Our September in Photos

All month we’ve been challenged in trying to figure out what to put in the kid’s lunchboxes. There is at least one child with a peanut allergy at the school, so we must send something other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the kids for lunch. Right when we finally found that Sierra would have peanut butter sandwiches if we used honey instead of jelly in them! So, I’ve been making a lot of vegetable-infused breads on Sundays. Luckily, often times this has turned into an activity with Sierra – who enjoys helping measure out the ingredients.

Aubrey’s kindergarten ends at 1:30 each day, but she doesn’t like to leave school before Rylan’s class is done at 3pm, so we’ve enrolled her in the aftercare program each day. She really loves it — they play on the playground or in the art room every day. I continue, as in preschool, to be showered with adoring pictures like these ones of Aubrey and I together, many saying “I love mom” all over them.

Sierra surprised me by writing her name for the very first time this month! This is from her preschool journal.

September has soccer in full swing for Rylan, Aubrey and coach Tim. Tim has really been enjoying being an assistant coach to Rylan’s U10 (under age 10) team, the Jaguars, as he has noticed that their skills have come along a long way from the younger age groups.

The team did so well in their September games (they one all but one game), the coach registered them for a soccer tournament the last weekend of September. Unfortunately the tournament wasn’t full of wins for the boys, but perhaps they learned just as valuable of  lessons from the losses.

Aubrey is now in her second year of soccer, which puts her in her second and last year in the U6 (under age 6) league. She is on the Hornets and we’ve seen her skills and engagement in the game grow a lot this year.

Aubrey has scored two personal goals this year!

Of course while Rylan and Aubrey play soccer on Saturdays, often at overlapping times, Sierra and I hang out, usually me by the play structure trying to watch a bit of the games, and her on the play structure trying to keep me from doing so.

When I realized that I really don’t get to see much of the game when we’re there, I decided I might as well take Sierra to Saturday morning ballet class rather than hovering around the field all morning. Sierra absolutely loves going to dance class. Even though she’s one of the youngest in the class of about 8 little girls (the older children in this pic are assistants), she is one of the best at following along with the instructions. She’s a very attentive student.

One rainy Saturday, Sierra and I decided we’d make a day of it and head over to Petaluma after dance class to do some errands. We were both happy to have some rain. Sierra was all geared up and ready to jump in puddles!

At Michael’s, I bought lots of scrapbooking supplies. Sierra was very attached to this little set of nursery items so I took this picture and told her I’d put it on her wish list.

My scrapbooking project for Rylan’s book is moving along, albeit slowly. I took over the kitchen table for a few weeks and had to find a new place to work after I missed having family dinners together at the table. I am now in the process of designing a craft room, using mostly IKEA furniture to keep the project simple and affordable.

I also spent a day and a half out in Sacramento area. I managed to take Rylan (and only Rylan) with me, because Aubrey had a slumber party to go to that night. Rylan got to spend a day with his Uncle Chris, and I visited with my dear friends Cheryl, Allison and Kelly for the day and evening. The next day, on our way home, as I was driving by the world’s largest corn maze in Dixon and decided we just better stop, because who knows when we’d have an opportunity to again.

We just happened to get there on opening day!

And, it turned out, it was a good thing it was just the two of us. Rylan did all the navigating himself. And while he never led us astray and was pretty expedient with most of the navigating, it took us about 2 hours to go through the 45 acre maze.

September also had us riding bikes to and from school most Thursdays, the one day that Tim is usually travelling and Sierra goes to the daycare right down the street, so we don’t have to get in a car to get her across town.

The big kids often like to ride ahead of me on the way home and climb this little tree.

Sierra is in the pre-K class at Moldovan for the first year this year. It’s the class and teacher that her big sister had the two previous years. She is very happy there, doesn’t want to go home when we come to pick her up, and is making friends on her own.