Apple Creek

 School started and the days are running together just like they do in the summer time. Educating three children is no joke and takes me a pretty big chunk of time. Grandmommy and Grandpa are staying through the month of September so I send the boys over to the red cabin and they get to do some school with Grandmommy.  Grandmommy is in charge of the extra curriculum that I want to do but rarely have time to do after all the essentials are finished. It's a special time they have together and I just love it so much. We started slowly last week and I am still modifying our daily checklists. We'll reach our stride soon enough.

    First day of school. Cade is doing well with reading and Clementine is a patient (but not necessarily) 

    willing participant.

    Cade can handle the kayak pretty well. He can turn and paddle and cover a small distance. More practice and he'll be more efficient and confident.

Last week we made a really fast trip to Iowa to have Aiden's allergies treated. He's allergic to a lake weed and all the tricks I have up my sleeve weren't giving him any relief. Dr. Randy worked on Aiden for 25 minutes and by the time we got to the car Aiden was giggling. He said, "Mama, I forgot what it felt like to have empty sinuses." My poor sweet boy. We go back for another treatment in 3 weeks but yesterday was a very windy day...a day that Aiden would typically have to spend inside because he'd have a terrible sinus headache. He was FINE all day which was so wonderful because he played his first soccer game of the season last night. He shook the cobwebs off his skills and his team played a great game. We were super impressed by their passing game and Aiden has two assists. 

On our way home from Dr. Randy we stopped at the reptile zoo. It's honestly kind of a strange little place but the boys were thrilled because not only did we actually get to go somewhere, but they are always up to see animals of any kind. 

Aiden found two baby snapping turtles and he wrongly thinks we are going to keep them long term. They are both in a tank outside and that's fine as long as the weather stays warm. He found a third baby snapper in the yard without a head so he thinks he's saving these turtles by allowing them to get bigger before he releases them. However, he thinks he's only releasing one and keeping the other...but we are not keeping a turtle tank in the house.

This week I'm planning Cade's birthday party he gets to have with family on Saturday and, as mentioned before, trying to iron out all the wrinkles in our school routine. I said yes to a discipleship study this year and thus I have a workbook and six books to be read starring at me in the face. Today the weather is honestly kind of chilly and while I'm still wanting lots more warm days, this chill reminds me of fall. The routine of fall is welcome along with everything else fall brings. The boys have more plans for a business through the next several months and with soccer, guitar, school,  and finding something for Cade to be able to participate in, our schedule will be a good full. Tom is still working from home and so while we mourn the brokenness of our world, we're tucked away and staying safe and enjoying these sweet days full of learning.

                                        I love that Aiden reads his bible in his free time. I find him sleeping

                                        at night with his bible tucked under his arm.

                        This sweet little boy...he's the reason for the bags under my eyes and my wrinkles. We                             love him so.