Corn kernels.......

Today was supposed to be the perfect day.... Katherine and Caleb had the day off school so I organized a neighborhood outing to the Center Grove Apple Orchard. I had packed a picnic lunch, the sun shining, and we were going to be playing outside all day with friends. Sokolowski's were riding with us so we had a packed car... 6 kids in total -- tons of laughter planning all they'd do that day.

Unfortunately, things didn't go exactly as planned.... As soon as we arrived, the kids immediately wanted to go into the "corn pool" which is a huge pit filled with corn and surrounded by slides and bales of hay. We walked in and I took out my camera, but couldn't get it to work. I fiddled around with the settings and made sure it was turned on, but still no luck. All of a sudden it dawned on me -- I had forgotten my my battery. Really??? I couldn't believe it. As luck would have it, Julie also shoots with a Cannon, so I was going to snag her battery, but it wasn't compatible. Strange, but true. So we decided that I'd just shoot with her camera, but I wanted to put my lens on it.

All of a sudden, Caleb starts screaming. The look on his face told me that something was SERIOUSLY wrong. He looked totally panic stricken. It wasn't a "I'm in pain" cry. There was pure panic and fear on his face. He wasn't OK.

I ran over and dropped next to him in the corn. He was beside himself. He was terrified and couldn't talk right away. It pained me to see him like this.

Finally I got out of him that he was making "corn angels" (similar to snow angels but in corn LOL) and a kernel went into his ear. I got him out, looked in the light and didn't see anything. Julie (who is a pharmacist) also thought it looked fine. Caleb INSISTED that something was in his ear.

I took him outside, pulled his ear lobe back to get a deep look in the canal. I saw what I thought was earwax. Before today, I had never thought of it, but dried corn and earwax are pretty much the same color! LOL!!

*** The worst thing about this whole ordeal was that the kernel was in his bad ear. If you ever noticed in pictures, Caleb has two different ears. They don't match at all, and the one causes him a tremendous amount of grief. Normally, it is much fatter and sticks out from his head much further than the other ear. When he's sick it sticks out even further, gets fiery red and runs a fever. This ear is the reason that you've never seen a picture of him without a collared shirt on. It's too painful for him to wear a regular t-shirt.... pulling it over his head brings tears to his eyes. So polo shirts it is for my handsome little guy!

Anyway, Julie and I finally could see the kernel so I ran to find a tweezers. Neither Julie or I could get it out. We could feel it, but couldn't get close to grabbing it. I called Dr. Jon's office in a panic. The office girls told me he was totally full, and I should take Caleb to the walk in clinic. That wasn't happening!! I told them to go talk to Jon and assured the office girl he'd see Caleb. Around this point, my phone loses signal. I call back, and explain the situation again and then hang up. I have no clue what on earth I was thinking. I was about in a panic! All of a sudden, I break down, tears in my eyes, thinking about going to some hack in the walk-in clinic, and my poor little guy enduring a broken ear drum. I call back a third time, and the office girl told me that Jon was with a patient, and his nurse was going to talk to him. 15 minutes later, he gets on the phone with me, and tells me that he won't be able to get it out either. I need to take Caleb to an ENT as they have special tools and a vacuum to get it out.

OK, at least Jon was honest.... he couldn't do it, but of course, the walk-in clinic wasn't an option either.

The rest of the day was a blur. We decided to stay and let the rest of the kids play, since going home wouldn't do anything for Caleb's ear. The kids played in the hay maze, enjoyed the picnic and jumped on this huge pillow thing. It's like a trampoline but about 40 yards long and doesn't drop off on the side like a trampoline would. Katherine put on quite a show. Kids stared at her in awe as she did back handsprings down the entire length of it -- maybe 9 or 10 in a row. Julie got it on video, and the funniest part is watching all the kids standing and staring at her! LOL.

Right before we left, we went out to the orchard and picked apples. The kids climbed the trees and Andrew ran up and down the rows of trees screaming in delight. Thankfully, Julie took tons of pictures, and as soon as she sends them I'll post pictures!

