September

Even though September isn't quite over yet, I thought I would do a September update.  School is in full swing and the kids are finally adjusting to a new schedule.  I am enjoying my mornings off so I can get Ashlyn and Aubrie on the school bus, drop the little girls at daycare, and then come home and get things done (Dora enjoys the extra walks).

Ashlyn is enjoying 3rd grade, she is beginning to learn responsibility.  She is learning to use her school planner, we are working on remembering her glasses case, and she has nightly homework...her favorite (sarcastic).  She has to read 400 minutes each month and so far we are just over 300 for September.  I am not sure how much she is actually comprehending, but we are beginning to find chapter books she enjoys.  We ran into her teacher at the grocery store today and Ashlyn said "great, now she knows I am not home reading"...I thought that was funny.  Ashlyn also received her Bible this month.  At our church kids receive Bibles at age 3, grade 3, and grade 6...each time they get more age appropriate.  She was quite excited and loves reading the "stories" inside.  As if she isn't busy enough, Ashlyn continues to take piano lessons, she started volleyball this fall, and she is in a church choir as well as a community choir for children.

Aubrie is loving Kindergarten, but doesn't share too much when she gets home.  It does eventually come out, but we have to wait until she has time to wind down.  She is beginning to learn sight words and so far she can read the words "yes", "no", and "I".  She loves reading with us and is beginning to track words as we read.  Aubrie continues to enjoy soccer, although this cold MN fall weather makes it hard.  We found that she is really great at playing goalie.  Aubrie is going to miss her first day of school tomorrow...she has the first fever of the Cox family fall/winter illness season...and so it begins.  She should get an award for starting the "season".

Sabrina and Kadence are busy playing with their friends at daycare and love watching their sisters play sports...although, I think they are anxious to get in on the action.  They are now both potty trained during the day...most of the time at nap too...we just need to work on the over night.  It is so fun to watch them interact...I took a video the other day of the two of them under the table discussing a Princess magazine.  They both started Sunday School this year as well and enjoyed their first "real" class today.

The video of the girls discussing their magazine...under the kitchen table.  I uploaded this different than normal, so I hope it works.

                                                              Ashlyn receiving her Bible

                                   They had people on hand to write in her name and the date

                                                          First day of Sunday School

           September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month...Sabrina has a sign in our front yard.

                               Aubrie playing soccer....she is the one in the green sweatshirt.

This past weekend we were able to take our annual trip to the apple orchard.  This is the first year all four girls were really into walking around, finding "good" apples and picking them all by themselves.  Grandma and Nana were able to meet us there and join in the fun.  The girls enjoyed riding on a hayride, although Kadence found the tractor a little loud.  It was a perfect fall day and now we have plenty of apples, which the little girls like to try to eat in secret...I prefer to make pies.

The little girls already found some apples to snack on...

The girls off finding apples

Each girl tried to carry the bucket, but it always ended up in Jim's hands.

The family

Ashlyn and Jim

                                                        Kadence and Sabrina on the hayride

                                                                 Another family photo

                                                   Enjoying some warm mini doughnuts.

                             What are the girls up to??  This is them being sneaky...they grabbed
                                                    apples out of the bag without asking.

                                                                          BUSTED!

           

Back to Routine

Well, we are getting back into our routine.  The big girls go to school, the little girls to daycare and the adults to work.  You add in volleyball, soccer, Allegro Choral Academy, church choir, bell choir, and soon church school and evening rehearsals...we have a full schedule.

Ashlyn is enjoying 3rd grade.  She is getting use to a daily planner, reading 400 minutes each month, and trying to remember all those math skills from last year.  She is enjoying seeing all of her friends and already making some new ones.  She started volleyball this week and she discovered muscles she didn't know she had :)

Aubrie started all day kindergarten and seems to enjoy it.  She doesn't talk too much when she gets home...too exhausted.  We know they have been reading books, working on school routines, and they also get a little nap time :)  She is a little more shy than Ashlyn, so she doesn't talk about meeting new friends...yet.

The little girls love waving to Ashlyn and Aubrie when they get on the bus...we walk them to the bus stop each morning...when winter arrives, that may change.

