fall's a happening!

**whew** The wonderful lazy days of summer have slipped between my fingers but if the weather has had any say we got three months worth of heat in a week! I think I am feeling that way due to all the "back to school" ruckus required to get three children ready for a year of learning. Hunting for headphones for computers and oil paints manufactured by gnomes consumed the last two weeks of August. Three separate shopping trips for clothes,shoes (four different shoe stores just so we could find 1 pair for Mr. D), supplies then throw in a long weekend and **poof** we were smack dab in September. Since then it's all been a blur.... There are days when I feel like we have been living on fast forward but glancing at our calendar the busyness hasn't really begun! Night is upon us much earlier now (8:45 last night!), the leaves are already starting to fall off the trees, the geese are honking as they fly over head and the air is starting to nip when we walk to the bus in the morning. Enough! A quick update....

Niffy nunu entered into Grade 11 and the "real fun" "real work" has just begun. Cheer team, dance practice, youth group, a boyfriend and work have sucked up most of her free time. Her scheduled at school is a little daunting but she is intelligent and has somehow learned time management so I know she will be fine. She is growing so fast and changing into a breath taking beauty but I still remember that squirmy little baby! I wish there was a way to press pause on her and just enjoy where she is now. We are going to blink and she is going to be graduating!! **sob** (could I find the smallest picture ever?!?! and how is it she escaped the "first day of school photo?!?")

Mr. D is a "big kid" being in Grade 1. The highlights of his school day are the bus ride to and from school each day. He was quite disappointed when I picked him up from school the first day back after the long weekend. Oops! Summer hasn't discouraged Mr. D and his friends from the games they played "last year" and they are back pretending to either be Mario saving princess Daisy (not really sure how that one works!) or they are busying chasing ghosts as a Ghost-buster. Which is quite comical as the movie would scare the living daylights out of all of them! We have also decided to put him in indoor soccer this year so we shall see if he is athletically inclined as he is artistically. Plus, that little fishy will be back in swimming lessons once our scheduled is finalized. I have a slight worry that I perhaps have bitten off more than I can chew...

Giggles is now a "big kid" and is attending afternoon kindergarten. The mornings are quiet but busy. We have a chance to cuddle and read stories or have tea parties while the baby naps. I think we have gone through an entire package of printer paper in her creativity. She has discovered stamps which delights me to no end at all. I will make a scrapbooker out of her yet! It feels like I spend most of my time telling her "almost" or "not yet" after being asked for the gazillionth time "is it time for school yet?!?" I am excited that she loves school but a part of me wants to hold her a little closer. She starts ballet this weekend so she will have a chance to dance her little heart out and I am searching for a morning swimming lesson for her as well.

Our little Punky is now 10 months old. Shesh, that went fast! We are teething (again) and by the looks of things she is getting her top two teeth bringing the teeth count up from 2 to a possible 4 in the next couple of days. Weening has already begun and the amount of time spent nursing has diminished to the point that I am feeling we are "done" this phase in her life. (her choice not mine) She has mastered crawling down stairs so the gates are more of an annoyance to her then anything. And, she has decided that walking is a new found interest. So far she can take 7 steps unaided. **gasp** Mixed emotions on that one. Finger foods have been introduced and we are learning what she likes and what she will turn her nose at. As a mom I am so excited that she is growing and becoming more and more independent. But when you know that this one is your last...it's a little sad too. As for me, I really need to get my calendar out and figure out where I am supposed to be... between swimming, dancing, soccer, spelling lists and home reading not to mention youth group, bible study and church I might need to scheduled in a little quiet time!
I'm exhausted already and we haven't even started....