Today was a zoo day! The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining brightly (for a change) and the humidity was non-existent (also for a change). Perfect for spending the day outside with a ton of kiddos! I talked to Andrea and Julie last night and they decided to join us. So, between the three of us adults, we had 9 kids -- Julie's two, Andrea's three, and my three plus one friend Katherine wanted to bring with us. They were so excited!!
When we arrived, there were several buses and "child care" type vans. There was a line to get in the front door. It was BUSY! Evidently several people had the same idea that we did!
When we all got through the front door and organized to start on our trip, Andrea looks and Collin (who is 4), and says in her most serious voice, "COLLIN, you see Caleb? Stay right beside him all day. If you see him go somewhere, you follow him"!!
To say that I was dumbfounded by her comment would be quite the understatement. I immediately whipped my head around and shot her a look - all with my mouth hanging wiiiide open. I then said something like, "Are you KIDDING me? You want my 4 year old to watch yours"? They are a couple of little boys and if there is trouble to be found, they usually run right into it!
She then told me that Collin has a tendency to run off (no kidding! LOL) and that if he was allowed to follow Caleb around, he wouldn't wander off on his own.
OK, right.... I can't wait to see how successful this tactic is!
It was a great day. The kids had so much fun riding the train, playing on the playground, feeding the goats and fish and having lunch. On our trip to the African exhibit the kids got to get "up close and personal" with a giraffe and then found a nest of baby birds. I have to tell you... The baby birds was probably the highlight of the day!!
All of a sudden, Collin is missing. As in no where.... Andrea looks at me and says "do you see Caleb? Of course you do, because he's with all the other kids. He doesn't take off like Collin!" We spent the next several minutes looking for her little guy only to find him about 3 blocks away looking at some "skin and skull" exhibit. UUUUUGH! I then had to endure the "I told you so" baloney for the next hour!
Andrea had to leave the zoo a little early, so I took Katherine, Caleb, Andrew and Emma (her little friend) over for ice cream and a little more play time.
Oh, I almost forgot! At lunch, Emma had a loose tooth. I'm not sure what it is about loose teeth, but they just give me the willeys. UUUUGH. They creep me out! Katherine was telling Emma to just pull it out. So she did. Blood everywhere. I wrapped up the tooth, put it in my purse, and told her I'd give it to her when we got home.
We got home, I gave it to her and wouldn't you know... she lost it on the way home. The poor girl was in hysterics. Her eyes were swollen, she was sobbing, unable to breathe. She was SURE where she lost it, but couldn't find it. I sent Katherine to her house to get her dad and we all looked and looked and looked. Finally, her dad found it, slipped it in his pocket and didn't tell the girls. The tooth fairy has a BIG surprise coming!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Quiet... too quiet....
The house is quiet.... too quiet really. I'm not used to a quiet house. I'm used to a house full of commotion, full of laughter, full of life. Tonight, I have none of that.... Matt is on a work dinner. Katherine and Caleb are spending the night with my parents, and Andrew is sleeping (finally).
We had an amazing day. We woke up early and spent the morning swimming. Andrew had a blast. At first he was a little timid of the water, but once he saw Katherine and Caleb and all the fun they were having, he jumped right in. Literally! He had soooo much fun. He played his little heart out all morning.
We left the pool, ran home to grab Katherine's leotard, and took off for my parent's house. Today was a big day for little miss Katherine. Today was the day that we scheduled the movers so that we could inherit my parent's piano, and let me tell you.... she can't wait to start lessons. The movers were supposed to call me at 1:30 and arrive at 2. When 2:00 rolled around, I still hadn't heard from them ..... So I quickly called another mom whose daughter is in Katherine's class, and sent her to Chow's with them. (Class started at 3). FINALLY, at 3:15 the movers arrive . I understand that moving pianos for a living can be unpredictable, and they were super nice, so all was quickly forgiven. LOL. Since her class got done at 4:30, my dad went to pick her up and I went on with the business of moving the piano. After she got home we were all starving so I ordered pizza and Katherine and Caleb went home with Grammy and Pop-pops. They wanted to spend the night. I'm sure it'll be an early night for all. They've got to be exhausted!
