football and fish

I'm fully back to school now, even spent a night away from the girls on a overnight retreat for the middle school.  We're beginning to settle down at school, but the girls have just gone right in stride picking up with our nanny Chelsea.  The girls love her and it makes me so happy to know that they are so loved during the day.  Although, when I was gone and Dave came home, Catherine brought Chelsea her shoes, put them down in front of her, and said "bye!" and waved.  Poor Chelsea didn't know if she should be offended, or proud that Catherine knew that it was time for Chelsea to go.  I'm going with the latter.  They are both so smart.  They now empty the dishwasher for me, handing me the plates to be stacked and put away.  They both are bouncing now, especially Catherine.  She can hop all the way across the living room!

In the meantime, we've been cheering for the Gamecocks.  The girls get so excited when we play 2001 and the fight song.  They cheer and wave their arms.  Every time the crowd cheers they clap their hands and hold them up for a touchdown.  I'm so proud of them.  I can't wait until I can take them to campus and see a game.  I think I may cry when it happens.  Sometimes I am so amazed that I can have such an emotional reaction to a place, especially one that isn't my home.  But it was my home for a time, where I met some of my best friends, and where I met Dave.  It is a place that changed my life and I want the girls to know it.  So Go Gamecocks!  I don't care if people stare at us when we all go out wearing our jerseys.  We are proud!

We recently went to a family party and my cousin took some beautiful pictures of the girls.  They were so good while we were there despite the fact that they barely slept all day and were up way past their bedtime.  I was proud of them.

There were fish in the pond behind Aunt Eleanore's house and we had to rush to keep the girls from getting in the water.  Shish!!!  They are trying so hard to say that word.  They love the fish in my dad's tank too.  So we bought the girls some betta fish and you can see their pictures below.  I picked them out and personally I think they are beautiful.  There were also ducks, which the girls noticed but didn't care a whole lot about.  That is, until they began quacking.  Then Catherine did this...

They just love animals and wildlife so we watch a lot of Jack Hana on TV in the mornings and go to the science museum a lot.  Thank goodness it is free on Wednesday afternoons for Durham residents.  I do see a family membership in our future, good thing it is cheap.

This is Cocky.  He is a halfmoon betta fish.

This is Pete.  He is a halfmoon double tail betta.