In order for me to get Caleb to the doctor, we had to do quite a bit of shuffling. His appointment was at 4, so Matt came home from work while Andrew napped and a friend took Katherine to gymnastics, which started at 4:30.

First of all, the ENT was great. He had a fabulous bedside manner and related to kids wonderfully. I think they immediately assume that kids shove things into their ears and up their nose when something is lodged. However, after talking to Caleb for a few minutes, it was clear that this wasn't the case. This was a one in a million shot and that kernel landed just right. He took a quick look and said that it was lodged in his canal really far, and that it was possible that he might have to be put under and have it surgically removed. Oh. My. Goodness. Really???? He said he know if he could grab it or not right away......

He put a little device into Caleb's ear that widened the opening as much as possible and took out a LONG (maybe 12 inches or so) and super thin rod. He told Caleb to hold as still as possible and pulled it right out. He then showed me the device he used. It had a tiny claw on the end that he used to grab the tip of the kernel. *SIGH* What a relief! He told me that if the kernel had gone into his ear any other way, he probably could not have grabbed it.

We then went on to talk about that ear. He noticed the difference right away, and without me saying anything. DUH, that's his job! LOL! I told him how much trouble he had with it, how it hurt him, how he only wears polo shirts, how it runs a fever when he's sick, etc..... and the ENT mentioned that if Caleb was his child, he'd have plastic surgery done to fix it. It was an easy fix, especially given the fact that he'll be in sports, wear helmets, and socially, it'd be nice to have it fixed. I've thought about having it fixed many times in the past, but today, hearing an ENT tell me that I should have it done, is really making me think. He gave me name and number of a plastic surgeon here in Des Moines that just does surgery from the neck up. UUUUUGH.

Hub of Activity

Preparations for Caleb's big bash are under way! While I'm trying to decorate, fill goodie bags, cook and wrap presents, Caleb is in his element. He helped me for a while this morning, but then knocks kept coming to the door. First Chase, his little buddy down the street, to show off his new Spiderman Halloween costume. Then Collin to have lunch with Caleb and play for a while... Finally, Chase came back over and the three boys are livin' it up. They're playing basketball and air hockey in the basement. They've had their fill of "treats" from the pantry, and now all I hear is random hoop-la and laughing.

I love that our house is the hub of activity. I love it that Caleb's friends want to come and play here. I love it that I know his friends and they all know me, and that they feel comfortable here. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

Now ... if only Andrew would nap!

It's almost here!

My little Caleb will turn 5 on September 14, and he's been counting down the days since Christmas. Oh, how I wish I was kidding! LOL!! Seriously, the countdown has been on for months and he is so excited that he can hardly stand it! Thankfully, we are finally down to counting the hours rather the weeks and days.

Friday night we are having a bash for him. He has chosen a soccer theme, since that's his new favorite sport, and we found the most adorable cake for him. He's super excited about it! He also wanted a pinata, but not a soccer ball one..... he wanted either Batman or Superman. He told me to pick out what I liked the best -- after all, if I liked it, he would love it! I ended up finding a huge Batman pinata, and he and I spent the afternoon filling it with all sorts of goodies -- candy, gum, play-doh and random prizes. He originally thought it would be a good idea to put money in as well, but thankfully I was able to talk him out of that!

Tomorrow after he's done with school, we are going to assemble the treat bags, and get ready to party! I'm so excited for him! He's been waiting for this weekend for months and I'm finally glad it's here!

Oh, and I had to share this.... I ended up buying him a plasma car. I hope he loves it! It's one of those things that no one else in the neighborhood has, so I hope it'll be something new and exciting for the kids to play with! Can't wait to see him give it a try!!

Oh and one little funny that is soooo Caleb.....

He loves fruit. Absolutely LOVES it! If he could eat nothing else, he'd be one happy camper. One of his favorite outings is a trip to Costco to pick out a cart full of juicy treats. (Yea, he's a quirky one!!) So, last time we were there, he chose, among lots of other things, a huge crate of plums.

As soon as we got home, he asked to have one ... or two ... or three.... I finally had to tell him that he had to stop or he'd be sick. He looks at me, gives me a non-convincing look and says, "AAAWWWW, come on Mom. It's like your grounding me from plums!"

