A "Whale" of a Time

That's exactly what we have planned for Ashley Kate and our family this weekend. On Friday afternoon she will be the guest at the "home" of a rather large "friend". I'm super excited for her! Ashley Kate (for some unknown reason) can identify and sign all forms of sea life from starfish,to lobsters to dolphins, to crabs, to octopus, to just about anything you can find under the sea. I can just imagine the look on her face as she gets the opportunity to be up close and personal with so many of them. You should have been there as we had to pry her away from the dirty fish tank at the Bass Pro Shop a couple of weeks ago. All that was in there were a few large catfish and she was THRILLED. Trust me when I tell you she is in for a "whale" of a time this week.

So I have approximately two days to finish our laundry, pack a few bags, and load the RV for our little family "vacation"(we didn't really go on a trip this year with the kids so I'm calling this little jaunt down south a "vacation".) Dave and I are really looking forward to squeezing in this last weekend of summer with the kids just having fun. We talked about a few options and the older kids REALLY wanted Ash to have this opportunity so we're going for it. Technically school begins tomorrow for Allison, but we are leaving town Thursday evening so it is what it is. Blake begins his new school Monday morning and if I think too much about it I tend to have an increase in my heart rate and feel as though I'm going to be sick. He is SO looking forward to it and all the opportunities it holds for him. I am too, its just going to be tough sending him to a public school for a few days. I know I'll get used to it and I know he's going to do just fine.

With the end of summer comes so many new changes for our family. We are settling in to our new home. Blake has the whole new school thing going, along with playing football for the first time in his life. He's not really interested in football, but apparently its what you do in athletics during the fall season at a public school. So he's been working out for over two weeks with the guys and getting adjusted to the whole idea. Who knows? he'll probably do great. Allie has the whole middle school thing going, and the idea of attending school without Blake there with her has been an adjustment. The newest thing in her world is the beginning of volleyball. Again, she has NO interest in playing, but at our school girls are NOT allowed on the soccer field even though our entire district plays coed. Go figure? She either has to play volleyball or sit out of athletics until basketball season. Which by the way has been planned as my return to coaching. I coached for 6 years, and then have not been back since Ashley Kate's birth. So if she stays well enough to stay home this fall then I will be coaching once again( a little excited about the opportunity and whole lot nervous). She will be starting a new soccer team this fall and Blake is still playing baseball this fall for our Tarheels. Goodness there is a lot of stuff going on! Football, Volleyball, Soccer, and Baseball. Lots of practices and games. Changes for Ash are in the works as well. She is being evaluated soon in this school district and will be adding more therapists as well as teachers to her weekly schedule this fall(oh, by the way I've got some pictures to share with you of her from therapy this week. She's just so cute!). She is also going to begin riding again. We are still hopeful for the hippotherapy to jump start her nervous system and lead her to walking and talking. Speaking of walking the plan is to have her evaluated for leg braces as well, and by the end of the year we will probably have moved her over to a more traditional style of wheel chair.

So...with all of this on the schedule we are taking this weekend for our family to run away and have a "whale" of a time together. I can't wait. More than anything I'm looking forward to the drive and the opportunity to visit with everyone all together. I love that! If you don't hear from us until Monday don't worry. It means I'm packing and oranizing for the trip or that we've already left and are having a great time. Hope your week is going well and that your fall plans are gearing up too. Its almost time to build the pumpkin patch out front and that has me absolutely beaming inside!