First Day of School!

First and third grades have begun!  The girls were VERY excited about the school year - they woke long before their alarm clocks, and we enjoyed about 40 minutes of "can we go yet?  can we go yet?"  Charlotte was apprehensive - "tomorrow is going to be very stressful," she informed Mummy solemnly the night before.  Claire was competitive: "If Aidan isn't in my class, I can be top student!"  Louise was uncharacteristically silent.  But they all love their teachers and seem to be settling into the new routine well.  Claire told us, "Ms. Hanish is sad summer vacation is over.  I'm not."

But before school, we got a bit of summer in, at the neighbours' pool,  at a grocery store photo op, and at Green Lane Park:

Hot fun in Derby

We had a wonderful time in England with family and friends.  Each day was, in the kids' considered opinion, the best EVER.  They loved seeing grandparents, the Walkers, the Foreys, and the Cubberleys.  The amusement park wasn't too bad also.

We also enjoyed seeing Aunt Nancy and Uncle Ted.  We played games and let them work hard in our yard.  (It isn't every day an 82 year-old mows our lawn!).

Ted and Nancy even got to see Charlotte's award of a blue stripe for her karate belt:

Since then, we've been keeping busy - Daddy with work, and the rest with Mummy Camp: