Franny and Cole’s costumes arrived today, and they were so excited to try them on!  I think they were a hit—Cole didn’t want to take his off and Franny wore her ruby slippers until she went to bed!

Once a month, Franny’s school has a two-hour late opening.  It was a nice day, so we decided to have some fun snacks at Starbucks and then walk to school.  Because it is a neighborhood school, there are a lot of kids that walk, so it was fun to be a part the scene.  The first Wednesday of each month is “Waste Less and Walk Wednesday” where kids are encouraged to walk to school and bring a waste-free lunch. It really isn’t possible for us to walk on a regular school day, so we’ve never been able to participate in the walking part, but this was a nice alternative.  Franny had a good time walking, and Delaney did a great job going up what is a fairly long and steep hill.  I think we’re all hoping we get to do it again next month!

This weekend was a wet one.  The kids all really wanted to stay home, so we went into our inside routine.  We read books, did puzzles, and drew pictures; our couch became a pirate ship and the hall closet became their hotel for whatever destination it was they were ‘visiting’.  But, Franny, Cole, and Delaney just weren’t ready to retreat inside for the duration of the weekend.  On both Saturday and Sunday, they wanted to play outside—even in the rain.  They rode their bikes and scooters and did everything they would do in the sunshine.  Only Delaney was a little sensitive to the rain, and came to sit with me in the garage when it was really coming down.  It was definitely a reminder that Fall is fast approaching and we need to savor every ray of sunshine we see in the upcoming weeks!

Tonight, Delaney rode this horse around and around the house while saying ‘go horsie, go horsie!’ .  The horse’s name? Gator.  No surprise there—I think she must be anxious to get back on her favorite horse and go for a real ride!

Delaney’s skills are developing at a rapid pace right now.  Everyday she is doing new things and saying new things and working extremely hard to do it.  Today, Cole and Franny were stringing beads with Auntie Noelle, during which time, Delaney dropped beads on the floor (on purpose), and dumped them in and out of their container.  But, once Franny and Cole moved on, Delaney scooted over next to Auntie, picked up a string and started trying to make her own string of beads.  At first, she didn’t have much success, but within just a short time she was stringing them easily.  Her petite little face clearly showed her intense concentration, which she maintained for an extensive time period.  She is developing so quickly, I sometimes forget to give her the opportunity to do more new things.  Fortunately, there are days like today where she takes matters into her own hands!

Delaney may be nearly two years younger than most of the others in the kids’ playgroup, but she definitely loves.  She talks about the other kids, tries to talk to and play with the other kids, and really gets in and participates in whatever everyone is doing.  Today, the kids went to Big Al’s for bowling.  She got her own shoes, her own ball, and played a really good game.  But, most importantly, she was super proud of doing all of it!  With another round of kindergartners starting school next year, I’m not sure how much longer this playgroup will endure.  But, I do hope long enough for this little girl to join in on all the fun she witnessed for her first two years!

Recently, Delaney has started to mimic everything that Franny—and to some extent, Cole—does and says.  Tonight at dinner, Franny was eating her nectarine stuck on a fork like a caramel apple.  (She does this so her hands don’t get all sticky.)   After watching Franny, it took Delaney all of about one minute to stick her apple on her fork to finish eating it.  I saw this same sort of behavior from Cole, but not quite to this extent.  Someday, when they are teenagers fighting over something silly, I’ll have to make a point of reminding Delaney how there was a time when she wanted to be just like Franny!

These three are such an amazing trio.  They never cease to absolutely amaze me with the love they have for each other.  Of course, like all siblings, they do not get along all the time.  But, most of the time they do, and their relationships are getting stronger as time goes by.  Franny and Delaney definitely have a very special sister bond, but it doesn’t come at the expense of Cole.  He and Delaney, as well as he and Franny, have very distinct and special relationships on their own.  And, as they all get older, their relationships evolve and continue to get more complex, but in a good way.  They are three little amazing people, and I can’t imagine living my life without them.

This week, Franny headed back to school.  She had a great week, and is enjoying being in first grade, as well as seeing her old friends.  It has been a much easier adjustment than when she started kindergarten last year.  She is still getting into the new routine, but she is much more at ease, which has made the transition much easier.  She is going to have a terrific year--I am so excited for her!

Cole has been waiting very patiently for the last year for the day that we assembled the top bunk of his bed.  Yesterday was the day, and he was no less than thrilled!  Last night he fell asleep quickly and had a great night sleep without incident.  It’s fun to see him so excited and proud of his bunk bed—if you ask him where he’s sleeping, he will grin from ear-to-ear, guaranteed!