Whew! What a week!

We made it through the first week! Here are some things we accomplished:

• No crying all week! (Way to go, Jake!)
• Celebrated no crying all week with Friday doughnuts!
• Survived the first week as a 2nd grader! (Great job, Josie)
• Field Trip to McDonald's--yes, Jake was right all along. He had lots of fun (in his rubber boots).
• Arrived at school/work on time every day! (Yay Mama!)
• Completed NO homework! (We love you, Mrs. Campbell!) We know it won't last. :)

Worth Watching

Check out this video of Dallas ISD's start-of-the-year convocation for teachers. This is a 5th grader talking to a group of teachers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAMLOnSNwzA

Future preacher?

McDonald's

Last night when Jake said he and Ms. Curry were going to McDonald's on Thursday, I was skeptical. Guess what they had me sign this morning when I picked him up? A permission slip for a trip to McDonald's on Thursday. I guess he knew what he was talking about after all.

Jake's School Picture

The other day when I took first day of school pictures, we were running late (a normal occurrence), and then my battery ran out before I could take Jake's picture. So here is Jake's first week of school picture. The rubber boots have been his wardrobe all week. He just loves wearing them for some reason. I figure, why not?

I'm loving it!

Jake says we should pick him up late on Thursday. I asked him why. He says, "Me 'n' Ms. Curry are going to McDonalds." Ms. Curry is his teacher at daycare. I have not heard about a field trip to McDonalds, but I guess I'll just wait and see. Jake is pretty convinced that it is going to happen.

School Days

Here are the pictures of Josie's first day of 2nd grade. She said her first day of school with Mrs. Campbell was great.

Happy 7th Birthday JoJo!

Josie turned 7 yesterday! Of course, the birthday girl wanted to wear a fancy dress. And what birthday would be complete without a sparkly tiara, earrings, and lipstick? We celebrated by having a family dinner of all her favorite foods (Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, baked apples, broccoli with cheese sauce, corn on the cob, and rolls). Gamma drove from Happy and Nanny and PaPa (aka Betty and Jerry) also joined us.

JoJo was very pleased with all of her gifts. Thanks so much to everyone who sent her money. She has been saving for quite a while. With her birthday money added to what she already had, she was able to buy an Ipod and a Nintendo DS. Mama and Daddy gave her paint samples (she wants to paint her room).

It's hard to believe she will start 2nd grade on Monday. Just look at how much she's grown just since PreK.

Monday Daycare Blues

Dropping off Jake this morning was very painful. His teacher had to pry him off of me with him wailing, "Mama! Mama! Mama!..." I had to pull his fingers off of my shirt one at a time before I could leave. I felt guilty all morning and even called to check on him during my lunch break. They assured me he was doing fine, but I still worried. So I rushed over to get him as soon as I got done with my inservice. I got to his door and when I opened it, he looked up, realized it was time to go, and said "Dang It!"

Gettin' Old

Well, I must be getting old.



Cody took me to a Kenny Chesney concert Saturday. Someone had given him free tickets to this concert at Reliant Stadium, so it seemed like a fun "date." Cody arranged a babysitter, even though Jake really wanted to go with us. "I've never seen a date," he said to us before we left. The drive to Reliant Stadium is not a short one, but we were excited to be going somewhere together (without kids). On the way to the concert we found out that this concert was not just Kenny Chesney as we had thought. It also included Luke Bryan, Gary Allen, Leann Rimes, and Keith Urban. None of these people are performers that we love, but we figured it would be fun anyway.

Well, our seats were in nose-bleed section and way off to the side, but I was still excited. Beer was $8.50, but still excited. Then the concerts started. The sound was horrible. We couldn't understand a word anyone said (or sang). It was so loud, I think my ears are still ringing. We finally moved to some other better seats thinking that would help. It did help some, but not enough. The concerts started at 4:00, and at 9:30 we left after only two Kenny Chesney songs. I'm wondering if I would have enjoyed this 10 years ago.

Police Car

As we pulled up to school today, Jake noticed a police car driving by.

Jake: "Mama, if we don't listen, the police is going to come get us."

Me: "No Jake, the police help keep us safe. Mama and Daddy will get you if you don't listen."

Josie: "Yeah, the police only taser us if we break the law."

Playing With Photoshop

I have been learning to use Photoshop. Here are a few Photoshop creations to commemorate the end of our summer.

Back to School

Today was the first day back at "school" for Jake. Josie is going with him this week and next during my inservice days. Even though there were lots of tears, Jake made it through his first day back. Both kids seemed to have fun, and mom got lots of work done in her classroom. It's hard to believe the summer is over.

Blog Improvements

Okay, I just have to say that I am proud of myself. I have been wondering how people got such cute blog titles. It really bugged me that mine was a little boring. I finally figured out how to make my own title using Photoshop Elements. I am still experimenting, but I'm sure that will end when school officially starts (which for me is next Wednesday).

Everyone please pray that Jake has a smooth start back to his school. He is adament that he is NOT going to go. He wants to just move to Granny's instead.

Tropical Storm?

Well, some of you might have been wondering about the storm that hit yesterday (Eduard). We were hoping for lots of rain since we have been so dry. We did get some rain yesterday, but nothing heavy. Thankfully, we didn't get much wind. Lots of schools and businesses closed just in case, but it turned out to be no big deal for our area.

More Trip Pictures

Here are more pictures...these are from Inks Lake. My favorite is the profile shot of Josie and Cody. The similarities are priceless.

Last Trip of the Summer

We just got back from a trip to Junction and Burnet to see family. We had a great time visiting and playing in the Llano River and Inks Lake. Josie and Jake got to spend time with Granny and PaPa. We fished, tubed, swam, and ate lots and lots of yummy food. We also got to see Chaz's and Cash's new home, which just happens to be where Cody grew up (Junction). It was fun to see the houses where Daddy lived and the school where PaPa coached. We can't wait to go back.

Book of Interest

I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young. It was a really thought-provoking book. If you are interested, go to www.theshackbook.com. I haven't looked at the this site yet, but I plan to. This book really makes you think about relationships, especially the relationship we have with God. Let me know what you think if you read it.