Finally settling down....

Elisabeth's soccer team :)
I think Elisabeth was trying to avoid the candles burning on her or Todd blowing on her!
Isabella enjoying her drink and cake on the sidewalk. Who knows why she is sitting like this?!

Last night's soccer game was a HUGE success!!! Elisabeth wanted to score her first goal in honor of Todd's birthday and SHE DID!!! WHOOO HOOOO!!!! We also surprised Todd with a birthday cake....all the girls from the team sang to him :) He was quite happy!!


Today was the first morning, since school started, that I feel like we might be getting into a routine. I got up before 7 and was dressed and ready and downstairs with Elisabeth (who packs her own lunch and gets her own breakfast) before 7:20. Todd got Isabella up and dressed and while Elisabeth ate breakfast, I did Bella's hair. Then we walked Elisabeth to the bus and had time to eat our own breakfast before taking off to Bonnie's at 8 am. Not bad!!! Now..the beds didn't get made and the rooms were a bit of a mess but I wasn't stressed or sweating by the time I got in the car!! :) We were all asleep by 9:30 pm last night-that might have helped a bit, too!

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!!

Seeing that Isabella is 'my big girl' and Elisabeth is 'my angel', it only seems fitting that Todd be 'my BIG BOY'....after all, I do count him as one of my children. I am just kidding!!!! Laugh, Todd, laugh!!! Anyway, my darling husband is turning 41 today. He gets to spend his day waking up at 5 am to check on work, dropping the dog off at the groomers, spending the entire day in a stupid training on how to please customers (if you inserted 'wife' where 'customers' was, I would say the training would be more than worthwhile), and then he gets to coach a soccer game! What a way to celebrate!! His mom and dad are coming for the weekend so he can have some down time then:)

Todd...thanks for spending the last 20 years of your life with me:) I love you more than anything :)

"Where's my 'peter??"

Which, in Isabella speech, means"Where's my computer?" I was on mine and Elisabeth was on hers and she wanted to have one of her own :)

On Thursday we went to the State High parade which was lots of fun. It was Isabella's first parade and she was a tad shy about running out to grab candy. Between Elisabeth and I, we managed to get a bag full. Now I won't have to buy any for the trick-or-treaters:)

On Friday afternoon, Elisabeth's 6th grade had their first Fun Afternoon-all of the 6th graders from her school stay afterward and have pizza, soda, snacks and play games, etc. I decided to bring Isabella with me because I hadn't seen her all day and wouldn't get to see her until after 5. Unfortunately for Elisabeth, Isabella was a HUGE hit. At one point, one of the boys we know had her in his arms playing with her and there were about 20 girls around him. What I didn't share with that group of girls was that 10 years ago when he and Elisabeth were under a year, they had a bath together :)

Today we spent the day cleaning (who am I kidding?? I cleaned, Todd was on the computer). Todd took Elisabeth to soccer while I stayed home with Bella, who has a cold. I took the girls to get their haircut. The hairdresser, who is Vietnamese, introduced the kids to this jelly fruit. Because of this, Bella sat very still in the chair! WHEW! We decided to let her bangs grow for awhile. I will see if I can stand it. Elisabeth got her typical 'do' and looks adorable.

Tomorrow we are going to church and decorate for Halloween:)

Somersaults

Our Weekend in Canada

Sarah Catherine Nguyet Miller

Mom and Isabella

Sadie kept rubbing Isabella's hair DURING Jacqueline and Jim's vow renewals. Bella would yell, "SADIE TICKLING ME!!! HAHAHA!!! TICKLING ME!!!"

J and J during their ceremony.

Me attempting to hold Sadie during her dedication-all she wanted to do was get down and got to Elisabeth.

Elisabeth and Isabella in their Ao Dai's.

Isabella taking a little nappy :)

Elisabeth and Sadie at the luncheon.

Napping on Nanny's nap.

Sadie playing in the fountain at the restaurant. And, yes, she had a drink out of it:)

My grandmother....she turned 92 on Sunday!!

Todd with his God-daughter.




My mom talking to my grandmother.



We traveled to Syracuse and then to Canada this weekend to attend Sadie's dedication ceremony. Jacqueline and Jim also decided to re-new their wedding vows now that they are a new family:) It was a wonderful time for all of us ... my aunt (Jacqueline's mom), my cousin and his kids, and my 92 year old grandmother were all able to make it. We had lunch at a yummy Greek restaurant. Todd and I were very honored to be asked to be Sadie's god-parents and guardians.

Copenhagen

Sad news....my brother's 5 year old Rottweiler, Copenhagen, was following him to work (only a few hundred feet from his house) last night and was hit by a truck going way too fast in a neighborhood. She was able to walk to the building but died when Shane reached her. This is the same dog that got her head stuck in a drain pipe 3 weeks ago trying to catch a rabbit. Shane and some bystanders pulled on her until her fur came out and finally dislodged her head-he hurt his back in the process. He thought she was dead but came back. The whole family is so sad. She will be very missed by Shane, Jenn, Lucy, and Liam and my other brother Aaron :( It makes living so far away from them even more difficult at a time like this.

Soccer Games

The LOOK..."CATHERINE, get off your butt and get her OFF the field!"

Isabella waiting patiently for someone to kick the ball to her.

Can you spot the impostor??

The coach has reached his limit with his little helper.



Elisabeth's classmate from last year almost knocked her over during the game....




Elisabeth had her first soccer game of the season. I remember her very first soccer game ever-she was so nervous she threatened to throw up for the 24 hours BEFORE the game even started. And then she had to 'deep breath' by the car before she could walk onto the field. Oh, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!! As you can see, Isabella would like to be on the team, too! Luckily she had someone to play with:)

Smart kid!

Elisabeth just got her 1st math test back and got a 100%!!!!!! WHOOOO HOOOO!!!! She struggled with math last year but this year things seem to be coming together for her!!! She is also getting her homework done as soon as she gets home :) What a good middle-schooler!!

On the other hand, her little sister has been a bit on the naughty side. She finds small, innocent young children and slaps them silly. She must sense they can't fight back and then goes for the jugular. In about 15 minutes, she slapped, kicked, choked, pushed, and screamed at the next door neighbor's 1 year old. And NO punishment affects her in the least. I thought I had the key when I said "NO Caillou if you hurt DD" and when I followed through, she just shrugged her shoulders and went upstairs. Can you say "STRONG WILLED CHILD"??? Help me, Dr. PHIL!!!

Happy Sundays :)

Isabella attempting to massage Elisabeth's back using her pink hop-a-long.

Isabella's morning hairdo :)

Her favorite thing-JUMPING!

The best sisters in the world.

Elisabeth's new method of swinging Isabella...use a rope!!


Isabella likes to pretend she is a fish going down the slide into the water :)