Changing Times and Seasons

Audrey and Violet cheer Eden and Andrew after finishing the Chicago Marathon last weekend!

It is one of those Sunday mornings where there are things to do..yet they may also be things to put off.  Lesson plans, newsletters, laundry...they all seem so much nicer when I add them to my agenda later in the afternoon as opposed to right now.  Sam and Oskar are up with me, and we have just finished breakfast.  Coffee is next, then a walk around the neighborhood. 

The fall season is here, and the leaves are turning.  The reds and oranges and yellows remind me to make sure we all have our hats and gloves at the ready, for when it really is time to dress for the weather.  The nips at my nose and ears from the cool air feels refreshing, and the trees and grass are slowing and finally considering a longer slumber before photosynthesizing anymore. 

As the seasons change, so do our lives.  Audrey is a "big kid" now, and she is really operating in her own world.  I am proud of her, and she seems to be handling the stresses of fifth grade well, and having some good laughs with her friends.  Violet continues to work at her taekwondo, but has slacked a little these last couple weeks.  She may or may not be ready for belt testing next month.  Either way, she continues to persevere.  I am very proud of her, also.  Sam is really starting to talk, and continues to be as active as ever.  He is wearing T5, even though he won't turn three until December.  He is a happy kid, and is always on the move.  After this blog, I will be taking him and the dog on a long walk. 

We are looking forward to Virginia again next month for Thanksgiving.  Until then, we are content to take part in the day-to-day activities in our lives...and I guess that includes a dog walk...as I now have a two year old and a dog looking at me expectantly....

Here are a bunch of pictures from the last few weeks:

Audrey and Me at the orthodontist office.  No braces...yet.

Aunt Eden visited on her trip to run the Chicago Marathon.

Violet won a Geico Gecko at the marathon expo.  

Audrey checking-out the Run Disney medals.  So much bling...so little time.

The Boston Marathon Medal...sigh...one day maybe.

Aunt Eden and the girls at the Chicago Marathon Expo.

Aunt Eden and the girls visiting Lake Michigan.

Audrey and Violet enjoying a sunny morning on Lake Michigan.

Visiting the tiny model rooms at the Chicago Art Institute.

Violet doing a Ferris Bueler imitation.

Dad and his girls...Violet was not excited.

Both Audrey and Violet loved this armor and sword.

Last cheers before Eden headed out to start the Chicago Marathon!

Girls cheering-on runners at the Chicago Marathon!

Grabbing some lunch with the Flamingo in Downtown Chicago.

Bundled-up and cheering on runners at mile 24.  

Sam inspecting the new order of Turkey hats for our annual Richmond Turkey Trot next month!

Sam.  

October Morning

Well it seems as if I took September off!  While this is true for the blog, it is far from any kind of truth in real life.  September saw a lot of work in my classroom and in our home.  Audrey turned 11, which still amazes me in that time continues to move too quickly when it comes to children.  She is still so amazingly bright, funny, and has that weird Orelove sense of humor.  Kim also had a birthday, and we enjoyed some quiet family time at home with some burgers and a happy night in. 

Now we are into October, which is both wonderful combined with slight sadness knowing that summer is really over.  The cool weather is here, and walks and runs are absolutely perfect!  Speaking of runs;  I have registered for the Grandma's Half Marathon in June up in Duluth again!  I am excited to bring my family up again to explore around Lake Superior and enjoy this wonderful run with the great running community!  I am sure that another round of Marathon Spaghetti at Grandma's Saloon will also be fantastic! 

Today is a quiet morning, with the end of a sleepover for Audrey, and now we are all lounge lizards for the remainder of the day.  The greatest responsibility is making sure we get some laundry done.  The house is clean, the lawn mowed yesterday, and football on the horizon.  It is shaping up to be a nice Sunday as a family. 

So those are the updates.  I will work on adding more images moving forward.  Just know that life is good, and we are looking forward to seeing Aunt Eden this week as she travels to Chicago to run the marathon next weekend!  So much to look forward to....even the winter in strange ways.  Until the next time!

-a