STOP AND PUT SOME BOOM IN IT!

Here's the girlie-girl cheerleader in all of her smiling glory! She loves cheerleading, although the 3 x week 2 hour long practices are beginning to wear on her (and Mom & Dad). She's doing a great job balancing the needs of homework, dinner and practice much better than I anticipated. She's found that she really appreciates the nights without practice! One drawback this year is that she is almost 9 and the other girls are all 7 or young 8's. She and one other girl are much more mature than the rest and it bothers them both to put up with the inattentiveness from the younger girls when Coach asks them to correct their behavior. Katie has been known once or twice to go up to the youngster and say, "You need to listen to Coach or we'll all be here forever!" No, the apple does not fall far from the tree...(bottom picture, Katie is in the center)

FIRST DAY OF 4TH GRADE

The Bloomfield district went back to school on Tues, 9/2 so we were barely finished from the Labor Day weekend while getting the first day of school festivities prepared. Historically, Brian and I have taken the first day of school off so Katie can get on the bus at our house, take the appropriate photo ops, etc. With Grandma always affiliated with the bus garage and our favorite driver Mrs. B, it was never an issue. This year was a little different.

As normal, the weekend before school started I left a message at the bus garage explaining to the supervisor that Katie would be getting on the bus (same bus she always rides) at our house instead of at Cathy's, the fabulous child care provider we've had since Katie was 6 months old. So the morning comes, Katie has the anxious excitement of the first outfit selection, new backpack is heavy jitters and of course which shoes to wear. We are in the driveway taking photos with both Grandmas, Daddy, Mom and Millie, and we see the bus approaching the top of the hill about 1/3 mile from our house. We're all at the end of the driveway, camera is ready to snap that last step as she reaches for the handle and vvvrrrooooooommmmmm right on past our awaiting posse! Our new bus driver, Mr. Holcomb, didn't look at us, didn't see us and wasn't going to stop. The photo on the bottom is what Katie's face looked like as it was speeding past us, at least I was camera ready for something! So we jumped in the truck and headed to Cathy's house for the next opportunity. There were a bunch of kids, parents and grandparents there doing the same thing, so we joined the party and got some cute scrapbook shots to share later!

What a way to start the day....