Twenty-first century Mozart

Taylor has always shown an major interest in music, not to mention a natural ability. Today, he showed me just how much:

Ice Skating

Maddie got to experience ice skating for the first time last weekend. She was amazing! Every time she fell down, she got right up and kept trying! She actually wants to go again.

The boys chose air hockey instead of the cold ice! Smart...


Look out Dorothy Hamill.

Pumpkin Time!

I love the fall. It is my favorite time of year. While I do love the summer, the sun, warmth, etc., there is something soothing in cold, sunny days where the fall leaf colors are everywhere, there's a fire in the fireplace, and you get to snuggle with a cozy blanket.

Now, have I gotten to do that AT ALL this fall - no. But I love it nonetheless.

We thought this year it would be fun (and WAY less messy) to make Mr. & Mrs. Pumpkin Heads instead of carving...














I think they did a pretty good job, and the best part: everything (minus the pumpkin) is reusable!

Happy Fall!

Study time or Maddie's Jewel Shop

So this is what Maddie does on a sunny Sunday morning while I am studying...

She steals my gems that I use for my cards, and she sets up her "jewel shop, as she calls it, behind the couch in my office... She methodically separates all the jewels evenly, and then plays for two hours with them! Who knew gems could be so fun!

Don't try this at home...

It turned out to be a lovely Fall day in Washington today. So, the kids both thought it would be a good time to go to the park to practice riding their bikes. Maddie has been doing SO good at riding without her training wheels, so any chance we get to practice, we take it. Today was not such a good day for the "little girl who could."

Being as determined as she is, she was doing incredibly well starting herself peddling. She would get going and not stop:



This video was taken MOMENTS before this happened:

It being Washington, and all, the wood docks around here turn slippery as ice when it rains. We had already witnessed a man's bike slip right out from underneath him 10 minutes before her accident. She was coming around the end of the park where you ride on the dock for about 50 yards, then head back towards the park. I was following her, but as she cleared the first corner, she was hidden behind trees. All I saw was her tires slip out from under her, and suddenly she was sliding face first on the dock. Then I heard the scream.

This picture is nothing from what I saw. By the time I reached her, there was already a small pool of blood on the ground. Sure enough, she had gashed her lip, road rashed her face and chin, and was tangled up in her bike. Poor baby. I picked her up off the ground and headed towards the bathroom. On our way there, she loudly pronounced: "Mom, I am NOT having very much fun!" I don't blame her.

Three otter pops later, and short trip to the doctor, she is on the mend. Her lip didn't need stitches, but she will have the battle scars for awhile.

Her personality is definitely back, as you can tell. Nothing like pestering your little brother after a hard day...

Survival...

Well... I did it. I survived the first week of nursing school. Whew!

Actually, it really wasn't that bad. Although we did have 8 chapters to read on the first night, they did a really good job of easing us into the program. The instructors spent a lot of time explaining the 150+ page syllabus (no joke), and answering all of our crazy questions. They are doing a lot of wonderful things to welcome us to the program, such as giving us free lunch tomorrow to meet with the 2nd year students, letting us off early on Friday, etc. I think it will be a good year! One week down, 11 more to go...

Now off I go to read 10 chapters, do 6 chapters of math, and read two medical journal articles - all by Tuesday! Yipee!

A fire and a good book

All the making of a cozy fall day...

Our first fire of the season...

Listening to "Wuthering Heights" on CD...

and

Making mini freezer meals for busy nights...

Looks like Fall is here!

First day of Preschool

Thursday was another BIG day at our house - Taylor's first day of PRESCHOOL!! For three days, he went with me to drop off and pick up Maddie from Kindergarten. Not a day went by that he didn't ask, "When do I get to go to school?" Well, this was the day!
He was so excited. The first thing he said when he woke up and I told him he got to go to school was, "Yeah, and I get to have pudding!" Apparently he saw that Maddie had gotten pudding in HER lunchbox the day before, so he should get one too. Rational thinking.

When we got there, he seemed a bit apprehensive. He looked SO cute carrying his new TMNT lunchbox. He didn't need to bring a lunch, but he insisted on bringing one - with the pudding. Once he got to his classroom, he found his cubby hole with his name on it, hung up his coat, and went right to playing! He barely even looked back at me as I was leaving. What a big boy!
When I got there to pick him up, it was lunch time. They actually cook a meal for all the children, so he didn't even thing about the lunch he'd brought - or the pudding. Mexican rice with chicken, green beans, and fruit cocktail - yummy!
They all looked so cute lined up at the tables. There were about six kids on each side of the table. When I asked Taylor what he liked about the day, he said the bible story and play time. Sounds like a great school day to me!
By the time we got out the door to go home, he was ready to leave... this picture says it all. I asked him to smile, and he said he was too tired, so his fingers had to help him. Ok, Smarty.

Speaking of smarty, watch this:



Do you THINK he's ready for school? Maybe he could teach them a thing or two...

Who do they take after?

My friend, Liza, found this cool look-alike meter (thanks Liza!) - you be the judge! Is it right?

Who does Maddie look like??



Who does Taylor look like?



Ummmm.... yeah. Shocker, I know.

Maddie N. Norris - Kindergartener!

Can you believe it? I can't! Here she is, though. Maddie is finally a Kindergartener!

Maddie was so excited! This morning when I woke her up and told her it was time to get ready for school, she acted like it was Christmas morning! I suppose for a little one, it kind of IS like Christmas... she gained 11 new friends, a GREAT teacher Tammy, blueberry muffins for breakfast, and hot cocoa after her first day of class - ALL IN ONE DAY! Who can blame her!
This is Maddie's class. Now, because there was already another "Madison" in the class, our Madisyn will be going by "Maddie" at school, which she it totally fine to do. When we walked into the classroom today, all the kids were buzzing! There was a cute note on the board of how we could help our kids get ready for class:

1. Put bags and lunches in their cubbies:
2. Hang up your coat
3. Wash your hands
4. Find your stick (still don't know what that was for, but it had her name on it...)
5. Sit in the circle
6. Give kisses goodbye!


This was the little girl Maddie chose to sit by. Her name is Alli. She had a matching (almost) shirt like Maddie's, which she thought was pretty cool. Maddie made sure to talk to all the kids today. She, of course, has no problem conversing with total strangers. She was so excited for class to start.

When I picked her up, I asked her what the class rules were: No kicking, hitting, punching, being mean, or jumping up and down (that last one was Colby's input, a boy in her class). She said her favorite part of the day was playing in the gym for "recess" - ah, yes, isn't that always the favorite part of any kid's school day?

Here's to a great year!!