Piano lessons start Monday, July 5th, and I really hope she loves them. I soooo hope she learns to play the piano. I just might start learning right along with her!
In other news.....
It's been a super busy summer so far. The kids have had swimming lessons the last two weeks. We've made trips to the Science Center, The Playground for Kids, the zoo, Adventureland, gone on lots of play dates, and took a little trip to LeMars for several days. Oh yea... and gymnastics three times a week. This past weekend was the annual Hodapp BBQ and it was a blast. I think the total was around 75 people.... Everyone had a great time, and it's become one of our favorite summer traditions. I've taken a million pictures so far this summer, but haven't had time to download and edit them yet.
Oh, one more thing....
I just registered Caleb for soccer this fall. He's in a 4/5 league, which is the youngest they start here in Johnston. Unfortunately, the way his birthday falls, I couldn't register him last year. So this is his first "organized" sporting experience. He can't wait. He's so excited about getting soccer shoes and his uniform. Several hours later, we have this conversation (out of the blue):
Caleb: Mommy, I wish Katherine was 5.
Me: Really? Why buddy?
Caleb: Because I'm 4 and a half, you know!
Me: I know you are. Your birthday is right around the corner though, and soon you'll be 5.
Caleb: Well, I don't want to turn 5. I wanna stay 4 and a half and I want Katherine to be 5.
Me: I just laughed...... Why???
Caleb: I want her to be on my soccer team, Mommy. She's my best friend and it would be so much fun with her there.
Aaaawwww.... he's so sweet. He's so blessed to have such a great big sister. She's so blessed to have an amazing little brother. They're so blessed to have each other. And, I'm so blessed to watch their relationship develop and grow. I hope they always stay close and make their relationship a priority.
We had an amazing day. We woke up early and spent the morning swimming. Andrew had a blast. At first he was a little timid of the water, but once he saw Katherine and Caleb and all the fun they were having, he jumped right in. Literally! He had soooo much fun. He played his little heart out all morning.
We left the pool, ran home to grab Katherine's leotard, and took off for my parent's house. Today was a big day for little miss Katherine. Today was the day that we scheduled the movers so that we could inherit my parent's piano, and let me tell you.... she can't wait to start lessons. The movers were supposed to call me at 1:30 and arrive at 2. When 2:00 rolled around, I still hadn't heard from them ..... So I quickly called another mom whose daughter is in Katherine's class, and sent her to Chow's with them. (Class started at 3). FINALLY, at 3:15 the movers arrive . I understand that moving pianos for a living can be unpredictable, and they were super nice, so all was quickly forgiven. LOL. Since her class got done at 4:30, my dad went to pick her up and I went on with the business of moving the piano. After she got home we were all starving so I ordered pizza and Katherine and Caleb went home with Grammy and Pop-pops. They wanted to spend the night. I'm sure it'll be an early night for all. They've got to be exhausted!
Piano lessons start Monday, July 5th, and I really hope she loves them. I soooo hope she learns to play the piano. I just might start learning right along with her!
In other news.....
It's been a super busy summer so far. The kids have had swimming lessons the last two weeks. We've made trips to the Science Center, The Playground for Kids, the zoo, Adventureland, gone on lots of play dates, and took a little trip to LeMars for several days. Oh yea... and gymnastics three times a week. This past weekend was the annual Hodapp BBQ and it was a blast. I think the total was around 75 people.... Everyone had a great time, and it's become one of our favorite summer traditions. I've taken a million pictures so far this summer, but haven't had time to download and edit them yet.
Oh, one more thing....
I just registered Caleb for soccer this fall. He's in a 4/5 league, which is the youngest they start here in Johnston. Unfortunately, the way his birthday falls, I couldn't register him last year. So this is his first "organized" sporting experience. He can't wait. He's so excited about getting soccer shoes and his uniform. Several hours later, we have this conversation (out of the blue):
Caleb: Mommy, I wish Katherine was 5.
