A day in the life....: Holy Whirlwind...

School has begun. I always forget the feeling of...well, chaos.. I feel right after summer trying to juggle work, home and lesson plans. So much to do. So little time.
My first graders are quite the crew. I have several missions to accomplish with this group. But it WILL be done! :) First mission: There are no TANTRUMS in first grade. I will let you know when this task has been complete.
Kale is an official preschooler. We have been so happy with the program so far. The teacher is wonderful and it seems like we may have started just at the right time! With the new director, who just started, we have already seen some improvements and it seems like she is going to make some great things happen. First is a BRAND new playground that is being installed, she also has developed an entire room dedicated to large motor, and arranged for several other special things to happen in the next couple weeks. She has made all these improvements in the past 3 weeks so she is a woman on a mission. Kale is talking like Mrs. Buck at home. While we were eating spaghetti one night, Kale said, "I think Mrs. Buck would say 'sssssssss spaghetti' then I would stop her and say 'no, I hear ssssppp spaghetti." As a first grade teacher who LOVES to teach kids how to read I tried to take advantage of this and continue this initial sound activity throughout supper. I got shot down. I am hoping he will have several great teachers because this boy will NOT be participating in any activities his mother tries to implement.

Daddy got the front step picture on the first day of school.

Ava continues to have her ear battles. Despite attempts of chiropractic treatments and other home remedies, we have decided we cannot continue on this path. Especially after a recent ear drum rupture that led us to the ER in the middle of the night. So we are going for tubes and praying for relief for this poor babe. She is really quite the trooper but excited for her to actually to be able to walk around without all that fluid in her ears.
We've been hitting up the ISU games! And what a great start to the season it has been! We sit hillside, the thought was that if we sit hillside the kids can run around. Last year at the games, Kale would bring his football and run up and down the hill. Well, this year, the hills have been PACKED. So not much room for running but it still has been fun. We also didn't consider poor ava not exactly being able to walk too well on the hill this year. Last year she just sat there so we did realize how steep it actually is for a toddler. The first game was wet, rainy and late. After a long day of tailgating and it being past bedtime, she was so clumsy she just kept rolling down the hill (unintentionally). We'd look down and there she was rolling out of control. She didn't seem to mind as long as we reeled her back in! "Send up the little girl in the pink rain coat this way please!" :-) Poor Ava.

Geared up for the game!

We have a new nephew and cousin born on September 16th. William Walter is here! He was having a little trouble breathing and after a series of scary tests (all of which came back negative) in the NICU, it was determined he was having difficulting coordinating that tongue to suck and then to remember to breathe and swallow. All is good now, and both Shannon and Will are doing well. My kids were both thrilled to meet him and Jake is a proud big brother (although he keeps telling everyone his baby's name is Austin).

They like him, can you tell?

Ava loves being a BIG cousin

Fall on the farm is always my favorite time of year. Kale is chomping at the bit to get in the field for harvest. He is hoping to be in charge of the grain cart this year. And although, Nana is looking forward to handing the job over to someone else.... we keep telling him "maybe when you are 6." Then next year we can say "Maybe when you are 7."