End of summer

Here we go into the start of a new school year and there goes summer. It has certainly started to feel more like fall weather outside lately. I can't say that I mind it, though. I love fall; I just don't care for what it leads into. :-/

Not last weekend, but the weekend before, Dana and Clara headed to the lake and Brynn and I stayed behind. We were going to tackle school supplies shopping and more!

First up on our list for Saturday morning was a Xabeat dance-exercise class at Courts Plus. Brynn seemed to tire pretty early on and I told her she could sit out for the rest of the class if she wanted, but she stayed the course and finished it out. The instructor gave her a high five at the end for doing such a good job keeping up with us. Dana asked her if she was "xa-tired." #dadjokes  

Our next stop before we set out to do some shopping was lunch at DQ.

Brynn had been wanting to make this cookie recipe which is a type of chocolate chip cookie, but with a banana incorporated. They were pretty good!

Cleaning up her mess.

Clara has been working hard in her kindergarten workbook and practicing her reading with her sight word books that she got for her birthday. I think I have mentioned this a few times on here, but she will not be attending kindergarten this year, even though she turned five prior to school starting. The cut off to turn five was around July 28th and her birthday is August 2nd. It seems to many err on the side of holding back these days, so I'm sure she'll be with many other six-year-old kids when she does start next year.

Brynn had gotten some glow in the dark glue...which then translated into making glow in the dark slime. Two of my arch nemeses are glitter and slime. Each equals mega mess in my book. But, this slime was pretty darn cool.

She is forever getting dirty. :-)

Each year the United Way of Cass and Clay counties puts on a backpack drive for families who aren't able to purchase new backpacks along with the long list of supplies needed for the school year. My co-workers volunteered at one of the handout nights last Tuesday. There was another one the Saturday prior in which they gave out 2000 backpacks filled with supplies! I thought they said we did 1400 the night I was there. It was pretty awesome.

*love*

Last weekend we traveled North to uncle John and auntie Christel's house for a visit and to get some pool time in.

Questionable crock pot fare.

It was so nice out last night. The girls asked to go to the park down the road, so we dug out the wagon and hauled down there.

Clara wanted to hold my hand all the way back home. :-)

 Last week the sixth graders coming into Discovery Middle School were able to attend "Eagles Camp" for a couple of hours to familiarize with the classrooms, lockers, schedules, etc. Now tonight was back-to-school night. So, we brought Brynn's supplies (actually she only brought about three-quarters of all of her stuff) to put in her locker (which happened to already be open when we arrived and then she couldn't get back into it because she had forgotten the code). Hopefully she'll get straightened out and organized by Thursday which is our first day of school for Fargo.

I think she'll have a great year! Her BFF (walking next to her below) is in her "pod." They have the sixth graders sort of sectioned off from the older students. I was talking with one of the teachers tonight and she said there are about 1000 students who attend Discovery and around 300 in sixth grade, divided into three "pods" which are basically their sections of where their lockers and classrooms are.

It was breakfast for dinner tonight and Brynn asked to be in charge of pancakes. She made fancy, colored ones for her and Clara. Dana made breakfast sammiches for us.