WHAT!? CHRISTMAS IS IN 2 DAYS!?!?!

Well thank goodness I'm done shopping... Okay, true- I am NEVER really done shopping. Is there such a thing? I feel obligated as an American citizen to do my part for the economy, and I think I am doing my share. Time has really zoomed by this year!

Amy turned seven on the 16th and had her party at the gym again. She had a great time, as always. Hard to believe she's 7. She is really enjoying school- so much that she cried when we got home on the Friday before Christmas break because she wanted to go back to school! I know- freaky. She has been nominated for gifted and talented testing, but I don't have any idea what that involves at this school. They do things a little differently.

The same day as her party was the school science fair. All kids grades 4-11 are required to do a science project. Then the judges choose the ones that advance to the actual science fair competition. Aidan's project, How a Propeller Works, was chosen for competition, but he didn't win. It was really a good experience for him though, to have to give a presentation and learn the process. He has done very well academically his first semester, with all A's and one B (I think he was robbed, of course- it was an 89). He is slowly learning the skill of organization, and he has really stepped up to the new level of standards and expectations of Harmony and 4th grade. He was thrilled to see his final semester grades- he didn't think he had done that well. We're very proud of his hard work.

Aidan also got his spacer removed a few weeks ago and this past Monday, he got his braces. He was impressively mature about the process, and we are really proud of him for being so cooperative with the orthodontist. Aidan chose a red and green pattern of braces for his first round, but he asked me not to post his picture on the internet. I am really excited for him to see the improvement in his smile once they come off, which should be sometime around Sept.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas countdown already?!

The first grade class at the kids' school organized a performance for Thanksgiving. It was really cute. Amy was so excited to get to dress up and learn her lines! Afterward, they provided a feast for the families. Most parents brought side dishes or desserts. It was a fun evening, but a very long day! That day Amy spent 11.5 hours at school!

We spent Thanksgiving week with my mom in Fbg. (Fredericksburg), along with 9 dogs. Mom treated the girls to tea at Queen B's, where Amy had a great time trying on hats and gloves and looking at all the fancy dishes and knick-knacks. Even her sandwich was cut into the shape of a crown! The flavored teas were really good: Amy had vanilla, mom had cinnamon, and I had... chocolate truffle (shocking).

On Turkey Day, we drove to Ingram to visit with Will's folks, his brother Dave & family, and brother James and family. We had not met the newest member of the Schalla family, Maren, who is now 18 months old! We really enjoyed spending time with everyone and eating too much turkey. It was also nice to have James and Susan come visit us at our home with Maren. We only see them every few years since they live in Washington state, but we make up for lost time quickly! We are looking forward to meeting Maren's sibling, due in May.

While we were in Ingram, Aidan got to work on his treehouse with Dad and Pop. He now has a roof and a trap door, although the trap door part needs some fine-tuning as Amy can't quite get up into the treehouse (or out) without help. He is very proud of his project, and especially the time he gets to spend with Pop.

Finally, we have been doing some rearranging at our house, and I found this great writing desk on Craigslist for under $100! What a steal!

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break and made some happy memories.

Punkin fun.

Amy's class took a field trip to a pumpkin patch in Devine, where there is a large farm that is open to the public for seasonal events. The kids had a great time painting pumpkins, having duck races, playing on the huge playground, petting the farm animals, dressing scarecrows, riding the hay wagon, and wearing themselves out completely! It was really fun- they have great organization for moving groups through stations and it never felt too crowded. The weather was gorgeous- I think it was in the mid 70's.
Last weekend we met Jenny, Tatum, Tess and Jonah at the pumpkin patch near our house to pick out baby pumpkins and then went out to eat together.

Halloween was lots of fun this year. I finally gave in and dressed up and went trick or treating with the kids.

Firsts...

First Pop-up Camping Trip

This weekend we took our "new" camper out for its maiden voyage. After hours of loading, packing, securing, and cursing, we finally left home in early afternoon for Garner. Saturday was gorgeous and all the features of the camper worked surprisingly well. We even managed to figure out how to put the screened porch on, which really helped contain the dogs at feeding time and when it started to drizzle Sunday. We had no leaks and no major issues. It was an awesome camping trip! The kids had a blast!The look of pure contentment!

First outdoor meal:

Bacon burgers on the grill.