Preschool begins!

This year I agonized a million times over the right place to send Caleb for preschool. Should he go to Tiny Treasures, the Lutheran preschool that Katherine attended for three years? The school he went for the last two years? The school I loved and was very involved in, including sitting on the board that ran it? The school where we met so many wonderful people and made life long friends? OR ... should I send him to the Johnston public preschool -- a totally new place (to us) where all my neighbors were going and so many kids from here in town go? He'd go into kindergarten knowing so many more people..... The curriculum at the public preschool feeds right into into the kindergarten curriculum, which I liked. Oh, and he'd have Friday off, which means a "Mommy and Caleb" day -- also a plus since he'll go to school for the rest of his life.

I was so conflicted. I made lists detailing the pros and cons of each school. I asked the opinion of so many people, listening to what they said and filing it away, but always knowing I'd send him exactly where I wanted to... regardless of what anyone else thought. Everyone kept asking me about it ... Where was I going to send him? Which way was I leaning? When would I decide? I had no answers. Seriously, when August 10th rolled around, I was no closer to making a decision than I was May. This was one of those decisions that made my stomach hurt. UUUUUGH! I was so afraid of making the wrong decision.

Miss Jessica, from Johnston, called and wanted to do a home visit. When she arrived at the house, she was pleasant enough, and we got along well. However, I didn't instantly love her, and I should, right??? She just finished her masters degree (in education no less), and gave me tons of detail on the curriculum and the kid's daily schedule. She talked directly to Caleb, and she clearly loves kids, but I was still hesitant. Caleb was not. He liked her -- which was HUGE in my decision.

Ironically enough, not more than 30 minutes after she walked out the door, his would-be teacher from Tiny Treasures called, wanting to set up a home visit. I nearly puked. Seriously. Decision day was on my door step and I still didn't know what to do. Matt was no help. His frequent advise was "it's just preschool. Make a decision and go with it". Thanks a lot....

Finally, I decided to send him to Johnston. It started a week earlier than Tiny Treasures, and I figured if he didn't like it, I'd switch. After all, I had a spot in both schools.

On the first day, he had a blast. He met so many new friends and has three of his neighbor friends in his class. He loves his teacher, and although I still had reservations, we decided to stay. At this point in his "education career" the only thing that really matters is that he likes school, and that he does!

So -- here he is on his first day, August 30th.

With Collin, one of his best friends, and our backyard neighbor.

Check out the snazzy Spiderman backpack. Each year, my mom buys the kids backpacks from Potterybarn as a "back to school" gift and Caleb absolutely loves his!!

Look at those smiles. He can't wait to get to school!

The first week went well. He loves school, loves learning, and loves his teachers. Oh, and going to school with three kids that he knows so well, isn't bad either.

So a week later, I'm relieved to say that I honestly believe that I made the right decision. It's a great school, and he is SO happy there. It's the perfect fit for him -- thank God!! So here's to a great year!!

Back to school!

Today was Katherine's first day of school .... my baby girl is now a second grader ..... aaahhhh, it seems like every year at this time, I sit wondering where the time has gone.... How quickly the days, months and years are flying by. I really try to cherish each moment with her ... enjoying every moment of her smallness -- her sweet innocence -- her zest for life. She's turning into this amazing girl that I am SO proud of.

Every year, I make her favorite "reverse" chocolate chip cookies on the first day of school. It's a chocolate cookie with white chips and she'd eat a dozen if I didn't stop her! So while she was working hard this afternoon in school, Caleb and I whipped up a batch.

Here she is eating her absolute favorite cookie and enjoying a gorgeous afternoon with friends. (For some reason all the pictures uploaded backwards...)

Caleb with one of his best friends, Collin. It's funny -- today I went to the zoo with some neighbors (Andrea, Carolyn and Kristin), and as we were at the playground a lady stopped the boys and and asked them if they were brothers. Caleb just laughed and said "NO"!, she then asked if they were cousins, and again he laughed and said, "NO WAY! He's not my family, just my best friend"!

They boys in our backyard right after eating the cookies Caleb made!

