Off to a Great Start!

Since the kids have been in school for over five weeks and mid-terms were posted last week, I think it's about time for me to get the first day of school pictures loaded!

Here are a few things that have changed in our home since August 12th, the first day of school:

It's a 5:55 a.m. rise & shine for the girls now rather than the summer 11:00 a.m. wake up (6:15 a.m. for mom)

The big, yellow "monster" whisks them away each weekday at 6:47 a.m.

Leighton's wake up call is 7:45"ish" with bus pick up at 8:38 a.m.

Leighton and I get to enjoy breakfast together every weekday morning

Spanish is being heard/practiced daily in our home

Not one but two two flutists in the family now with 150 mins. practice for each girl-weekly

Six hours a week of practicing football

Four and 1/2 hours of soccer practice a week for Olivia

One and 1/2 hours of soccer practice a week for Alex

Much of Saturdays and occasionally Sundays are spent at kids' sporting events

Homework overload for Alexandra (average 2.5 hrs. nightly)

Evening dinners at 8:30 p.m. when football practice runs late!

Trying to get the kids in bed by 10:00 p.m. - crazy, but true! rarely happening for Olivia

Still lovin' life and thankful for each and every day!

With all the above going on and this as your grading scale:

A+	100
A	95 - 99
A-	93 - 94
B+	91 - 92
B	87 - 90
B-	85 - 86
C+	83 - 84
C	76 - 82
C-	74 - 75
D+	72 - 73
D	67 - 71
D-	65 - 66
F	64 and below

As of mid-terms, between the three kids, they had:

2 ~ A+'s

8 ~ A's

6 ~ A-'s

1 ~ B+

I'd say they're off to a GREAT start!! Keep up the excellent work!!

8th Grade

6th Grade

3rd Grade

Cutie Patooties! Whatcha thinking Olivia . . . maybe four more hours of sleep??

Back pack and grocery sack filled with school supplies!

Scenes from Summertime '09 (thus far)

Summer is passing by way too quickly, doesn't it always? As I look at the calendar, the kids start back to school one month from YESTERDAY!! I can't stand the fact that school begins so early in August, but I guess summer has to end sometime so we go with the flow.

We just got back yesterday from our summer trip to South Dakota and had a great time (blog coming soon). I first must catch-up with what has happened since school got out May 28th.
For starters, we didn't realize three years ago how convenient it would be for Rich to take the girls to school when he began working at WIF. Their intermediate and junior high schools were located about five minutes from Rich's job. Both Rich and the girls have had the huge privilege of spending some extra time together in the mornings driving/riding to school on occasion. Besides, getting in dad's car at 7:20 a.m. sure beats the 40 min. bus ride at 6:50 a.m. Here they are leaving on the last morning of school. The school they will attend next year is in the exact opposite direction of Rich's work so I'm (they are) afraid the rides will be few and far between.

*Dad driving his Daisies*

The last day of school!
Olivia arriving home from her last day of 7th grade and her last day at Fishers Jr. High.

Both Olivia and Alexandra will be redistricted to Riverside Int. & Jr. High. Olivia was sad to say goodbye to friends she had met in 5th-8th grade who she will not be going to high school with. The new school that they will attend this year does not feed into our high school but it will be fun to meet new friends and have many old ones too! Who can argue with having too many friends?

Alexandra felt differently about saying goodbye to Sand Creek. She is looking forward to all the new adventures at Riverside. She will attend this school for three years, as long as we are not redistricted - again! Three years seems to be a long time to attend one school in this growing district! Here's our antimated child arriving home at the end of her great 5th grade year and, might I add, straight A's all year long.
























Mr. Leighton finished 2nd grade with having one of the best teachers anyone could ever ask for! He had a tremendous year and grew (literally) academically in many areas. As a result of receiving very high math scores on the Terra Nova standardized test taken in Feb., Leighton was invited to be placed in an advanced math class for the coming year. He also became quite the "techie" guy. His teacher often asked him to help the other students with their power point presentations, etc. He was her "go to" boy, and what a boost that was for his confidence!