Me: Really? Why buddy?
Caleb: Because I'm 4 and a half, you know!
Me: I know you are. Your birthday is right around the corner though, and soon you'll be 5.
Caleb: Well, I don't want to turn 5. I wanna stay 4 and a half and I want Katherine to be 5.
Me: I just laughed...... Why???
Caleb: I want her to be on my soccer team, Mommy. She's my best friend and it would be so much fun with her there.
Aaaawwww.... he's so sweet. He's so blessed to have such a great big sister. She's so blessed to have an amazing little brother. They're so blessed to have each other. And, I'm so blessed to watch their relationship develop and grow. I hope they always stay close and make their relationship a priority.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Flooded!!
It's been a day... a rainy, hot, humid day....
When I got out of the shower this morning, I looked outside. It was 6:45 and looked like the Heavens could open up and downpour. I wondered for a brief moment if swimming lessons would be cancelled, but then decided I better get a move on and start the day. Swimming lessons started at 8, and I didn't want to waste time by checking the weather.
At 7:15 the sky turned pitch dark, and the rain started. And oh did it rain! It rained and rained and rained. Seriously it was down pouring like I haven't seen in ages. Swimming lessons were cancelled, and rescheduled for 9:30. The kids looked out the window and called me over -- by the sounds of their voice, there was some kind of emergency. I looked outside and saw a 10 - 15 foot wide river running through our backyard. It finally pooled in Rick and Danyel's old yard and covered almost the entire backyard. The craziest thing is how fast this newly formed river was moving. "Gushing" would be a better word. Seriously it was moving! The amount of water was shocking! I wish I had taken a picture.... This is one of those "you'd have to see it to believe it" type things. The sheer magnitude of water rushing though our backyard was insane.
This went on for about 30 minutes when all of a sudden we lost power. Everything went dark. The rain stopped after about 35 or 40 minutes, but we were still without power. We got ready for swimming lessons and realized ... without power, we are stuck in the house. So I called my dad and he came over and "disengaged" the garage door so we could make it to swimming lessons. Funny thing is .... on the way home Andrea calls me and tells me that she figures out I don't know how to disengage the garage door, so she's on her way over to do it for me. She knows me well! LOL. She then tells me that we got over 2 inches of rain in slightly less than 45 minutes, and we won't have power for a few hours. 4700 homes were without power, and it would be a while before we got it back.
I get home to a sweltering house. It's now 90 degrees and HUMID. The house is unbearable. I tell Matt what's going on, and he's not the least bit concerned about the temperature in the house. He's worried about the sump pump. Oh my goodness. It never crossed my mind! Imagine that! LOL.
I go downstairs with a flashlight and look down in the sump pump. I can see water -- it's about 8 or 12 inches from the top.... I think. At this point, Andrea calls to tell me that she has water all over the perimeter of the basement. Matt is even more concerned when he hears that we'll be without power for several more hours.
Finally after 4 + hours the power comes on and all is well. I walk the basement looking for water and find none. Thank Heavens!
During this little power outage, the kids went down to the basement to play ... it was the coolest part of the house and also had good light. Morgan was over today too. I'm watching her some days this summer while Laurie is in school.... Anyway, all of a sudden I hear the most chilling frantic screaming/crying fit I've ever heard out of my kids. From the sounds of it, I was sure a limb was amputated. It was so loud and so out of the ordinary, I honestly didn't know who it was.
As I'm rushing to the basement door, I hear Morgan yell, "I'm gonna go and tell your mom"!! OK, so it's either Katherine or Caleb, and from the sounds of it, they're in serious trouble. I race downstairs to find Caleb absolutely beside himself. He's screaming and crying and shaking. He's jumping around, kicking his little legs around in a dance and shaking his hands at warp speed. Tears are streaming down his face and he can't breathe. I scoop him up and try to talk to him, but seriously he can't answer. He is in a different world!
