Back To Normal

With the start of school also came the return to routine and regular activities.  The hustle and bustle of the school year can be exhausting and require strategic planning, but it is nice to have a schedule and have the kids (well Nate at least) re-engaged in his pastimes.

So that means we are back to soccer Saturdays...which has been wonderful on these nice fall mornings.  I decided to try a new league this season and it has proven to be a good move.  The practices are more structured and they play with a little more compliance with the rules (and a tad of competitiveness - which is actually a good thing when trying to teach a kid to care about the game).  I can't say he has become a soccer star but he certainly has been more excited about playing, has been trying harder, and his skills are slowly improving. But most of all, he has become buddies with some of the boys (and one cute little girl he has taken a liking to) and enjoys goofing off with them - which is probably driving the coaches crazy.

He is proud to strike his flexing pose. 

Nate added a new activity to his repertoire - karate.  I was never really jazzed about him taking karate, for whatever reasons, but he went to a couple of karate birthday parties and seemed to enjoy it so we did the intro classes with his school buddy to give it a shot and he has ended up loving it.  He comes home and wants to show off his moves.  And I have to say it has been good for his listening, following instruction and overall confidence.  And he looks so darn adorable in his little suit!

Officially getting his white belt

They were doing a fundraiser this week so he got to dress like a super hero and break a board...he did it and was so proud of himself! :)

Beach Week 2012

My cousin got married in Gulf Shores Labor Day weekend, so we took our beach week late this summer to go down to celebrate with them.  It was great to spend the weekend with my mom and her family and then still have the rest of the week for just us.

The kids had a blast crabbing at night...

We were down there right after the hurricane so our weather was a little hit or miss.  So we introduced the boys to putt putt on one cloudy day...

Which was fun, except for the kid who kept picking up all the balls.

 This after-dinner racing photo makes me laugh...Nate is so serious about winning and Matthew is practically skipping!

Even Stinky came back with a nice tan...

Beaching and swimming all day made for tired kids who took great afternoon naps, where ever they collapsed...

At the end of the week, we took the route through Pensacola to make our way home...so we stopped in to the Naval Air Museum for a few hours.  The boys LOVED it.

And Michael and Nate explored Fort Barrancas (while I sat with a sleeping Matthew in the car).

It was a great week...we spent our days on the beach or in the pool and ate great seafood at night.  I got my beach fix so now I can officially let summer go and welcome Fall!

...and School Started!

Oh happy day!

We are over a month in now and things are going well.  Nate has adjusted to having homework and not having as much "fun" as he did in his 4 yr old class.  He told Matthew the other day that he should enjoy all the playing he gets to do in his 2 yr old class because in 5 yr old class it is hard work.  I am glad I kept him in this class for this year...he is making great strides and is really starting to come in to his own, which is exactly what I wanted for him.

Matthew still has a little trouble sometimes with the drop off but once I leave he has a great time.  The first week, when I picked him up he would say "I had fun!  I made friends!" It's two days a week - it is good for him.