The madness begins...

This is the week, today is the day. It all begins. Julia's very first cheerleading practice is at 4:45 and Girl Scout Twilight Camp is Mon-Wedn. She's actually double-booked already. Cheerleading practice doesn't end until 5:45 and Twilight camp begins at 5:30! The first half hour of camp they're eating anyway, so Julia will eat in the car on the way there. Practice will be Mondays and Thursdays, so it's the only day it will overlap with camp. Some of her Brownie stuff came in the mail today: her handbook, sash, some pins and patches, and a Brownie t-shirt. Her uniform should be here next week, which is fine since the meetings don't start till September. We aren't even assigned to a troop yet.

School starts a week from today, and my mom sent her the cutest outfit that she'll wear, unless it's too cold. I'll take a pic and post it after I drop her off. She got a huge box filled with Hannah Montana stuff from my parents: t-shirt, pencils, bracelet, notebook, etc. They also sent Aiden and Lexie some things, plus some grocery items that they don't carry at the commissary. Aiden can't do without his certain brand of granola bars! Thanks again, Mom!

On Sept 3, ballet starts, and that will be on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4pm. She's anxious to see if this class will be like the one she did in Melbourne. It's on a month-to-month basis, so I assured her that if she doesn't like it, she can try the jazz class in October. And if she doesn't like that, there are loads of other activities she can try, or she can just do Brownies and cheerleading. There's also the AWANA club at the Graf chapel on Sunday afternoons that she might join. She's going to be a busy girl, but I like the fact that she's trying new things. There was a time that she would not have been comfortable doing that.

Wally was stoked to learn that soccer and baseball start at age 3 here, so Aiden will be able to participate next year. Aiden LOVES to play ball, they even play "pretend ball" in the house: Wally pitches the pretend ball, Julia swings the bat, and then Aiden runs to go get the ball. He'll stoop down and pick it up and say "Got it!" and come running back with....nothing...clenched so tightly in his little hand. It's adorable. Then he throws it back to Wally so he can take his turn at bat. It's a very good rainy day activity!

Wally's birthday was nice. We went to Weiden because there was another fest. This was a smaller one, but they had pony rides, so the kids were stoked. The also rode the "bumpy cars," as Aiden calls them. Julia even rode the kiddie bumper cars all by herself! It was so cute. Julia jumped on a trampoline in this harness so she could go really high...I'm sure there's a name for it, but I don't know what it is. We had fun, then went to an amazing Chinese restaurant near our house, at Wally's request. He loves their shrimp fried rice and so do the kids. We came back home and sang Happy Birthday and ate some of the cake the kids and I made the night before. It was very good. Wally insisted that he didn't want any gifts....that going to Prague to see the Gamecocks play WAS his gift, but I couldn't let his birthday pass without a little something from us. So I surprised him by getting him something he REALLY wanted...a new pair of Oakley's (sunglasses) since he lost his before we moved. He was surprised and happy to get them. All in all, it was a great day.

For my birthday in a couple of weeks, we decided to go back to Prague. We only really got the one day there last time, and there's so much to see. And it's only 2.5 hours away, you can't beat that. I can't wait! :)

Okay, got to get a few things done before Aiden and Lexie wake up from their nap and we take Julia to practice. Much love!

PS: I will add pics from the fest and Wally's birthday later.