Busy September

Wow, where did September go? It seems like September gets busier every year. It is our birthday season - Taylor is August 22, Jacob is September 13 and Lauren is September 28 -no, they weren't planned that way:) I LOVE birthdays and try to make them very special for each kid, so I am wiped out at the end of the month. School starts in September in Seattle and that is another level of craziness between shopping preparedness, orientation meetings, tours, beginning of school activities and more - right now, for each kid in three different schools - phew. But mostly, September is loads of fun - the kids have a great time and there is so much joy all around.

Today is Lauren's birthday - she is 7!! I can't even believe it - 7 is such a big girl and seems like she is hitting another milestone in becoming a big kid. She is such a sweet, kind girl with a huge heart - her classmates made her a birthday book and they each had to fill in a word for her - "sweet", "kind", "nice", and "good friend" were the most common - can you ask for anything more as a parent? She had a huge week-end - Saturday was her friend party - as always, Lauren is Miss Creativity and decided she wanted a fashion show party. We moved all of our furniture around in our living room, made a red carpet, hung sparkly decorations, and all 16 girls walked the red carpet for their parents. It was a big hit and so much fun. Of course, they had to choose outfits, get their hair and make-up done, and practice before the big show. This was the after the pizza picnic, pinata, and playtime - Lauren had a blast. She was a good sport and Jacob got to be the emcee of the show and the DJ. Taylor also cooperated and somehow napped through the bulk of the party. Yesterday, we had Lauren's family day since she was in school today - we had pancakes with candles for breakfast, presents (her favorites were a personal doorbell for her room and a huge stuffed horse), lunch at a restaurant, a trip to the toy store, and a picnic dinner. She also had her third soccer game - and scored a goal! She is in a fall neighborhood soccer league and she is doing awesome - she is a smart player and has really good foot control of the ball - as she says - I'm a good goalie, mom. We're so excited that she is having fun with it. She plays on a team with 5 other girls and they play 3 on 3, so everyone gets lots of playing time.

Between birthdays, school starting, soccer, and more - life is busy, but fun. I am feeling more relaxed about our schedule and less pressured to go to all of Taylor's activities. She is enjoying therapy now and loves to practice moving. She has not been a big fan of her school - she has normal 2-year-old separation anxiety with her new class, which as always is a mixed bag. On one hand, you hate for her to be sad, and on the other hand, it is so nice that it is a developmentally appropriate reaction. We're working with her on it, giving her lots of hugs, but also trying to encourage independence.

Most exciting - my little sister had a baby boy, Caleb. We're so thrilled for our families new addition and know they will be wonderful parents. I will post a bunch of pictures so you can see our first day's of school, birthday fun, and more.