My little Katherine.... a newly turned second grader.

Katherine with her best friend Olivia.

Just off the bus!!

This is one of the main reasons I love our neighborhood. These are the kids who get off at her stop, and there are several more stops in our neighborhood..... These are her friends. These are the kids she's grown up with since birth. These are my friend's children. When she remembers her childhood, it will be filled with many memories of each person in the picture. I can't express in words how special this neighborhood is ... how much laughter fills the air, how many great friends she has here, how much warmth and love exists here. We laugh about it, but it's true... this neighborhood is like 1950's America.

Getting off the bus!!

Caleb getting ready to grab Katherine off the bus. He couldn't wait to see his big sister!

I drove Katherine to school today -- I just had to get some "school" pics!!

This is Katherine in her classroom. She is super excited to finally get a desk this year! This girl is ready and eager to learn!!

This is her teacher, Mrs. South.

Putting things away in her locker.... Notice the lunch bag in the top shelf ... she won't even eat a hot lunch on the first day! LOL!!

See the heart pillow on the floor??? Her teacher asked each child to bring a small pillow that they could sit or lay on while they read. We found this little gem at Target and it's been quite the hit!!

Walking into school --

Heading to school! She was so excited about going to school this year!

Harsh...

This afternoon, before Katherine's regular gymnastics class, we had to run down to the gym to pick up the official invitation package for pre-team. This class is the bridge between the recreational classes and the competitive team. Katherine has always been in an "invite-only" class, but with this pre-team invitation, it's the first time she's been officially considered on the competitive side of the gym. She could not be happier!

When we opened the invitation package and I started reading, I almost couldn't believe the contract we have to sign. Oh baby ... it's harsh. No doubt about it -- they mean business. All of the fun and games are over.

The letter started by congratulating Katherine on all of her achievements thus far, and told her that they see great potential in her future. She has what they are looking for -- strength, flexibility and attitude. It went on to say that they have chosen her and want to work with her. In turn, she has to choose them. It is a great commitment on the part of her, us as parents, and them as coaches. We all need to be on the same page going forward.

Speaking of going forward... the letter then went on to say that this was an invite only class and that at the end of each trimester she would be tested. They expected to see progress in her gymnastics -- both strength and skills, and that at the end of each trimester they would re-evaluate her, and she would either be asked back, or wouldn't be.... Just this year, one girl only made it one trimester. UUUUUGH!

So we have to sign the letter, including a sheet of rules and regulations, and return it back to the gym if we could live with all of the stipulations. Katherine was ready to sign on the dotted line immediately, but I really wanted to sit down and explain to her *exactly* what this letter said. I told her what they expected of her and that any time she could be moved out of the class. Oh, and the conditioning -- it's a totally different animal now... 5 minute handstands against the wall, 5 laps around the floor of squat jumps, oodles of sit-ups, v-ups, push ups, wheel-barrows, pull ups, etc.... I didn't want want to sugar-coat any of it. I really wanted her to go in with her eyes wide open. She looked me right in the eye, and said, "Mommy, how would I get any better if I didn't get stronger"?

I went on to tell her that I always wanted her to have fun in the gym and that when the day came that she wasn't having fun anymore, we could explore other activities. At this point, she laughs at me and says, "Mommy, it is FUN when you get better, and to get better, I need to work really hard and get stronger. I'm not afraid of anything in that gym". Needless to say, when Matt got home, he sat her down and had a similar conversation with her to make sure that this was REALLY what she wanted.... and of course, it is! She just looked at him and laughed in delight most of the time!

That's my girl. She loves gymnastics and is willing to practice harder and longer most other girls her age... which is why she's landed in the spot she has, at one of the best gyms in the nation. She has more heart and soul than anyone I know. She is determined to succeed, and truly grasps what sacrifices she'll have to make to reach her goals. Regardless of where this crazy gymnastics dream takes her, she's learning valuable lessons about life. Hard work, determination and finding a goal worth sacrificing for will get you anywhere in life. She's mature beyond her 7 years. She "gets" what many adults still don't. AAAHHH, I'm proud of her!

Congratulations to Katherine!

