September in one post....

 

 

Charlie and Maggie helping me mash bananas for banana bread.... these two play so well together on Tuesdays/Thursdays when they are both home.   They also fight like crazy : )

 

 

 

Colin and I have never gotten away without the kids.  Well, one time we went to new Orleans for less than 24 hours and left 2-3 of them with my mom.   But, we don't even really go on dates.

And in September, we took two trips without the kids.  

First, to San Francisco.  Colin had a conference, so I went along with him.

 

 

 We went to a Giants game - they played the Dodgers.   We sat WAY up high - and it was perfect.   These were the views ....

 

Happened to sit right under the Texas flag.  

 

 

We had Rangers and Cubs hats on.  Whoops.

 

 Took a boat tour under the bridge and by Alcatraz. 

 

Ghirardelli! 

I think we spent like $12 or something on this icecream.   SO worth it.

 

I wasn't feeling great on the trip.   I was very emotional leaving the kids. 

And though I sound crazy ... I just wanted the kids to be able to be there and see it all with us.

So hard to see new things and not be able to share them with the kids.

Right after our plane landed a the airport, I got an email that said an 8th grader at our school had died.  I just wanted to go home.   Felt so sad and overwhelmed.

I ended up catching an early flight so I could make it home for her funeral. 

I didn't know it yet, but I was pregnant, too.

 

So great to be home.   Took the kids to the balloon festival.  Balloons couldn't take because of the weather.  Still had fun!

A few days later I found out I was pregnant.  Whew!   A lot to process. 

Started feeling the first trimester joys right away.  Nausea, exhaustion, ...nausea.

 

Left for New York.  On of my oldest friends (from first grade!) Kelly got married over the summer.  She and her husband a beautiful party at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.   It was beautiful, and so great to see Kelly, her mom, sister. brother ... and meet all of the family too.

I went to New York when I was pregnant with Jackson to see her for a weekend ... about 8 years before this trip : )

 

 Colin and I went on a dinner cruise the first night.   It was a beautiful way to see the city. 

 

We did a lot of walking around the city over the next days.  The subway and street food smells were really hard on me.   I napped every afternoon, and know it must have been frustrating for Colin.   My energy level was so low, and I felt really yucky. 

Our hotel was AMAZING.   We stayed at the Conrad.   It was down the road from the 911 memorial.
Out of everything we saw, this was the most incredible.  Just overwhelming standing there, with so many people, reading the names around the pools. 

 I tried to just pray for all of the people by name as I stood there.  

 

Freedom Tower, 1 WTC.

 

I didn't take any more pictures : (

August

 

 

August fun ...

 

 

Went to the Perot Museum - they had a special exhibit where the kids were able to build and race cars.   The boys LOVED it.  

 

 

 

 

First Day of School!    

 

 

these kids.   cracking me up with their personalities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walked them to their classes.  Charlie was all smiles.  

He has Mrs. Inman, who Cooper had last year. 

 

 

 I'm so proud of Charlie.   He's doing great in school.   Mrs. Inman describes him as very smart and a "just" child.   He gives the classmates dirty looks over the top of his glasses when they aren't following instructions : )

 

Next, down the hall to Cooper's Kindergarten class.

 

 Such a big boy!  He was SO happy to have Mrs. B.   Jackson had her two years ago in kindergarten. She's spunky and funny, and the kids love her.   

 

 He's done so great in school!

He's learning to read and is writing really well, phonetically. 

 

Last, over to the main school for Jackson.

 

 Jackson and his 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Eisele.

So glad she is his teacher. 

She's a friend of mine through CRHP, and is such a great teacher!

Jackson is reading like a maniac - can't get enough books.  He reads in bed every night and I just tell him what time to turn out the light.   He's such a rule-follower that he reads exactly until that time and then goes to bed.  If I didn't give him an end time, , he would probably be up all night.

 

  At the beginning of August, we got two cats.  Found them on Craigslist. 

We had adopted two semi-feral barn cats earlier in July, and they ran away.

So, it was hard to decide to try again.   Not only for the $$$ we spent at the vet, but it's hard on the kids (and me!).   Anyway, these two cuties were in a litter of four.  The owners had the mom and the dad, and they wanted a good, outdoor home for the kittens.

The family was so nice, had a family of 5 girls, the youngest we met - had down syndrome.

She told us all about the cats and was so very sweet.

Turns out they are Catholic and homeschooled all their kids. 

Anyway, the kittens have adjusted beautifully.  

They are working hard (keeping rabbits and mice out of our yard),

and the kids love going outside to play with them. 

 

 Birdie

This one is one the naughty list now.

He disappeared for a day.

After much searching, calling, logically thinking about where the darn cat could be....

my mom and i went walking, with all 4 kids, calling the cat.

So, finally,

I prayed.   to St. Anthony.  to pray for us and help us find him.

And smack dab in the middle of the prayer, a long way away from our house, I heard it clear as day ...

the cat is in the storm drain. 

So, we walked all the way back ... which was a long way...

passed our neighbors who told us they saw a bobcat walking down our road 4 days earlier (great, maybe the cat is dead!). 

Jackson ran ahead to the storm drain at the end of the cul-de-sac (across from our front door), and shouted, "Birdie's in here!"

And sure enough, there he was.

Stuck in the storm drain. 

That was forgivable. 

Getting stuck in there two more times since then ... unacceptable : )

 

 Whiskers. 

Good cat.   Catches mice and rabbits.

Doesn't get stuck in the storm drain.

 

On August 15th, two days after the kids started school, we celebrated the Assumption of Mary.  The kids sang beautifully at mass that morning - I just love those songs they sing that day ... remind me so much of Mawmaw Bea.

 

I walked outside that afternoon while Maggie was napping.  We have a Mary statue in the flower bed, and there is a huge salvia shrub right behind it.

And right at Mary's feet, were the only blooms on the whole plant.

So sweet.   Really brought a smile to my face.

Maybe it's a coincidence.

But I think it was pretty special.