I finally figure out that he's not hurt.... he's scared .... and sorry. Evidently he kicked the ball and it hit the light fixture in the playroom and it came crashing down, shattering on the carpet. I've never been so relieved in my whole life! LOL.
We then had a long talk about the fact that I'd never be mad at him for an accident. He was playing and having fun and that's what he's supposed to do in the playroom. He was so sorry! I kept telling him that it wasn't a big deal, and that he did the right thing by telling me the truth. I felt so badly for him. He just felt horrible! And seriously in the grand scheme of life, this was no big deal! I didn't yell, didn't raise my voice, didn't do anything but smile at him, but he still felt AWFUL!
It was at this point that I decided that Caleb needed to clear his little head, so I packed up the kids, and we went down to the Science Center for a few hours. Seeing him that upset just broke my heart.
*************************
Tonight I went out for dinner for one of my friend's birthday. As I was leaving our development I saw 4 service vans at different neighbor's houses ..... two Servicemaster, and two random. Carpet pad was lying all over their driveways. On the way home from dinner I saw several more. Literally, maybe 8 or 10 trucks total. It seems that everyone I've talked to has water in their basement. I'm not sure how we were able to escape, but thankfully we didn't get water in the basement. I will say this..... as soon as Matt gets home from Canada, we are buying a battery backup for the sump pump.
AAAAAAHHHHHH.... it's been a day!
When I got out of the shower this morning, I looked outside. It was 6:45 and looked like the Heavens could open up and downpour. I wondered for a brief moment if swimming lessons would be cancelled, but then decided I better get a move on and start the day. Swimming lessons started at 8, and I didn't want to waste time by checking the weather.
At 7:15 the sky turned pitch dark, and the rain started. And oh did it rain! It rained and rained and rained. Seriously it was down pouring like I haven't seen in ages. Swimming lessons were cancelled, and rescheduled for 9:30. The kids looked out the window and called me over -- by the sounds of their voice, there was some kind of emergency. I looked outside and saw a 10 - 15 foot wide river running through our backyard. It finally pooled in Rick and Danyel's old yard and covered almost the entire backyard. The craziest thing is how fast this newly formed river was moving. "Gushing" would be a better word. Seriously it was moving! The amount of water was shocking! I wish I had taken a picture.... This is one of those "you'd have to see it to believe it" type things. The sheer magnitude of water rushing though our backyard was insane.
This went on for about 30 minutes when all of a sudden we lost power. Everything went dark. The rain stopped after about 35 or 40 minutes, but we were still without power. We got ready for swimming lessons and realized ... without power, we are stuck in the house. So I called my dad and he came over and "disengaged" the garage door so we could make it to swimming lessons. Funny thing is .... on the way home Andrea calls me and tells me that she figures out I don't know how to disengage the garage door, so she's on her way over to do it for me. She knows me well! LOL. She then tells me that we got over 2 inches of rain in slightly less than 45 minutes, and we won't have power for a few hours. 4700 homes were without power, and it would be a while before we got it back.
I get home to a sweltering house. It's now 90 degrees and HUMID. The house is unbearable. I tell Matt what's going on, and he's not the least bit concerned about the temperature in the house. He's worried about the sump pump. Oh my goodness. It never crossed my mind! Imagine that! LOL.
I go downstairs with a flashlight and look down in the sump pump. I can see water -- it's about 8 or 12 inches from the top.... I think. At this point, Andrea calls to tell me that she has water all over the perimeter of the basement. Matt is even more concerned when he hears that we'll be without power for several more hours.
Finally after 4 + hours the power comes on and all is well. I walk the basement looking for water and find none. Thank Heavens!
During this little power outage, the kids went down to the basement to play ... it was the coolest part of the house and also had good light. Morgan was over today too. I'm watching her some days this summer while Laurie is in school.... Anyway, all of a sudden I hear the most chilling frantic screaming/crying fit I've ever heard out of my kids. From the sounds of it, I was sure a limb was amputated. It was so loud and so out of the ordinary, I honestly didn't know who it was.
