Sisters

It's harder to write about my middle-schooler because they don't want to be written about.  I love this sweet moment between Abby and Olivia as they were getting ready for church.  I snuck the photo.  Abby absolutely hates it when I touch her hair, but she will let her big sis, even if it hurts just as bad.  It's a way they can connect with one another and so Abby puts up with it.  She puts up with the pulling because it is attention from her biggest sis.  In moments like this, I don't even think they realize how much they love each other.

A New Bedroom

My mom came and stayed for a few days a couple of weeks ago while Joey was gone for a conference.  I've been planning on re-doing Sammie and Abby's room for a while and my mom and I got right to it when she arrived.  I had to go through all of their things and got rid of lots of stuff that they had in their room. It was mostly books.  Some we kept in a box in the garage that they can still get to if they need it.  I made them giant magnet boards so they can hang all their things in one place and they each have their own side of the dresser.
I love picking out paint colors.  I searched high and low for the perfect grey to compliment their decor.  I just wanted it to look soft and relaxing.  I felt like they needed a space like this.  Sammie and Abby just love it and, for now, they have a place for everything (even some of their "treasures" aka junk.)  I find myself going in their room and sitting because it feels like such a relaxing spot.
They have been so much better at keeping their space neat and clean and comfortable.  Now if I can only get them to make their beds regularly.  That would be awesome :)

Track

Sammie signed up for track so that she could qualify to earn her school letter.  I have to be honest.  Our track programs is a little overwhelming.  The meets are gigantic with so so many kids from different school districts.  Saturday was a little overwhelming and then Sammie realized that the track was much larger than the one they had been running on at the middle school and so she had never actually practiced an entire 100m run.  It was a little intimidating, but she ended up having a good experience in the end.  I was proud of her and her efforts.
In her long jump she really did well.  Her longest jump was 7'9".  She was mostly concerned with not fouling on her jumps.  Sammie is a details person and the jump was successful for her if she did it right.  It can be hard and intimidating to try new things like this, even for me as a parent.  But she did well and will have one more meet in a couple of weeks and now she has some goals for herself to see if she can do better than last Saturday.  I find track to be so exciting.  I remember getting butterflies in my stomach before my races when I was in middle school.  I loved it!

Some Abby Happenings

Joey is coaching Abby's basketball team.  She has been loving it and playing basketball with her teammates at school and then with neighbors after school in the front yard.  Yesterday, I saw her "coaching" her neighborhood friends.  She had a white board out and several basketballs and she was coming up with some sort of instructions for all of the kids.  Abby gets ideas and other kids just follow.  

Right now, these two girls are Abby's favorite buddies, Giada and Mia.  Abby is a friend to many and loves to have a social circle.  I find that now that she is in school, my own social life has dwindled because she was the one who always wanted to play with friends!  I was always getting together with people because Abby wanted to play.

Abby also received an award for Academic Excellence in her class for the 3rd quarter of school.  They only give out one of these awards per quarter, so she was very excited.  Abby loves school and working hard there and these awards are a big deal for her. 

And then her top front tooth fell out!  She looks so cute and the other one will be out soon too.  We love our Abby Jane!