Party time

It's been party central in Hillsborough, NC.  First came the Cameron Park Fall Festival, where we won five (!!) goldfish, ate yummy food truck food, and had our faces and nails decorated:

Next, C&C's classmate Hannah's birthday at Pump It Up:

Finally, the Coach House Lane birthday party ("Let Them Eat Cake!"), because seven adults had birthdays within a couple of weeks of one another:

And just because she's adorable, and recently discovered that BOTH of her chromosomes are X:

So all these parties have left us all:

More vocational training

The day before Charlotte was diagnosed with pneumonia, daycare was closed.  Mummy, Charlotte, and Claire headed to Graham, NC, to see the Art of the Brick exhibit, and then played at the Alamance County Children's Museum.  The four year-olds enjoyed putting on a thrash metal version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star:

They also explored life as health professionals:

This weekend, we spent time at Gold Park, making silly faces and putting Daddy through a TSA-style pat-down:

Louise continues to enjoy school, and (touch wood) everyone seems to be feeling well.

Back to school

Louise is really enjoying first grade so far.  She quite liked science on Monday - "we got to eat three gummy worms!"  (We're not entirely certain what the hypothesis was, or which methods were used).  She also seems to like the level of structure - "every day, we have science after math and before we get on the bus."  She still plays with her Kindergarten friend Payton on the playground, but she likes the kids in her class and at afterschool.

Summertime bugs continue to prey on the Atherton family (NC branch).  Charlotte has had a cough and fever for two days, but remains perky and likes being home with Mummy:

You say it's your birthday...

It's my birthday too, yeah!  At least, our family present to Daddy for his 39th birthday was...Lego!  We did have a great time this evening building things together.

The music factory also enjoyed some time at the playground whilst L was at dance class.

Focusing for a whole 30 minutes has proven too much for C&C, but L is doing well with swim lessons:

Animal adventure

Although Louise informed us on Monday morning that she "didn't have any fun this weekend," she put on a brave face.  Her favourite part of the weekend was probably her friend Katie's visit (photos courtesy of BJ Witkin).

She also tolerated a night of gymnastics, swimming lessons, and ballet classes. 

Louise is now spending her a final week at a Museum of Life & Science summer camp; next week she moves to camp at Master's Garden, where her sisters attend daycare.