As I'm rushing to the basement door, I hear Morgan yell, "I'm gonna go and tell your mom"!! OK, so it's either Katherine or Caleb, and from the sounds of it, they're in serious trouble. I race downstairs to find Caleb absolutely beside himself. He's screaming and crying and shaking. He's jumping around, kicking his little legs around in a dance and shaking his hands at warp speed. Tears are streaming down his face and he can't breathe. I scoop him up and try to talk to him, but seriously he can't answer. He is in a different world!
I finally figure out that he's not hurt.... he's scared .... and sorry. Evidently he kicked the ball and it hit the light fixture in the playroom and it came crashing down, shattering on the carpet. I've never been so relieved in my whole life! LOL.
We then had a long talk about the fact that I'd never be mad at him for an accident. He was playing and having fun and that's what he's supposed to do in the playroom. He was so sorry! I kept telling him that it wasn't a big deal, and that he did the right thing by telling me the truth. I felt so badly for him. He just felt horrible! And seriously in the grand scheme of life, this was no big deal! I didn't yell, didn't raise my voice, didn't do anything but smile at him, but he still felt AWFUL!
It was at this point that I decided that Caleb needed to clear his little head, so I packed up the kids, and we went down to the Science Center for a few hours. Seeing him that upset just broke my heart.
*************************
Tonight I went out for dinner for one of my friend's birthday. As I was leaving our development I saw 4 service vans at different neighbor's houses ..... two Servicemaster, and two random. Carpet pad was lying all over their driveways. On the way home from dinner I saw several more. Literally, maybe 8 or 10 trucks total. It seems that everyone I've talked to has water in their basement. I'm not sure how we were able to escape, but thankfully we didn't get water in the basement. I will say this..... as soon as Matt gets home from Canada, we are buying a battery backup for the sump pump.
AAAAAAHHHHHH.... it's been a day!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
what a day!!
This is the first time all day that I've a chance to sit down for more than 2 minutes. It's been one of those crazy, jam packed, fun filled summer days that absolutely wear me out!
Katherine and Caleb are in swimming lessons this week, and LOVE them! If they could go every day of the summer, they'd be all for it! I have them signed for "private" swimming lessons at a house a few miles from home. The lessons and teachers are good, but the house.... not so much. They have 5 big dogs and let's just say that with the heat and humidity we've been having, the smell can get pretty overwhelming. Totally gross. Oh, and I'm sure the dogs are in the pool every chance they get. Disgusting.
This will be the last year for this type of set up. We've been thinking of joining a local country club for a while now, and decided against it this year because Andrew is a little fire-cracker. He's full of energy, trying to keep up with Katherine and Caleb, and most days a total gong-show. It's just not a good scenario. The country club can wait. We'll join in time for next summer when Andrew is a year older, and Katherine and Caleb are a little more self-sufficient. Until then, we're swimming with the dogs! LOL.
After swimming lessons, we rushed home, changed clothes and headed downtown. Katherine had an art class at 10:30, so while she was there, I took the boys to a rose garden by the art center (it's the same place I took the pictures for our Christmas card). The boys had a blast. We walked around for almost two hours, enjoying the morning. All the while, Andrew walked at my side and held my hand. Several times, I looked over to find Caleb holding his other hand. So sweet! It was definitely one of those moments that I wish time could stand still... They boys threw rocks into the water, chased butterflies, picked me some "beautiful flowers" aka - dandelions, and discovered a super exciting pile of poop.... which Caleb insisted was much too big for a deer. It had to belong to something much larger like a buffalo or bear! LOL.
After we picked Katherine up from her art class, we stopped by my parent's house and had Morgan come over for a play date. On the way home, we picked up lunch and they had a little picnic on the deck.
