Quiet week and getting ready for more noise in the house!

This week was fairly quiet and we are happy with the cooler temperature and a bit of a slower pace.  Unfortunately there are still large fires in the state, including one the national parks we visited in the summer of 2019 that is sending lots of smoke our way.  The state has had many fires in the last few years and this year has been no exception.  We have talked about the benefits of fire for the forests but with so much to also protect, those who are protecting have been pushed to the limit.  

And now to the noise part of this post!  Anna has been really enjoying band again this year and they are learning songs with a Halloween theme!  And the boys decided they would like to join the 6th grade band which will be starting in the next couple of weeks.  We are excited for them and look forward to hearing their tunes!  

Nice nearly fall weekend!

We had a nice week with cooler temperatures (low 70's during the day) and it has us ready for fall!  Anna was nominated for the Wall of Fame again this week, but this week individually.  I wish we knew which of her teacher nominated her and what for!  Yesteday we took a trip to get apples and I made the kids squeeze on to the bench that we have taken their photo on before.  

Check this post for reference on how much they have grown!  https://mattandtania.blogspot.com/2014/10/fwd-picture.html

After picking up apples we took the scenic way home and Matt and the kids enjoyed the ride and view, I was focused on the road too much to fully enjoy the view but it really is a beautiful spot and the clear weather allowed you to see so much!  We enjoyed being out and about together and not having to rush to something.  Ready or not fall here we come!

Looking back 20 years

This weekend we look back at our lives and the events that happened 20 years ago and the impact those events had on all of us, some much more than others.  We remember those who are no longer with us and the sacrifice that still impacts those who are still here.  As I remember that day, the moments seemed to be in slow motion, from telling my parents to turn on the news after hearing something on the radio as I got ready for the day; watching the news while at work during the day while listening to by boss just stay on the line with his brother who lived across the river from the twin towers to support him as he witness such trauma; and ending the day calling my grandmother to wish her a happy 70th birthday.  The day, and the many days after, were filled with shock and pain but also a desire to come together to support each other.  

That desire to support each other is still within us but also clouded as we now have so much information coming to us that it becomes hard to sift through the information and determine what is solid and what crumbles.  The pandemic is real, it has torn people apart, and we must come together globally to get to a point where we can live somewhat normally again.  

But in a effort to share positive news, we got this note from Anna's PE teacher:

"For P.E. during 5th period, Mrs. D. brings her Special Education students to participate in P.E. She decided to put the entire class onto the Wall of Fame because everyone is working so well with them.

Everyday the special education students participate in the activities with a squad line and rotate throughout the week. So once a week, your student will be participating in activities with special education students. So far, the whole class has been super positive and inclusive working with them.

It is a great experience for all students to be able to work with and communicate with each other. It is awesome to see it in action and I am so proud of period 5!

I just wanted to share and I hope everyone has a great weekend!"

Anna has shared her excitement with having this group as part of her PE class most days and we love seeing positive news to lighten the load!  The boys have a volunteer requirement this year at school and they have both already done some volunteer time, with Olivier volunteering almost every day!  

We hope in this time as we struggle to come together, that positive new in the world reminds us of the desire we all have, to support each other.  

Much cooler Labor Day weekend!

This weekend we enjoyed the much cooler temperature than we had last year!  It was still warm but we are super thankful to have the temperature not at the melting point!  We had the boys back to school night (via Zoom) and there is still a lot of uncertainty with activities but they are striving to make the best of what they do know.  

This weekend Anna had her second lesson on Giselle and has been making great strides.  

Olivier did his jiu jitsu drills to try and keep his stills up.  Mason and I played a lot of ping pong and got good at redirecting the ball off the chandelier!  Today Matt took Olivier and Anna to the beach.  It was sunny and beautiful!  The three day weekend was nice and it will be a long time until we get another long weekend!