First Day of School

Here they are....the much anticipated first day of school pics! Allie looks as happy as a clam in her photo with her teacher, Ms. Katie. Isaac's photos show him getting off the school bus. One of the first things he told me was, "I'm tired." He sure looks it. Both kids had a good first day of school. Isaac especially liked riding the bus home with his friends C.J., Megan, Emma, Chloe, and Ethan who are all close neighbors. (You may click on the photos for a larger version.)

Note Allie's haircut: I cut it myself. Good thing her hair is curly, 'cause it ain't perfectly straight across the back. I love the ringlets on both sides of her face! She wasn't too keen on sitting still long enough for a haircut so she sat on Shane's lap facing him. While he distracted her with his charm and wit, I worked as quickly as I dared. I even gave her long layers. Not bad, eh? Maybe I should look into Cosmetology as a profession when I return to the work force in a couple of years... I would think that cutting an adult's hair would be way easier and less frustrating.

It sure does feel good to have the kids in school, although it's strange having Isaac gone all day ('til 3:30pm). The last couple of weeks before school, they drove me nuts with their fighting and rough-housing. They really needed to be out of the house and away from me, home, and each other and into a more structured environment. The kids are growing and learning so much and so excited about school that it makes my heart well up in my chest. Gosh, I'm proud of them.

Oh, I forgot to mention... Some of my friends asked me if I cried on Isaac's first day of kindergarten. In case you were wondering, I didn't. I knew I wouldn't because I had such a strong feeling that he was ready. What's more, he knew he was ready and was looking forward to the adventure. It just "felt right." Like when I got married, I wasn't nervous because it just felt right. There's something so beautful about a rite of passage when you're ready for it. What a blessing!! (Besides, I already cried last semester when Isaac rode the bus for the first time to Early Childhood.) Still, it is strange to think about your kindergartner eating lunch without you, playing without you, finding his way to bus number 5 without you. I remind myself that there are teachers and helpers everywhere in his school and they're especially looking out for the kindergartners.

Introducing...the adorable Brock

Here are some pictures of Brock, the adorable 2-year-old I babysit full-time. We played with the doctor kit while Allie went to preschool. He especially liked the stethoscope and hearing himself say, "boom-boom, boom-boom" through it.

Shane interviewed by Local TV News Crew

On Friday afternoon, a Channel 3 TV (my favorite, yay!) news crew came to our door and wanted to know our Sump Pump Story. So I told them, and they wanted to interview me on camera. But I said, sorry, I'm too shy, but my husband will be home soon and you can talk to him. I'm sure he won't mind. He's an extrovert and likes to talk. :) Click on the play button and enjoy!

And the Rain Came Down...

These pictures of our basement were taken this evening. The mattresses in the top left of the first photograph are a loss and a few boxes were soggy on the bottom. Read on for details.

The weather here in Southern Wisconsin has drawn national attention as two towns about 100 miles west of Madison were evacuated due to heavy rains that caused flash floods and even a mudslide that pushed a house onto a highway. The governor has declared three counties to be in a state of emergency and has dispatched the National Guard to help. Here in our village of Oregon (7 miles south of Madison), residents a few blocks from us worked alongside volunteers putting up sandbags to keep out the rising water which already has flooded some homes here. You can read about it here: http://www.channel3000.com/news/13927169/detail.html. More rain is expected tonight and tomorrow. Even as I type this, the rain is pounding loudly on the roof!

Earlier tonight Shane was chatting with his friend Greg online (who also happens to live next door) who asked him if his basement was dry. Shane said, "Actually, I don't know. Let me go check." It was a good thing he did because we had seepage coming up through the cracks and some areas had 1/2 inch to an inch of standing water! We brought our shop vac out and tried sucking the water out of the sump pump area but it just kept filling up as fast as it was leaving. After a while, I encouraged Shane to ask Greg to come over since three minds are better than two...and between the two of us, we didn't have any ideas. So...Shane and Greg took out the sump pump, inspected it, determined it to be in working order and discovered a clogged pipe was the cause of our predicament. Everything is fine now. I'm so thankful to God for sump pumps, friends willing and able to help, shop vacs, dehumidifiers, and a hard-working husband. I'm even thankful for an unfinished basement. It could have been so much worse!