Update

Having recently gotten in trouble with my mom for not keeping her and Dad updated on what's going on, I am doing my penance with this post.

C:  He is well into his first year of middle school and doing great!  He likes the greater freedom and he's doing fantastic in his classes.  We've been challenging him lately, though, to actually talk to other kids outside of class, and he's slowly warming to the idea. :)  He loves being in Boy Scouts now and will participate in his first merit badge Pow Wow next week.  He had his first middle school orchestra concert last month and can I tell you how much I appreciate his teacher who only had them perform 4 songs and the concert was over?  Thank you for that, Mr. Kim.

J:  He is loving 3rd grade.  He and his friends spend most recesses playing soccer or trading Pokemon cards.  He started with none, and the other boys started giving him cards and now he carries them to school in a little box every day.  He did a project last fall where he built a bridge.  He really liked that.  He's looking forward to soccer starting up again soon.  Me, too.  I'm not sure our house can stand much more indoor soccer, indoor wrestling, or indoor running-flips-on-the-couch.  Our poor furniture.

S:  Is in 1st grade this year.  He's also doing awesome!  It's nice to have a school year where everyone is really doing well, and I'm not worrying too much about teachers/classes/friends/etc.  He really likes school and has a couple of best friends, one of whom is on his soccer team and the other goes to church with us, so that's nice.  He started speech therapy a couple of weeks ago to work on his annunciation, and he really likes driving in the Mini-Cooper with just me each week.  :)

M:  Can you believe she will be 4 years old this weekend??  I can't.  It is making me a little sad.  She is so excited, though.  She wants to invite everyone she knows to her birthday party.  I hope she's not too disappointed it will just be family.  She loves Sunbeams.  She loves Joy School.  She loves that she gets the most turns in the Mini-Cooper.  :)  She will have a post dedicated entirely to her soon, so look for it.

G:  He is now into his third year of serving as our bishop.  He has been sitting on the stand so long that M has no memory of his ever sitting with us.  In fact, when we were on vacation in South Carolina this summer, he sat with us at church, and she looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?"  :) 

Me:  What am I doing?  Besides wrangling everyone, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life, now that my children are growing.  I had thought to go back and finish school, but it hasn't worked out as yet and I'm not sure that's really what I want to do anyway.  Any suggestions?  :)  I did get a "day off" this week as a belated Christmas gift.  I went to see an exhibit of Byzantine art at the National Gallery.  It was amazing.  I wish they would have allowed photography.

There, Mom.  I hope that we're no longer in your black books!  :)