Shortly after we arrived at church today, I got an email with "Congratulations to Katherine" in the subject line. It was in all bold and from from Chows. Li (Chow's wife) was writing to officially extend an offer to Katherine to join pre-team. I didn't say anything, just handed my blackberry to Katherine and let her read it. Her eyes got as huge as saucers and she started jumping up and down. She has worked so hard for this, and I could not be more proud of her.

It's a well known fact that any of the girls in her current class could go to any other gym in town and make team. She could compete this year. In fact, every girl that got "cut" from her class is going to be competing this fall for other local gyms. However, Chow doesn't believe in level 4 gymnasts competing. It's not worth the time or effort on his part and he doesn't want to burn the girls out early. He takes them along VERY slowly, and drills form into them. As a result, Katherine is very strong for her age and size, and what she does, she does it well. On pre-team she'll be perfecting her level 5 skills and then competing either next fall or the following year. It just depends on how quickly she perfects her skills.

She has worked so hard for this. It's something she's done all on her own, and I am so proud of her dedication and persistence. There's been so many days when most kids would have quit, but not Katherine. She truly loves gymnastics and is willing to do what it takes to make her dream come true. I love that about her. I really do.

Oh, and in other news..... Friday night I got a call. An older girl on team had a bar (the gymnastics variety -- sorry Danyel!) and was looking to sell it. She called to see if I was interested.... One thing led to another and we currently have a gymnastics bar in the basement. Oh man ... she LOVES it. Most girls her age dream of dolls. Katherine dreams of gymnastics equipment. LOL!!

LCB

What is LCB you might ask??? Oh, it'd be Caleb's new nickname -- courtesy of Matt, and a VERY poor choice on Caleb's part....

Caleb isn't a kid who makes snap decisions. He thinks things through, analyzes all options and considers all possibilities before rushing to judgement. He's a kid who totally grasps "delayed gratification" and doesn't follow the crowd. Which is why I was totally shocked at his decision tonight. UUUUGH. Part of me wanted to scream at him, and the other part of me had to conceal my laughter...

Matt and I decided to take the kids out for ice cream. On the way home, Caleb asked me if I'd like some lip chap. I said "no thanks" and took some out of my purse and put it on. He was all the way in the third row seat of the Sequoia, and it was too far to throw a tube of lip balm back and forth... Several minutes later Matt made a comment about being able to smell lip chap. I told him it must have been mine. How wrong I was!

When we got home, I opened the door to let Katherine and Caleb out of the back seat. One look at Caleb, and I was immediately horrified. He used the ENTIRE tube of lip chap and rubbed it all over his face (including, but not limited to, his cheeks, nose, forehead, chin and ears), arms, hands, legs, feet and neck. He was so greased up that he couldn't even hold his cup without it slipping out of his hands! And his face ... it looked like he stuck his head in a bowl of whipped cream. Oh my heavens... I about blew my top. I couldn't let him walk into the house by himself, because he decided that the bottom of his feet needed a little "lip chap pedicure" as well. I was furious! I carried him upstairs to my bathroom and lectured him the entire way. It was straight into the shower for him!! But of course he needed to use the bathroom first. When he got off the toilet, I threw him in the shower only to realize that the toilet lid and seat were totally greasy! UUUUUGH! So there I am, fuming about Caleb's wonderful decision to lube himself up with lip chap and scrubbing a toilet. It wasn't pretty, I assure you!

While I'm scrubbing him down in the shower, Katherine and Matt gather to watch the little show. I asked him what on earth he was thinking and why he'd do such a thing, and he answered me in this sweet little voice, "Mommy I didn't want my forehead or legs to get chapped". At this point, I had to walk away. Part of me wanted to snap back, "if you do this again, you better save some for your rear because I assure you that WILL be chapped"! and part of me had to bite my tongue to stop from laughing. As much as I tried to keep my game face on, my anger quickly turned to laughter. But I couldn't let him see me losing it. Katherine caught me and immediately joined in. In no time, we were all laughing. He was so innocent. He thought that if it worked on lips, it should work everywhere, and while I'm sure it would, I can assure you, he won't be given another opportunity to find out!

