It's September! We are back in the swing of things with school, and after a week and a half everything is running relatively smoothly. There were some first (and second) day of school challenges for Alana, some weekend bee-sting drama for Jordan (he had to miss two days of school - boo!) and smooth sailing so far for Hendrik. School is going well for me, and I'm getting used to the back-to-busy schedule of a rotary teacher, teaching French and a little bit of gym.
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| Alana (gr 6), Jordan (gr 2), and Hendrik (gr 8) |
I know I missed quite a bit from the summer, so I'll do my best to fill in the gaps. Hendrik wrapped up his baseball season with some thrilling games at the OBAs here in London, but the team didn't make it past day two. While he was playing (with dad watching), Alana, Jordan and I were out west visiting my parents, and we had a great time. Vancouver Island is SO beautiful, and we are so lucky to be able to visit my parents on Thetis Island and at their home on the big island. It was great to see them and spend time together, and I wish we were able to be there more! The pictures will do the talking, but we split time between Comox and Thetis, spending lots of time by the water and in the woods.
We also got to spend some quality time with the Calgary cousins and Steve's sister's family (and parents too), in London and in Bowmanville. We also made it to Port Stanley, Great Lakes Farms, and Canada's Wonderland where good times were had by all. Hendrik and I literally sprinted to the Yukon Striker line with the hopes of getting a spot in the front row, but plans were twice-thwarted; the ride was delayed because an employee sprained his ankle setting up the line barriers, and the employee directing traffic at the top told us we couldn't wait for front-row seats. Darn! Maybe next time. Favourite rides there were the Behemoth and the Leviathan, both fast and very smooth coasters with a longer ride time than the Striker. Hendrik loved hearing me scream, which I did on every roller coaster we went on! The younger kids stuck together for the most part, and had a great time on the smaller rides.
Other notable events from the past month or so include Alana's birthday, which she celebrated by flying home from BC! We also had a small party for her last weekend, and it was great to see her together with her group of friends. Our reno is practically finished, though there are a few odds and ends to tie up. Extra-curriculars are starting soon and it looks like Hendrik and Alana will both be playing volleyball, Hendrik is doing ball hockey, Alana is playing soccer, and Jordan is playing indoor baseball. With Steve and I helping coach, it should be a busy fall! We are learning that we don't mind being busy, as long as everyone is relatively happy (and we aren't too rushed getting dinner on the table and/or leaving the house - that's the hard part!). Enjoy the pics!
