Day 288: Celebratory Dinner

October 15

Thursday evening I took my first test in a long, loooong time.  This morning the scores were posted.  I got 77 out of 75, woohoo!!!  To top it off, mine was the highest score in the class!  Needless to say, I'm very pleased with myself.  The rest of the family is excited for me, too, and we went out to dinner tonight to celebrate.  I think I can do this college thing after all!

Day 287: Corn Maze!

October 14

Every year we take Vicki's Girl Scout troop to the corn maze.  This year we made them do it blindfolded.

(Well, okay, they took turns leading each other through.  It was a trust-building exercise disguised as fun.)

Day 286: Whoops

October 13

I have a bad habit of almost setting cookbooks on fire - this is the third.  It was laying on the stovetop, and when I went to cook a pot of soup, I accidentally turned on the wrong burner.

I should probably stop leaving cookbooks on the stovetop.

Day 285: New Ride

October 12

Ellie got this scooter for her birthday, and today was the first day she was able to ride it to school.  Check out the determination on her face.

Day 284: Worm in a Bowl

October 11

Ellie and her friend found a tiny worm outside and decided to adopt it.  They put him in this bowl, filled it with dirt, found a mismatched lid, and then left it sitting on my kitchen table.  Ew.

Day 283: Pillows

October 10

This was an "oh, no, I haven't taken a picture yet!" kind of day, and I didn't want to get out of bed.

Day 282: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

October 9

Yum!

Day 281: Daddy-Daughter Sewing Project

October 8

Lexi and I went to the fabric store today so she could pick out some fabric for a project we've been meaning to start since her birthday (back in August).  Once we got home, I had some schoolwork to get done, so Chris took over as her assistant.  I love that he'll do stuff like this with the girls.

Day 280: Birthday Girl

October 7

We celebrated Ellie's birthday tonight.  She was very clear about the type of cake she wanted: chocolate, with blue frosting and a rainbow.  I think I did a pretty decent job of carrying out her demands wishes.  We got her a scooter and a new helmet, which she wore all evening.  I can't believe my baby is 6!

Day 279: New Art Supplies

October 6

Today is Ellie's birthday.  We didn't get to do much celebrating because Vicki had a doctor's appointment and I had class, but Grandma & Grandpa Y. sent her an art set, and she and Lexi used it to collaborate on this picture for me (which is not of me, but Rapunzel from Tangled), which I found taped to my door when I got home past bedtime.

Day 278: International Walk & Bike to School Day

October 5

Our school was one of the first to participate in the local Safe Routes to School program, so we received major recognition today.  Among our high-profile visitors was State Senator Jackie Dingfelder, who spoke to the kids about how important it is to her that we have safe ways to travel to and from school.  "Sidewalks" is a word that was used repeatedly, so our fingers are all crossed!

Day 277: For all Your...Special...Medical Needs

We drive by this place every week on our way home from piano lessons, but I've never noticed what it's called before.

Day 276: Here, Kitty Kitty

October 3

This is our kitty friend, Stormy.  Most of the kitties in the neighborhood are too skittish to play with on our walk home, but Stormy always comes to say hello.

Day 275: Star Punch

October 2

I guess someone thought the plant needed a little sprucing up.

Day 274: Centennial

October 1

Today was the centennial celebration for our little part of Portland.  We didn't really get to participate in the festivities because we had a lot going on, but Vicki and I happened to be at the Farmer's Market right before they handed out the cupcakes.  Sadly, we had to leave and didn't get to enjoy eating them.  But we love being a part of this community!