Volvo Mack

On Saturday, when we didn't end up at the airshow, Chad took Micah to an open house at the Volvo Mack Truck plant in Hagerstown. Chad's been wishing to do this for years because you can drive a Mack truck for just a dollar. :) Of course, the boys had a lot of fun (Micah was very excited to tell us about it and show us the pictures they took), and it definitely sounded like something I and the girls were happy to miss!

Our weekend

Friday was Grace's annual Parent Luncheon. Micah and I picked up pizza and joined the rest of the family at school for an hour. We ate on the middle school side for the first time, and this was wonderful-- otherwise we have to sit by the playground and deal with the kids wanting to play on it (along with about 200 other kids all at once). This way, we had a lot of space to ourselves, had a picnic table, and the kids played with the tetherballs afterward.

LOVELY weather as well. Fall has come! We were excited to wear long sleeves for the first time since about April. Today is 75, but we've had a few days that were only around 60.

Fri pm, I went to a handbells concert with my handbell buddies. Wonderful! 6 women play FIVE octaves of bells all by themselves. Our little group of 12 people plays 3 octaves... Plus, they did a lot with percussion, piano, voice, even clarinet. And in between songs, while some of the group rearranged bells, one of them did funny readings, etc. They invited people to go up afterward, so we went up and peppered them with questions about some of their techniques, like playing 2 bells in one hand. Now we're all eager try it. :)

While I was gone, Chad had to take Claire to a bday party in Greencastle (PA), so he and the other kids hung out at school, and they had a lot of fun, too.

Saturday morning, we headed out to the Martinsburg Airshow. On the way, it was raining. I hadn't brought raingear, and we were all tired and longing for home, so we turned around. I feel so blessed that we did! There was a crash at the airshow, and pilot died.

Sunday pm was our first Children's Choir of the year. We reorganized so now I am teaching all the first thru 5th graders-- with help from Pastor Dave. Could be up to 50ish kids, but was only 35 this week. We have a big musical this December, so we have a lot to do this fall.

Beach Boy

Micah wanted to play beach the other day. Beach towel, umbrellas, goggles, swimsuit, and Dr. Seuss books.

Asundry

Katie straightened Jenna's hair for school yesterday. It really looked nice, but I just prefer her curly hair. :) They both got up early to accomplish it.












The last several months, Micah has REALLY been into playing games. Thankfully, we recently were able to get several new (used) ones from friends and a yard sale. I say "thankfully" because I can only stand so much of CandyLand and Chutes and Ladders, and then I'm forced to cheat so we can get the game to finish. :) I do much better with Uno and Go Fish, and these new ones are not bad, either. He knows how to play them quite well! He likes to play Chinese Checkers and Connect 4 as well, but neither one of those go according the regular rules at all.

Here's a lovely slug Chad found in our yard a week or so ago. We have often seen small ones (like 1/2 inch), but this mama slug was like ones I thought only lived in other parts of the country-- had to have been 4 inches long or so. Depends on how scrunched up it was. Chad had a lot of fun with it. :)

9/11 Remembrance

Our church put on a 9/11 remembrance service at the public high school a mile down the road. Really neat. An hour before the service, many fire trucks, police cars, ambulances were parked outside-- we walked around and looked at them. Many of the trucks had their doors open so we could look inside or even sit inside.








There were vehicles from Bedington, Hedgesville, Back Creek, and probably some others I'm forgetting. All WV.











Ladder truck with ladder extended-- there's a flag on the end. Wow, is that thing tall!



]









Micah looks at the inside of one of a fire truck's doors.












A medic helicopter landed while we watched-- then we got to go look around and sit in it.









































The actual service was neat, too, but we didn't get any pics of it. Chad was in the orchestra that played-- Stars and Stripes Forever, Star Spangled Banner, My Country, America. Sounded really great in that gym; esp since some of the public high school kids joined in.

They introduced some famous people-- senators, delegates, etc. Had a few videos. Had each of the firefighters, etc come up front to tell us their name and department, and then they all received something special. Not sure exactly what was in it, but I know they got a $50 Walmart gift card meant for them to share with someone in need.

