Toddling at 9 months

Holly is a little champion! She took her first steps at the PHSCC Pig Roast on Saturday! It was incredible! She's so tiny, and yet so confident. As you can probably imagine, it didn't take long and she's now taking 3-4 steps at a time! She can clap her hands and loves to make raspberries or just outright spit at you.

Megan is our little musician. She loves to shake the toys that rattle and bang on the toy drum and piano. If you start cheering, "Yeay, Megan!" she'll look at you with a big smile and clap. She's so pretty! Megan is a fast crawler, and can pull herself up with ease.

Liam is not only a mama's boy, but a little trouble-maker. He likes to climb up on the base of the end table and pull on the lamp cord. Otherwise, he will crawl into the base of the exersaucer. Liam is still crawling like an inchworm, though I've witnessed him crawl in the traditional manner. He is also pulling himself up at will. Liam likes to play Peek-a-Boo, and will pull things over his face and wait for you to catch on to his game.

Bridget, oh Bridget! She's loving preschool and playing with her friends. I'm disappointed that it seems to be 90% socializing 10% educational. For that reason, I really miss Chesterbrook. If we could afford it, I would send her there in a heart beat. Bridget is trying to read words, and when she's in the mood, she'll show you how she reads. We're still having LOTS of tantrums with her, and she's starting to get sneaky. For instance, she asked if she could have a snack 20 minutes after we finished dinner (and she DIDN'T finish her meal.) I said "no" and she went in the kitchen pantry and took a granola bar. (I could hear what she was up to.) So she walks out of the kitchen backwards with the granola bar behind her back and starts heading toward her room.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room."

"What's behind your back?"

"Nothing."

"What's in your hands?"

"Nothing."

(Insert disbelieving, stern, mom face)

"a granola bar." B says in a small voice.

I can't wait till her threes are over with. Four has to be better!

On a lighter note, Bridget's Pre-Ballet class started this week and she loved it. They are learning one routine before Halloween and a second routine before Christmas. She's thrilled.

As for me, school is going well. I'm hanging in there, though terribly busy. I'm teaching the boy across the street, the girl three doors down, and the boy four doors down, and a girl two blocks away. What fun! It was quite odd seeing neighborhood parents in my classroom. So far, it seems like I have good classes. My honors geometry kids are smart and hard-working. My precalculus kids are typical and fun.

Shawn's keeping busy at work and at home. He's going away for another billion days, but I guess if you compare his job to the circus, he doesn't travel much.

Finally, the baby boom has begun. Congratulations to:

Matt & Kristen and baby Benjamin,

Derek, Rene, Sophia, Emily and baby Elizabeth

Sandy, Kurt, Morgan and baby Owen,

Kim, Josh, Christian and baby Charlotte,

Brenda, Paul, Madalin and baby Lauren

I believe we're now just waiting to meet one more little Goode baby.