Meghan's First Day

Meghan and I went to orientation Monday, and she started school Tuesday. She has school 8:30-11:00 and 12:00 to 2:30 - an hour to eat and play! Tomorrow she rides the bus for the first time this year - she'll be with all the Evergreen kids - up to 6th grade. She gets on about 7:15. Jenna starts Wed this week, just get on the bus and go - she knows where she's going. Jenna led Mark to Meghan's classroom Thur when he took her - it's a maze to get back there. I'm looking forward to having some time to actually clean the house!

Meghan's school collects box tops for a fundraiser, so if anyone wants to send'em this way, go for it. They also can get points from Target credit cards, Haggen grocery stores and searchandgive.com (?)

We have our Halloween costumes almost done - we're pirates this year, so I went to a thrift store and got white shirts, vests, jackets for Meghan and me, pirate hats, belts, a cool orange batik scarf for Jenna's head. I have burgundy fabric to make sashes, and all of this will last for some time, so lots of pirate play will be had - Aaarghh! I got out the Halloween stuff today - they were playing with gloves, cat's ears, funny glasses, butterfly wings, wigs. Meghan was bending the wings around her to be a caterpillar in a chrysalis! Now to get cracking on 3 pinatas!

Busy Week!

This week was busy! Wed we had a meeting with Jenna's teacher for the annual paperwork and then the girls got their first professional haircuts. Thur we went to a birthday party, Fri we went for a pony ride! This week will be just as busy, with Meghan having KG orientation tomorrow, first day of school Tues and council, girls night out for me Thur.

The haircuts went really well. I was worried they wouldn't sit still, but they did great. Meghan's hair is slightly layered to help bring out her curl, and we are going to try and grow out some of Jenna's bangs. Yes, Jenna has a band aid on her face. She has a little cut that she keeps picking at since it's right where her finger is when she sucks her fingers. I keep trimming her nails, and it's almost healed now.

The pony ride was something I really wanted to do with the girls, and since most of the kids are all back in school, it was perfect timing. We went with Sue and Carson, and each adult led a pony. Meghan rode Huckleberry and Jenna had Princess Amy. Meghan grinned like a Cheshire cat the whole time. Jenna was apprehensive sometimes, but Tiger helped her get through it. A guide took us on the trail in the woods for a 30 minute ride. The kids didn't want to leave when we were done!

Mommy's Day Off

We went swimming again Wednesday with Sue and Carson. Meghan and Jenna are both starting to feel more comfortable in the water. Sat. I went with Sue to Guemes Island. She had a craft show there and since she hurt her back, I went to do the grunt work. I got to sit in a corner and do beadwork, read a book, sit in the sun outside (it rained at home, but not there!) and enjoy some alone time. I may help her at a show on Lopez Island in Nov. We have a meeting this week for Jenna's school, and Meghan starts next week - orientation Monday, class Tuesday. Jenna starts on the 17th. I'll be sorry to see the relaxed schedule of summer leave.

The Beach

We didn't do much this week, recooperated from being sick. Sat we went to Camano Beach, a new place for us. Most of it is really rocky, but we found a place with smaller pebbles and some sand to play in. Mark and Meghan went for a walk while Jenna and I walked in the water. The girls and Mark dug a hole, Meghan planted "seeds" and they filled in the hole, Meghan tamping it down when it was done. Both girls seem to think the proper way to dig is to throw what's on the shovel over their head.

The other picture is Jenna stirring walnut shell soup. Meghan wanted pretend eggs, but was upset when the walnuts wouldn't crack. I shelled some, and she made soup. She didn't want rocks, so I was trying to come up with something that I wouldn't care if it got wet.

I got a new rock tumbler at a yard sale. It's actually a really good one, and bigger than the other one that stopped working rather quickly, and there was no way to open it up (this one can be). Everything I had to be tumbled is currently in it, fairly quietly grinding away. Aunt Jan sent me a bag of stuff, and it's all in there (aside from the glass leaf bead that was in there too). It sounds like the washer's running when you walk in the bedroom - the tumbler is in our bathroom - that's how quiet it is, fully loaded with coarse rocks!

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Swimming!

Wednesday we went swimming at the KOA campground with Sue and Carson. Carson swims well, having spent 2 weeks in his aunt's pool in Tennesee. Meghan and Jenna haven't really been in a pool before to swim. We loaded them up with their life jackets, and Meghan wanted to little inflated ring, and arm bands. With all that bouyancy, she floated like a bobber. She's learning to kick, and to paddle with her arms. She went all over the pool, saying "Excuse me please" to people in her way. Once she got the hang of it, she swam for over an hour. Jenna had fun with Sue, while I was swimming next to Meghan. Sue took Jenna for swims on her back, and she's definitely comfortable in the water. I need to get some more inflatable stuff! Jenna got cold after a while, so she would watch from the bench wrapped in a towel until she got warmed up enough to come back in. We were there for 2 hours, and the girls had a blast. Then we all went to Friday Creek for lunch and splashed around the creek. Meghan still won't walk in the water, but Jenna goes in and soaks her clothes without a thought! The pictures of the girls swimming reflected the flash in their fogged-up goggles (Meghan had a mask).

Saturday we were going to go somewhere, but Mark kept falling asleep, and then Meghan got sick. Jenna soon followed. My bug waited until evening to show up. So Sunday was spent watching TV in bed for everyone. Not a fun way to spend a weekend, but now we are recooperating.

Kittens and Bikes

These are the kittens living on our porch. One grey tabby, one black, one tortoiseshell. The black one has ghost black stripes, I call her Shadow. The tortoiseshell looks like her Mommy, we call the mom Pudding (choc and butterscotch swirl). Both of them have that color split down the face. The grey tabby is a boy, and likes to bully the girls, who don't take it. Still looking for homes.

Wed Carson and Sue came over to make sock puppets. The girls played hard, and later Jenna conked out mid-snack - that's a carrot under her cheek. Meghan shows off her smile.

The girls went riding this evening, so I got some action shots. Jenna comes barreling down the street, pedalling like mad, Meghan tends to be more sedate, but she is improving greatly in balance and strength.

Lost Tooth

We went to Kayak Point Park Wed with the boys. After we were there for a bit, I took Meghan to the bathroom. I realized that her other top tooth was gone! It had been a little loose, but not enough to be in danger of coming out. I figured so much for finding it, she'd been playing at the playground. Not that is was a big deal, she isn't into the tooth fairy thing.

We went for a walk on the beach, and the boys were walking in the water. Jenna of course went right in with them, and then tripped and got soaked. But she had fun in the water! I always bring extra clothes for them when we go on outings, so we got her dried off and changed when we got back to the van.

Sat we went to the Camano Fair. Mark got free tickets (he was working), so we followed him to the fair. On the way, Meghan was saying about her tooth, that she found it (I thought she was saying "two", she was playing with 2 little horses and dropped one). She actually did find her tooth in the van! The root was totally gone, so even if it didn't wiggle, it definitely was ready to come out! That makes 5 teeth gone!

We also lost one of the black kittens. It fell into the pond and couldn't get out - the pump is off and the water was down, but deeper than the kitten could stand. Mark put stones in the water, so that shouldn't happen again. The kittens are now staying on the patio, playing under the steps. Mommy cat is still taking care of them. They are eating solid food, so we will try to find them homes soon.