Something about September

I love fall!  It is my favorite season of the year.  I love the cooler temperatures, the changing leaves and all the fun activities that crop up in the fall.  We have had some fun ones this month.

William and Tessa's school PTA does a fundraiser called the Tri School Trot.  Three schools get together to sponsor it and the kids collect pledges and run laps at the high school track to "earn" their pledges and receive prizes.  Luckily my friend Nicole had her camera - she's a good mom who actually remembers to take pictures of her kids. 

Also this month was William's first foray into rocket making for Cub Scouts.  One of the most anticipated Pack Meetings of the year is the Rocket Launch.  William did well for himself - I think he brought his rocket home (mostly) intact.

To end September we went to the Utah State University Homecoming Parade.  Tessa's dance studio sponsored a float and Tessa was anxious to participate so the rest of us tromped to downtown Logan to watch her.  Understand that Cache Valley loves its parades - most towns in the valley have one at some point or another.  This parade has to be the biggest!  We had a fun time watching the parade and cheering for Tessa and the Aggies.  Only problem - Henry yelled "Go Utes" at one point and we had to remind him that A-he needs to be respectful and B-the Utes got worked at USU this year so really he should just keep his mouth shut.  You can barely see Tessa on the float - look for the cute girl in glasses next to the girl with long blonde hair.

Sassy

Tessa's new nightgown says "I Woke Up on the Sassy Side of the Bed!"  In case you were wondering, she wakes up on the sassy side of the bed Every.  Single.  Day.

She is thriving in 1st grade.  The first two weeks of school were hard - she came home looking hammered every day and just laid around the house after about 6 pm.  Now she seems to be getting used to being at school all day.  She loves her teacher and her friends.  She is settling into the back to school routine nicely.  Her teacher LOVES her. 

I think she saves the sassiness for home.

Game Day

Today is the Utah/Utah State game here in Logan.  Any other year Jay would have leapt at the chance to take the boys to a Ute game without having to spend a full day driving to and from Salt Lake City.  As Jay has embarked on his career as a professional Aggie with his new job at Utah State, he has decided to watch the game from the comfort of his own home.  They'll make the trip down to SLC for a Ute game in October. 

Henry still likes to run his mouth, however, and is always happy to declare his Ute allegience.  He awoke this morning to this ^^^^message on our front porch.  Notice he is sporting his newest Ute shirt.  I  can almost guarantee that 95% of the kids at his school will be wearing Aggie shirts today.  Hopefully he can make it through the day unscathed. 

The Walking Dictionary

Last year William won the "Walking Dictionary" award in his 2nd grade class.  He is always using big words (correctly, I might add), so much so that the other kids would ask him to define their vocabulary words in class.   His larger than average vocabulary coupled with his still developing speech (he is in speech at school working on his R and S sounds) can make for some funny moments.  Jay and I try not to laugh but sometimes we can't help it.

Today I was teasing William about something at dinner and he said, "you know, Mom, you are about 93% humorous."  Bless his heart.  I didn't have the guts to ask him about the other 7%.   I'm not sure I really want to know.

School is going along well.  I'm cautiously optimistic that we will have a smoother-than-normal transition this year.  William has only had one after-school meltdown, which is a vast improvement from this time last year.  Tessa comes home from school most days looking hammered but she rallies after a snack and a few minutes in the air-conditioned comfort of home and wants to play until she collapses into bed around 8:15.  I have to wake her up around 7:15 in the morning because she is sooooooo sllllooooowww getting ready for the day that she'd miss the bus if I let her sleep any later.  Anyway, she seems fine. 

Middle school is interesting for Henry.  He actually has homework this year but so far he hasn't complained too much about it.  His alarm wakes him up at 6 (*yawn*) and he leaves for school at 7.  So far he walks to and from school but soon enough it will be too dark for him to walk so we (and by we, I mean Jay) will drive him to school.  I imagine he'll still walk home unless the weather is bad.   Funny story, though - he thought he could only use his locker during the school day.  One day he brought home two huge binders and a big textbook when he had zero homework.  When I explained that he could leave anything he didn't need for the night in his locker at school, he was geniunely surprised. 

And so September goes......