Keeping Cool!

Just as I predicted...a very mild summer, where we found ourselves choosing NOT to go to the pool because of the cool temps...is now bringing a very HOT back to school!  It's very frustrating when the kids are back at school and desperately need a break from sitting to run and get their wiggles out...and they have to stay inside because of the heat!  Hoping this passes soon!  Really ready for fall temps!

 

The kids at Jo's have been trying to stay cool also!  They had a "car wash" and just some fun in the water.  Apparently Mr. Bryce wouldn't have anything to do with water spraying on him!

 

Mr. Serious Driver!

They made their own popsicles!

JoJo reading to Bryce

Fun with toys!

Car wash!

Getting everything clean!

Tuckered out!  Arthur and Bryce (with his back to us)

The boys have had a great back to school!  Last week we got a sweet email from Mason's teacher just saying he was doing well, making friends, etc.  This week he had his first yellow day.  Here's how that conversation went:

 

~Me:  How was your dad today?

~Mason:  Yellow

~Me:  Uh oh.  Why did you get a yellow?

~Mason:  She knows (pointing to the y club teacher)

~Me:  She might know but I want you to tell me.

~Mason:  I was talking.

~Me:  To who?

~Mason:  Owen

~Me:  Where were you?

~Mason:  The hallway.

~Me:  What were you talking about?

~Mason:  He had a watch.  We were trying to tell the time.

~Me:  That probably wasn't the best choice.  I'm sure you were supposed to be quiet.

~Mason:  Well, Mom, you said I might make mistakes!"

 

Oh my!  Here's the note his teacher put on his behavior calendar that night:



 

 

Matt is in charge of recruiting for our pack this year.  So we have been getting brochures ready to take to the schools.  That part is done so now it's the back to school meetings this week.  Friday night we had our first Pack Meeting of the year.  The boys LOVED it because the fire truck was here spraying them with water!  A great night for it with the temperatures we've been having!

 



Zane's den was in charge of the flag ceremony so they are practicing for it

Time to shine

Pledge



AAAAHHHHH!

Such fun!



A little wet!

Front and center

After watching the other boys for awhile Mason thought he'd try it out...



Went back for more...

And was soaked!

Back to School!

Bryce has been busy at Jo-Jo's house!  Every day he names all of this friends..."Ahfur (Arthur), Nikyus (Nicholas), Aee (Avery), Kegun (Kerrigan), Hapa (Harper), Jo-Jo!  It's really cute!

 

Playing with vehicles...imagine that!

Arthur and Bryce relaxing!

Helping Erika make muffins!

Hiding out!

In the tent!

Harper and Bryce resting and reading!

Train time!

Nicholas, Arthur, Bryce

Rounding things up for the dinosaur dig.  Nicholas, Bryce, Kerrigan, Arthur

Dinosaur dig day!

Did you find anything?!?

It's so hard to believe that a new school year is here.  It's been a whirlwind of a week with back to school nights three nights in a row two first days of school!  Monday I had my back to school night.  Tuesday was Zane's night.  He is attending a new school this year so we are all on a little bit of a learning curve!

 

Zane with his teacher Mrs. Callaway

He's a Barry School Pirate!

Wednesday was my first day of school and Mason's back to school night.  He has been so very excited to start school!  I have told both of the boys that it is a kindergarten requirement to tie your own shoes.  So both of them have learned so that they could go!  The other night I reminded Mason he only had a couple of days until school started, so he practiced every night!  He was very proud of himself!

Mason sitting at his desk!

With his teacher, Miss Snyder

He's a Pathfinder Pirate!

This year Zane starts school an hour earlier than ever before.  So Zane and Mason start an hour apart.  It's been nice, though, because it has forced us to get ourselves up and going earlier, which in turn has been giving me more time in the mornings to get things done at school.  Matt drops off the older two boys and I take Bryce.  He said on the first day Zane didn't want help getting into the building...he wanted to do it alone!  And Mason had such a smile on his face...you couldn't wipe it off!

 

3rd grader

Kindergartner

Last year of daycare...he had to take a photo too!

Ready for a great year!

I was so excited to pick the boys up to see how their first days went!  Zane said his day was great!  Mason said his day was "worse."  He was definitely "in a mood" when I got him.  You could tell he had done so good all day and had saved the grumpiness up for me!  He said I made him wear a stupid shirt with a collar and no one else had one on.  I asked if he made any new friends and he said "You don't make friends on the first day of kindergarten!"  Then he told me to stop asking him questions.  I thought I'd leave him alone for awhile.  Later on, he said "Well, I learned one rule today.  You can't spit."  When I questioned him about this, he said "Well I didn't do it, but another kid did and I learned you can't spit."  That's my Mason for you!

Day 2 went well also.  My first 3 days have gone very well.  I have a good feeling about this class!  I will say everyone is VERY exhausted!  It's hard to get back into this schedule after having a lazy summer!

Friday we went out for supper with the Ottis family.  The poor kids hadn't seen each other in forever and they are still asking me if the girls can come over.  We have got to get together more often!  I thought it was cute that when they sat down to eat they toasted each other!

CHEERS!

Yesterday we went to a birthday party for our friend Maggie's little boy Jaxon, who turns 1 this week.  Today after church and lunch we went to the indoor pool.  Since the outdoor pool is closed, we are allowed to use the indoor one until September.  They boys had a BLAST!!!  Usually Bryce is ready to leave and the other two aren't...today it was reversed!

WHEE!

Mr. Explorer

I know this is blurry...I couldn't get a clear one on my phone...he was sliding so fast!

And some fun videos of the boys at the pool!!!

 

 

 

 

Have a great week!!!

Ending summer break and the Iowa State Fair

This week marked the end of our summer break!  We had Monday-Wednesday trying to enjoy every moment!  Each day we went to the pool and had a lot of fun!

 

Bryce's selfie!  :)

The boys doing their workbooks to get ready for school to start!

All summer I've been trying to get Mason to go off of the diving board.  He was very leary about it.  This week I got him talked into it!  It took him until the end of our time there Monday, but he did it!  And once he went he didn't want to stop!  On Tuesday he decided to go off of the high dive!  I was so proud of him!  He came such a long way this year in his lessons!

 

Low dive

 

Slide

 

High dive

 

Zane didn't even know this girl, but kept playing with her!

 

I started back to school on Thursday so have 2 days under my belt.  Since we weren't able to get into our building until this week, there was so much to do in a little amount of time.  Matt helped me on Monday get my furniture put in place, and I stayed until 10:00.  Then on Tuesday I went fro about 6:30-midnight, and decided to take Wednesday completely off.  There is still so much to do but a lot also done.

 

Friday we took off for Iowa to go to the fair.  We stayed with my dad (mom was out of town for her class reunion).  Saturday we woke up and headed out to the fair.  The weather was amazing to spend the day there!  The boys wanted to make wax hands, climb on tractors, eat corndogs, and ride the sky glider.  After they had done those things, they were done.  And just wanted to go to the camper.  We were surprised...thinking they'd want to see and do so much more!  We had fun catching up with some of our friends and seeing our family.

 

Ready for the fair!



Zane did great, but I had a hard time making a serious face!

CORNDOG!

Zane wanted a funnel cake!

Wax hands!  Mason ended up making 3 and Zane 2!

I forgot that we got these pictures a couple of weeks ago.  The cutest little tee ball player I've ever seen!

 

Mason's tee ball picture

Team picture

This week will be another busy and crazy one.  We have back to school nights 3 nights in a row, I start school Wednesday, and the boys start Thursday.  Hoping everything goes amazingly well!