From 3 - 4:30 Katherine had gymnastics. She's doing so well. She's getting stronger, more confident, and her form is improving each day. On Monday, she was ridiculously close to getting her kip which is a HUGE deal, but just didn't quite get over the bar. But wow.... she's close. One quick note... at most gyms around the country, (including the site I attached for those of you who don't know what a kip is), they use various training aides to help the kids "feel" the motion and help them get over the bar. At Chow's... that just doesn't happen. They don't use gimmicky aides to help the kids. The theory is that if the gymnast isn't strong enough, she shouldn't be attempting the skill. Therefore, no aides of any kind are necessary. And down the line it makes perfect sense. Our girls don't show up at meets with bandages all over their arms, hands, legs and feet. No - they've endured more conditioning than you'd ever believe, and as a result don't suffer injuries like other gymnasts. So, when she finally gets over the bar with straight arms, I'll be the first to report it. Until then, she'll keep trying to muscle herself over that bar!
So.... on the way home from gymnastics, Andrew fell asleep. I carried him in the house, and put him in bed. He slept until 7:30 and then woke up super crabby. The poor kid was starving. I fed him and he downed the grill cheese like he'd never seen food before. Katherine had a birthday party at 6 at a neighbor's house, and Caleb and I just played together. It was so nice to spend some good one-on-one time with him. I bought the kids a super cool magnetic ball set that we played with for well over an hour. We built all sorts of structures and conducted experiments with magnets.
It was a great day with the kids. All we did was play and spend time together. This is what life is all about. Oh, and if you're wondering where Matt was in all this... he's in Canada on a business trip! We miss him, but will see him on Friday when he returns home for the weekend! Woo-hoo!
Katherine and Caleb are in swimming lessons this week, and LOVE them! If they could go every day of the summer, they'd be all for it! I have them signed for "private" swimming lessons at a house a few miles from home. The lessons and teachers are good, but the house.... not so much. They have 5 big dogs and let's just say that with the heat and humidity we've been having, the smell can get pretty overwhelming. Totally gross. Oh, and I'm sure the dogs are in the pool every chance they get. Disgusting.
This will be the last year for this type of set up. We've been thinking of joining a local country club for a while now, and decided against it this year because Andrew is a little fire-cracker. He's full of energy, trying to keep up with Katherine and Caleb, and most days a total gong-show. It's just not a good scenario. The country club can wait. We'll join in time for next summer when Andrew is a year older, and Katherine and Caleb are a little more self-sufficient. Until then, we're swimming with the dogs! LOL.
After swimming lessons, we rushed home, changed clothes and headed downtown. Katherine had an art class at 10:30, so while she was there, I took the boys to a rose garden by the art center (it's the same place I took the pictures for our Christmas card). The boys had a blast. We walked around for almost two hours, enjoying the morning. All the while, Andrew walked at my side and held my hand. Several times, I looked over to find Caleb holding his other hand. So sweet! It was definitely one of those moments that I wish time could stand still... They boys threw rocks into the water, chased butterflies, picked me some "beautiful flowers" aka - dandelions, and discovered a super exciting pile of poop.... which Caleb insisted was much too big for a deer. It had to belong to something much larger like a buffalo or bear! LOL.
After we picked Katherine up from her art class, we stopped by my parent's house and had Morgan come over for a play date. On the way home, we picked up lunch and they had a little picnic on the deck.
From 3 - 4:30 Katherine had gymnastics. She's doing so well. She's getting stronger, more confident, and her form is improving each day. On Monday, she was ridiculously close to getting her kip which is a HUGE deal, but just didn't quite get over the bar. But wow.... she's close. One quick note... at most gyms around the country, (including the site I attached for those of you who don't know what a kip is), they use various training aides to help the kids "feel" the motion and help them get over the bar. At Chow's... that just doesn't happen. They don't use gimmicky aides to help the kids. The theory is that if the gymnast isn't strong enough, she shouldn't be attempting the skill. Therefore, no aides of any kind are necessary. And down the line it makes perfect sense. Our girls don't show up at meets with bandages all over their arms, hands, legs and feet. No - they've endured more conditioning than you'd ever believe, and as a result don't suffer injuries like other gymnasts. So, when she finally gets over the bar with straight arms, I'll be the first to report it. Until then, she'll keep trying to muscle herself over that bar!
