Kids in the Pool

We've had hot weather this week in Southcentral Wisconsin. Temps in the high '80's. All three kids, Isaac, Allison, and Brock (read below for his introduction) enjoyed the pool for about 30 minutes today. They were good and worn out for naptime.

The bugs have been terrible around here. The moment you step outside, you get a dozen mosquitoes, grasshoppers, and bees swirling around your head. The spiders must be having a field day with so much to eat. The grasshoppers are the size of my little finger. I can hardly stand to take the kids outside at the moment. I wonder how long it will be until it frosts...a month? Right now our overnight temps are in the 50's. I'm SO ready for Fall! A small number of trees are already showing some color at the very tops. Mmmm... I can almost smell that Fall air already.

We had a cricket on our carpet last night. It was almost funny watching Shane attempt to swat it. If you've ever tried to use a flyswatter on carpet, you'll know what I mean. It wasn't working. He swats, it jumps; he swats, it jumps; etc, for five minutes. Looking back, it was funny, but at the time, I was really squeamish. To me, crickets are worse than spiders. They kinda look like spiders, but they jump unpredictably. That freaks me out.

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!