You're usually not as tall as your teacher in 2nd grade!

Hello Third Grader!!

Leighton's class did an end of the year presentation for the parents. He chose South Dakota as his state to research and Mt. Rushmore as the national landmark to present.

We had many baseball and soccer games to attend this past spring/summer session. Leighton sure loves his baseball and soccer is the sport of choice for both Olivia and Alexandra. This was also the first time for

Oliviva to play co-ed. To her, the thought of playing with and against boys was quite unsettling until after the first practice. She had a change of heart when she realized that they brought more competition to the game and they weren't too tough on the girls. In fact, the girls gave them a run for their money!


Baseball!


Leighton loves to pitch and catch
Leighton & his buddy, Timmy, along with the dads


As an early birthday gift, my parents took Leighton with them to a Cubs/Reds game in Cincy via a motorcoach. What a fun gift and fun time.













Waiting for the bus!


A visit from the Minnesota Moorlachs

Rich's brother, Brian, and his family came for a visit in early June. While they were here we took in an Indpls. Indians game, two of Leighton's baseball games, Olivia's soccer game, Alexandra's soccer game,(sorry about our game schedules!) a little swimming, a little bike riding, some pizza, and just some good family time.












Cousin time












Give us your best smile!

Happy Father's Day

Family over for dinner on Father's Day evening.



Grandma Marilyn Visits!

On the same day that the girls and I picked Marilyn up from the airport, Rich and Leighton left very early for Madison, WI to meet Rich's brother, Brian, and his son at a Twins/Brewers game. The boys had a great time at the ballgame, "dining" at Fuddrucker's, and swimming at the hotel. We, on the other hand, had a terrific girls' night out! What can beat Olive Garden and some shopping at Hamilton Town Center on a gorgeous summer night? Not much!

It's fun to swim with grandma and refreshing, too!

On Saturday evening, Alexandra had a birthday party to attend and Olivia worked at the Fishers Freedom Festival selling cotton candy. We decided to go on a "double date" and let Leighton have the privilege of choosing where we would eat dinner. Let me just say "bravo" and thank you, Leighton, for choosing Bravo! Good choice, my son!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE SUMMER FUN TO COME!

The Greatest Gift!

For the last few years, around the first part of May (just in time for Mother's Day) talk of getting a new bike for me would come up. Mother's Day would come and go and no new bike, which was actually fine with me since I had a nice Huffy that got the job done. Yet, on bike rides I did notice everyone else gliding on their bikes while I was "huffing" - thus the name I guess.

Last Friday, Rich and I had the opportunity to go to the track for a nice lunch in the suites right on pit row and watch the drivers practice for the big race. We had a nice afternoon and on the way home we just "happened" to go right by the bike shop; this time we didn't pass by it.

We went for a family bike ride on Sunday evening and let me tell you, I'm gliding now!

Is this bike the greatest gift that I mentioned in the title?

NO!

The gift that Leighton made in his classroom on Friday afternoon at nearly the same time I was picking out my new bike is the Greatest Gift! Nothing on this earth can match a child's heart. The handsoap container that he decorated for me was a darling gift, but it was the following letter or "newscast" written by my eight year old boy that stole my entire heart.

This little boy is going to be used in incredible ways!

Mother's Day ~ 2009

The following is the original transcript:

Dear World,

Guess what? I have the best Mom in history of Moms! How you say? She is a child of God. This is her who made goodness. Oh, she has everything good! She has nice red hair, just like the sunset. She gives me food and the crowd is going wild! If there was a contest I would enter her name. If you want to talk to her, remember she looks like a great person, that's why she is the best. Let us give it up fooooor KATHY MOORLACH

pg.2

Oh yes! I'm not done yet. She works in my class room. What's that, you think your mom is better? Well, I can go on and on talking about my Mom. She gets my school stuff. The one that I like is, drum roll please, she brought me into the world, she raised me! Me, Leighton Moorlach is going to cry. Goodnight! By the way, my Mom is better!

Leighton