August 31st Update

Dear Family and Friends,

It is Sunday afternoon. Danny is at a movie with Andy (Star Wars), and Maddi, Ella and I are hanging out enjoying a lazy afternoon. Each day last week got progressively better for everyone. Highlights are as follows. 1. Maddi started Carmel College and likes it better. She went all week and had a much better attitude. It still is not the best yet, but I see her trying harder. She also started The Northshore Swim team and it is very similar to FAST. She is expected to make 6 practices a week which I think is insane, but she said she wants to try. I asked the coach if she could come to less and he said 75% of practices our the expectations, but if she wants to improve any she should make all 6. PLEASE!!! I just nodded and said we would try. We went and saw Mama Mia and loved it. 2. Andy is liking his school. My treat of the week was when I picked him up on WED and I asked him about his day and he said "It was great". That made my day. He really is enjoying it. He plays basketball for his school team. He had his first game on Thursday and he loved it. He has homework every night and he is doing it. My kids now call snack TEA as that is what they call it here. Andy has been so good with Ella. They play together, and fight together as usuall. 3. Ella started school last week and loved it. She goes on Mon and Wed from 9:00-1:00. She loves it and the teachers are so nurturing. I also take her to a dance class on Thursday mornings that is 1 hour long that she really enjoys. I like it as well because there are a lot of other moms I can talk to. 4. Danny is doing well. He had a 2 day class last week which gave him a reprieve from working on projects that are really hard right now because is is very new engineering to him. He bikes to a ferry and rides the ferry to work and than does it on the way home as well. We went to an indoor aquarium on Saturday. It was such a fun day for the family. We saw penguins and a shark display. There was so much to see and a great thing to do on a rainy day. 5. I am doing well. Each day I see my family a little happier and adjusting I feel better. There is a lady that lives right down the street from me that runs a swim pool catered for swimming lessons for kids. She is looking for instructors, and I am hoping to work for her on the days that Ella is at school. I hope to volunteer at Andy's school some. I was invited to a health club that is 10 minutes from my house by some ladies that are at Ella's dance class. I plan to check it out some time next week. It is about 55 degrees and we are off to walk on the beach. I hope all is well. Love Suzy