Dancer and wizard

These are the outfits that the kids wore trick or treating

This is Becca with Grace, our next door neighbor, dressed as Ariel.

Hollywod Starlet

As per usual, my kids wear different costumes to different Halloween events. This is Becca's first costume: A Hollywood Starlet. Doesn't she look fancy?

Pumpin Patch

Becca's Fun Run

Becca was excited for the fun run this year, and had collected enough money in pledges to win a bicycle helmet and knee pads. Cool!

Stormy takes 3rd!

OK- read the post below first...this is out of order

When we went to pet store to get Becca's mice, the store was holding a hamster ball race- open to all rodents in plastic balls. Moments after purchasing the mice, we entered them in a race. The competition was a white rat and a hamster. The rat had clearly been practicing all morning. The second he was dropped on the race track, he booked it for the finish line. Becca's mice, not so much as they had only just been placed in the balls, and were trying to figure out what had happened to them. Still, Stormy took 3rd place and won a ribbon, which was very exciting!

Becca's Birthday Party

WOW! Becca is 7!!!! I can hardly believe it. After 3 years of high maintenance birthday parties for Becca, we opted for the backyard pool party this year. Usually on her birthday, it si scorching hot, so a pool party makes total sense. This year, we had a cold front move through the week before, and the pool water was pretty cold. Only the bravest kids stayed in the water for very long. So, instead the kids played in the backyard, the toy room, the kids rooms, the dining room, the living room, the kitchen...you get the idea. Still, a great time was had by all. Including Becca. Whew!

Becca has been asking for a pet for 3 years running. It's the only thing she's been asking for consistently. So, this year, we decided she could get something small. These pictures are out of order, but below, is the picture of her opening her present of a small rodent cage. She was very very surprised, since for 3 years we have told her we're not getting any more pets. Above, is a picture of her with her brand new mice: Stormy and Spotty.

First day of school! Yea! Becca starts first grade this year. She has been assigned a fabulous teacher according to everyone we've spoken to. Unfortunately, we haven't met her yet. Her teacher, Mrs. Walton, had to leave town last week because of a family emergency, and we're not sure when she'll be back. So, Becca's class had a substitute teacher today instead. Becca was mostly excited about getting HER OWN DESK, so it seemed of little consequence that the actual teacher wasn't there. I think she'll do great. She got right out of bed this morning, and told me in the car that she loved school, and was so happy to go back. Yea! Ryan is in Pre-K this year. He got dressed and was ready to go right after I left to take Becca to school. Very bummed he couldn't go right away, and bugged Art the whole time I was gone, asking him when I was coming home to take him to school. After we parked the car at school, he sang the whole way "I'm going to school. Yea! I'm going to school. yea! and skipped at the same time." He was very excited to be back at school. One of his teachers is the same as last year, and he was in the same classroom as well, which made it even better for him. His teachers gave little bags to all the parents that had a cute note and a bag of tissues in it for parents who might break down in tears. Not me, I did the happy dance all the back to the car. We've had a wonderful summer, best ever in fact, but this past week we were all a little (ok, a LOT) edgy, and were definitely ready for school to start. Woo hoo!