Thanks so much for the compliments! I feel like I know you guys. Ansypants & chris - you've BTDT, great with practical advise, La Texican has a wickedly good sense of humor, Madoosa LOVES HER BOYS.

It's seems like we have to be really careful who we share with IRL so it was fun to post pics here. My kids have always been almost freakishly kinetic/sensory - early motor skills, good balance, etc.

DS10 moved up to a tougher ski racing league this year, from local to regional and his best finish was 11th. He is so into it - studies weather patterns to know what type of wax to apply to the skis in the morning, talks about the different sounds the skis make in the snow depending on how icy the course is and how much carve he is getting out of the ski depending on the beveling of the edge. (I didn't start skiing till I was 35 and I'm pitiful!) Sensory-wise, he does things like touching and smelling new clothes before he will try them on. He often does the same with food. And the other day I bought memory foam bath mats for him (I knew he'd like the softness) to use in front of his bathroom sink and shower. When I went in for goodnight hugs, I saw that he put one on his desk under his computer so his hands would rest on it and the other over his pillowcase...kinda quirky.

DD is mello and messy, loves her gymnastics (she is fearless on the beam and has 5 NV State gym titles) and learns best by hands-on. She loves science and her favorite part of 4th grade was dissecting a squid. She loves to read Lemony Snickets and thinks she's bad at math but scored at 96% on MAPS.

This fall will be the first time they will not be in the same class. DS was accepted into the SWAS (School Within a School) for 5th grade. They will both take the EXPLORE in October and we'll go from there.

Love this forum and find it a little addictive - have to check in at least once a day to see how everyone's doing smile