Looks like I kind of missed September. Oh well, nobody reads this anyway. :)
Things have been busy, things have been better (mostly), and I keep forgetting to bring my camera to various events. A lot has been going on, hence the lack of posting!

The kids are all in school, and doing well. Eleanor is going to Chinese school every Sunday, too, for Mandarin and Chinese dance lessons. Sarah is in the city's youth volleyball program, with practices on Thursdays and Fridays, and games every Saturday. I've been thinking about enrolling Genevieve in gymnastics, but figure that we have enough going on (and she bounces with or without a trampoline). At least, we may wait until the volleyball season is over.

Here's Eleanor in dance class. She's the one having her ballet position adjusted by the teacher's assistant. I loved watching these little girls with their intense, concentrating little faces. Chinese girls in ballet outfits are about as cute as it gets, period.

I've been sitting in on Eleanor's Mandarin classes, too. It's been good for me, and there is NO way I could help her with her homework if I didn't go to class. It's taught in Mandarin, so I have to concentrate very hard just to understand what is going on. Fortunately, I catch every other word or so, and I'm learning more characters than I ever did. Still, her homework instructions are written in Mandarin, the CD-ROM she uses for character practice is all in Mandarin, and the teacher's aide speaks NO English at all. It's a challenge, but worth it. It's been SO good to see Eleanor speaking some Mandarin again; I know she has lost some of her ability (she told me yesterday that the new Chinese teacher says "blah blah blah blah really fast" and that she doesn't understand it all), but she's picking it up again quickly. I had to stifle a chuckle on the "blah blah" comment - I feel the same way most of the time in that classroom, it's sort of like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher, only in Chinese!

We have a parent-teacher conference coming up for Eleanor tomorrow; I've been a little peeved with how things have been going in 1st grade. I won't say a lot more until I have a chance to talk with her teacher, but it seems they have been assuming a lot about little Eleanor and her ability to understand things. I would be less peeved if they thought she COULD understand more than she does (and she understands 90% of what you say to her these days), but her right answers on worksheets have been termed "lucky guesses" (yes, "lucky guess" written right on her work!) and her math abilities have been ignored because "1st grade curriculum doesn't go that high." Well, if things don't go my way at the PT conference, and they don't give her some 2nd or 3rd grade math to do pronto, I can tell you who will be "going that high"... as in teachers kicked to the moon! The good news is that Eleanor is a smart cookie regardless, and she's READING in English AND Mandarin! I'm very proud of her.

It would seem that Sarah is a lot more coordinated at sports than I ever was. She is loving her youth volleyball league. She's #3 in the picture above, and she SCORED on this serve. And the next one, too. Parents are supposed to be supportive and positive in supporting both teams and all the kids (which is what I intellectually would want to do). Still, I do have this dark yearning to say, "Atta girl, Sarah! SMASH 'EM!" Naturally, I don't say that, and call out "Great job," or "Good try," or "Good rally!" with the other parents. If only they knew the real me, eh? I don't worry about Sarah's academics or her parent teacher conference - she has her nose in a book about as much as most graduate students I know. And her books are probably more interesting reading than the books graduate students read, too.

Gennie has been spending Fridays at home with me, which has been good for both of our dispositions. She's in Miss Marion's preschool class for the rest of the week, and very proud of her preschooler status (not with the little kids, Mom)! I'm usually dead on my feet by Friday, and ready for playing My Little Pony in her bunkbed blanket tent. I have to admit that I'm sometimes tempted to have Swirlypop the pony need to balance her checkbook, but resist the urge. Gen is growing up too fast. I want to snuggle her more before she gets too big, but realize that holding her close won't slow her down. I love that her favorite book is Peter Rabbit, and that she loves mermaids and the park and really big hugs.

As for me, I'm leaving work at work, except for the work I do at home when I come home from work. It's all work when you're a mom. I finished painting and moving the girls into their own rooms, and I'm working on creating an office in the basement (soon would be good - the bedroom/office is kind of crowded, and I get grumpy about the lack of my own space at times). I bought a Prius for commuting - yay gas savings! I'm sewing the girls' Halloween costumes with the sewing machine Dave and Jean bought me as a belated birthday gift. I'm pretty much ignoring the garden, figuring the snow will be here by month's end, but will do some pruning, the last of the veggie harvesting, and some bulb planting soon. We also have a social worker coming for our 6-month post placement visit next week, and it would be nice to present an illusion of order and cleanliness. Fat chance.

I'll try to post again sooner next time!