Cooler temps\higher temps

We had a sizable thunderstorm pass through our area last night around 2:30am. It brought cooler temperatures along behind it. It's only about 70 degrees F right now and the high should only be around 80. Unfortunately, I was already awake at the time because Aimee woke up feverish. We fell back asleep, though fitfully, and I finally gave her Calpol (UK Tylenol) at 5:30.

We've pretty well gotten into a routine for school and activities. We've made some adjustments and will probably have to make more, but overall it's working pretty well. We're actually keeping on track with school work! Kyrie is doing very well with her busy dance schedule. She's getting her school work done and really enjoying her four ballet classes, plus turns and jumps, modern and hip hop. She'll be dancing in a benefit show for Ballet Excelsior (www.balletexcelsior.org) called Dessert with a Purpose at the end of October.

Alex went out around the neighborhood twice in the last few weeks to sell wreaths for Scouts. It took him 2 hours the last time. His knuckles were sore, but his persistence paid off. In school, he's taking a literary analysis class at The Bridge Classes and likes it so far. Hopefully it'll challenge him to think a little deeper about what he reads and then be able to write about it. For science, he's taking chemistry with ApologiaOnline. We hope he'll understand it better this time. He and Aidan continue to take piano lessons though we had to find a new instructor. The nice thing is that she comes to our house on Tuesdays so that's one less trip out of the house. I've noticed that from about the end of last spring and over the summer Aidan has been much more consistent and enthusiastic about piano. The same has been true about learning his AWANA verses. That's been great to see. He's in his last year of Cub Scouts and will join Alex in Boy Scouts in February, I think.

Abigail is now in grade 1 ballet and she's found it to be a little more challenging. She really has to keep quiet now. She has voiced a preference for her tap class and is also enjoying hip hop with her big sister. Kayleigh has loved going to her own tap\ballet class, especially since a friend from church is in class with her. The little ones are SO CUTE in their class. All the kids (except Aimee) are again taking PE at the Y.

Aimee is a little over nine months old now! She eats baby food, crackers and oat o's and has started drinking water from a sippy cup. I haven't given her juice yet- maybe because Kayleigh has been such a juice addict.

It's taken all day, a little at a time, to get this written. We've done school work, had lunch, tidied the house for small group tonight, gone to the park with some other homeschoolers, and the kids have had pizza for dinner. My GF pizza is in the oven now.

Hope you're enjoying autumn wherever you are!

Trusting in Jesus!
>Naomi for the Colliers

Amphibian Adventures

Here's a picture of Fon. We never had an actual vote, but I've heard Alex calling it Fon, so I've gone with that. He was correct about one thing... Fon was still a polliwog at this stage. It (don't know if it's male or female) has since lost the tail. I always thought they lost it before leaving the water, but Fon was found next to Tartan's truck tire. Learned something new! It is also a frog and not a toad like Lugh. The unnamed toad turned out to be a red shirt. We found it dead about a week ago.

Lugh has become somewhat more relaxed in the tank- not so quick to jump away and hide. Fon, on the other hand, leaps across the tank if someone walks by (and it's not already hiding somewhere). Wonder if it too will become blase eventually.

If they live long enough, they'll add atmosphere when Abigail has to read Frog and Toad Are Friends for school.

>Naomi for the Colliers

Toads

It's not quite a plague, but the number of amphibians in this house has increased recently. First we had Lugh (pronounced lou) to replace the late Lucky. Then Tartan found another toad on the patio last weekend and since he didn't want to kill it with the mosquito fogger- he dropped it in the tank, too. I don't think he even has a name yet. Finally, today, Abigail found an oddity. A toad with a tail. Yes, it looks freaky. No, I don't have a photo yet. We haven't decided on a name for it; don't know if it's male or female. Our expert, Alex, is away at his Pursuit Team's "Genesis Weekend" until tomorrow. I wonder if he'll be able to tell. Anyway, I suggested Genny Anne, short for Genetic Anomaly. Tartan suggested Fon (pronounced fawn) for "Freak of Nature".

