September

Titling this post for the month that we are rapidly approaching the middle of - this may very well be the only post to represent the whole month - I'll try.

September comes roaring in every year and this is no exception with a mixture of EVERYTHING...some tastes of Fall weather (heavenly), UGA football (GO Dawgs!), and so much more. School is in full swing and both boys are thriving, but we had a short week this week with Labor Day on Monday and week after next we have a full week off for Fall Break...which I am very much looking forward to since we are headed to the beach for the week (right after Breaking of the Fast for Yom Kippur on Saturday and Friday, conversely).

I had a bit of a set back in my groove of things...exactly one week ago today, I was headed to the orthopedics's office. Late last Thursday, I tripped over the dishwasher door and landed on my shoulder. Turns out, it is broken, well the collar bone is broken and there are some fractures in the ball of the shoulder. I have been in a sling for a week now which let me tell you what a challenge it was to prepare a Rosh Hashanah meal this year (would have been impossible w/o my FAB hubby!!) I go back in a week from today for a follow up to see if I have damaged my rotator cuff or anything else and will know more then what the full treatment will be.

The worst part of it all - I haven't been able to run or spin or style my new hair style at all! Well, then there has been some pain, swelling and bruising, but really, priorities people! Very happy that I have still been able to do most of my normal activities and still host RH dinner (I do LOVE to host our big dinners at RH and Thanksgiving!)...it was really very good timing since David was in town this week, but we lose him on Sunday again.

I had so many cute things to share w/you about the boys, but I have forgotten alot. Here are a few:

Ethan finally got to read to Chloe - a little dog. There is a reading PAWS program through the public library where kids can sign up to have a 15 minute reading appointment with a specially trained dog. The librarian and dog handler said that he was the best reader for 1st grade that they have ever met :)

Speaking of reading, the boys and I are making our way through the first Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Generally, we read a chapter a night. When we finish, we are going to watch the first movie and then start the 2nd book. We are getting them all from the library for now, but we may want to own the box set eventually. I am actually really enjoying it too because I have only seen the first movie (ages ago) and nothing beyond that, so we will all be experiencing it for the first time together. In addition to this, Ethan reads daily in his Magic Treehouse series. He is on book 8 or 9 of like 44! He loves them, and really is a great reader.

Ryan enjoys books very much too, and he is officially a pre-reader. He has a list of 'site words' that he can identify. He is also getting better at knowing his letter sounds in the context of words - meaning he can sort of identify parts of a word (beginning and end) by the letter sounds. This is the way Ethan eased into reading - not sure if it works the same for all kids, but it seems to be the norm with mine. Ryan also LOVES to draw. Both boys do. Ethan has written and illustrated his first novella - The Adventure by Ethan Dubovsky. I will try to scan and share with you.

The boys both have their first soccer game tomorrow morning. They have been practicing for a few weeks now, so hopefully they will be ready. Ryan's game (team Italy) is at 9:45am and Ethan's (team Germany) is at 11am at the same place, and it will be this way EVERY SATURDAY until mid-November! Pretty convenient actually, unless it interferes with a UGA game (like tomorrow with kick-off at 12!).

Back to September madness - one more week of school, then a week at the beach, then back and that very next weekend, David and I are in Colorado for the UGA v. CU game and we have TICKETS!!!!! They weren't cheap, but we now have airfare, hotel and game tickets, so we are set!!! David will be flying in and out from SanFran, the boys have a weekend with Granny and Oupa and Wy and I are on the same flight to Denver on Friday! Can't wait to see Paige and enjoy the game weekend!

That will officially put us into October! Monday after we return is Ethan's b-day (the BIG 7!). No party planned yet - still trying to decide if he wants a bigger party or something smaller with a couple of close friends, but it will likely be the weekend after Denver. By then, we are well into October - CRAZY!