Cheer Girls!

Sydney's cheerleading squad marched in the local parade and, much like we're used to by this point, it rained. The picture above is of Sydney, Hailey, and Jenna before the parade. You will notice the bright sunshine - it looked beautiful and was HOT for a late September day!

But, that all changed just as we began to march. The sky turned dark and, before long, the rain began. It wasn't just a little rain - it absolutely poured! Check out the photos below!

Before the Rain!

As the rain began!

As the pouring rain continued!

But, the rain didn't stop us from performing for the judges. Check out our girls in action!

WE ROCK!

Go Ravens!

As if the first day of school wasn't exciting enough, Sydney attended her first Ravens game that very night. It was the last preseason game (okay - I'm a little behind on blog entries) and Daddy was able to get tickets from work. Syd enjoyed sitting in a sky box suite with all the snacks she could want. She loved talking with Ms. Jen from Daddy's office and was impressed that the Ravens have their own cheerleaders. (We realized she never saw them on television!) Check out the pictures of her big night at the game!

Happy Birthday, Katelyn!

Okay, I'm soooo far behind but we did indeed celebrate Katelyn's 2nd birthday with a super party at the house. We held a "Little Einsteins Carnival" complete with fun games and prizes. Aunt Robyn made an adorable rocket cake, which Katelyn loved. Since we'd been singing "Happy Birthday" for several weeks, she was all ready to blow out the candles and eat that cake! She loved opening presents, though she was a bit disappointed that she couldn't actually open each present and play with at that very minute. But, she was thrilled to pull them all out with Sydney after the party!!!!

The Start of Something New...

Well, it is official - Sydney is in kindergarten! I can hardly believe it. (I know - every parent says that but it really is true.) As I have told several people, sending her to kindergarten has been more emotional for me than pre-k last year because, even though it was school, she was at Park - a school I taught at for many years and have always considered home. And she was with Tutu for morning and afternoon care. The deal couldn't have been better! I also knew that, if for some crazy reason it wasn't working out, I could take her out and put her back with Mum!

But, kindergarten brings a new school without the comfort level for MOM! I know some people on the staff but only casually because of my job. No longer will she be in a place I consider my home and she'll have to find her own way without my assistance. She won't be a little star because she's with Tutu each morning and her mommy worked there. She'll have to be a star all on her own! While these things are good for her - I'm sure she'll do a great job and she's at a fantastic school - it was still a bit hard to send her off into that unknown!

Of course, Sydney loved the first day of Kindergarten (and the second day, too)! She made new friends, met new people, and really loved having a locker just like the big kids. I'm sure this "start of something new" will prove to be great!

My Fair Girls!

It is sad but true...summer has ended! Well, not the summer season but summer vacation. So, to celebrate summers last moments, we visited the state fair! This has become an annual tradition for us, as we love to see the animals, ride the rides, and enjoy the yummy snacks! This year, Katelyn was a bit too small to ride most rides and she was not pleased about this - she is such the ride lover. She was able to get on the dump truck ride and, as you can see by the big smile, it was a hit.

Sydney was able to enjoy many rides and activities. Her favorite was the Monkey Maze, which I think we did 4 times! She also insisted on trying the rope ladder game, which wasn't nearly as easy as she thought it would be!

As always, the fair turned out to be a great way to unofficial wrap up summer vacation!