This newest addition seems to be noisier than the other two. I'm assuming it's the one since I haven't heard anything before tonight. It sounds like a light rapping or knocking sound. They all seem to be quite happy hiding in the hollow plastic log in the tank.

Actually, I think it may be Lugh vocalising. Maybe he's trying to say he's top toad.

Ribbit,
Naomi for the Colliers

Messy Baby Contest

Please go to
http://family.go.com/messy-baby-contest/messy-baby-girls/more-carrots--please--10394/
to vote for Aimee!

Thanks!
>Naomi

Wicked; Party Time; RAIN

Kyrie's CYT showcase on Friday was a lot of fun. They manage to learn a lot in just one week! She loved it.












Kayleigh's puppy party was a big hit, too. She had a wonderful time with her friends. Kyrie added the features for our puppy cupcakes and did most of the interior decorating. Abigail organized the game time. They played a puppy bean bag toss (Kyrie drew a big puppy that she taped to a box and then cut out the mouth); dog, dog, cat (just like duck, duck, goose) and a bone hunt (paper cut-out bones that they exchanged for a prize).






Finally, after the party was all done and I'd had a nap, a sizable thunderstorm swept through. The girls ran around for a little bit, but then we called them back onto the patio. The only unfortunate thing is that the wind managed to knock over the portable awning we had over the lower patio. We had anchors on it, but they couldn't do the job. It wasn't enough to dampen (pun not intended) our enthusiasm though: we were all so glad to see the rain pouring down!

Thankful in all things,
Naomi for the Colliers

Praying for rain

It's been extremely hot and dry this summer! We've lost one pine tree to beetles and another one may die. We've had the rest of our trees sprayed and fertilised so we're hoping that will be the extent of the damage.

Quick update:

Kyrie has been having a fun time at CYT day camp all week. They are doing a showcase of songs from Wicked on Friday. She has a dance solo and we're looking forward to seeing the show. Next week is Abigail's turn at the Newsies camp.

Alex has been to summer camp and at the end of this month he and Tartan head to Indiana for the National Order of the Arrow Conference. Next week Tartan and Aidan go camping at Cub Scout Webelos camp.

Aidan, Kayleigh, Abigail and Kyrie took swim lessons at the Y in June. Aidan can move up to the next level, but all showed improvement from last year. This was the first time for Bug to take lessons so it was big for her to be able to blow bubbles, put her face in the water and to jump in without holding the instructor's hands. She did all three by the end of the week.

Kyrie dances modern and hip hop and Abigail joins her for hip hop all this month. Kyrie had to miss this week, but Abi goes to hip hop this afternoon. She's the smallest person in the class but she has plenty of energy (and attitude) for it.

Alex and Aidan continue taking piano lessons over the summer. It's great to hear their playing steadily improving.

We finally set up a crib for Aimee, but she doesn't like it much. I'm trying to get her used to it, but it's not been a happy process. I have a feeling this is going to take a while. Otherwise she's a healthy, happy, plump little baby. People comment on 2 things: her abundance of hair and her chunky legs.

Bug gets to celebrate her birthday with a party this coming Saturday. For various reasons, it's the earliest date we could do it. Last year, Kyrie and Aidan both had their parties a month late so this is not really all that unusual for us. :)

That's enough for now. Time for my lunch!

>Naomi for the Colliers

Aimee iPhone & Aimee with carrots

iPhone? What iPhone?








Ok, you got me. Maybe if I grin really big and cute then you'll let me keep it.




Aimee experiences carrots for the first time. She wanted to get every last bit off the spoon before I could take it away and give her more. I stepped away for a moment to do something else in the kitchen and when I turned around I discovered she had taken matters into her own hands. Literally. She REALLY likes carrots obviously. She finished the whole container easily.

Living day by day in Him,
Naomi for the Colliers