Jim is working in Los Angeles with Union Bank for the foreseeable future. He usually leaves on Sunday night and comes home on Thursday night, so we get him at home for a couple of days at least!
Aidan is in sixth grade now and finding it not quite the breeze that school had been up until now. He is in band and advanced math, in addition to his regular schedule, and is discovering what homework every night really means! As far as I can tell he is making progress on his trumpet - just not very quickly. :) Sixth grade advanced math is really seventh grade pre-algebra, and they are already deep in the solving equations thicket. I think it's awesome - Aidan? Not so much.
Esme is in third grade now and breezing right along of course. She was tapped to run for student council secretary; wrote and delivered a terrific speech and campaigned hard, but didn't garner enough votes for the second round. We are super proud of her for trying anyway! She is going gung ho in piano and seems to have learned way earlier in the game than her mother that fast and loud isn't always the way to play. She has joined the Grand Rapids Musicians League and will be competing in a sonatina festival in November, and in the GRML festival in February.
Aidan's school pics were taken on the first day of school, so his are back already. Esme's will be another week or two. He looks very grown-up. :)
Three weeks ago on the way to Los Angeles, Jim was seated next to Craig T. Nelson, among many other credits the voice of Mr. Incredible in The Incredibles. He brought home Mr. Nelson's autograph for Esme - it's already made the show-and-tell rounds. :) The following week he flew from Detroit to Los Angeles with Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn, who were returning from a Star Trek convention in Montreal. He brought their autographs for me. :)
The Hollopeter reunion was in Michigan for the first time ever on Saturday 10 September 2011. I hope everyone had an awesome time, we sure enjoyed helping Mom and Dad to host it - even the months of cleaning and planning in which we participated! Here's the whole gang (except Jim, who was taking pictures).
And here are the first cousins and their mom/aunt Hazel who were able to make it: from left Ken Post, Jim Crandal, Stan Richter, Sylvia Jones, Rose Griffith, John Hollopeter, Hazel Crandal, Jim Crandal, Rick Crandal.
In October we're looking forward to our family vacation to southern California. We're planning to spend some time with our Thompson cousins and our friends the Roizenblatts; we'll hit Disneyland & California Adventure, SeaWorld and the San Diego Safari Park, and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Jim and I just booked our winter getaway to Jamaica for January. We're very excited. :)