Catching up

Ok, so I know it's been way too long since I've posted, but we really have been busy - busier than usual I promise. I seem to recall mid-August as the wear-and-tear of shuffling Katelyn from one camp to the next week after week was reaching its peak wishing that we could get back to the routine of the school year. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?! Don't get me wrong it's nice to know that the kids have pretty much the same schedule every week, but how could I have forgotten how busy the evenings would become? To top things off I signed up to teach Katelyn's religion class this year - which is great - but I'm really missing my Monday evenings where I had time to read a magazine or talk on the phone (Stef, now you know why I haven't made my Monday night call in awhile!)

With Katelyn in Brownies and tennis lessons I don't feel like she's overscheduled in comparison to what some kids are in, but when you add in Mike's golf night and a few scrapbooking nights for me we very quickly don't have a single night off. Tuesday is usually our free night. Somebody must've clued in Katelyn's school, because they've decided to have "Chick-fil-a" night and "On the Border" nights on Tuesdays now so we can have yet another event to attend.

So even with the weeks being so hectic and football games on many weekends we've still managed to fit in some other fun stuff.

We had a great time with Nana and Pop-Pop, Kelly and Keith, and Ally and CJ at the Cabarrus County fair this year. The tea-cups have become a favorite ride. Katelyn has gotten the hang of spinning it really fast and Lindsay just LOVES it!

Pony rides are a must and the new bumper boats were definitely a hit!

Katelyn and I went to the Children's Theater with Kelly and Ally to see a live performance of Peter Pan. I don't know that Katelyn really knew much of the story before seeing the play, but both she and Ally thought the play was fantastic. Unfortunately no pictures to share, but the highlight by far was watching Peter Pan and the other children flying across stage.

I just had to include this one. There are many things I love about living in North Carolina, but it being warm enough for the kids to run through the sprinkler in October definitely ranks right up there! Here are Katelyn and Lindsay with one of Katelyn's best buddies from school after an afternoon in sprinkler:

Ally's birthday party at the gymnastics center only cemented the desire of both girls to sign up for classes. I've been feeling guilty for awhile about not having Lindsay in some type of class like we did with Katelyn at her age. It's looking like it may be gymnastics later this fall :) She's definitely a bit of a daredevil and loves trying to flip. She hasn't tried the bars yet, but after watching Katelyn I'm sure she won't be far behind.

My Uncle Joe and Aunt Shufen came to visit all the way from Buffalo. The girls loved having a new audience and Uncle Joe was certainly a good sport while playing school with Katelyn, especially when being tested on his spelling and reading comprehension all before his first cup of coffee Saturday morning!

And finally, I can't leave out our trip last weekend to the pumpkin farm with Nana and Grandpa. Besides the standard picking of pumpkins, the girls got to feed goats, sheep, peacocks and chickens, paint pumpkins, get their faces painted, play in a giant sandbox filled with corn kernels, ride a wagon pulled by a tractor and launch green tomatoes into a field with a giant slingshot!

Phew! I'm tired just from reliving the last 5-6 weeks let alone from writing about it all! No promises, but I'll to not take so long to post next time :)