1. Last week, the big kids didn't have school on Monday. My leave request had gotten lost in the email so they had a lot of time on their own. I was surprised to discover M doing a science experiment at the table during one of my check-ins. We took it up a notch and read the instructions, moved to the stove, and actually managed to successfully grow some crystals by the next day.
2. Girl Scouts has returned. The first meeting was long and a little chaotic, but the troop leader is nice and there is a good group of girls so we're looking forward to a fun year. M is still attending Girl Scouts at SEAS, but this may be the last year as after this the logistics/missed class time will likely tip the balance towards another troop. In the meantime, she is having a great time doing crafts, learning core values, and making friends!
3. I read somewhere that a great way to reduce fits/improve behavior is to dedicate 20 minutes to playing with your kid on the floor daily. This seems easy and something we're probably doing anyway, but I am making a conscious effort to make sure E is getting at least that in a super focused, no distractions way. I have have zero clue if it is working, but it is definitely entertaining and fun. Last week, we spent the better part of an hour with him jumping off this ladder on to his bed. Per his request I did video most of his attempts so he could watch the replay.
4. We took a whirlwind trip to the farm this weekend and it was great weather for it. The kids spent a lot of time with the chickens and tree house, but also made fun gourd crafts. M made 3! and the boys each made one of their own design.
5. E & Ro are adorable together. They spent a lot of time with their tools, adventuring, and doing puzzles in the tents. There was remarkably less fighting and more cooperation. (Hooray!)
6. E specifically requested this photo with the chickens. He is a big fan. I got to spend a lot of extra time with him on Friday as he was randomly out of school. I have no idea what families where both parents have normal jobs do with all these random days off. I assume daycare or Grandma? In any case, glad I could be here with him.
7. M has a new "spelling menu" of activities to work on. The first option was writing her spelling words in shaving cream and she loved it. B would not have liked this as sensory play was not his favorite. M could recall all other instances when she has done things with shaving cream and loves it. The spelling menu is in addition to her "homework menu", monthly family projects, and daily XtraMath. She has WAY more homework than Brendan does. It is annoying. She does need the extra time with her math facts, but some of the other stuff just feels like busy work.
8. M and I love fall mornings outside. It isn't nearly as cold as her outfit would suggest. We wandered the gardens, checked on our plants and faeries, and then sat on the porch and talked before she got in a little scooter time. I adore our yard and it's quite wood. Perfect for M & me! (I should mention that Grandma loves to do all these things with her in the mornings too and is usually around a couple days of the week to lead morning adventuring).
9. B sustained his first (very minor) swimming injury yesterday. First, you need to know that he and the other boys in Onyx are racing
at all times during practice. I don't think this is required, but who am I to say. There is a staggered start for each length of the pool, but they battle to catch the people ahead of them before they reach the end. Over and over and over, for 45 minutes (with only a couple rests to put on flippers or get instruction). When every length is a battle it was only a matter of time before someone got kicked in the face and yesterday was that day. He is totally fine and definitely likes the race to the wall with every lap so kuddos to him. We did mention watching out for other people's feet/bodies and making sure that they are doing what the coaches want. He is sore daily, but always happy to go and happy when he gets out of the water. Love this. (Ps. doesn't waiting at the bus stop with these two look fun?)
10. After heading back from the farm on Saturday, we went straight to "International Night" at OSSM. It is always hard to leave the farm, but I'm glad we made it back for this event. It features the food of all the countries where OSSM students and their families have roots. This year, each table had a host family/theme country. Yes, there were some straight "America" tables, but a wide diversity of other countries too. The food is amazing and very authentic and the conversations both with other people and with our kids is great. This year, there was even a short Irish Stepdance performance on the balcony. This is probably the biggest event of the fall semester at OSSM and getting larger and better each year. I look forward to enjoying it again next fall.
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