September - Fingers crossed and remodel almost done!

Knocking on wood and keeping our fingers crossed kept us healthy, in school, and living an overall smooth day to day through September.  School bus transportation woes and positive COVID alerts at school light up our phones enough to keep us on our toes.   It's almost comical (almost is a key word) how I get multiple alerts on my phone to start my day with buses not running because of driver shortages.  

Our weekends have stayed fairly chill this Fall which we don't mind.  We are utilizing our club well these days with lots of tennis, karate, parkour (yup you read that right), batting cage action, and swimming.  

Elise is giving karate a go and her instructor calls her fierce which doesn't surprise me.  Don't mess with Elise.  She doesn't complain about going and she is focused when there.  Maybe we found a winner.  She also graduated to be a junior girl scout.  She has been with the same troop for going on 5 years now which is pretty darn special.  Besides piano, a healthy addiction to audio books, and an unhealthy addition to screen time, she's doing well. She very much enjoys her alone time with Paul walking home from school this year.

Paul is dedicated to tennis this season and it shows.  The biggest changes I've seen is his ability to get to more balls thanks to better anticipation and speed, using strategy during points, and more pace on his shots.  It's a blast to watch.  If he's not playing tennis, he's trying out a parkour class on weekends, playing plenty of PS4 sports, and watching sports.  He has a hard time sitting and playing by himself.  Work in progress.  He can be a real punk around others making it known when he doesn't want to be somewhere but also be a complete sweetheart with cuddles and fits of laughter at home.  

Same goes for Lily with showing improvements in her tennis game.  I can tell her first serve has improved as has her ability to get to short balls.   She is also really busy with play rehearsals for a local theater Panto production of Cinderella.  Lily decided to take a break from piano which doesn't surprise me.  I was very much over reminding her to practice.  She seems to have found a fun crew of friends that really mean the world to her these days.  No question, she chooses to chat with friends over spending time with us more and more these days.  

Our remodel is 95% done.  The kids have the nicest bathroom in the house and the ping pong table fits just right in the new open room.  We are starting to spend more and more time upstairs again playing ping pong and watching movies together in Elise's old room that is now the TV room.  

Halloween Decor 2021 - new witch on tree and "spooky eye" door

I have a cat that thinks I'm a tree.  She will randomly jump up on me as high as resting on my shoulders like a parrot when I least expect it.  Hurts like hell with her claws digging into my back as she climbs up.  I can't stand facing the kitchen counter or it'll happen.  I have to work sideways these days when working in the kitchen.  Funny not funny.

Explored Mt. St Helens for the first time.  About time.  Paul's smile was the first to disappear a couple miles into our hike.  

Got away with my Girls Night crew for one rainy night at Mt. Hood.  Definite highlight of the month

At the bridging ceremony (Tillikum bridge) where she walked as Brownie on one end and a Junior Girl Scout at the other - very sweet ceremony and celebration with her troop.

Don't mess with Elise. Hi- Yah

Elise's saddest news of the month was hearing her bestie (and neighbor) Olivia was moving soon after Halloween.  Not happy at all.  They are getting plenty of time in together while they can.  We'll miss them.

Last time we saw a Twiga together was in Africa.  Of course Twiga was my Swahili nickname.

Lily's 7th grade school picture

Plenty of furniture assembly to keep us occupied recently for their new rooms.

Plenty of smelly lotions, face masks, and shower time in the new bathroom these days. Just gotta deal with it Paul.

Oma and Opa are coming back in November.  We will be taking our first flight since in over 2 years to celebrate Oma's 80th in Arizona over Thanksgiving.  Elise's next surgery for her macrodactyly is penciled in for December 16.  It will be much more on our radar in November as we get our questions clarified and decide to either confirm the surgery date or push it out.