september

School started and of course, all extracurricular things that come with this time of year.  Ruby played soccer this year.  Natalie had wanted to but there was a shortage of coaches so we just couldn't get her in... but she wouldn't have been able to play with her broken collarbone so it all worked out anyway!  Ruby really enjoyed it and in the first few games tried her hardest to get the ball.  She was good!  But by the end of the six weeks, it wasn't as exciting anymore and a bit colder and she lost her assertiveness!  Oh well!  It was a lot of fun!

The girls are also doing GEMS through a nearby church this year which they love!  So our Wednesdays are a bit crazy although it's worth it.

And although Ruby had 'homework' last year, this year having two girls in school full-time seems to really make things extra busy/chaotic in the evenings.  It's always hard for me to figure out if I let them relax when they get home from school, play, and be kids OR do I make them get all of their homework and reading done which carries us to dinnertime but then they have a little more than an hour free in the evening before showers and bed.  So little time :(  Either way, there's not enough hours in the day.  And it's been a struggle getting them enough shut-eye.  They go to bed at 8 and they're up at 7/7:30 but it's still not enough sleep.  I tried two weeks of them going to bed at 7ish which seemed to help with their crazy emotions (due to being tired??!) each morning and at the end of the week.  But that gives Jordan only an hour and a half with them at night.  Divide that by four kids and it's just not enough time.  What to do....

There were a couple of weeks in Sept/Oct that Jordan had to work on an private owned island off from Drummond Island.  He flew out from Tulip City on a Monday morning via a private jet (exciting!) and flew back in on Friday evening (via a Tulip City plane... not as exciting, but still fun!)  We missed him while he was gone but we managed.  I never know how it'll go while he's gone but the kids did so great each time.  It was fun picking him up from the airport and getting to see him land.  The kids got to check out the plane, too!