I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. It's been a strange summer. Fun, but not enough time with the kids. But the time with them so intense, distilled and concentrated. And even more so now that they've moved to Seattle and I see them even less.

I need to keep posting on here more regularly to document this time in my life.

Everyone, as usual, is very busy. S has her dance classes twice a week, gymnastics class once a week, and is in rehearsals for a musical at the Bellingham Theater Guild- "The Boys From Syracuse" - several times a week. She did drop viola lessons for the time being. She was also recently cast in The Nutcracker, for two parts - "child" and "bon-bon" - but won't have to begin those rehearsals until later in the year.

N&M aren't taking any classes right now, but I think I found them a martial arts class they're interested in that teaches karate, weapons and sword training. Ju-jitsu is also offered, so I'm thinking about taking that too. Hopefully they'll be OK with the teacher and this will be a class they can take for a long time. I think it would be good for them.

They're all still homeschooling and that seems to be going well. Other than that we're all really looking forward to Summer and the opening of the outdoor swimming pool!

NMS are in OR for Christmas, having fun with cousins and grandparents. The drive down took them twice as long as usual, what with the icy/snowy roads. They had to drive 30mph on the freeway for long stretches, and dealt with ice build up on the windshied. They ended up spending the night in Woodinville. Good thing I suggested they leave on Saturday instead of waiting until Monday - even though it meant losing my "Christmas" weekend with them. Still, we celebrated Saturday morning. It was fun being with them around the small, living tree (a Norfolk Island Pine).

I really miss them right now.

Halloween was a lot of fun! I borrowed a bear costume from Conservation Northwest and trick-or-treated with S in downtown Bellingham before she had to be at her face painting booth at Fairhaven Girls School, at which she painted some whiskers on me. Then S had to head down to Seattle for a dance workshop the next day.

N&M and I went trick-or-treating later that evening around Elizabeth Park, then I dropped them off at a friend's Halloween party and went to a party at H&D's. When I picked N&M up at 11:00 I was wearing the costume and was able to surprise all of them. It was pretty fun and I enjoyed being a bear.

Now we're getting ready for Thanksgiving - I need to get all the supplies needed for a fun day of eating and watching football with the kids. Should be good times.

M is working with a math tutor now, which is helping him a lot. N&S are doing well in school and still playing violin and viola respectively. I still want to find something extracurricular for M as well.

Oh boy, Halloween is almost here! The kids are very excited about their costumes and trick-or-treating. S has a dance workshop to attend in Seattle that weekend, so I'll probably be trick-or-treating with her downtown before she has to leave. N&M have been invited to a Halloween party, so that should be fun for them.

N&M are liking Whatcom Middle School and S really loves Fairhaven Girls School. M is homeschooling until 11:30 every day and then goes to WMS for some classes. Also he gets to be in the same classes as N, which helps him.

S is in hip-hop and ballet classes, and is also in rehearsals for the Nutcracker this year (she plays one of the siblings). She's also going to be starting gymnastics pretty soon, and is learning viola.

N is still learning violin and sounds better every time I hear him.

We still need to find something for M to do that he would enjoy besides video games ;).

We got pumpkins this weekend but we're holding off on carving them until next week so that they don't rot too soon.

S had a fun birthday on the 28th! It was great to hang out with her and N&M. We went to the mall and S got a full-on manicure and pedicure, complete with massage chair!

We also did a bunch of back-to-school shopping that week - now they're all in school. S is really liking her new 4th grade teacher, and N&M have started at Whatcom MS and are liking it OK too - though they're not too crazy about the homework, and both have told me that math is their least favorite class....

We're going to the Puyallup Fair this weekend and will be meeting my sister and her two sons there. We've never been to this fair, which is pretty big, so it should be fun.

N continues to play his violin and sounds really quite good - he can get a nice tone out of it. S is in a hip-hop and ballet dance class this year. Still looking for something for M to take.

I went hiking and camping with some friends to Yellow Aster Butte last weekend. It is so beautiful up there! We went up an old, unmaintained trail called "Keep Your Cool" - rough going at some spots, but almost no other people around (with the exception of some bow hunters looking for deer, and surprisingly, a lot of bear hunters!). Found a huge patch of huckleberries on the way as well. YAB is dotted with water filled tarns, covered in soft grasses and moss, and is very quite. It was warm enough that I could walk around barefoot, and we had an almost full (harvest) moon - bright enough that we went on a short walkabout in the moonlight. I really, really want to take NMS up there soon!

Nice sunny weather in the 'Ham! Now that we have our pool back (because of the petition we drew up and had everyone sign), the kids and I have been in the water almost every day they're with me.

NMS head off to OR tomorrow for a brief visit with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. I'll be down there too for work and plan on a rendezvous next weekend.

NMS are a bit dismayed about how fast summer is going by and not exactly looking forward to school, but I hope they'll be more energized and positive about it once it all starts up again - N&M starting Middle School this year!

N&M are also trying out violin and viola, are doing well and enjoying it, and will continue with private lessons. M also wants to go back to drums which I think would be very cool. S still doing well with the piano, and dance classes will start up after summer as well. I know she still wants to do a gymnastics camp this summer as well, so I hope we can still squeeze that in.