This year we have after school activities down to a totally manageable pace. Piano lessons are on Saturdays two doors up from our house. Girls Scouts happens at school. Dance days are sometimes hectic, usually rushed and buns are never perfectly “just right.” But there is one girl in our house that loves it enough to make it all worth it. Plus a little sister who loves anything her oldest sister loves. After school activities are totally worth it when they are loved and appreciated.
Halloween came and went quick. I did very little for it this year. In early September my oldest girl found a flapper dress on sale at Marshals and begged for it when she didn’t even really know what it was. I told her I’d buy it but she if changed her mind before Halloween she was on her on for a costume. She stuck with it. The other two took it upon themselves to create costumes from the basement dress up vault. A Hippie was born and old birthday gift from a friend was unearthed. They all bought into the candy fairy again, because they know I’ll just throw it all away any way. And Halloween was over. 
And yes, our neighborhood kids rock! Missing are the three other 12 year-old Teletubbies.
The chickens are still awesome. 
Detective days are entertaining. 
Low key, nothing to do after school days are the best. With no technology, no screens and no apps!
Sisters loving on each other will always melt my heart. No mater the season. 
The director of the family hosted church in her bedroom when we missed on Sunday. It was very sweet.
Later in the day she asked me if she can major in dance. I said yes but you’ll have to get a double major in something else as well (thinking something practical). “Oh good, because I want to major in fashion design too,” she responded. Well then you’ll need an MBA to figure out what to do with all that after college. “Perfect, that’s just what I want to do.” She’s alway a girl with a plan.
Little Miss Independent loves to cook and the prep work is no longer considered cooking to her. She insists on helping with the real thing. And this girl does not take no for an answer. EVER! All we can do is teach her to go about her business safely, and with mindfulness. She’ll be the girl to do something totally awesome like go to Africa to sleep in tree houses and study Lions in college. And there will be no was we’ll be able to tell her no. She’s a girl who is going to do what she wants to do!
The real picture of fall outside our back door.
The is cat camping out on the heat vent because it’s now really cold! I never posted about the passing of our other cat, the beloved Feline Leukemia positive Fruit Punch. I will someday soon when we have a proper good bye party for the jolly young fella. We miss him dearly. But I must say Vera, who has been with us for 14 years does not. She is our sassy rescue cat who used to hang in alleys when we lived downtown Atlanta, tells the dogs on the sidewalk who is boss, and is one-hell-of-a-survior. So yeah, she can bask in the delight of being queen bee here again.
Plus she keeps my feet warm in the winter at night. Winter is coming…my girls are already begging to decorate for Christmas. Which has (ahem) started in small bits. All because we had Christmas pictures taken Saturday and I’ve been working on a hot chocolate smoothie recipe for the holidays. Official posts are coming soon that!