So what is LCB??? Lip Chap Boy. That's my Caleb.

My heart melts....

It's been a whirlwind last couple of days....

Each summer, Andrea, Julie and I get *dozens* of ears of corn.... shuck them, cook them, cut the kernels off the cobs, and then freeze them to eat during the long Iowa winters when these lazy carefree days of summer have long passed. It's such a treat, and the kids .... well ... they love it. So yesterday, we spent several hours working on the corn and chatting while the kids played and swam in the backyard. They had a blast, and truthfully so did we!

Now -- one thing about the corn that truly deserves mentioning. (Especially for my friends who don't live in Iowa)... When you live in Iowa you NEVER buy sweet corn in the grocery store. No... you buy it either at a gas station or bank parking lot, from a guy in a pick-up truck, who picked it fresh that morning. And you NEVER buy it a day ahead because that same guy will be there tomorrow with fresh corn. It's soooo much better than anything in the grocery store. Totally yummy!

So while we were working on the corn project, Katherine and Jenna decided that they wanted to have a slumber party later that night. So after we got home from gymnastics, Jenna came down, and within minutes the house was filled with Barbie dolls, dance music and laughter... oh the laughter. How I love it! Proof positive that they were having a wonderful time together.

They finally went to sleep after watching a movie and eating popcorn in the basement. I assumed that they'd (actually Jenna) would sleep in after a full day of swimming, playing with friends and an exciting sleep over. No such luck! When Andrew woke up at 6:15, Jenna was already up and playing Barbies. Katherine was still sound asleep in bed. In Katherine's world, 6:15 am might as well be sometime in the middle of the night. It's WAY to early to be awake and among the living. She'd much rather sleep in! (Yet another reason why she is sooo my daughter! LOL!!). In any event, we were all awake by 6:45 am, and I was showered and ready for the day! Typically, my kiddos don't wake up until sometime after 8, and it could be as late as 8:45!

I made them pancakes for breakfast, and then it was off to spend the day at Adventureland with Matt, Jenna, Nate and the Launderville's. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The kids went on tons of rides, checked out the new addition to the water park, saw lots of their other friends both from school and Chow's and cooled off by eating ice cream at the end of the day. Andrew got to ride on his beloved train, and he was screaming "CHOO --CHOO"! the whole time we were on it! He LOVES trains, and was in Heaven the whole time!

When we got home, I laid Andrew down for his nap and Katherine and Caleb wanted to chill out and watch a movie. A few minutes later, Katherine came upstairs and we read together. After a while I told her that I was going to check on Caleb. She immediately told me that he was sleeping. I still wanted to make sure he was OK..... I found him curled up in his favorite chair sound asleep just as Katherine said. But what I saw absolutely melted my heart. Katherine had put a pillow under his head, covered him with a blanket and tucked him in. It almost brought tears to my eyes. She was so thoughtful, so caring, such a wonderful big sister .... all without being asked. She did it because she loves him with all heart and wants to make sure he's taken care of. It's in these small moments that I realize I've done something right as a parent. And in ordinary moments like this I realize she's an extraordinary girl.

Tomorrow morning, we're off to book club. The moms sit around and discuss the book (and lots of other things) and the kids swim in the backyard. Then, Matt and the kiddos are heading to LeMars and I'm staying here. It's going to be a quiet weekend for me -- scrapbooking, spending time with good friends, and relaxing. I'm looking forward to it!!

Slumber party!!

Today hardly seems like a Friday. I don't dare say it... but it really feels more like a Saturday (which thankfully it is not)!!

Matt had a work dinner last night, and when he's gone on these type of work outings, he usually doesn't get home until 10 or after. Last night he pulled into the driveway at 7:15. He looked horrible, was running a fever and super achy. Needless to say, he went right down to the basement and stayed as far away from the kids and I as possible. The rest of us don't need to get sick! I brought him down some Advil, water, and saltines, but other than that, the kids and I kept our distance.

All day today he's been feeling horrible. Fever, achy, chilled ... the works. If he doesn't feel better by tomorrow, it's off to the doctor!

