A Wild Night!

Before school started, the kids begged us to have a "camp out" in the family room. They had a wonderful time rolling out their sleeping bags and setting up "camp". Then the pillows came out and it was all out war...

Daddy was the target of choice through most of the battle...

Both kids gave it their best effort, but ultimately Sam came out as the champ...

He won the official "Whack-a-Mole Pillow Fight Trophy"...and he was proud of it!!!

First Day of School...

We were so excited about our first day of school...

It's best to start out with a little yogurt....

...then maybe a bowl of cholesterol reducing oat rings...they say it's key to start with a good breakfast...

...after picking out their clothes, they pose for a few pictures. That's glitter girl and football boy...


Then it's off for her first day in kindergarten. Runner Boy took her...I think I would have cried too hard. I am happy for her, but the years have gone by so quickly! I try to enjoy the days, but sometimes I wish I could just slow time down a little...

She looks a little old in this picture, but she insisted on having "curly hair" for her first day.

Her teacher is a delight and she has an adorable classroom...

...just down the hall will be this guy...from a little 4 lb 15 oz baby, he is now heavier than his sister...and planning on playing football "on t.v."

They had a great first day at school...She even got a "medal" for surviving her first day of kindergarten!

...tomorrow we start our first full week of school...

Is he?

Could he?

Is it possible?

That he may be a...



HOARDER?


and proud of it?

camp out

"we" have been looking forward to this all week...

the friday night "camp out" in the family room.

we had pizza (a common camp food), s'mores and a pillow fight...

as we were having our pillow battle, sam said, "momma, you are the coach of the pillow fighters."

he then told kate, "you are part of the girls who straighten up the sleeping bags after the fight."

sam then proclaimed himself "da winner of da pillow fight"...we'll reveal the trophy soon.

it's better than the heisman trophy or lord stanley's cup...trust me...

Another One Bites the Dust...

Another one of Kate's pets has perished.

Matthew the V is no longer with us.

He joined our family last week after coming home from the farm stand on an ear of corn.

He was a 1.5 inch long and a lovely shade of green.

I think he was some sort of pest that ruins corn crops, but Kate loved him the minute she laid eyes on him.

She scooped him up, put him into a left over Chinese take out container and gave him leaves, sticks and rocks to climb on.

He was loved while he lasted. We left him in his cozy container on the kitchen island one night.

The next morning we found the container laying on the floor...Matthew the V was missing.

Gone...

Our kitty, Pascal, tried to look aloof and innocent.

R.I.P. Matthew the V

Training Camp

I am a Packer fan. I grew up on them and regardless of where we have lived in the U.S., I have remained a true fan. This year we had a chance to go to the annual preseason scrimmage and get a close look at the players.

This is Runner Boy's favorite player...he's an alum of R.B.'s university. This is Jordy Nelson:

Sam loved this sign. Where else do they tell you to "...use your outside voice?"

This is what we lovingly call, "Packer Nation"....

This is Runner Boy and Bart Starr...

My 3 favorite Packer fans...

Deep Thoughts by a 5 Year Old...

Kate & I were flying home from a wonderful reunion with her "China Sisters" this weekend when she grew somewhat thoughtful and introspective.

She was gazing out the window of our plane at the small, puffy clouds below when she asked, "Mom, is Jesus in those clouds? Do you think He'll fall out of the clouds?"

Me: "No, I don't think he's in those specific clouds...are you thinking that's where heaven is?

K: "Yes, is that heaven?" she asks in a quizzical voice.

Me: "Ahhh, that's not heaven...it's probably up higher than those clouds." (I am wondering how to explain this to a 5 1/2 year old.)

K: "When do we go to heaven?"

Me: "Well, after a person dies."

K: "How do you get there? I mean there's no rock walls, ladders or anything to climb up there?"

Me: "Ahhh, well, ahhh...it's kinda complicated..."

Thankfully she changed the subject...