Natalie 
enjoys playing catcher so wanted me to include this picture but I have to tell you a mom fail story too. Now that it is fall the girls are supposed to wear black softball pants to their games instead of the cute shirts they had this summer. Even though I bought her the smallest size as Dick’s Sporting Goods they are still too big and I forgot to buy her a belt. So, when she took a turn playing pitcher and her job was to try to get to home before the 3rd base runner she couldn’t because she had to use one hand to hold up her pants! Plus, she was just wearing tennis shoes because she announced suddenly that her cleats were too small. So, in between games that Saturday, Michelle and I took her to Play It Again Sports and bought her the smallest belt they had and boy, were we all surprised when the girl who had size 13.5 cleats in March tried on the size 1, 1.5, 2 and eventually the size 3 shoe fit! Same brand too! Proof Natalie really did grow this summer. We were able to get lunch and make it to her second game on time and she was able to play her best now that she had the right gear. P.S. It’s so fun being near 1st or 3rd base with the job of reminding the girls to run.
Our Universal Yums boxes continue to bring wonderful education disguised as entertainment to our dinner table on a monthly basis. This latest one from Columbia is our new favorite, so much so that Hubby put in an order for extras. Who knew? Kate always has the best reactions to our taste testing and trivia.
For Activity Days in September we had a birthday party to celebrate all the girls’ birthdays and remind them that they are children of God. It was so much fun and the weather was perfect. I think being an Activity Days leader is terrific and am glad I've been able to help with Activity Days for so long. I hope I'm still involved when Natalie is old enough to officially join in January 2021 and then I will have been able to be involved with all three of my daughters in Activity Days.
Michelle got to participate in her first “team bonding” with her hip hop crew by having a photo shoot at one park followed by a water balloon centered field day at another after a break for lunch. It was a blast to watch and a joy to see her having a good time doing something new. 
Speaking of new, I got my hair done with a mask on for the first time. It had been a really long time since getting a hair cut (perhaps last fall?) and I liked how long it was but those split ends had to go. Why did I finally do it? I decided my hair was too frumpy to drive around my new VW Tiguan. I'm not the only one that chuckled at that motivation. The client after me canceled her hair cut and highlights so I ended up getting my hair dyed and highlighted as a surprise. No one outside of my family has noticed but I like it and it sure did feel good to be pampered and catch up with someone who has been cutting my hair for years but I haven't see for months. My life coach was proud of me for practicing some self care even though the hair salon made me late to our online appointment. She is the best. And shout out to my mom for babysitting! Thank you, Mom!
I baked it but she decorated it. Happy half birthday, M! She has officially spent half of age 10 in a pandemic atmosphere but we are finding ways to have good times and just let ourselves feel disappointed sometimes. If 2020 can teach us anything, it's how to feel our feelings and find out what is really most important. I am so grateful for our family!
Natalie and Michelle helped me pick up some very pretty puppies from the groomers. They are so soft and cute and smell good again. They also had their annual check ups with the vet in September and were both put on medicine for different reasons (Maisie was put on estrogen for incontinence and Piper was put on antibiotics due to an overgrowth of diarrhea inducing bacteria) and the medicine has really helped with accidents around the house. The excellent carpet cleaner also came to take care of any residual evidence. Ewww. Grateful our neighbor recommended him and that Hubby can afford him. There is a reason why I consider dogs a luxury item!
Speaking of luxuries, my mom babysat once again so we could have a date night at the theater in the first time for who knows how long? Maybe last December to watch Star Wars Episode IX with the children? We saw TENET and thought is was an amazing movie. There were only 5 of us in two groups in the theater we were in and the seats and restrooms were very clean. I wanted to go again! I think that if it wasn't for the pandemic this movie would have been a box office hit for sure. John David Washington did a great job as the Protagonist and Kenneth Branagh's performance as the bad guy was so good it was terrifying. I had to laugh when I described John David as a cross between Chadwick Boseman and Denzel Washington when I later found Denzel is his dad. Which is fun to know since the first Shakespeare movie I loved was with Kenneth Branagh and Denzel Washington. I also got a kick out of Robert Pattinson's part and when I told Kate who was in the movie when we came home she said, "Let me guess. He dies." I was laughing so hard, which was a spoiler without me saying a word. "See, he dies in all his movies. He likes dying." My teenager is an observant girl.
Sometimes when you go to the dentist at 7am so you don't miss school, your mom promises to take you out to eat breakfast before your online classes begin. Danny really earned his meal not only for being great about going to his check up that early but by all the hard work he has put into tackling starting middle school during this craziness.
The last Friday of September Michelle and I said good-bye to Girl Scouting with a party to use up the cookie money we made in March. Michelle is done after 5 years of participating and being the number one (or tied for first) every year in her troop cookie sales, which means I'm also off the hook to be a leader after 5 years of being one. I sure will miss this wonderful group of girls! We had a great time together outside at our favorite park playing, decorating t-shirts, and eating lots of pizza and ice cream. It certainly is bittersweet. Michelle and I spent all afternoon getting ready for it so I am glad I will have less work to do, but seeing them have a wonderful time together makes it hard to let go. One of the moms had given four of the girls a ride and later wrote me this via email: "I asked the girls if they had fun and they all said it was the most fun they had in 6 months. Thank you for all you did." Believe me when I say that pulled at my heartstrings. I am grateful for all the wonderful families I have had the honor of meeting through being Troop 76092's leader since some of them were in kindergarten.
Asyou might have guessed from the title of this post, our extracurricular activities are keeping us sane during online school. It isn't easy for anyone but having something you like to do with children your age (and for me getting to see them have a good time) is saving our mental health. I feel it a privilege to watch Danny on those days he is playing great and to see Michelle perform on stage. On Saturday Hubby took Natalie to two softball games while I was with Danny at two baseball games which I loved being there for and my mom stayed home with Kate and Michelle (and helped Michelle run lines before Hubby took her to her afternoon performance of Peter Pan). Note: Danny has learned that if you are independent and Mom gives you cash to buy a burrito from the concessions stand you might also get away with buying yourself candy and soda while your mom talks to the other moms on the team. I didn't tell him not to and at least he shared the candy with teammates... but not me. I might have to rethink this. lol.
That evening we got to watch the final performance with Michelle playing the parts of Mrs. Mary Darling, the pirate that gets thrown overboard, and a native. Here she is after the last scene where Mary and George come home from the party and see the ship flying away after talking to the children in the nursery. Although she and Danny considered being part of the next play, now that the school district has announced hybrid school beginning in October, we are not going to sign them up for anything else indoors. Of course, we are hoping Kate will get to play volleyball beginning in November! We want her to get in on the activity action and have something wonderful for her to participate in as well. Thank goodness play dates and Young Womens is giving her a little something to enjoy right now!
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