Best Day of Tate's Life

You have to read what Tate wrote about the best day of his life.  I am not sure what my favorite part!

Holly spirt

Today at Religious Ed EB wrote this letter to the Holly Spirt. I really thought it showed her heart.

Holy Spirit, 

I am thankful for being able to have food when others do not, and having a great, wonderful and kind and loving and caring family, and having a warm and safe place to call home.

My Baby is 9!

Tate!

I cannot even believe my baby is 9! Where did time go? He is my sweet, loving, smart, soccer playing, Michigan cheering, video playing little boy who just happens to melt my heart. Seems like just yesterday he was born! Happy Birthday Tate Wilde Daniels!

The Chalkboard -- done by Harper

His birthday cake made by Grandpa and decorated by Harper.  Of course it is a Michigan cake.

Happy Birthday Tate!

Tate and Daddy

King Thomas the Train

Mickey Mouse Tate

Sweet Tate

5 year old Tate


BABY TATE PICTURES TO COME SOON!

Fortune Teller

EB was working for hours in the craft room and she was BUSY!!!! She wanted what she was working on to be a surprise. She was making a huge fortune teller! She was so excited to have it done it melted my heart.

Rock On!

EB is a good sport.  She's been dragged to soccer games, water polo matches, swim meets, countless practices and she doesn't participate in any of these activities.  She deserves a sport of her own and she's decided that's rock climbing.

We've made our base camp at Vertical Endeavors, in Warrenville.  They have amazing facilities.  Here's what the short walls look like on a Saturday morning before the crowds arrive:

This is truly EB's sport and it plays to her strengths in a way no other physical activity has.  It gives her focus:

It channels her stream of energy, and gives her body the feedback she craves.  No other OT activity centers her like rock climbing.  It gives her tremendous confidence.

EB is truly at home on the climbing wall.

There's another reason we chose Vertical Endeavors.  The company leads tours up Devil's Tower every summer.   When we visited Devil's Tower in the summer of 2011, EB was captivated by it.

I thought it was pretty cool, too and EB and I were scrambling over the boulders at the base in no time.

Now, EB and I are training for a summit attempt, next summer.  We've invested in gear and we'll be playing this sport together.  EB's so excited, she went as a rock climber for Halloween.

Here's a phenomenal picture of the Durrance Route, which is the way we'll be getting to the top of Devil's Tower.  

This is easily the best photo I've found, and I'd like to give credit (and link to a larger version) here.  

We haven't had any formal training yet, but we'll be taking a lot of classes over the next 7-8 months.  In the meantime, she seems like a natural to me.  She certainly got some oohs and ahs and she climbed the chimney:

Great job, EB!  Just 470 more feet to the top of Devil's Tower!

Michigan Soccer Tournament

Today we went to see Michigan v. Northwestern in soccer for the conference final at Northwestern. I took the boys out of school two hours early with their two friends.  It was a super fun day and the best part was that Michigan won 3 to 0. Not sure if the boys liked watching the game, playing on the turf or talking the players and getting autographs best. It was just a great time, so glad I took the afternoon to take the boys.

Getting ready for the game to start.  We had to change seats shortly after the picture was taken as we were surrounded by Northwestern fans.  Fisher would not look at the camera, all eyes were on the warm-ups. 

Tate all smiles waiting for the game.

Tate and Jackson decided they were going to keep score of the headers in the game.  They counted 138 headers total and had to move on to a few more pages. 

Some half-time fun.

This picture cannot capture the smoke coming off of Fisher's head.  He is laughing because we thought his hair was on fire.  He had just finishing running on the turf and it was a bit cold and as they were getting some snacks steam started coming off his head.  The concession lady thought she saw smoke and we all started swatting at his head thinking he was on fire.  He thought we had lost our minds!

Waiting to see the players after the big win!

Tate!

Tate and Finn patiently waiting for autographs.


Ignore the blurry video -- I had no idea they were going to sing and it was so much for  the team, the parents and the boys to sing!  Tate said he wants to watch it over and over.  

Halloween Candy -- Who is Guilty?

Harper went to sit down on the sofa and went to move the pillow and found this....

Tate's punishment was getting his picture taken with the candy -- he was mortified by this!  Really though Tate, don't you think you could have hidden the candy better?