The Grays

My parents came in for another visit this past weekend. We had a jam-packed few days including a trip to Breckenridge (the fall colors are spectacular this year), bbq with the neighbors, shopping, movies, and great food. It’s always a fun time when they visit and the girls are counting down the days to Xmas. Thanks for everything!

While my parents were in town we took the opportunity to switch Robin from a toddler bed to a full sized bed. My Dad helped Bill put everything together, move furniture, and patch holes, and my mom helped with the décor. Robin LOVES her new ‘cupcake’ room and had fun inviting all of our neighbors in for a look. She has been sleeping great and enjoys reading stories to herself in her new bed.

We are almost 2 months into school now and feel incredibly positive about Lilly’s Kindergarten experience thus far. Her teacher is wonderful and I am amazed by how much Lilly has been learning. We had one rough week where it was difficult getting her up and out of the door to school but most days she wakes up, puts her clothes on, brushes her hair, and is excited to get out the door. She has 3 long days (8:30-3) of Kindergarten followed by KE and 2 short days (8:30-11:20) when I pick her up early so we can spend time together. Lilly loves to read and write and continues to surprise us with notes and new words she has learned to spell/read. She stays in her bed at night reading until we insist that she turns off the light, and she has made many new friends who live in the neighborhood.

On the days when I pick up L early, Robin is at school until 2:30 so we have time to hike, ride bikes, read stories, and go on ‘adventures’. I love my time with her and while the schedule we’ve adopted is demanding on me (I have 2 hours without kids all week), the girls are thriving and I think it has been the best thing for them. An exciting year for sure 🙂

Lilly has been doing karate for 3 months now and seems to be really enjoying it. Recently she was the youngest kid and only girl under age 10 to pass her ‘Tiger Test’ (and hold push up position for 100 seconds) and receive her patch. She has been awarded ‘kid of the day’ more often than not (at least 15 times by now) and her teachers are always telling me what a joy it is to have her in class. Karate has made her stronger, faster, and more confident, and we plan to continue for as long as she enjoys it. Boulder Rules!

So as I rushed to my first PTO meeting Robin was holding the garage door open to welcome her daddy home. While I was introducing myself and talking with friends Bill texted me that he couldn’t find Charlotte. After a few minutes of him not finding the cat (at this point I thought he was crazy, there would have been a possible 5 seconds of very bad luck when she could have potentially escaped) I left the meeting to come home and help look for her. Well, we looked in every corner, upturned the couches, opened every closet and kitchen drawer and she was nowhere to be found so at 5:50pm the official search began. Our neighbors on both sides helped us as well as the kids down the street. We searched trees, gutters, backyards, and at several points were absolutely positive that we heard her meowing. At 9pm, convinced I heard her down the street in a backyard, I started knocking on doors asking if I could search people’s backyards with a flashlight. Asnat stayed with the girls so Bill could search as well and I believe I was about to climb into a tree in the yard of a neighbor that I had only just met (convinced I heard C) when I got a phone call from Bill at 9:20 saying “Come home, Asnat found her.” After all that stress and time she was in the corner cabinet in the kitchen. The girls had gone to sleep not knowing if we would find her so we woke them both up with the news. We were overjoyed to say the least. This kitten has become a huge part of our family and we love her to pieces.