Jim and I are getting back into the swing of things at our schools.  It is nice to see the students again, but that first week is tough.  The students are more interested in seeing their friends and talking about their summers than they are about learning and listening.  It will get better, but I think every teacher (and student) would agree Friday was well deserved!

Back to School!!

Four of us will be heading back to school on Tuesday.  Jim will be full time at Eagan High School and he is looking forward to all his choirs and AP Theory.  I will be half time at Black Hawk Middle School teaching 6-8th grade choir.  I lost a few FTEs so money will be different, but I am hoping this decision will be better for the future.  Ashlyn will be heading into 3rd grade.  We went into school the other day for orientation and to meet her teacher and we were amazed at how old the kids look in 3rd grade compared to the past couple years.  It is fun to watch all the same kids grow up year after year.  Aubrie will be starting Kindergarten.  It is hard to believe we have another child in school.  Aubrie will be going all day and she is looking forward to it.  Her teacher seems very nice.  Aubrie has said "I am going to be a little shy"...she is a little worried, but she will figure it out quickly.  Sabrina and Kadence will head back to daycare and they have one more year before we enroll them in preschool.

Since getting back from Leech Lake we have been busy.  Ashlyn was in zoo camp for the first time.  She spent 4 hours every day (Monday-Friday) taking pictures of animals and learning about the countries they all come from.  She had a blast and looks at the zoo differently now.  We will definitely sign her up next summer for another zoo camp experience.

Aubrie, Sabrina and Kadence finished their summer gymnastics and can't wait to continue later this winter.  Aubrie really got better at her handstands and cartwheels, Kadence is a little monkey, and Sabrina is beginning to strengthen her core...she still has muscles to grow, but she improved her balance for sure.

                                                              Last day of gymnastics

                                               Sabrina crossing the beam (with some help)

                                                    Kadence hanging from the bars.

                                                             Aubrie on the beam

Throughout the summer we have been able to spend some "big girl" time with Ashlyn and Aubrie.  Our last outing this summer was a short trip on the light-rail to Minnehaha Park.  We took the girls to see the falls and the gardens.  They enjoyed their time and always like being with mom and dad.

On August 17, Sabrina had her routine scans and oncology appointment.  She did really well for being 3.  Getting an IV is never fun, but for a 3 year old it really stinks.  After one try, they asked us if we were okay using some Nitrous Oxide...we said that was fine and we are glad we did.  What a difference.  Sabrina was relaxed and they were able to get an IV in without her pulling away or grabbing at it.  Her scans looked great and her blood work came back the best they have ever been...great news!!  We knew if this appointment went well that Sabrina would be moving to yearly appointments, but we got better news, not only are her appointments now once a year, there are NO MORE SCANS!!!  She will still have to have blood drawn, but no sedation.  Every big step like this makes us feel better about the cancer never returning.  We are now 3 years out, which moves her to the next step of being a "survivor".  I think 5 years will be the next big milestone.

                                                                   Blood pressure check

                                     Waiting for the EMLA cream (numbing) to take affect.

                                               That was quite a nap...well a sedated nap.

                          Yay!!!  Celebrating her scan graduation with a toy from the shop.

Jim celebrated his 34th birthday on the 19th.  The girls chose his birthday theme, a huge deal for birthdays around here.  They chose a dog theme and Sabrina had been dying to buy him a dalmation.  We weren't going to get him a real dalmation, but we found a way for Sabrina to give him her gift.

We had a wonderful get together with some college friends.  All 6 of us are Luther grads, we all got married and between the 3 couples we have 8 children, ages 8, 5, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 and 9 months.  Talk about a busy time when we all get together.  It was great watching the kids play together and the four 3 year olds did really well with one another...you never know :)

                                                                The four 3 year olds

We took our first family trip to the MN State Fair a week ago.  Jim and I have gone with the two older girls, but never the twins (unless you count the time they were in my belly).  It actually went pretty well.  We stayed for a few hours and only made it half way through the fair, a little disappointing, but it made for a happy day with happy children in the end.  They enjoyed fishing, rides, and pronto pups :)  I think the little girls liked the bus ride the best!!

                       The girls loved Grandpa's alligator...I did not try it, but they girls ate it up!!

       Kadence caught a fish and the rule was "you catch a fish, you kiss the fish"...she had no hesitation.

                Aubrie liked the slower rides...she did try some faster ones, but did not enjoy them.