So.... on the way home from gymnastics, Andrew fell asleep. I carried him in the house, and put him in bed. He slept until 7:30 and then woke up super crabby. The poor kid was starving. I fed him and he downed the grill cheese like he'd never seen food before. Katherine had a birthday party at 6 at a neighbor's house, and Caleb and I just played together. It was so nice to spend some good one-on-one time with him. I bought the kids a super cool magnetic ball set that we played with for well over an hour. We built all sorts of structures and conducted experiments with magnets.
It was a great day with the kids. All we did was play and spend time together. This is what life is all about. Oh, and if you're wondering where Matt was in all this... he's in Canada on a business trip! We miss him, but will see him on Friday when he returns home for the weekend! Woo-hoo!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer!!
Monday June 7th was Katherine's final day of school, and it was the day we officially started summer. Matt had taken the week off work and we were ready to spend a lazy week in the sun just enjoying our new found freedom. Woo-Hoo!!
Each May, the school holds an end of the year picnic for the families as a thank you for a great year. It's usually the Friday before school lets out. We eat outside in the lawn, chat with other kids and parents and take a ton of pictures.
Here is Katherine with Parker, and her best friend, Olivia.
Katherine and Olivia.
Each May, the school holds an end of the year picnic for the families as a thank you for a great year. It's usually the Friday before school lets out. We eat outside in the lawn, chat with other kids and parents and take a ton of pictures.
Here is Katherine with Parker, and her best friend, Olivia.
Katherine and Olivia.
Katherine with her teacher, Mrs. Snow. Mrs. Snow has been the most fabulous first grade teacher! Seriously, she is amazing and I pray that the boys will get her. She is passionate about teaching (almost to a fault), demands excellence of both herself and the kids, and strives to make her classroom a positive experience for everyone. That she did. Katherine learned more this year that I ever imagined possible. She has left first grade so much better than when she arrived. I am so thankful for this year and the experience that she had.
After the final day of school on Monday, we went over to Sokolowski's house for a little celebration. So many of the kids were there -- maybe 35 or 40, and they played in the backyard and snacked on celebratory ice cream treats, while the moms chatted and started to plan summer activities. Good times!! I'll upload pictures from that little get together soon. They are still in my camera just begging to get out! LOL.
After the final day of school on Monday, we went over to Sokolowski's house for a little celebration. So many of the kids were there -- maybe 35 or 40, and they played in the backyard and snacked on celebratory ice cream treats, while the moms chatted and started to plan summer activities. Good times!! I'll upload pictures from that little get together soon. They are still in my camera just begging to get out! LOL.
Tuesday morning we took off for LeMars. A friend of Matt's from high school passed away, so we went up for the funeral and to spend a few days with his parents. It was so nice to get back -- it had been way too long. I also have tons of pics from the week, which I promise to upload soon. Hopefully in the next day or so. Stay tuned!!
Caleb's picnic
What day is it anyway? Seriously, the past two weeks have flown by and there have been several times that I seriously had absolutely no idea what day of the week it was.... and that's fine. After all, isn't that what summer is all about?
Caleb had his big end of the year picnic at school on June 1st. He was really looking forward to having Matt, Andrew and I have lunch at his school, play games, meet his friends (as if we hadn't meet them a million times before LOL!), talk to his teachers and say a final goodbye to school and HELLO to summer! We were ready!
As you may (or may not) know, Caleb is famous for his picture talking ability. I mean... this kid has some mad love for the camera, and smiles .... um well... not at all. Truth be told, he hates the camera, and refuses to smile when the camera is out.... much less, he actually refuses to look at the thing. It so frustrating!
This picture is *typical* of a good shot of him. He may not be smiling, but hey... at least he's looking in the general direction of the camera!
After lunch the school gave ice cream bars to everyone. It was the perfect end-of-the-year treat for the kiddos. It was a really hot and humid day so they had to eat them quick!
