Lots going on

We did family photos tonight. So many cute individual candid pictures were taken. If we get even one decent family one it will be due to our photographer's mad Photoshop skills because holy cow, they were not cooperative tonight, haha! He sent us a sneak peek and it is, of course, adorable. I love new family photo time.

A friend asked me if I could help her install quarter round molding in their office last week. I said sure and had no idea what I was getting into. This is not just a room or two. This is a two-story new office with a cubicle room and tons of rooms and so many cuts. I'm 22 hours into this project and probably have ten or more to go. Bill helped me out last week in the afternoons so I could put the time in there, but Chloe has spent a lot of time with me at the office. She's a pro now. We had the place to ourselves today, just working away. She got a kids meal and has a soft chair to watch a movie on and is happy to hang out with me. It's been fun. I wouldn't want to do this as a full-time job or anything, but I'm sure enjoying the project. You can see a bit of the finished product in the shots below. It's a really nicely-designed new office.

Here's Chloe waiting for me after my chiropractor appointment. I had held my adjustment for six weeks, but I'm sure the amount of bending and craning pushed me out this last week. So I got an adjustment and she hung out and played with all the knick knacks. That's her Dora backpack she always grabs when we go there and she fills it with all her favorite toys that visit.

Some friends invited us to a Clemson men's soccer game. It was so fun to get out on a date. The student section did these orange and purple smoke bombs. Nice touch.

Bill is coaching Aaron's soccer this season and having a grand time. Last Thursday was their first game. I wouldn't say Aaron is a soccer lover yet, but he thinks he might be, so we'll keep at it.

All of the kids have decided their gymnastics lovers. Aaron informed me tonight he's doing gymnastics after he finishes soccer and Chloe is enthralled watching the older kids do their stuff.

Exciting week

This is potentially an exciting week. Bill has his engineering job fairs to attend and I'm hoping some job opportunities come out of it. And dissertation defense is coming along soonish as well. Exciting times!

 We've got another bookworm on our hands.

 Genevieve has started dressing Chloe in her clothes. It's pretty cute.

 And here again. Chloe the Snow Princess. I'm pretty sure it was about 85 degrees outside when she had this on, lol.

 Newest painting and frame.

 My hiking backpack we got when Spencer was a baby is total overkill for my tiny princess here. We've been going hiking and I decided to get a soft pack instead. This has a hip seat, so she's not as squished against my body as in most soft packs. She loves it.

 We didn't get hit by Hurricane Florence as was originally forecasted, but Chloe was ready the other night, just in case.

 She's such a good hiker. She probably hiked the first mile, or maybe even more, of this 3.5 mile hike we went on this week. Way to go, Chloe!

 She's so excited for her cold-weather clothes. The high today is 84, but hey, who's counting?

 Lego creations. Chloe built her first one this week.

We had fun at the kids' literacy night.

Gymnastics

We had a fairly normal week. Gymnastics, a career fair for Bill, and normal every day things. 

Here's an amusing collage of Chloe while Bill is reading to her. I swear she's a monkey. 

We spent lots of time at gymnastics. Judging from Genevieve's instant love I imagine we'll be doing this for another decade or so. Haha! I'm not complaining. It's fun.

Spencer is a big fan as well. Turns out he has quite the hops. He won a little competition to see who could jump the highest. I got a video of the last two trying one more time. Neither could get the last one, but they could jump two footed up onto the mats when the very top one was gone. They're jumping like waist high. Pretty impressive.

Labor Day

Genevieve asked to go to the zoo for her birthday, so we headed over today. We thought about going Saturday but Spencer has a gymnastics class at noon and it is still so hot here that an afternoon trip would have been miserable. so we headed out first thing this morning and had a lovely time. The kids don't know it, but they are outgrowing our little Greenville Zoo. Hopefully wherever we move has a bigger zoo that we can show them and blow their minds away by how many more exhibits there can be. But for now they love our beloved tiny zoo here and we had a lovely day. 

 Chloe's all about taking selfies. She is ridiculous about smiling for the camera. She says cheese and then doesn't smile, but if she can see herself she is all grins.

I'm super proud of this picture. I painted the paint-by-number and it took awhile to get around to making the frame, but i finished it and now I'm going to make three more for my other ones that have this similar mountain lake or water sort of theme so I can put them all together on a big wall. I love finishing a project and liking it even better than I imagined. That's certainly not always the case, but I have pretty solid woodworking skills these days and I love good results.

 I take Chloe to the park just me and her these days and it's like going back to new mom days almost, except so much less stress because now I'm experienced. And she's not a first child, so she's super capable and independent and loves to go do her own thing. Not that first children can't be those things, but there's certainly some traits that seem to develop younger in the kids further down the line. I don't have any pictures, but we've been going hiking together once a week too and she is the best hiking buddy. We have an awesome time.