Connor and Ella were having a blast playing "tackle" football in the front yard. Ella loves to go outside and play with the big kids. Connor is really good to take her outside and play with her. She loves to play rough with her big brother. Paige and Clara (our cousins) came over to join in the fun. This was the only decent football we (as Auburn fans) saw this weekend!!! 
Ella and her friend Alyssa started a Cheernastics class this week. Ella didn't want to do anything at first. She stands on her head and does flips off the couch all the time at home, but she was acting really shy around all the other kids. Alyssa was doing everything the instructor was telling the girls to do and Ella was just standing there with her arms crossed. Ella told me later that evening that she "was embarrassed." Toward the end of the class she started participating a little more. Her favorite thing to do was the back walkover (over the barrel). I think she had more fun playing with Alyssa than anything else. It was really funny to watch all these little girls try and do what the big girls were doing. One thing is for sure, the girls teaching the class don't get paid enough! :-) 
I'm surprised Connor didn't turn into a prune while we were at the beach. All we ever saw of him was his feet sticking out of the water. He was either snorkeling in the ocean or diving in the pool. On our last day we couldn't get in the ocean because the beaches were closed due to the hurricane. Connor was disappointed at first but soon realized he didn't want to be in the ocean when he saw the size of the waves. They were about 6-8 feet high. Look at the last picture and compare the how high the wave breaking in the background is to Connor. It was pretty awesome. We had never seen the ocean that rough.
Ella had a blast playing in the sand and ocean this year. She was less scared of the ocean than she was the pool. Unfortunately there was a lot of seaweed and the beach was closed one day because of Gustav. We're going to start swim lessons this fall to help her get more comfortable in the pool.
This is the first year that beach pictures weren't a struggle. Ella is finally old enough to bribe! :-) That made all the difference in the world...Connor is always good, but he's reached the age that he doesn't want me taking pictures of him all the time.
Today was Ella's first day of Preschool. She has been so excited about starting school. She did really well and went right in. David was able to go into work late so we could both take her on her first day. Her teachers said she did great. She loves going to play with the other kids. She has two teachers...Mrs. Mickey and Mrs. Nancy...she calls them Mrs. Nicky and Mrs. Ancy.