And then Paul Dixon spoke. He was at our church in the morning, too. Did a great job of honoring our "first responders" and remembering 9/11 and talking about the hope we have in Christ. The audience was very responsive throughout the whole thing. It definitely seemed like it was well-received.

Interesting picture was displayed on an easel-- an aerial view of the Twin Towers area with dark spots for where they found each body. Of course, several right in the footprint of the tower, but many were thrown quite a distance as well. One was in the Hudson River 6 blocks away.

Roundhouse Museum

Chad took Micah to the park and the Roundhouse Museum in Hagerstown. The boys had a great time together. :)













I just asked Micah, "Oh, did you climb a tree??" He said, "No, Daddy just put me up in there."



















Too bad we don't have a picture of Chad because I think he's as fascinated with all the trains as Micah is.























This set has switches so the kids can control the trains.


































The real train outside

Our Labor Day

For our Labor Day, we had a terrific day of just being at home together.

The girls did some crafts. Here is Claire painting a t-shirt.











Jenna and Katie learned to cross-stitch.













Even tho it doesn't look like it, they really enjoyed it! Both girls were very successful, even tho Katie was much quicker. They made a few small hearts.



























We also got the lava lamp out. :)

Micah Tidbits

For the journal I'm keeping about Micah (pretty sporatic now that I do the blog), I wrote a list to describe him right now. Thought some of you might like to read the list. It's in no particular order, just the order that came out of my brain. (Hmm. Maybe that could be analyzed...)
*Counts objects accurately to 49
*Out of the blue, he regularly says, "I WISH I was a FISH", emphasizing the rhyme, to be silly
*Very good at using computer, mouse, etc
*Connect 4-- purposefully matched the patterns of checkers they had on the instruction paper
*Plays with trains and trucks and cars some, but mostly only if Daddy is playing with him
*Plays with Trio blocks set almost daily-- makes many different creations he calls "worlds" (comes from Mario Bros)
*Loves watching the girls play Wii-- doesn't ask to play it himself yet
*Laughed and laughed thru Dumbo the other day
*Laughs a lot at I Love Lucy, Laurel and Hardy. Loves physical humor
*Likes to play with hose and squirts things outside
*Likes to play with water and some kitchen utensils in the sink in the kitchen-- standing on a chair
*Loves sweets and crackers and bread and peanutbutter
*Hates vegetables and many other foods-- pretty picky
*Only drinks water and milk
*Loves playing on playground equipment-- running around by himself or with other kids
*Into the kiddie tattoes-- usually asks K to put them on for him. He has a lightning one on right now. Earlier in the week, it was a fish.
*Likes to "color"-- mostly it's scribbles still, even tho he can write many letters (his name and other letters) and can draw shapes
*Likes to dance and it looks hilarious
*Loves to go to his "class" at church-- waltzes right in-- not matter what church we're at
*Loves to be hyper with Claire-- run and laugh and tease-- very loud
*Mostly obedient
*Sometimes picks up his own toys without being reminded
*Has great dimples-- people are always saying he's so cute, and that's probably mostly cuz of the dimples and that he smiles at people a lot
*Counts on his fingers to 10 in a strange order-- ring finger is always last to go up
*Very ready to speak to people
*Favorite videos are probably Pooh and Blues Clues and Signing Time, but he loves Dora, Diego, Einsteins, and others, too
*He says "or sumpin" (something) after many of his sentences
*Does not ask WHY questions much
*When playing or doing computer, he will talk to me all the way thru it-- wants me to interact and see things on it
*Talks almost daily about turning 4-- 7 months still!
*Likes to watch and help me make cookies or help Daddy outside
*Watches for the garbage truck every week-- the workers look for him in the window and wave back at him
*When playing with littler kids, he has some sharing issues-- will take things away or push or hit sometimes
*A couple weeks ago, he spent time in the Time Out chair at church-- Jackson was being very naughty and Micah went following along
*Says most of his letters correctly now except R's and blends. Has a lisp with S's.
*Is scared of "scary monsters"
*Sucks his thumb, but it's mostly in bed now
*Pretends out loud
*Loves Hide and Seek, and now mostly gets the idea of it. Can't follow the sound of Daddy's whistle, tho
*Says "I'm hungry" a lot. Often when he's just bored, tho.
*Can read the numbers on a digital clock correctly
*Loves books and being read to