At one point during our trip, the kids found their way to the midway point of a VERY STEEP mountain. Our campsite was at the base and the hillside was covered with leaves and loose rocks. They wanted me to come "see the view" so I hiked up to the top of a boulder with them to take a peek. Let me tell you, one slip of a foot and someone could hurtle to their death! This was one of those areas most places fence off and post warning signs saying "Keep Out! Danger!". So that was the end of mountain climbing!

First Ride
Saturday we drove outside the park a little to explore and found Elm Creek Stables just north of the turn off. The horses were saddled and ready to go, like they knew we were coming. Who can resist that??? Not me, that's for sure! So Amy and I settled onto our horses and took a very nice trail ride. It was Amy's first independent ride and she LOVED it! Perhaps we will put some more thought into the possibility of owning a horse...

First Top Tooth

When we left home Friday, and I took one look at Amy's loose tooth and I told her "I bet you lose that one before we get home Monday!" Sure enough, Sunday afternoon, while driving home from Lost Maples, she pulls it out! She was thrilled that the Tooth Fairy found her tooth way out in Garner, so far from home! I, however, almost cried seeing her crooked smile... Can't stop them from growing up I guess.

Like the googly eyes effect?

First Sleepover

Tess and Amy had their first sleepover together a few weeks ago. It went very well. The "boys" were in Ingram/Kerrville working on the treehouse with Pop and then would pick up the pop-up at mom's for our camping trip the following weekend. The girls had a great time putting on fake nails, watching girly movies, playing Wii (girly games, of course), and playing girly board games without the retching and hurling sound effects from older brothers!

Really? 87 days until Christmas?

This weekend's project was mulching part of our backyard where the trees grow and the grass doesn't. It's pretty much been a mud pit since our first winter here. It was quite a big job, and we ran out of mulch, but it already looks much better.

This weekend Amy started soccer. She is really excited and will be on a team with her friend Tess. She practiced Saturday and on Sunday wore her uniform, shin guards included, to church! She is a very busy girl.

Three weeks into school, the kids are genuinely enjoying their new school. Aidan was asked the other day how he likes school this year and he said he loves it! Who knew? The begin their clubs this week, with Aidan in Robotics and Science, and Amy in drama. They both got their progress reports for the first 3 weeks: Amy has a 100 avg. and Aidan has a 97. He loves having 8 different subjects and teachers and has shown a lot of maturity and growth since school started. Amy, too, is thriving at school and loves to try to get her homework packet she gets on Fridays finished by Monday morning (they are due by the following Friday).

I have been elected to the PTO board at their school. Our entire board is made of new members who are also parents new to the school, so we are learning as we go. We have a great team and I hope we can be an effective one, too.

A few weeks ago, a friend/colleague invited us to Fiesta Texas with her family. The kids and grown-ups all get along really well, so we get together when we can. The kids had a blast. Amy rode anything she could get on, even making me ride the Ferris wheel with her (barf). But I got off easy- Will rode the spinning tea cup ride! HA! After several hours of rides and walking, we crashed at the wave pool. It was a great day and we all had a lot of fun!

Tatum, Tess' little sister.

Tess and Amy on the Ferris wheel.

Over Labor Day weekend, we travelled up to see the parental units and took the camper up for inspection by Pop, the fixer. The kids wanted to try to sleep in it, but it rained the first night and kept them awake, so they ended up in the house with us. The second night we were all too tired to try it again! We had lunch with friends on Saturday, then went to the Schallas for lunch on Monday. While we were there, Aidan, Pop, Will, Nick, Amy, me and Dave pitched in to help build the floor of the tree house. Aidan was beyond thrilled, and he did a good job nailing the plywood to the 2x4s underneath.

Amy had a good time playing with her cousin, Michelle, who wanted to follow Amy anywhere and do anything Amy was doing. They were cute together! Michelle is starting to talk- she was so cute to watch and listen to!

Beautiful girl!

At gymnastics Tuesday, Amy was the only gymnast who showed up for class, so she got a one hour private lesson, and he worked her tail off! The other benefit was that she got to focus on some higher level skills than usual. Here are a few clips...

Now it's off to the Presidential address...

First day...

The first day of school went well, as reported. A bit chaotic in the morning, but they settled into their routine. They both said they had a good day. I have to keep reminding Will that the cost of a few uniforms is far cheaper than tuition!

Aidan finished the final Harry Potter book Saturday night. He began the series two weeks before school let out at the end of May. He was thrilled with the whole series and wants to read it again! And we were worried he wouldn't find books he liked! Will introduced him to White Fang last night, so we'll see if he takes to it.

