So now what?

Well, the kids are back in school. How did that happen? And what do I do with myself? I have both the babies sleeping and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do! I did just learn to knit, so I am once again attempting to start a hat for Conner (Beaver's colors, of course!). We also had a tragedy last week when our beautiful 14 week old kitten got out of the house overnight and was found in the street the next morning. It was very sad. But after much deliberation, we decided that while we could never replace Leo, we missed the fun and excitement of a little kitten. So we found one yesterday and the kids fell in love with her. Her name is Matisse and she is soooo tiny! We are in love!

We start this weekend with the craziness of games. Conner's first football game of the season is on Saturday morning and Alia's first soccer game is in the afternoon. That should be a lot of fun. We are looking forward to all that the first weeks of school has to offer. I'll keep you up to date on any new happenings...

And just like that, it's gone!

Hard to believe, but school starts next week! The kids are excited to start in their new classes with their teachers and old friends. I'm excited for a whole 5 days in a row with only 2 kids home! We passed the summer with swim lessons and sports. Baseball finished and gave us 2 weeks off before Conner started football. He is enjoying that and is excited to start playing games. Alia has started soccer and loves it. She has a great coach and some old friends on her team. Ann-Elise will start tap dance classes in 2 weeks and with a new addition to the family (a piano) she will start those lessons as well. Adrie is just a crack up. She keeps us all in stitches. There is no dull moment with her around. And then Caile... what a little dolly! She just learned to walk and is exploring her world on 2 feet!

We spent a week in Canada and got back last Friday. Grandma and Grandpa Shaw surprised us by being at Uncle Larry and Auntie Rose's when we arrived. So the kids were able to spend 7 full days with them. It rained the first few days that we were up there, but then the weather cleared and it was beautiful. We were able to sneak in a couple swim days at the lake (cold lake!) and a day at the park. And one day we hiked to a beautiful waterfall for a fun afternoon of fishing and a picnic. The older kids spent the last couple days exploring the "forest" behind uncle Larry's house. They enjoyed the fort that their cousins had started last year. One of Conner's favorite activities was playing with the dog and kitties. We had an amazing time slowing down and visiting with loved ones. Aunt Rose even had the patience to teach me how to knit!

So, now we gear up for the hustle and bustle of school. I look forward to this time of falling leaves and crisp weather. The excitement of a new school year and making new friends. We'll keep you up to date as fun stuff happens!

And Summer's Here

So what do we do now? Kids are out of school and we are gearing up for a long and fun summer. Hopefully we'll even get some good weather. Our plans for the summer include lunches at the park, bike riding and zoo trips. And we can't forget lots of sleepovers with friends. At the end of summer we will travel up to British Columbia to visit Uncle Larry and Auntie Rose. We are looking forward to a nice long relaxing week there of fishing, swimming and eating (Aunt Rose is Italian, you know!). We'll keep you posted on all of the happenings.

As a side note, ball season is finishing up. Ann-Elise is done, Alia has one more game and Conner has 2 tournaments and 6 more games to go! But next week starts swim lessons, so we'll do some double duty there. Oh and we can't forget that Football for Conner and Soccer for Alia start in August. Will this ever end??? It's busy, but fun.

A new season

So spring brings flowers to the ground, birds to the air and leaves to the trees. But in the Lader household it brings spring sports! So, we have Conner playing midget baseball. Alia playing 8U softball. And Ann-Elise playing t-ball. Of course, to make life easier, they all play on Monday and Wednesday nights. And of course they all play at different fields! And of course Mike has an obligation on Wednesday nights. So, to say the least, it makes for a little chaos. However, the kids love playing and are excelling. Alia is a little power hitter and is having fun learning the concepts of the game. Conner is pitching for the first year and has the potential to be pretty good. He is enjoying being coached by his dad again. Ann-Elise is playing on a team with one of her best friends, so she is having fun. It's cute to see the kids try to figure out which way to run when the ball is hit. So, when it's all said and done, we really enjoy it!