October Already??!!

The fall season is in full swing now and we are BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! This week has been the first one since early September where we didn't have somewhere to be every second. The girls are settling into school nicely. I fall into bed exhausted every day, but at least it's all good stuff.

Hannah started high school already! (Am I really old enough to have a child in HIGH SCHOOL)?? She is having a good time and seems to take everything in stride. The only thing she does not like is that the ninth graders are in a separate school this year by themselves because there is not enough room at the 3 local high schools. This seems like a good thing, especially to the parents, but it does put a kink into extra-curricular things, like band and sports. I understand how she feels, though. She's officially a freshman, but feels like she is still in middle school.

She has a full schedule. She is taking Honors English, Honors History, Japanese, Band, Science and Math. She is doing a lot of homework, but seems to be keeping up pretty well. We are nagging her about her planner on a daily basis, which really helps her stay organized. She is also taking Karate (blue belt) and started private guitar lessons. In band, her band director talked her into trying the BARITONE! I think that is cool, but it is hard to go from high woodwinds to low brass, and she is not getting any help from school. I know precious little about brass.

Once, when I was a music major in Hastings College, I took Brass Methods as one of my required classes. The band director, Mr. O'Neil, was a brass player. I LOVE the sound of the trumpet, but as it turns out, I wasn't very gifted in that area. Mr. O'Neil once told me that I was the worst trumpet player he ever heard. I was so bad that I wasn't even offended! In a practice room once, my piano teacher poked her head in for a second, nodded and then left. Curious, I asked her what she wanted. She said "I'm just checking". I asked, "Checking what?" and she said "Checking to see what instrument that was." LOL! French horn treated me better, but sadly, I am not much help to Hannah.

Heather is keeping busy with the start of middle school and sports. She was playing on a select softball team in Auburn, so until this week, we were traveling 2 hours a day, three days a week, to take her to practices. She played in a tournament two weekends ago and got to catch for the first time. She is GOOD! She threw out two steals to second base and also saved a run that was trying to steal home. She decided that maybe catcher wasn't so bad after all. (Originally, she didn't want to do it because she didn't like the gear, but she changed her mind when one of the UW Huskies convinced her that with her rocket arm, she'd be a great catcher). In spite of her busy schedule, she is keeping her grades up. (Lots of nagging from Mom and Dad, but if it works...) Today she got her braces on and so she is feeling pretty sore. I will post a picture of her with her braces soon...

Athena started first grade. She is a social butterfly. She likes being in school all day and eating lunch with the big kids. She, too, started Karate this year. She has never met a stranger, and reminds us daily the importance of a good sense of humor. She is best friends with two girls down the street, Eva and Nyda. The three of them have great imaginations! It is fun to remember what it is like to just play!

I took a beginning programming class a few weeks ago. It hurt my brain, so I am going to take a break and do some studying on my own before charging into the next one. I am enjoying my job, but still searching for that ever-elusive spot at Microsoft! I have had three interviews this summer (one was an onsite interview that went REALLY well), but alas, I have not yet convinced them to hire me. I'll keep at it.

Better sign off for now. I have to get the kids off to bed and check Hannah's planner. Life is good!