CEP and EDGE

Sam being dressed like a mummy in a Halloween game. 

Wednesday nights in addition to Ella's tap class we have religious education.  We used to go on Sundays before church but the middle school group meets on Wednesday evenings so Ella is doing her class then too.  She has a big year ahead of her since this is the year she will make her first confession and first communion.
I was originally planning to switch to teaching on Wednesdays but they didn't need any teachers since they were all returning.  So, I am now helping with the middle school group.  We are in charge of planning activities and lessons for 35-40 sixth, seventh and eighth graders.  They definitely keep you on your toes.  We had our first week last week and Sam had a good time.  The theme for the semester is holidays and sacraments.  Since it was the first meeting we just played games centered around the holidays and met our small groups.  I hope our year is fun and educational. 

All She Wants to do is Dance!

Monday and Wednesday evenings you can find Ella at Columbia Performing Arts Center taking dance.  On Mondays she spends an hour learning ballet.  Ballet has gotten more serious this year.  She must be in a black leotard, specific pink tights, her ballet shoes and hair in a bun.  No fun extras like leg warmers, sweaters, and big tutus.  She is loving it though.  She came home last night telling me all about tendus.  It is a whole new vocabulary for me! 
Wednesday nights she takes a tap class with her old teacher she loves, Miss Candace.  Nothing special to wear but tap shoes.  She is really enjoying tap too!  She is even thinking about when soccer is over taking another night of ballet on Tuesdays.  We will have to see until then she is enjoying her dance twice a week! 

Walking School Bus

Fridays after school until November (when it gets too cold) Ella and I will be taking part in the walking school bus.  Rock Bridge Elementary has a great trail that you can access behind the school that will take you to Rock Bridge State Park.  The hike is a little over a mile.  The hike used to be before school so my kids didn't really want to get up and give it a try.  Last year they decided at the end of the year to move the hike to after school since our start time changed and they weren't getting a lot of participation.  Ella and Sam both were excited to give it a go after school and really enjoyed it.  The hike ends at a playground so the kids can play and spend time with the other Rock Bridge hikers. 
This year Ella is signed up to hike every week and I am going to help.  I will be signing kids in after school and walking the hike with them.  It should be a great way to get exercise, fresh air and have some fun! 

Ella starting down the trail. 

SantaCaliGon

I am going backwards a bit, but the Monday of Labor Day weekend my mom, AC, Ella and I headed to Independence to SantaCaliGon.  While they had a lot of food venders the number of craft vendors was a lot less than in the past. I remember as a kid it would take us all day to go through the craft tents.   We were all kind of disappointed in the selection.  Ella found a lot of things she liked and we did get some cute stuff, but a lot of the usual venders were not there this year.  AC and my mom usually go every year and are hoping things improve next year.  I did get this cute picture of Ella and AC while we were having a snack after shopping.  

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!

Ella has returned to soccer.  She didn't really like the league she first played in here in Columbia so after a year off we have decided to try Sporting Columbia.  She can be found practicing every Tuesday and playing games every Saturday.  She is enjoying herself, which is great!  She is getting her skills back after the year off and holding her own on the field.  She didn't know any of the girls on her team so she is also making new friends.  Her team is Spain and they won their first game last Saturday 6-1.  Ella had an assist and two good quarters of defense.  ¡Viva España!

Going in for the steal! 

Dad's Birthday

Christy and Dale graciously hosted a birthday party for our dad this last weekend.  Their house is great for end of the summer parties since they have such a nice pool.  We were all able to swim, enjoy time together, have a delicious meal and celebrate.  My mom and dad have been wanting a picture of all the grandkids for a long time and we finally got one.  It didn't turn out the best, but with two toddlers and older kids who will only look at the camera for so long this is the best we could do.  

Kicking off a New Season

Tiger football started this last Saturday.  It was, as usual, a very warm home opener.  We had a fun tailgate with our normal tailgate crew.  We enjoyed some delicious cold, fried chicken which has become our first game tradition.  When we got to the stands though it was very hot.  All those bodies crammed in and the sun beating down made for a warm afternoon.  We didn't even make it past halftime of the game.  John wasn't feeling well, Ella and I were sweating like crazy and Sam was the only one upset about leaving.  We came home though quickly with no traffic and were able to listen to the third quarter on the radio catch the last quarter on television.  We came away with a victory but there is a lot of work to do before we play tougher opponents.