Andrew was in heaven! He absolutely loved the ice cream and I'm pretty sure he was in disbelief that he actually got a whole one to himself!
Caleb had his big end of the year picnic at school on June 1st. He was really looking forward to having Matt, Andrew and I have lunch at his school, play games, meet his friends (as if we hadn't meet them a million times before LOL!), talk to his teachers and say a final goodbye to school and HELLO to summer! We were ready!
As you may (or may not) know, Caleb is famous for his picture talking ability. I mean... this kid has some mad love for the camera, and smiles .... um well... not at all. Truth be told, he hates the camera, and refuses to smile when the camera is out.... much less, he actually refuses to look at the thing. It so frustrating!
This picture is *typical* of a good shot of him. He may not be smiling, but hey... at least he's looking in the general direction of the camera!
After lunch the school gave ice cream bars to everyone. It was the perfect end-of-the-year treat for the kiddos. It was a really hot and humid day so they had to eat them quick!
Andrew was in heaven! He absolutely loved the ice cream and I'm pretty sure he was in disbelief that he actually got a whole one to himself!
Our little picnic spot and poor Matt was stuck in a suit and tie!
Look at that face! YUMMY!
Caleb claimed that "the sun was in my eyes". This is the best shot I got of him and Mrs. Anderson. That's right.... sadly, this was the best picture out of the 10 or so that I took. Can you sense the frustration??? LOL!
Caleb and Mrs. Hoffman, his assistant teacher. She is wonderful!
Caleb claimed that "the sun was in my eyes". This is the best shot I got of him and Mrs. Anderson. That's right.... sadly, this was the best picture out of the 10 or so that I took. Can you sense the frustration??? LOL!
Caleb and Mrs. Hoffman, his assistant teacher. She is wonderful!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Neighborhood Garage Sale
This is the weekend of our neighborhood garage sale. Pretty much every family in the neighborhood cleaned out their home and is peddling their junk in the front yard. Kids have little stands set up selling cookies and lemonade. All of the kids love it!
I've never had a garage sale.... I'm sure I'll have one someday, but for now, I'm not getting rid of my baby stuff and just don't want to go through the hassle. So everything I have goes to Goodwill! LOL!!
Anyway, tonight after dinner, Katherine and Caleb took off to play with their friends, and the whole group of them decided to run around to each other's houses and check out all of the goods for sale. About 30 minutes later, Katherine burst through the door beaming with pride..... Her arms were full of great finds (aka junk LOL!!!) she found in the free bins at our neighbor's houses... such gems include -- 2 unused swim diapers, a baby rattle, a stuffed donkey that's missing an ear and a finger puppet. She was just thrilled with herself. She was shopping for Andrew and got tons of GRRREEEEAT stuff!
I then gave her a few dollars and she returned with a clipboard (perfect for playing school), a bead crafty thing, and a wonderful little machine that you can make stuffed animals with. Her and Caleb entertained themselves for almost an hour before bed filling used toilet paper rolls with stuffing from this little machine. Oh, the joys of garage sales!!
I've never had a garage sale.... I'm sure I'll have one someday, but for now, I'm not getting rid of my baby stuff and just don't want to go through the hassle. So everything I have goes to Goodwill! LOL!!
Anyway, tonight after dinner, Katherine and Caleb took off to play with their friends, and the whole group of them decided to run around to each other's houses and check out all of the goods for sale. About 30 minutes later, Katherine burst through the door beaming with pride..... Her arms were full of great finds (aka junk LOL!!!) she found in the free bins at our neighbor's houses... such gems include -- 2 unused swim diapers, a baby rattle, a stuffed donkey that's missing an ear and a finger puppet. She was just thrilled with herself. She was shopping for Andrew and got tons of GRRREEEEAT stuff!
I then gave her a few dollars and she returned with a clipboard (perfect for playing school), a bead crafty thing, and a wonderful little machine that you can make stuffed animals with. Her and Caleb entertained themselves for almost an hour before bed filling used toilet paper rolls with stuffing from this little machine. Oh, the joys of garage sales!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