Summer comes to an end...

Another very busy week. The kids had orientation Weds. and got to meet their teachers. They both got haircuts, new shoes, uniforms, etc. Thursday Aidan took a math test to determine which math class he will be placed in. School starts tomorrow. Amy is a bit excited about being in first grade. They both got to meet a few kinds in their classes, one of which we know from gymnastics. We are hopeful that they both settle into this new school.Amy finished gymnastics camp on Friday. This last week was Cheer camp, and she was the youngest camper, along with Victoria (in the photo) who is 9. The fun part about being the smallest, as she discovered, was that she got to be the one tossed in the air! She really loved gym camp this summer and gained so much confidence in her new skills.

Here are some clips of her performance.

After Aidan's test Thursday morning, he and I drove up to Clear Springs (about 45 min. from our house) to look at a pop-up camper. We have been looking for one for a while, but were finally ready to purchase one now that we got a hitch put on the van. We just wanted something simple and lightweight, and we found it! We bought a used 1995 Coleman Cedar pop-up camper. It has been garage kept for most of its "life" and is in very good condition. We are planning to take it to Pop for inspection in early Sept. (get ready Pop!). The kids are ecstatic- they helped us clean most of Sat. morning then had the neighborhood kids over to play in it for a few hours. They even eat lunch in it daily. It's a big hit, and amazingly, fits fully opened in our garage!

Here is a clip of Aidan explaining his latest project, Paper Making, which he initiated all on his own, without help from anyone else. It's fun to watch his projects become more sophistocated and "real".

So this week has been one of replace, repair, and improve: our shredder lost its teeth (ever have one of those dreams?), the toaster stopped operating, my sink faucet became a sprinkler, and the van's battery died at the grocery store (yes, it's still 100+ outside; hotter inside the van).

The trim work in the kitchen is finally painted and looks nice. We have ordered solar screens for the back of the house (better late than never). School orientation is Wednesday. We have made our fall and spring camping reservations and are currently planning a long camping trip for next June up to Colorado (we may not come home...).

Aidan's follow-up with the orthodontist went very well, as did his dental appointment. He was proud of himself, especially since he is doing his own adjustments. He has gotten used to it enough that he forgets and got gum stuck in it literally an hour after he got his teeth cleaned at the dentist! Argh! Let's hope that was an isolated incident...

Amy finished acrobatic camp. She loved it. Here is the "performance".

Amy shows off her M&M striped socks from Vegas.

Aidan and Jonah keep score at the bowling alley.

Vacation, vacation, vacation!

Aidan got his expander put in at the orthodontist's office a few weeks ago, and his reward for being so brave and cooperative was a Harry Potter robe! He was thrilled--about the robe, not the oral appliance affixed to his teeth! But he is getting used to it, learning how to eat and talk and even adjusting it himself.

This past week, Will and I took some time off and went to Vegas for our 10th anniversary. We stayed at the Rio, which is not on the strip, but was a very nice, comfy hotel. They had a free shuttle daily to the strip. While there, we saw Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere and Blue Man Group. It was a lot of fun, but a LOT of walking! Even our room was at the END of a loooooong hallway. The M&M store was fun, but would have been better with free samples! It was a great anniversary getaway!

The ceiling at the Venetian Hotel.

The only photo of us together in Vegas.

Strip view from our room.

Paris Hotel at night.

Hallway view from our room to the center of the 3 towers ("Y" formation of buildings), where the elevators were. There's actually a man at the other end walking towards us. See him? I didn't think so!

While we were in Vegas, the kids stayed with their grandparents. The first 2.5 days they were in Kerrville with my mom, then they spent the rest of the week with Granny and Pop. Aidan talked Pop into building a treehouse, so they worked on that project, among others (like fixing the power cord of Aidan's 8mm film projector, installing a new water filtration system in their kitchen, etc.). They stayed busy. Amy and Granny filled their time with movies, artsy fun, and other girly activities. Wonderful memories were made that week!

On our drive back home, we stopped at my mom's to pick up 2 of our 3 dogs. A family friend, Kay, was staying at the house while mom was in NC with friends. Kay breeds and shows shelties and had brought with her 2 pups from a recent litter and 2 adult shelties. The pups are 9 weeks old, and the kids got to cuddle and hold them while the grown ups chatted. A-DORable pups! Of course getting the kids back in the van was not easy, but we finally made our way home!

Summer break ends in just two more weeks... The heat, however, will not.