A+

Mr. John Bacon, our awesome Lemme principal recently received an A+ Award for Education from our local news KCRG, TV 9 news. Our school librarian, blogged about it on the school's blog Lemme Happenings. Be sure to watch the actual TV 9 footage and look through the slide show. Will is in the green shirt - can you find him? :)

Wasserbahn

Last weekend Will took 2 friends to Wasserbahn as a birthday treat. They had lots of fun, even though it was so much smaller than the waterparks we're used to in the Dells. We could pretty much just let them run around - there was no way they could get lost!

Sam was very patient as we tried to figure out his trunks. The wrong ones got packed and we had to rig up a way to keep them from falling off!

Little whirlpool area - it was kind of like a circular lazy river:

Fun times!

For Laura

...Thinking of you, Laura. Interpret that as you will. The only bad part of this video is that they leave out the best part - the do, de do, de do, do, do, de do, de do's at the end.

We Start 'Em Early Around Here

Max is a good helper.

(Damon was putting together these cubicles for me for an art show last weekend.)

Craziness

This week has been crazy. Max has been to the doctor 3 times this week! Monday we took him in and yep, he has new ear infections. I think I posted awhile back about him and his ears. The last bout of ear infections took 3 antibiotics before they cleared. He turned around and got sick again a few days later. With clear fluid still sitting in his ears from last time, he was much more likely to redevelop ear infections and he did. On Wednesday, I took him in because Brother snapped a plastic slinky in his face and he got a corneal abrasion - two vertical scratches down his eye. He did very well tolerating that whole rigamorole - putting dye in his eye, checking for the scratch with a special light, antibiotic drops, and then a patch over his eye, that lasted about 5 minutes before he ripped it off! He was so upset all day Wednesday - he was hurting from his eye and his ears. They peeked in his ears while we were there, (might as well) and they were not looking much better. Round two for antibiotics! I went to the dr. that morning as well - sinus infection for me! So we're on Augmentin together. After realizing despite the pharmacist's specific warning to refridgerate, that I'd left Max's medicine out on the counter for 9 hours, we had to go through phone calls to get a new bottle of Max's augmentin. Thursday we took Max to the eye doctor, just to recheck his eye 24 hours later. Again, he did well with all the drops. We've got to back for another eye recheck on Monday, and an ear re-check the following Monday. I'm confident we will be receiving a referral to the ENT for tubes, after all this. Today he finally seems to be doing a little better. He only woke up once last night - as opposed to the every hour thing he's been doing for days. So hopefully we're headed in the right direction. Just in time for me to head out this afternoon to the Beaverdale Holiday Boutique in Des Moines. It's one of the best shows we do and hopefully it will be successful and that everyone at home will survive without me for a night.

So it's been a crazy week - still had all the regular school stuff to deal with, a boyscout meeting, AWANA's, and Will's teacher conference. On Sunday we'll take Will and a couple of his friends out to Wasserbahn for a day of water sliding as a birthday treat for Will. Whew!

I'll be home tomorrow!

Yesterday was Just Another Day....

I've been informed repeatedly that I do not fully understand or appreciate the enormity of yesterday's football game-that this will be one of those games that will go down in history. That people will be talking about this game for years and years to come. I get it, I just don't particularly care all that much. All I do know is this:
-I got an incoherent phone call from my husband during the game where he screamed and laughed into the phone and I didn't understand a word he said.
-my husband came home smelling like beer (from being spilled on) and with no voice (from all the screaming) At least that's what he said happened. And he was giddy. I mean like, GIDDY!
-my oldest was just about as excited as his father and didn't want to leave the game early like they'd planned. And it's a mighty good thing they didn't!
-when I went to pick them up downtown, I was offered $4 to drive two guys across the river (which I turned down.)
-Hawkeye fans are nuts - we saw a guy in a pumpkin costume, painted bare chests, and people coming right up to our car window hootin' and hollerin'.

I'm just happy that they had a good time, got to spend some quality guy time together, (poor Sam was bummed - he told Grandma and Grandpa today, "There were only two tickets.") and that they took some PICTURES!

Lunch

We told the boys to come eat their lunch (which involved pausing the Lego Batman game.) We got some grumbling from Will but we got this surprising and lovely response from Sam:

"I love lunch! It's the lunch of miracles!"

A bit later I asked him how his "lunch of miracles" was and he pointed to his empty plate and gave me a thumbs up.

It IS the lunch of miracles! It's disappeared!

Invisible Ink

I never thought to set any parameters as to where is an appropriate place to put invisible ink and where is not.

Banister railings? Not.

Walls? Not.

Face and Body? Oh, I don't know...it's darn funny.

Thanks to the Coles for creative and fun birthday gifts!!!

Finally Home

Mercy Me's "Finally Home"

Be blessed.

The Best Day Ever....

Sam was more excited about Will's birthday today than he was about his OWN birthday! It had a little something to do with Lego Batman.

He kept saying things like, "This is the best day ever!" and "This is the best day of my life!" He also said, "You are the best parents a boy could ever have!"

Yeah, and don't you forget it.

Sweetness!

Evidence that he really enjoyed the dessert at Carlos O' Kelly's tonight:

Happy Birthday, Will!!!!

- Gives a whole new meaning to the endearment, "Sugar Lips," doesn't it?!

Will is 9 years old today! I'm having a hard time believing it, 9 seems so old!!! Here are some of the many things I love about him:

1. he's got so much crazy energy
2. he is smart
3. he loves to be with his Dad and help him
4. his smile
5. his deep, dark eyes
6. he's more sensitive than he lets on
7. he's a good friend to his friends
8. he's always got a scheme, an idea, or a plan in the works
9. he's a good cousin
10. he's a good older brother, who cares and looks after his younger brothers
11. he's not too old for hugs and kisses
12. he's anything but predictable - there's never a dull moment
13. the ways I see him taking after his father
14. his creativity
15. his curiosity
16. his laugh
17. his sense of humor
18. he asks good questions
19. his confidence

Happy Birthday, Will!! We love you so much!

Halloween Tradition

Will...

Sam....

and Max.
The tradition continues....