So, the kids and I are in the full swing of school. They have completed a month and are both doing very well. They are both getting good grades as of the progress reports that were sent home this past week. Cassadie is loving swim team and has recently learned how to swim the Butterfly stroke. This is a very difficult stroke and she was super excited when she finally got it.  Below I've added a video of her swimming for those of you who would like to see it.  This is from the end of September.  After she saw the video, she noticed she was lifting her head out of the water when she breathes and has since fixed the problem. 

Cassadie is in the third lane from the back swimming freestyle.  The girl in the lane just closer, is swimming breast stroke.

Jarod started at the Intermediate School (4th - 6th) this year and enjoys the fact that he no longer goes to the "PeeWee" school. I think he feels more grown up.  

At work, we just finished Homecoming week. This means crazy dress up days for the students, girls playing football, boys playing volleyball, and decorated halls. I spent an entire Saturday helping the Sophomore class decorate our Commons. It is hard work and it always surprises me how they really step up and get it done.

I teach a class at the private university that's about 15 miles away. It is the university where I went to get my Bachelor's and Teaching Certificate. I teach two nights a week, an hour and fifteen minute class. Overall, it is pretty easy money, and I feel like I'm giving something back. Anyway, one evening it had been raining a little (as it kind of drizzles here rather than really rains), and there was the most beautiful double rainbow. My pictures do not really do justice, I know it's hard to see the second one. Believe me, it was gorgeous!

Cassadie had a sleepover to celebrate her birthday. We had five 12 year old girls running around our house friday night and saturday morning. They had a blast doing makeovers, playing games, and watching movies.  I know, can you believe she's 12?  

These next two pictures are of Cassadie after one of her friends did her makeover.  The first picture is an upclose of just her face before the hair was done.  I was impressed, it was actually tasteful!

You know what?

I recently discovered that my daughter Cassadie is a great swimmer. I knew she could swim well because she's been swimming with my mom since she was about 4 years old, but I had no idea how much her skills had developed. She is fast! Angela and Beckie can attest to her speed and strength since she beat them both racing across a pool when we visited them during labor day weekend. We were all very much surprised and watched as her head began to swell with pride. She raced Alex and he beat her (thank goodness), but he was quite winded when he finished. Anyway, inspired by the summer Olympics, I went about finding a swim team she could join. We found one in Yakima, and I sent an email to the to coach. He responded to my email and told me to bring her to a practice so we could see if she liked it and he could see her swim. She did great, she loved it, he was great, and her freestyle stroke looked just like the rest of them when the hour was over. I masked my excitement, but really I was exstatic! He told me what I already knew which was that she could be really good if she works hard. He said she's strong and learns fast. Apparently at one point she told him this was the hardest practice she had ever been to. She was exhausted, but she had a blast!

We went to Costco on our way home so I could pick up some new chairs (which are super cute and go great with my wall color). While I was in the check out, Cassadie went to get herself a piece of pizza - she LOVES Costco pizza. I headed out to the car with my chairs and thought Cassadie saw me and would follow when she got her pizza. The cart pusher helped me get them in the back of my Jeep after removing the boxes (this is the only way they would fit). This is when I realized that Cassadie had never come out of the store. I left him to pick up the debrit and headed back to the store to find her. She was waiting by the door, but apparently had been pacing back and forth to the food counter for the 10 or so minutes it had taken us to get the chairs in my Jeep. She was very upset and thought that I had left her. She said that at one point she had thought about asking someone to use a phone and call my cell phone. I told her that was a great idea and next time she should just walk up to the person who checks your receipt and say "Hey, you know what? I'm not sure where my mom is, is there a phone I could use?" She chuckled at this and said "You adults and your "you know what"!" She proceeded to explain that her teacher had used the phrase when she was telling them how to tell their neighbor to be quiet during an assembly. She had said something like "You know what? Maybe you should be quiet." I told her adults use the "you know what" phrase to make it sound more casual. We told this to story to Alex and Jarod when we got home. Jarod did not agree with my assessment of the use of the "you know what" phrase. He thought adults use it more like "You Know What! I'm gonna spank you!" We all had a good laugh.