Blessing of the Animals

Sunday was Blessing of the Animals at our church. They asked that we submit photographs of animals we wanted blessed and prayed for, and we were welcome to bring in pets as well. 

I submitted photos of the cats and Penguin the hamster:

And Cloey joined us at Church:

There were 3 other pugs there, including a pug puppy named Waffles.

The dog blessing.

A family picture after the service.

Later after church Becky and Ally had fun playing Just Dance on the Kinect. Their moves were very impressive:

Life Lately

Tomorrow is the last day of September. I'm still trying to get caught up from July blogging. Maybe this weekend....

In the meantime here are some September catch ups:

Beth, Debbie and Dave came to visit early in the month. Above Ally is showing them a video she edited that she made at D&D's house in August. Making videos is one of Ally's favorite hobbies. She makes short videos 3-10 minute long. Some are about every gymnastics, some are American Girl, some are just silly. Ally and Becky took a class in August at our local Apple Store and learned how to edit videos and Ally is pretty good at it.

After church.

One of my co-workers got Ally an autographed picture of her favorite gymnast, Aly Raisman. This was her thank you text to him. 

One day we collected all of the hair elastics (pony tail holders) we could find and Ally counted them up. It was over 100. Then she tired to put them all in her hair at once.

After about 5" and 15 elastics she gave up on that. 

Before school. I love this outfit!

After school. Playing games with mama. 

Then one Saturday night Ally hurt her foot doing gymnastics in the house. It was pretty bad, she whacked her foot against a wall corner so hard she broke the skin. She was in a lot of pain. 

We missed apple picking with Guatemala Girls because she couldn't walk very well and the doctor said she should rest. Alice and Cheryl came to spend time with us, and Gabi and Rosa went apple picking. Roxie was sick. 

Later that week I had dental work done. 4 cavities filled at the same time. It was pretty bad. 

Then Ally got sick. She had a high fever and I brought her to the doctor, and she tested positive for strep and she had an ear infection. After 2 doses of her antibiotics she got an itchy rash. So back to the doctor we went. The doctor isn't sure why the rash, but changed the prescription and told me to give Ally Benadryl. Ally was feeling pretty miserable for a few days, and missed 2 days of school and 2 gymnastics practices. Good News is that her foot healed, and the antibiotics are working and now a week later she is feeling great. We have a few more days of medicine. 

San Diego Day 3

We gave Ally the choice of going to the San Diego Zoo or going kayaking. She chose kayaking. Becky and I were quite glad! We love to kayak and after 2 days of walking around looking at animals we were ready for something different. We booked a 2 hour guided tour of the bay, leaving from Coronado Island.

The view from our hotel room. I was up early every morning and would sit on our balcony drinking ,y Diet Coke and reading with this view in front of me. I was pretty happy. 

I kept my phone in a ziplock bag tucked in my shirt and I would pull it out for pictures! I paddled my own kayak and Ally and Becky were together.

Selfie with the skyline!

That is the USS Midway 

A group shot!

Me and my kayak, that is the Coronado bridge behind and above me and Becky below.

It was a fun time. I was pretty tired after all that paddling, but Ally not so much. Several people commented on her skill and stamina. All that gymnastics really pays off in other ways.

We had lunch after kayaking, then headed to our hotel to change and pack up for the beach!

Ally did gymnastics the whole time we were there. 

The best part was that Ally told me, "I really want to do a back hand spring" I told her to do go ahead and try. So she did. And did it right there on the sandy beach. She was so excited, she could not stop tumbling. It was a huge break through from her to do one outside the gym. 

After all her issues this year it was truly magical to watch her joy at doing gymnastics on the beach. 

Becky went in the ocean.

Ally waded in and said it was too cold

I enjoyed my beach chair.

We were right by the famous hotel.

Family selfie!!! 

It was such a fantastic vacation we are already planning on going again next year. 

Many thanks to Gruncle and Suzie. 

2 Girls and a pug

Alice came over today for a while. She went with me to pick Ally up from practice and was a very fun conversation partner in the car on the way to the gym. 

I always have Ally tell me 3 things that were fun at practice. Today she said:

1) That Alice was waiting for me after practice.

2) We did floor work.

3) Conditioning. Alice asked what that was and Ally explained it was sit ups, push ups things like that.

  Today Ally got a special treat (a Starburst) for doing a "pike up" 3 X for 10 seconds each.

She demonstrated the pike up for us at home. Note that her arms are holding her body off the ground. Her butt is not touching the floor!

 

 

On the way home we picked up Cloey for a quick trip to the dog park.

 

They kept posing. The picture below they set up and asked me for a photo.

 

Fun times!

1st day of 4th Grade

Today Ally started 4th grade. WOW.

I thought it might be a good time for a retrospective:

 2009 Her 1st day at Preschool. She was in the Purple Fish classroom.

 

 2010 1st day in her 2nd year of preschool - she was a Blue Otter that year.

 

 2011 1st day of Jr. Kindergarten (at public school) - it was a cold rainy day.

 

 2012 1st day of kindergarten.

 

 2013 1st day of 1st grade

 

 2014 1st day of 2nd grade

 

2015 1st day of 3rd grade

 

Lots of blue clothes - and sneakers on the 1st day always. Ally always wants to be prepared in case its a gym day on the 1st day and always insists on sneakers - maybe because on her 1st day of preschool in 2009 she was doing this:

If we only knew then that that bar would like to a gymnastics filled life.  

But today there was a more grown up Ally. She set her alarm and got her self up and dressed, did her hair all by herself, and was in a great mood for the 1st day of school. She told Becky yesterday "I'm glad there is more than one day this first week, because I have pretty nervous excited about the first day and I am looking forward to day #2 so I can enjoy it more and be less nervous." This is so Ally to be thinking ahead like this.

 

It was a chilly and rainy morning - so no pictures in the front yard - this is from the porch.

 

 

Walking into school!

 

 "Why do you keep taking pictures?"

 

 

It isn't possible to explain all the reasons why. So my short answer was "to text mama because she is at her 1st day today too." and I got a great smile.

 

We were the 1st students at school today - Ally went to before school this morning, like she will every other morning again this year. She was a bit bummed because none of her usual morning pals were starting today. But I said we needed to start and get our routine down right away. She never complained and was smiles and happiness.

 

I am so excited to hear about her day after school.