So anyway... Libby came to clean today. Oh man... it was perfect timing! She cleaned our room first, and then Matt went up there while she cleaned the rest of the house. That way the "germs" can be contained, and the rest of the house can be sterilized.

Since Matt and Andrew would both be napping at the same time, I took Katherine and Caleb to Despicable Me in 3D. We stopped and picked out yummy treats and enjoyed the show. They loved the movie. I'm not sure if it was the actual movie that they liked so much or just going. In any event, it was a huge success!

Olivia, Katherine's best friend, had planned to spend the night tonight, so as soon as we got home I called over to her house and she came running! The girls have had a blast! We ordered pizza, they played American Girl Dolls, we went to the park and there were tons of girly giggling and outright laughter. Love it!!

Oh man... it was so hot and humid out tonight that as soon as we go to the park they were ready to go. They wanted to keep riding their scooters to keep cool. So away we went! (I had Caleb and Andrew along since Matt was sick). They rode and rode... The sky kept getting darker and darker. Finally, I insisted that we head home and as we were pulling in the driveway, I could feel a few drops. I walked in though the garage door, looked out in the backyard and it was down pouring. Literally, it was coming down sideways! Caleb has been laughing all night that we made it home just in the "nick of time"!

The girls are finally in bed ... chatting away, giggling up a storm and making plans for tomorrow. I love that! It's so great to see Katherine developing friendships and really growing into a wonderful girl. I fondly remember those days, and I'm so glad that she's enjoying every minute!

Oh, great news!! I was called for jury duty starting next week, and as much as I want to fulfill my civic duty and understand the importance of it (after all, I was a breath away from going to law school when fate took my life another direction), I wasn't overly thrilled at giving up a week of summer vacation to do it. I am juror number 480. In Polk County, you are instructed to call in Friday after 5 and they will tell you if you have to report. They only got to 285, so for now, I'm safe. I need to call back in on Tuesday night (to possibly report on Wednesday), but my neighbor who is one of the district attorneys, says that several trials, including his, for this week were moved. So maybe, just maybe, I won't be called!

Oh, and as I type this... I still hear chattering and giggles! Katherine and Olivia are having a wonderful time!! I'm just hoping they get a little sleep!

Going .... going .... gone!

Last night, an unexpected, and huge thunderstorm rolled in and rocked our little corner of the world. The winds were howling and it was it was raining ....errr... down pouring. It was blowing so hard, I could hear it howling around the house and when I looked out the window the rain was coming down sideways. UUUUUGH....

When I woke up in the morning, the news channel was reporting 70 mph winds and 1.5 inches of rain. Holy cow! I walked downstairs and Matt shot me a look. "Look out in the back yard" he tells me.

There I see Katherine's most beloved trampoline. It has been transformed into a heap of mangled metal bars. The protective netting has been ripped away and the rods holding it up are now bent beyond repair and touching the ground. Oh... it wasn't a pretty sight!

Immediately, and without discussion, we decided to buy a new one. After all, Katherine is on that thing every day ... literally, and practicing her gymnastics. I feel so badly for her. When she walked downstairs this morning, she came and cuddled on my lap. I told her to look out in the back yard. The poor girl ... immediate tears. We assured her we'd buy a new one, but it just broke her heart...

We (read Matt) spent the better part of the day taking it down and trying to decide how to dispose of it. Oh, but get this.... Matt had it anchored into the ground with huge steaks and a metal chains around the legs. The clasps on the chain held, but the winds were so strong that it literally pulled the links apart. Holy winds!!

So now we are on the lookout for a new trampoline. Matt found one he liked on the Internet, and he's going to get a new system to secure it into the ground. Hopefully this one lasts a little while longer than a couple of months!!

In other storm news... Our neighbors in the back lost a huge tree. It came crashing down right through our next door neighbor's fence and took over a good chunk of their back yard. Two other huge trees also came down on the street causing quite a bit of damage. It was crazy around here this morning!!

Andrew has been under the weather lately. He's had a stuffy nose, breathing problems and a low grade fever, so Matt took Katherine and Caleb to church while I stayed home with him. It was a perfect excuse to spend a little time snuggling with just him and them we took off to survey the damage. Let's just say, that given the damage I saw around here, we got lucky!

