Well, it’s been a little while since I hit publish on that last post (that, as I go back and read it again, was really personal and vulnerable but also very true and still indicative of what life looks like for us right now).
So, hello again! How about a quick family update?
A whole summer came and went…
the family reunion in Asheville, NC.
In Early August, school started back…
Third and fourth grades! Thankfully, they love their teachers and everything is going great.
And, on September 9th, my girl turned 10. TEN. That’s double digits!! Ahhh, how did she get so old??? My Monkey, I love you so very much (really long annual birthday letter coming at ya).
{Every year we give our kids the option of a party and presents or a trip/experience. We’ve only had a handful of parties since my two usually prefer the latter. As I’ve said before, these “experiences” can be big or small depending on the year and the budget…and all else we have going on. Last year was the special ROYAL BIRTHDAY and she had to have a party to celebrate being 9 on 9/9.}
We celebrated the big ONE-OH Disney style, hitting the two water parks and Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
The water park portion was a make-up for her 8th birthday, when her trip (and birthday present) was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. The same thing almost happened this year. Dorian! We went to both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. We played at our hotel pool/lazy river, too.
Lots of water for this fish of mine!
We surprised her with the Halloween party.
How do you like our Mickey “10 fingers” ears?! My mom’s clever idea. I ordered the shirts off Etsy.
We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 5 that afternoon and stayed until after 11. It was hot, but not too crowded. We rode a bunch of rides (several more than once) and watched the Boo-to-You parade and the Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show. Both so good!
Disney does it all so well. It was a super fun couple of days. Thanks Meme for helping make it happen!
{We live in a place where lots of people go to Disney often. It’s only 3.5 hrs away. This was only the second time we’ve been with our kids. You can read all about our big Disney trip here (Day 1/2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6.) This time we were there two nights and did not stay at a Disney property, but instead used hotel points. If you are looking for great Disney ideas and advice, check out Amanda at Dixie Delights.}
It is now technically fall…although it doesn’t feel like it here in South Georgia.
Goodness, it is hot.
Yesterday, I had the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks. And it’s good. Like drinking a dessert…, so I might start asking for less vanilla syrup. We had an after-school family date and played Mexican Train Dominoes, one of our favorites. I’m liking that there is a yummy cold fall option for those of us that live on the surface of the sun and need a pick-me-up in between driving kids to various activities.
On that note, this fall I might be what my friend Kimberly describes as #overscheduled…again. It wasn’t my intention, but it became my reality when I said yes to both kids wanting to play soccer again. I can’t help it, I love them playing a sport, particularly that one. I was initially told they would be in the same league – and could therefore be on the same team – but incorrect age group information was sent out and this is not the case.
Hannah is still taking dance (just ballet for the fall, so she can participate in the Nutcracker again) and piano. Joseph is still in martial arts and Cub Scouts. He wants to take guitar lessons, but I haven’t figured how to fit that in just yet. I can’t (re: won’t) say no to learning an instrument.
So, if you’re counting, that’s currently three activities for each child. Add in once/week trips to the doctor’s office for allergy shots (both kids) and, yep, our afternoons are busy. The soccer situation makes things a little cray right now, but we’re going with it.
Most of our activities are only once/week. And, we don’t have a lot of homework. But honestly, some days are nuts. Like Tuesdays, when we go from piano, to soccer, to Cub Scouts. Or Wednesdays after Joseph’s martial arts lesson, when I lead a small group and Joe hosts his radio show at the same time. It’s a late night for all of us.
Are you as crazy as we are? Fall is a busy season for a lot of us, I know. How do you handle the whole balancing-kids-activities thing?
Joe and I are allowing Hannah and Joseph to do a variety of things (as opposed to focusing on ONE thing) because we want them to discover what they love. At this age, with these time commitments, we are able to do that. Still, my friend may be right with the #overscheduled thing.
Oh well. I’m going with it for now.
That said, I couldn’t make it all work without Joe. We are very much a team, in the mornings before school and in the afternoon shuffle.
Flying solo much of the next two weeks so say a prayer for me, will you? Joe is going to be doing a really cool thing far away across the ocean. Read more here.
And lastly, I couldn’t end this post without mentioning Tallulah! Our sweet ten-month-old goldendoodle puppy has been quite an addition to our family. She is energetic and playful, and loves to be loved on.
She sits right there, (photo on the left) and waits for Daddy to come back from his run and take her for her run. She LOVES it! Sometimes she rides with me to take the kids to school. She loves that, too.
Happy fall! I hope you are experiencing cooler weather, pumpkin spice, and all things nice.
Leave a Reply