Best Time of the Year

It was a Tuesday, so therefore we did some piano - as you would expect.  Here she is, just before class.

She's done a lot more practice on her Christmas song than she needed to, and as a result was a little more behind on other songs.  I think she'll catch up this upcoming weekend just fine.  We've got all kinds of carrots to dangle for rewards - some things she doesn't even know about yet.  It's all little stuff, but she loves it all the same.  The positive reinforcement is really working out. 

It was Taco Tuesday when we got home, so there was that.  Madison did so well on her Indian test (that we overstudied for) - she was so confident getting home.  She could use her notes, she said, but she didn't even need to.  She was the first one done. 

The reason for all this was this extensive study guide that came home, and we were under the impression that the test would be something that you needed the study guide for.  The end result was a whole lot of studying yesterday, when in fact we didn't have to do all that much.  Oh well, Madison knows a whole lot about Indian culture now, more than the three of us certainly did two days ago.  We're all a little more educated now, right?   

This was a big event:  there was also the start of a new book from the Qwickpick series tonight before bedtime.  The three of us got together for the start of this one, a book about a rat with a human face.  We don't know what that means right now, but everyone is intrigued!

This morning we started things out right:

Yeah!  That's what October is all about.  With the new milk that Daddy can have, life is grand!  We've got the three basic food groups above, and with those, your day starts out just right!

Tonight's October movie was the first live-action Scooby Doo, which Madison requested.  Daddy is going to have to start plugging Monsters University though, as I can't wait to see Don Carlton again.  We always liked this character, and it's the season for these sorts of movies.

Daddy was working ahead of time on a few worksheets for this series, which included work on this maze below, which features Stinky Pete.

We did a lot more than that, of course.  There's a lot to do here lately, as things are gearing up for all kinds of holidays.  Can you believe we're already almost halfway through October?  The neighbors are putting up decorations - Madison loves the one house that has skeletons standing around, or climbing into the house, or in one case walking a skeleton dog.  There are lights galore, just as if it were Christmas, only these are orange and purple and green, mostly.  Our house has some pumpkins that Ye-Ye cut out, and Mommy painted orange.

It looks nice out front with the scarecrow and such.  And the weather outside is so perfect right now.  It's chilly in the morning, but the afternoons are just right.  These next three months are the best time of the year, with so much to do, the weather just right, and happy times together.