Milestones!

Since my last post we had a big milestone. Grandma turned 50!! 

I collected cards from friends, family and neighbors. She loved reading them!

 Sydney sat and helped her open them all. 

A few days later we had a surprise party for her. 

 Except, we had to call it a surprise non-party because she kept telling us she didn't want a party. We had a Qdoba hot bar and some neighbors over to celebrate her big day.

This pretty much sums up every picture we take. 

We hit a MAJOR milestone at gymnastics this week. Maddie climbed the rope and rang the bell. 

She got to write her name on the wall and she was so proud of herself!

I was so proud of her too. She's been wanting her chance on the rope. At her second class they tried the rope and she couldn't do it. She told me that night that she was the "worst in her class." She is the youngest (she's with 8 and 9 year olds) and doesn't have all of the skills that some of the girls have that have been in her level longer. But, she's been practicing, practicing and when it came time to try the rope again, she did it! Go Maddie go! She's super close to doing a backbend kickover and she very rarely falls off the beam now.

We ran to the mall this past weekend for a Disney Store trip. We got to the store a few minutes before it opened and were treated to a fun surprise.

The first child there gets to help "open" the store.

They put on Sorcerer Mickey's outfit, wave their magic fingers, and say the magic words. The rope drops and the store is "open." Sydney didn't wear the outfit but she did get to help with the magic fingers and magic words. Both girls also got a lanyard!


When tia comes, her discount is too good to pass up!

We went to K and D's for chili and, for the second weekend in a row, we were twinning. 

Maddie her her first First Grade field trip. We went to Jefferson Memorial Forest. There's always a ton of parents who participate at our school, so I only had one kiddo in my group besides Madeline. 

The kids got to pet a snake, a turtle, a bunny and more.

We went on a nature hike to look for animals. When we went over rules for what to do if we saw a snake, I texted Chris and said, "You will really enjoy this field trip when you come with Sydney." I don't do snakes. Fortunately, the only ones we saw were in aquariums or being held by a guide.

Mads and Murphy standing outside the bathrooms. And, by bathroom, I mean hole in the ground.

The kids got nets and scooped out salamanders and tadpoles.

Fun with my big girl!

These monkeys were sitting in the grass the other day talking to each other and I had to snap a pic at their same poses.

Finally, it's been awesome getting the last of my October packages out the door. This was a busy, milestone, travel month! My biggest month ever - 30 families have traveled, are traveling or will be soon, all before this month wraps!