned how to do a real somersault at karate; has a new friend, Corey, at school - continues to play with the boys, although the name Rachel has cropped up a couple of times - maybe there's hope for a girl friend!; has a very loose top tooth that seriously makes it hard for her to eat; is extremely excited that it started snowing today and was the only one enthusiastic to put on her ski jacket and go outside.
(Grace and Corey playing Mario Kart Wii)(Grace and Hattie doing their karate exercises)
Hattie: LOVES preschool and wishes she could go to school every day- has a hard time understanding Tuesday/Thursday; insists on wearing a pony tail every single day, all day long to keep the hair out of her face; has discovered "on demand" on the TV and is becoming a junkie; is letting go of some of her OCD habits (THANKFULLY!) - bedtime is 1000 times easier than it was 6 months ago; wants to do everything all by "her own self"; started riding Peppe in a little riding class with a 3 year old boy - they switch on and off to ride and take care of him together; was awarded her second stripe on her white belt at karate last night and is SO excited -will be testing for her yellow belt soon; can now write the letters H, T, and O and spots the letter H wherever one pops up (H for Hattie!); not so sure about friends at school, but the name Megan has come up; does. not. eat. anything. (except instant breakfast, spaghetti, ice cream, and candy - won't even finish a cookie!); asks for ice cream every single time we drive by Erikson's dairy, which happens about 1 minute before we arrive home, so she eats ice cream upon arriving home OFTEN (good thing we have our freezer stocked with Erikson's!); wants to go outside in any weather, constantly disappointed that mom doesn't like bugs, rain, cold, or snow.
(Hattie and Mommy baking in the kitchen; you can find us here together quite a bit.)(Hattie's preschool interview)
(the fam stopping for a fall pic on our Columbus Day bike ride)
(Grace crossing a bridge on the bike ride; she rode 5 miles all by herself on her little bike!)
(have to admit that our neighborhood is very beautiful in the fall; our neighbors always comment about the colors on this tree in our yard)
