September

So.

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School is back into full swing.  The kids have started attending an art class (turns out I went to school with the art teacher's sister-in-law!), and LIKING it, even though they whined when I said they had to go.  :)

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Patience is back to weekly piano lessons.  She's acting like she's getting bored with it, but the fact is, she doesn't like it when things get challenging. :(  But she really, I think, is gifted musically--I'm not talking Bobby Fisher gifted, just that it seems to be an area that she's blessed in--so we're keepin' on, keepin' on. 

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Eli starts a writing class with my friend, Amy, this week using Write Shop.  He really needs to be more comfortable writing, so I'm hoping this class helps.  A lot.  It's a boys only class, so I'm hoping that he really enjoys himself.

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The kids are moving along nicely in their books.  Patience is, of course, cruising along, and should finish early again this year, if she keeps up her current rate.  I need to find some books that she'll enjoy reading--she's finishing a Nancy Drew mystery, and HATES it.  Sigh.  Girl just doesn't like reading, even though she's really good at it.  Maddie, I think, is off to a better start than last year.  I'm still a bit stumped on what to do with her math.  She's working on a book that is ALL division, and I'm thinking of getting the "Keys to Fractions" book for her next.  Eli's doing well, although he does have days where he's still working on his schoolwork at 5pm.  Sigh.  I've started setting a timer for him for things like math, and not letting him work over an hour on them. 

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The cats are doing okay.  Selden is having to deal with the kitten, who is constantly jumping on him.  There's lots of growling and hissing going on.  But they do have their moments.

Moses is going in tomorrow to get fixed and declawed.  He'll stay at the vet's overnight, and we'll pick him up Wednesday after Eli's writing class.  I have to go tomorrow and pick up some special kitty litter for the cats to use while Moses is recovering. 

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A few fun things coming up--we're going to see a "Spirit of America" concert on Friday night.  I think it will be neat.  And we're going apple picking with our church in October (although I might take the kids sooner than that).  The Scituate Art Festival is becoming a tradition for us--we're looking forward to that on Columbus Day.

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Work has picked up a bit for me, and I have a bunch of shows coming up.  It's nice to have the business, and also nice to not have to work every weekend. :)  Football season has started, and it's fun to watch with the boys (Patience and Maddie are less than thrilled--LOL).

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We have less than a month until Eli's 13th birthday!  How did my little boy get so big?  And I do mean that--I measured him, and he's 5'4"!!!  He'll need new sneakers soon--I wonder how big the new ones will need to be? 

The girls are growing, too.  Maddie is 5'2.5", and needs new sneakers--I think she's going into a size 10.  Womens.  Sigh.

And Patience is just over 4'10", and get this.  I had to bring her to the doctor's.  It seems she has excema on the bottoms of her feet.  She has a special steroid cream to use to heal it up.  She really needed new sneakers, so off we went.  SHE TAKES A SIZE 9!!! Womens!!!  OH. MY. GOSH.  Seriously, do you realize that just 2 years ago, she was wearing a kids' size THREE??  Six sizes in 2 years???????  Two full sizes in the last year?? Tell me this is normal???  Guess there's no denying these girls are mine--I'll be sharing my size 11's soon!

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That's about it for September so far.  Tomorrow is the first day of fall.  Time to get the decorations out.  I'm baking more, and the kids are complaining about being cold in the mornings. :)  I love this time of year.