A Hairy Situation

While going through a box I came across a framed engagement photo of Todd and I.  Olivia put it on Todd's night stand and the girls have noticed it.  This morning at breakfast Abby asks Todd, "Dad, why don't you grow your hair long like in your picture?" (We had just cut Todd's hair last night - basically shaved his head with a #1)  Todd says he's lost a lot of hair because of 4 kids and a wife.  Abby then says, "Why don't you use the coupons I gave you for your birthday?"  Abby had given him some coupons that were so sweet that said things like "one day off" and "I do all your chores".  Maybe she thought if he wasn't working so much he'd have more hair.  I just laughed at the discussion over breakfast.  Todd, bald is beautiful and you are handsome man!

Back to school again

August-

The end of summer, always a little bitter sweet for me.  I love having my kids around but I'm also so ready for them to go back to school.  This summer we were so busy and had a lot of fun that we didn't even use the "bored jar" I made last year.  The girls were excited to get back to see friends and have a routine again.  

Kaitlyn with her new teacher Mrs. Kral

 Todd happened to be out of town for meet the teacher night so I hauled all the kids to the school and we were quite the group trying to get around the crowds.  I felt we were a scene and Alec didn't help as he grabbed what he could from the stroller and then would throw things.  We left a trail of Cheerios in our wake.  I was glad to hear that Kaitlyn's teacher has 7 kids of her own, it didn't phase her.

Abby's fun young teacher Ms. Breshear.

 Being silly before the first day.

 Olivia wanted to be in the picture too.

 September-
Olivia also started school for the first time.  We have her going to a Methodist preschool up the street three days a week and she absolutely LOVES it!  She has made many new friends there and is very popular.  Her teachers are Ms. Cheree and Ms. Shelly and every morning she asks if it's a school day or not because she's so excited to go.  She now asks me if she can walk herself into her classroom from the parking lot because she "knows where it is and what to do."  So independent!  Too bad it's a busy parking lot and I have to sign her in.

Olivia looking so grown up!

Dad's New Office

Earlier this year, Todd left his job with McKinsey that he'd been at for the past 7 1/2 years.  (The original plan was 2-3 years).  We were lucky enough to stay here in Texas with his new job and now Todd's commute is only about 20 minutes away from home and he's home most nights by 6:30.  I'm besides myself with having a husband around now in the evenings, it's so nice! Two parents to do bedtime- it's unheard of! We are loving it!  He still does a little traveling, the word here is "little".  Before school started I thought it would be nice for the girls to see where Dad goes every day so we had a little picnic in his office.  He has a nice view overlooking a golf course and the girls had fun playing office.

Sharks

Kaitlyn had mentioned earlier this year that she wanted to be on the swim team with Abby.  We got her swimmings lessons well before tryouts so she'd be ready.  No problem at the tryout, she swam the length of the pool freestyle with no problem.  Didn't even grab the rope!  She made the team!  Everything was great until practices.

Once Kaitlyn saw that she had to swim more and more across the pool, everyday, she didn't want anything to do with it.  There was one practice I couldn't even persuade her to get in the pool.  That was a frustrating day.  I forced her to wait until the first meet and see how it went.  She was nervous but did her 3 events - freestyle, backstroke, and a relay.  There was lots of rope grabbing on the freestyle but she finished.  We kept her on the team and things got better. Hanging out with friends all day helped.  Our goal was to have her swim the freestyle in under a minute without grabbing the rope.  By the last meet she did it!  Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Monica were there for the first time to cheer her on.  When she saw them as she swam, she got the biggest grin on her face!  As she went further down the lane she'd turn her head enough to make sure everyone was watching her.  On her backstroke she just smiled the whole way down.  The backstroke is her favorite because she feels she can be calm and easily get to the end.

Beginning time backstroke:  1:32.33
Ending time backstroke:  1:13.13

Beginning time freestyle:  1:26.53
Ending time freestyle:  51.91

Abby this summer was moved up into an older group and it is a large group of girls.  Competition was much harder.  Last year she was one of the oldest in the group and not so this year so it was hard for her when she didn't get first in a heat.  She did get one heat ribbon this year and was thrilled.   She still did great and next year she'll be one of the older ones again.  Her dives have improved greatly this year too.  Once she gets those down, I think she'd shave more seconds off her time.  I did make her do the IM once and she hated it, she was too tired from it.  But at least she tried it.  Abby's favorite stroke is the breaststroke.  What's crazy sometimes about these meets is that she can have one time and be 11th place and then the next meet have a better time but be in 22nd place because of how big or small the other team might be.

Best times:
25 M Freestyle:  27.18
25 M Butterfly: 33:89
25 M Breaststroke:  32:57
100 M Individual Medley:  2:45.33

Summer Swimming

 
At the end of the summer I think we spent as many hours as possible at the pool.  By the end of the swim season, Olivia was even taking off her floaties and swimming a bit on her own.  I couldn't believe it.  One nice thing about Texas for my kids are good swimmers.

We always loved it when Daddy joined us

Abby loved to get thrown! (ignore my voice in the background)

Kaitlyn's Birthday Survey

August 2012

Favorite color:  light blue
food: spaghetti
cereal:  Lucky Charms
Candy:  skittles and KitKat
friend:  Devon
TV show:  My Little Ponies Friendship is Magic
movie:  Horton Hears a Who
activity:  crafts, puzzles, playing the Ipod Pet Hotel
activity with sisters:  playing My Little Pony
activity with Dad:  Play games with him like Sorry
activity with Mom:  play card games
song:  Call Me Maybe
Primary song:  I Am a Child of God
scripture story:  Helaman and the 2,000 stripling warriors
book:  Magic Treehouse series
about Kaitlyn:  she loves her family, loves to read, do puzzles, play on the computer/IPad, loves dogs, plays the piano and soccer

When Kaitlyn grows up she wants to be a mom with kids

Family Party

August-

The festivities continued for Kaitlyn with one last family party.

Abby gave Kaitlyn clues to find her birthday present.  Everyone got involved and were running around the house.  Abby had made a Toy Story coloring book for Kaitlyn since this summer Kaitlyn was on a Toy Story kick.  It was fun to celebrate our little 6 year old again as a family.  She's a fun girl to have around.  She has a great laugh, she tries to help out when she can, she loves being a big sister to Olivia and Alec, you can usually find her nose in a book, and she is amazing at puzzles!  We love having you in our family Kaitlyn!

1000 piece puzzle Kaitlyn worked diligently on for a week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!