There is nothing like fall to really emphasize just how crazy we are.
It's a juggling act. Three kids in three different schools. Two kids in soccer with games and practices in two different locations at the same time. Two kids in dance. One kid taking piano lessons, choir, and chimes. And in between all this we have a birthday boy and some very welcomed guests.
I'll start with the piano. The excitement level in our house upon learning that we were finally (after years of talking about it) getting a piano so that Clara could start lessons was beyond high. She is taking lessons from the music director at her church and he is very impressed with her progress, she is breezing through the early sections of her lesson book... a quick study.
Soccer has begun. And we suddenly have a soccer star in our house. Lucas loves the sport, looking forward to practices and games. He's even scored goals in the last two games! Our kitchen has become his personal practice spot, which can be fun. Clara has a lot of fun playing, but I don't think she loves the sport. Though last weekend, she got to play goalie for the first time and I think she truly loved that! She seemed to fit that position very well, she just needs to work on getting the ball back into play quicker. For the last three weeks, Jason has put together a parents vs. kids game which is a lot of fun, too. Not too many parents have joined into the fun yet... but hopefully it'll catch on.
School is in session... first day of school pictures!
Amid all the hustle and bustle Eli turned 3. Jason came up with the idea to make Eli a DC United soccer cake as he does love our home team. So I came up with this plan for Eli's cake in my head and was pleasantly surprised when the outcome matched nearly perfectly the picture that I'd been carrying around in my head for weeks. Eli loved loved loved his cake. He also loved his balloons and his presents. It's so much less pressure when it's just a small family party.
The following week, my Dad & Stepmom came up for a visit from Florida. Dad hadn't been here since last November, while Sharon hadn't been here since the summer of 2008... too long!! What a wonderful week having them here. They helped so much with getting the kids to and from school. Dad worked some sort of miracle with our ice maker/water dispenser in our refrigerator, not only fixing the ice maker that has been broken since early spring, but improving the flow rate of water so that it isn't just a trickle anymore! Dad also re-screened some panels in our porch that Eli had pushed out long ago. They also watched the kids so that Jason and I could go out to dinner to celebrate our 11th anniversary. And Dad helped Jason to replace the battery in our car when it expectantly died. I wasn't ready for them to leave. Luckily for me, after they spend a week in CT visiting my uncle they'll be back for a day or two. They have to hurry home, though, because Sharon got some exciting news while on vacation... she got a great job and starts next Monday! Congratulations, again!! 
While most of September has been a great new adventure as we all enter these new phases in our lives. Lucas fits Kindergarten perfectly... he is so happy and has settled into the routine effortlessly. Eli loves preschool so much that he wishes it were every day and not just 3 days each week. Tuesday and Thursday are so hard for him... crying as he sends his siblings off to school. He just runs into the classroom without even looking back and saying goodbye. It's nice that he's adjusting so well. Clara really loves her new school/class/teacher. However, the workload and the pace of the class is causing her to struggle. The teacher called me regarding some behavior issues that have emerged along with the incomplete work. So it's been a tough transition for her and there is a sense that she's feeling frustrated. The actual work comes easy for her, but she tends to "overwork" everything so that it leaves little time to accomplish everything. This week has been her catch-up week, which has been painful as I see her spend every spare moment doing homework. There will be a meeting with her teacher soon, but aside from that, my fingers are crossed that we can alleviate some of the stresses by having her keep up with assignments at home and finding her a friend so that she has somebody to 'help' her socially.
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