Preparations

Fall is coming. (I know Megan is rolling her eyes right now, but let's face it - tomorrow it's September!) We had a few days off this week and decided to make the most of them by getting ready for some activities that are starting up over the next few weeks.

This fall, Liam and Mallory will both be participating in two activities. (And in the process, I think I just might lose my mind, but that's the subject of another blog post!) After spending two years taking skating lessons, Liam is going to try hockey, which I think for his age group should really be called "Skating just got easier because now you can support yourself on your stick". It will be interesting to see how he can handle being on skates while being covered in so much protective gear, especially since he hasn't been on skates since last April.

He will also be swimming and thankfully, his summer lessons advanced him enough that he can now join a 5:30 p.m. weeknight lesson group. We think this will be easier than the Saturday mornings we were doing last year, but to be honest - the hockey association still hasn't told us the dates and times of his hockey practices/games. So for all we know, the two will conflict.
Sigh.

Mallory is extremely excited to be starting dance lessons, though I am not sure what will happen when she realizes that 'lessons' does not mean 'run around like a banshee doing whatever you want'. We have enrolled her in a ballet/tap combo class that starts in a few weeks. She has been talking about it all summer long. I am glad that she is jazzed about the dance class, because she still firmly refuses to be signed up for more swimming lessons, despite having loved taking them in our own back yard. Part of me wishes she would get back in the water but really - she has been a little fish this summer, and I'm sure she will be for every summer from now on. If she doesn't want to swim over the fall/winter, then so be it. This also makes things a bit easier on us because she will also start skating lessons later in September and frankly, I think two activities for a three year old is more than enough.

So now we have the fun of dance on Tuesdays, skating on Wednesdays, swimming on Thursdays, and oh yes - two hockey events per week, still TBD. If I can make it to April while maintaining this schedule without losing my mind, I will consider it a job well done.

We took advantage of a vacation day today by going our separate ways. Chad took Liam out to stock him up on the hockey gear required, and I took Mallory to the local dance outfitters to buy her some tap shoes and ballet shoes. Mallory was very enamoured with the trip and loves clicking around in the tap shoes in particular. I think Liam was only enamoured by how funny he looked walking around in his jock and nothing else, with his butt cheeks hanging out. He is turning into such a little boy - bawdy humour seems to be his favourite kind.We spent the rest of the day floating around in the pool. This might be our last kick at the can for 2010 - we are trying to soak in every last minute of it.

P.S. Can I put up my Halloween decorations now???