Catching Up

For those of you who care that it's been awhile since I last posted an entry, it's because I now spend my nights on Facebook, looking up old friends and frankly, just being "nosey." However, I've had several friends and family members ask about the "goings on" of the Donner family, so I'm BACK!

It'll be impossible to catch everyone up on the last two months or so. In attempt to do so, here's a summary since the end of August.

September began with Kathryn starting pre-K. It's hard to believe our "little" girl is almost four and a half. Although she has a different teacher this year, she's attending the same school, with most of the same kids, and in the same classroom. So, there wasn't much adjustment. Kathryn's teacher is Miss Mendez, a young and very energetic teacher who really should be teaching in a public school. Even though Kathryn is learning SO much from her, I wish the kid would get a "real" job, with great pay and benefits. In the last two months, Miss Mendez has taught Kathryn some sign language, the months of the year, the Pledge of Allegiance, and how to conduct a "vestigation." Although I've been trying to get Kathryn to write for several months now, she came home and wrote her name quite easily because "her teacher told her she needed to learn." See attached picture for the first time she wrote her name on our driveway with sidewalk chalk. We were ALL very proud of her! Her class went on a class trip to the pumpkin patch last week and of course celebrated Halloween with a big bash on Friday. My friend Lora and I ran the party. Two elementary school teachers running a Pre-K party makes for an easy time. Kathryn and her friends had a very good time playing games, decorating bags, eating witch hat cupcakes and dancing. A parade around the school ended the festivities.

Bill had several days off in September for the Jewish holidays. The weather was gorgeous, so we went to Giamarese farm to do some apple picking and to the beach. Yes, the beach in September. Actually, it's our favorite time to visit the ocean-no crowds, easy parking, and no sunscreen. All was well as Kathryn and Madelyn played in the sand, until a huge dog decided to park himself very close to Kathryn. Bill and I were just waiting for her to realize his existence...a few moments later, she turned around, screamed, and jumped into Bill's arms. It was very, very funny (for Mommy and Daddy anyway). Kathryn even laughed after the shock wore off and the dog took a huge poop in the sand. Makes for great entertainment.

Madelyn and I started a Mommy and Me class at the Metuchen YMCA. It's called "Move to Learn," and yes, we do move!! It's a great class-the teacher talks about the weather, numbers, colors, we dance, sing, jump, climb, and sort. She loves it!!! And, she's very ready to start preschool next year. She can name both presidential candidates and she knows the name of the teacher she'll have next year at Centenary.

I was very excited when my very good friend from high school, Colleen, came to NJ for a visit with her family in the beginning of October. She and her husband David, along with their two little ones, Rylan and Cooper spent the day with me and our girls. It was a gorgeous fall day...we thought it would be well spent at Rutgers Gardens. Cooper is a little one, but the girls had a blast running around the gardens, investigating the flowers, plants and trees, and just acting like normal preschoolers. It was great to see the Neumann family-can't wait til they visit again in June!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Harriet and Doug are expecting twin boys in just about two months!! Nikos and Eddie can't come soon enough. We are all very patiently waiting for their arrival. They were showered with lots of baby gifts at the Pines Manor on October 12th. So many of the gifts were useful, creative and very generous. Kathryn attended-as she put it, "She couldn't wait because she had never been to a baby shower in her ENTIRE life." I was very proud of her for sitting so nicely as Auntie opened her gifts. She did help unwrap a few, and grew very excited at all the tiny baby things. Perhaps my favorite part of the day was watching my brother walk into the room with a Minnesota Twins jersey on that read "Schneider 2" on the back. Very creative. Not my idea. Wish it was:)

I took the girls to their first Rutgers football game when they played UCONN for homecoming. We got there a little too early, but that was OK...the girls soaked up the atmosphere-watching tailgates, clapping and dancing with the band, and admiring their Grandpa's brick outside the stadium (see photo). Bill was working at the stadium until the end of the third quarter, but thankfully Kathryn and Madelyn were very well behaved the entire game which made it a very easy and fun day for me!! Madelyn and I even went into the Rock the Vote van, and stated why we think it's important to vote. Madelyn yelled the names of the candidates. The workers there were impressed she even knew them. Not a typical two year old:)

My dear friend Kim, who is like a sister to me, delivered her second baby on October 21st. A baby girl, Emily Isabella. I was up all night waiting for the wonderful news-felt like I was having labor pains myself. Visiting the maternity ward at a hospital is the BEST. Holding Emily was an amazing feeling. I took our girls to their home to meet Emily and visit with her big brother, Matthew last week. Kathryn asks me each day, "Mommy, when can we go again?"

Trick or treat? Snow White and Minnie Mouse had a great Halloween, starting with Kathryn's party I described above. After coming home to rest for awhile, we ventured out to Metuchen to trick-or-treat with three families from Kathryn's preschool class. After each house, Madelyn would comment, "Mommy, next house?" When she figured out what Halloween was all about, she was in heaven!! As I say often, Madelyn is our little chocoholic. We ended the day at Grandma's. Of course she had plenty of treats for her little sweethearts, and they helped her to give out the candy to the little ones who rang her doorbell.

Obviously, the BIGGEST news around here, is the election of our new President, Barack Obama. Kathryn even voted for him in her pre-K election. History in the making...the scary part is that the next time there's an election, Kathryn will be 8 1/2. That's not too far away. Thanks for reading:) Love to all!