Keeping Up

 I see 4 monster faces in this picture! We finally made a stop for halloween donuts after basketball one day.

 The kids each picked out one to eat at the store and then one for the next day at home.  There were some serious tears when Taylor went to get her donut the next day and someone (DAVE) had eaten it. Ironically, I got him his favorite donut and it was right next to hers in the box.  He ate hers thinking it was the kind he liked but it wasn't. Sigh. And you know she wouldn't go for his that was left in there!

 Getting along.  Always take a picture of that!

 Who knows?

 Dude loves an award.  I thought the glamour of the outstanding musician would wear off by the 2nd grade, but not for Chase!

 Taylor has wanted one of these pointer fingers ever since she started kindergarten.  She looks for one anytime we go in a store.  We finally found them at the book fair at school.  Now she can teach school "for real."

 Dressed up for the Good Citizen award ceremony at school.

 She was chosen from her class for the trait of "responsibility".  Chase was, of course, bummed to find out he was not picked from his class.  Seeing as how he's left his jacket at school about 3 of the 5 times he's worn it so far, I think his teacher made the right choice!

 All the kindergarteners.

 That is her "I'm trying not to really smile but I'm so pumped I can' help myself" face.

 And the birthday gifts started showing up this week.  She has had this sewing machine on her list for months now.

 It's quite the trick - she's sewn several items so far.

 Concentration.

 Climbing trees at baseball practice.

 We had a bag of halloween treats on our front door when we got home from baseball!

We went to school for the "One School, One Book" night to celebrate the end of Charlotte's Web.

 Big news this week is that Chase and Taylor are going to have a new cousin in May!!!  They can't wait to teach him/her some of their tricks!  Congrats Megan and Carl!

Lately

 After getting her trophy at the end of the spring running series, Taylor checked the Local every week to see if her picture made it in there.  She finally gave up.  Then last week, there it was.  She was pumped.

 Poor Chase finally got to the allergy doctor.  They did this handy little test and found out he was allergic to mold.  Hopefully the new medicine will get him breathing a little easier.

 Catching up on a little reading....or maybe mocking her father?!

 Then there were the mums.  We did quite the mum business last week to help my mom out with a fundraiser for her school.

 Dave decided that since I have such a knack for selling mums that he will get me some seeds to grow my own to sell next year.  

 The kids' lunchtimes overlap by 20 minutes so I was able to join them both for lunch one day last week.

 We were supposed to be heading to the beach last Friday afternoon but since those plans fell through we decided to still make the most of a free afternoon and head to Charlottesville to pick apples.

 We forgot to take along the apple picker so the kids had to do the dirty work.

 Some apple pickers are heavier (and giggle more) than others!!

 Finally got him up there.

 Side note: It was crazy sock day at school.  We tried to tell Chase this wasn't necessarily "Charlottesville style" but he could have cared less.  One shark sock and one polar bear!

 This picture is for Megan, Andy and Kerry - does Dave remind you of anyone here and can you imagine the speech he is giving?!?!

 So much like his father! He was giving the "God made all this" speech and how a tiny seed (see hands  from first pic) can grow into all this, isn't that amazing (see hands above).  The kids, as usual, were impressed.

 They had great plans to pick out a pumpkin but they were huge!!! They both settled for a "pie pumpkin" that they could carry themselves.

 And finally, the reason we even pick apples at all - dessert!  

Donut in one hand and ice cream in the other! 

 Taking in the view before we left (and of course, hearing another speech!)

 Taylor FINALLY had a soccer game!

 Her team was ready for action.

 She managed to score three goals!

Chase lost another tooth and is now a real, live jack-o-lantern.

 The running series is still going.  These girls have as much fun posing for pictures as they do running!  One more race to go!

 Both kids are signed up for basketball this winter.  Chase has taken it upon himself to get Taylor ready for the season.  They've been doing drills in the afternoons.

Amazingly, she plays right along.  He takes his job seriously.