What a cutie!!!  These awesome clothes were found by my sister-in-law, Monica.  They say, “Ben’s Banana Stand.”  Fun, huh?  Just right for our own little monkey that we call Ben!  The big news of the week is that Ben now has two teeth!  Whoa, there, little speedster.  You are not supposed to grow up that fast!  But he is too cute to be mad at.  :)  He’s also started eating cereal two times a day.  He seems really ready for those “solid” foods!

It was a good adjustment week for us, as in, we are all adjusting better to being in school.  I actually had a couple of mornings this week that went kind of smoothly and I thought, “Hey, maybe I do remember how to get the kids off to school on time.”  Homework started and it went alright.  Piano practicing happened (mostly), Savannah started voice lessons (close enough that Savannah can walk!) and Mariah started new piano lessons with a friend a few houses down the road (Mariah’s motivated to practice again!).  It all had me a little worried, but I think it’s going to work out and that has me feeling better.  More adjusted, I must say.

Soccer is the only other variable.  Mariah is doing well in soccer and really enjoys it, so that is great.  But, I also thought the twins would have fun in soccer, so I signed them up, too, and now I am wondering what in the world I was thinking??!?  They start next week and will have two games a week for the next five weeks.  I guess they will really find out if they like it or not!  I just hope we can juggle our schedules well enough and still feel like we are parenting the whole lot of them well.  That’s all my anxiety – just success or failure at parenting all wrapped up into two crazy soccer evenings a week.  :)  Wish us all luck!

We’ve also been battling a cold virus this week.  Savannah got it first and came home from school early one day feeling dizzy and sick.  Now Sarah, Cheyenne, Calianne, and Kevin are all feeling the effects, as well as Savannah.  No fun!  Cross Country even started this week for Savannah, but she didn’t go because she is trying to kick this thing first!

Sarah has begun to really like junior high!  She is having fun and liking her classes and making new friends and hanging out with the old.  She even tried out for the tennis team last week!  We will let you know how that goes!

Megan finished her two week trial of the junior high orchestra and decided that she does like it and she is going to stay.  Yeah!  She always comes out of there happy!  I think she is going to really enjoy doing this big thing.  I am so pleased that she worked up the gumption to give it the try it needed.  Way to go Megan!  I know that wasn’t an easy thing to do.

Bethany and I are having a good time at home.  If I happen to leave a room without her noticing, I hear her in a few minutes in the other part of the house saying, “Where’s my mommy?”  When she finds me, she smiles and jumps and says, “There’s my mommy!” 

Adorable little character that she is!  I started potty training her this week and we are having some successes already.  Yay!  She is a smart little thing and fun, fun, fun to have around!