The Slide arrived...

One of the kids' favorite things of summer is their big Banzai water slide. I decided to buy it for them last summer when Andrew was a baby because I didn't feel comfortable taking a 9 month old baby and Caleb who was 3.5 at the time to a public pool by myself. There was too much risk for something to go wrong.... Anyway, welcome water slide! My kids LOVE you! Actually the neighborhood loves you! LOL.

If you've been reading the blog for very long you know we have a neighborhood FULL of little kids. Literally, somewhere over 50 of them, and let's just say.... when the water slide is out, our backyard is the "hot" spot for sure.

Last night I took Katherine to try on dresses for my sister's wedding. We found some really cute dresses that will work perfectly for both Morgan and Katherine as the dresses come in several different sizes, but still cut the same. So the girls are super excited about that! There's nothing better than getting a brand new super fancy dress! Katherine was equally excited about the shoes. She's "hoping" for something with a little heel!

Anyway, while we were gone, Matt put up the water slide for a party Katherine organized. She invited all the little girls from her gymnastics class over, and had planned activities, treats and trampoline time. However, when the neighborhood kids saw it come up they instantly asked if they could come over too. Katherine wasn't "thrilled" with the idea, since she wanted it to be just her gymnastics friends (and one little boy she invited for Caleb to play with -- how great is she??? I mean really? The thought of not including him didn't even cross her mind. She wanted him there, wanted him to have fun and made an effort to make sure that happened. Love that girl. Love her big heart. Love how thoughtful she is).

Everyone arrives at 1 and the slide goes up. Water is everywhere. Little girl laughter and screaming literally fills the backyard. The show they are putting on in the trampoline resembles circus monkeys! 7 girls arrive, plus Jenna and Olivia her friends from the neighborhood, plus the two older sisters of the friend she invited for Caleb and she has a rockin' party in no time -- music and all!

At this point, several of our neighbors start coming over and before you know it, we've got 23 kids in the backyard. Julie, my friend from gymnastics, couldn't believe it. They live on an acreage and don't have any neighbors. When kids come to their house they have to go and pick them up. No one just shows up. Her kids don't have instant play dates, and her house isn't filled with commotion.... I love it. I love knowing what my kids are doing and who their friends are. I don't mind feeding an army or having my backyard flooded. I know the kids my kids call their friends, their friends know me, they are comfortable at our house and want to hang out here. I love that now and in 10 years it will be invaluable.

duck attack

This has been a really great and super busy weekend! Last night we had Todd, Caroline and the boys over for a little Cool Basil take-out and we broke out the giant water slide for the first time. It has been far too rainy this summer to purposefully drench the yard, so this was a big treat for the kids. They played on the slide for no less than 3 hours, ate outside and then got cleaned up and went to the fireworks in West Des Moines. It was a late, exhausting night with lots of laughter and great memories.

This morning we got up early and went to gymnastics. When class was over, we headed straight home, changed Katherine's clothes and took off for my nephew Leo's birthday party. His party got over at three and Katherine had another birthday party tonight at 4. The second party is a sleep over at Jenna's house.... Her first sleep over birthday party to be exact. 8 other little girls were invited, and I have to say this.... there is NO WAY I'd let her go if Jenna's mom was not one of my good friends, and I didn't know the ENTIRE family VERY WELL. Oh my goodness... it's all I can do to stop my fingers from dialing the phone right now and telling her good night! It's so strange not having her here!

So while she was gone, Matt and I took the boys out for dinner and then we went to feed the ducks -- which was Caleb's pick of activities. They had so much fun!

The highlight from the duck adventure was Andrew's little run in with a Canadian goose. He was perfectly content to watch the geese and eat the bread himself. Clearly the pizza at dinner didn't fill him up! LOL. Anyway, one of these aggressive geese ran up to him and snatched the bread out of his hand. Oh my goodness! I wish I had it on video! He squealed with laughter and couldn't stop throwing bread at them from that point on. He loved it!

Here's a few pictures -