Things have been just a little bit crazy around here.  But hey, that’s life!  I feel like we are just barely pulling it together each day – living on strings, hoping everything is covered for the day and that we can make it through. 

Annika is BUSY… She is walking quite a bit (she started that on her 10 month birthday) she is great at emptying out cupboards/drawers.  and she CLIMBS just like Dane did.  Welcome to toddlerhood – she is into EVERYTHING!  But she is too darn cute!

She isn’t talking much yet.  She says dada all the time.  She said mama quite a bit a couple weeks ago & hasn’t said it since.  I say “say mama” and she says “dada, dada”.  She babbles a bit, but no other real words yet. 

She got her first pair of walking shoes the other night.  But so far… she HATES shoes…  Fall is coming though, so she is going to need to get used to them at some point! 

Ryan is doing good in school.  He has two male teachers – 1/2 a day each.  One teacher is the same as last year (who he is not super fond of, but they do okay together) and then the other teacher is new (his other teacher from last year retired)  The new teacher is also the new principal.  He is a grandpa of one of the girls in Dane’s preschool class, and Ryan LOVES him.  He says he is the best teacher he has ever had. 

Christian is getting used to the homeschool schedule, and for the most part I think he is enjoying it.  We have a long ways to go on the reading front, but I do feel like we are making progress already.  He went with me to pick up Ryan after school today and so he got to see some of his friends, which he really enjoyed.  We will need to have some of them over sometime soon here.

Dane is loving preschool.  He has all of the same kids in his class this year as he did last year, with the exception of 1 less girl & 1 new boy.  Same teachers, same friends, he’s happy.  They are studying rockets right now.  I can’t believe he is going to be 5 in a month & Annika is going to be 1.  I think I say “I can’t believe it” each time one of my kid’s birthday’s come around, but it is true.. they just grow up too quick! 

We are planning a quick get-away to North Carolina in 3 weeks.  I am going to the Type A Mom Blogging Conference.  They really have it designed to be a family event, with even a mini conference for the kids!  Matt is going to attend the classes with me (at least some of them).  I have never been that far East, so I am looking forward to it.  It looks beautiful from what I have seen online.  Of course, we are driving an extra 3 hours past where we are going so Matt can go to the NASCAR Hendrich Museum.  We are taking the 3 youngest with us and Ryan has the choice to come or stay with a friend.  If he comes he will miss 5 days of school & a football game, but if he comes I think he will really enjoy it… so it is a hard decision for him! 

I think that updates you a bit.  I’m off to bed.

C-