This month we:
- I continued walking at least one morning a week with Laura and Bonnie or Jen. It’s always a good way to get some fresh air and exercise while catching up. I managed to sneak in a few breakfasts with them as well.
- Clara and Anna started Girl Scouts. They are excited to be Daisies this year.
- Mike’s Uncle Dan and Aunt Jane came to see us for the evening as they were in the area visiting from their home in Arizona. We ordered pizza and they brought Birthday gifts for the kids which were big hits.
- Bo and Mike went to Bo’s Tiger Cub Den meetings.
- I continued to go to DDP Yoga a few mornings a week at 6 am — usually with Jocelyn or Jamie.
- We attended the Pet Blessing with stuffed animals this year — and didn’t lose a cat in the process.
- I went out for dinner and pedicures with Laura, Jamie, and Jocelyn. We ate dinner at Red Lobster and enjoyed an evening out!
- The trio participated in the Holy Family Shuffle.
- I finished my first course of my doctorate. I guess I’m actually doing this thing…
- We had the Bonds, Haskells, and Kilmartins over to watch the Bears game and eat lots of yummy food on a Sunday afternoon. I made chili, pumpkin cornbread, and beer bread. Yum!
- Bo brought home the classroom Teddy one night. He was able to eat tortellini with us and go to Boy Scouts and swim team practice. Bo really enjoyed the activity and writing about Teddy’s adventures with us.
- The trio was able to have a few dress-up days at school for their participation in the shuffle — hoodie day, spirit day, and sport day!
- Clara and Anna had dance class every Monday. We’ve been taking Mirella and Jocelyn has been bringing the girls home which has worked out well.
- Mike had to work late a few nights so one of them we picked up Culver’s and ate dinner with him at his office. The trio always enjoys visiting Daddy at work.
- Bo had a haircut for school picture day.
- The school hosted a BBQ meal from Stone Jug that was quite delicious.
- The trio was off school on the 10th for Teacher’s Institute so we went to the mall for a bit and enjoyed some pretzels and CherryBerry. We also went to Menard’s for some of the last pieces of the new bathroom downstairs. It’s finally 99% done!
- We spent Columbus Day weekend with the Bond, Haskell, Kilmartin, and Vasquez families in Indianapolis. We went to the zoo and the children’s museum and loved both places!
- I accompanied Clara and Anna on their Field Trip to Boggio’s Orchard. Amanda and Josie rode with us out there. It was a fun, but muddy, trip!
- We had a school club officer’s meeting at my house one evening. Thank goodness Jocelyn, Jamie, Laura, and I are doing this together…
- I sneaked away for a quick overnight to visit with Mandy in Effingham. It was great to see her for more than an hour uninterrupted and we enjoyed a yummy dinner at the Firefly!
- I raced home after the night in Effingham to attend our first swim meet. We are all definitely still learning what it takes to be a swim family!
- We had our family pictures taken by the trio’s principal, Jyll. She did an amazing job! I can’t wait to share some of the photos here — and finally update my several year old blog header!
- After our family pictures we went out for dinner at Delaney’s.
- We’ve been picking up Josie for school since her little sister, Kennadie Bree was born on October 18th.
- Bo continued his piano lessons and seems to be doing well.
- Laura grabbed me for a surprise night out. We went to dinner at Olive Garden and went to see the movie I had been dying to see — Gone Girl. Despite the “surprise” factor, I had a very good time. 
- The trio and I went on an adventure after school one Friday after school. We’ve been so busy with activities that we haven’t had a lot of time to just hang out together. I took them to the cupcake shop in Utica and then we went for a Fall walk on the I&M Canal. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed just spending some time together.
- Jamie, Jocelyn, Laura, and I went Christmas shopping in the Naperville area. I made significant progress on my shopping lists and we also enjoyed lunch at Chili’s and a cake shake from Portillo’s.
- We attended our second swim meet — an invitational — The Monster Splash. We had to be there at 6:35 am on a Sunday for warm-ups… ugh…
- We spent some time decorating pumpkins for the trio to display at school. Clara made a silver and blue butterfly, Anna made a pink and white fox like her stuffed animal “Cutie”, and Bo designed a shark. Imagination is important!
- Mike and I had a crazy month of work. Mike had to work late a few days and he was teaching his first course with Ashford. I had lots of meetings and plenty of work to keep me busy through October as well. We spent many evenings working after the trio was in bed.
- The trio celebrated red ribbon week at school with a red shirt day, sneaker day, crazy sock day, and hat day at school.
- My mom came to visit for the week of Halloween and spend time with the trio. She took us out to dinner at Steak n Shake (Bo’s pick for his birthday) and we went to lunch at iHOP. It was a busy week but she was able to see the trio in their costumes at school, watch them swim at swim team practice, and hand out candy at our house while we were Trick or Treating. The trio enjoyed having her around to spend time with throughout the week!
- We went Trick or Treating in our neighborhood with the Bond, Haskell, and Kilmartin families.
You can see what we were up to the rest of the year — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September…
