April 7, 2008
It has been an amazing adventure for our family.  Autumn is now six years old and enjoying kindergarten immensely.  Our fifth Gotcha Day anniversary was just two weeks ago.  It's amazing how fast it has gone!

Autumn went on her first star gazing campout in September, accompanied by her world-famous grandfather astronomer.  We checked out stars and counted the meteor shower.  Now she points out Orion's Belt anytime we're out at night and the stars are showing. 

Her school has an extended year -- about ten months, and so has three two-week vacations during the year, fall, winter, and spring breaks.  For Fall Break we went to camping north of Los Angeles, visiting the beach and an SCA event called the Great Western War.  It's a medieval festival held once a year, and we had fun watching all the knights fight it out.  

For Winter Break we went to Flagstaff and had a wonderful Christmas with family.  And for Spring break we returned to see everyone again and for me to help my father on several of his projects.  

Autumn lost her first tooth in December, and lost the second the very next day!  For about a month she had a double row of teeth on her lower jaw before they came out.  Shark girl, we called her.  

Now her upper two teeth are loose, looks like she'll be losing those soon.  

Her reading skills have been improving steadily.  She just passed Word List 13 in kindergarten.  They are called sight words, words that she should be able to read without needing to sound them out.  She works hard to read, at the store, in the car, and at home.  She's doing fantastic.   

I've been gathering stuff for backpacking.  Picked up a small backpack, sleeping bag, and pad for Autumn.  Bought a lightweight backpacking tent.  Lise and I backpacked together ages ago, back in our youth, and I did quite a lot when I was a kid.  So there's nostalgia associated with the whole experience.  Autumn likes her pack, and is excited about her first trip.  Hopefully we'll have a good time on our first outing, later this spring.  Physically, we're going to try to take it easy.

We're also looking at summer programs for Autumn, and gasping at the prices.  But we're optimistic we'll find something fun and educational for her to do for the two months of summer break.  For one week of that we'll be on a trip to San Francisco, but for the rest she'll need something to do, rather than hang out at home and say how bored she is.

The Photos