Happy Fall Y’all!

I haven’t taken too many pictures lately. I know…what’s wrong with me?  I’m falling behind.  It’s getting much cooler out these days.  I didn’t have my weekly mow yesterday that I’ve done all summer!  That part is nice, but that just tells me we are inching closer to the snow and I don’t really want that!  Carlee had a play date yesterday and she had so much fun!  The whole morning she was asking to go to Taelyn’s house.  You’ll have to check out the pictures and video below. I started potty training with this little girl just after school started and it’s not going so well.  She’s VERY stubborn.  I thought girls were supposed to be easier!?  Anybody else have a hard time with a girl?  I’ve rewarded her with stickers and skittles just for sitting on the potty (because she was kicking and screaming not to), but actually doing the duty hasn’t really worked yet.  I take a break with it every few days because she gets pretty irritated about the interruptions of going potty.  I don’t want her to have a negative outlook on using the potty.  Yesterday we had a better day with it, but if anybody has any unique ways they have tried and it’s been successful, please tell me!

Carter has had a rough couple weeks at school adjusting to the new rules.  He’s come home with a few behavior slips for being too loud and fooling around.  Hopefully we can get that under control soon.  We were warned that this teacher is a little tough on those rambunctious boys, so hopefully it works.  I just don’t want him to start disliking school because of it.  He never had any problems or notes sent home last year and I always thought he's been a pretty good kid.  Yesterday was his turn to take snacks, so I made a Halloween Snack Mix; I mixed a couple batches of homemade caramel popcorn (thanks, Mom!) and mixed in peanuts, cashews, raisins, candy corn and Indian corn.  I thought it turned out pretty good.  A project I thought would go pretty fast, but ended up taking a couple of hours.  Oh well, the popcorn turned out really tasty!

Carter not happy about the apology letter he had to write.

Taelyn & Carlee waiting for us to leave so they can jump on Taelyn's bed again.  

Rylee, Taelyn & Carlee playing 'ring around the rosie'.  I know it's blurry, but it shows how much fun they're having!

Short clip of the girls playing 'ring around the rosie'.

(Don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom of the page before viewing.)

Finally, time to relax a little.

Short clip of Carlee singing the "Baby Bumblebee" song.  

She's being pretty shy throughout the video, but it's still pretty cute.

(Don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom of the page before viewing.)

little of this and that

Yesterday was the day, 13 years ago, that I met my husband at a wedding reception.  Can't believe how fast the time has gone!  Fortunately, yesterday my dad and Nadine were coming over for a visit, so I politely asked if they could stay an extra couple of hours while Jay and I went out to eat, BY OURSELVES.  Yummo Olive Garden is where we chose to go because I received a gift card from there, and because it's one of my favorite places to go.  :-)  

Picture of the kids watching me pull nails.

My darling and me

My little fearless monkey

Climbing in the apple tree

Jared (#22) & Jordan (#23)
ironically, just realized these are two of my favorite numbers (emmitt smith & michael jordan)

Jared (sitting on helmet) and Jordan (just to the right of Jared) at half time

Carter had a grasshopper buddy at the game.

He also met a friend named Teryn, who happens to belong to an old friend from high school.   Funny part is, that I didn't know it until the game was over.  Kids can react with each other in a way that adults never could!  Can you imagine getting this close to someone you just met?  I don't think so!

My good-lookin' nephews, Jordan & Jared!  Mom should be proud!!

I had to sneak in another.....sorry boys!

Last weekend wasn’t just another Prentice Progress Days;   it was the first girls’ alumni basketball tournament!  Actually, it ended up being just one game because there were only enough girls for two teams.  Thanks to Carol Heikkinen, I decided to play.  I was a little unsure because it’s been quite a few years for me.  Although I’ve played in the Gus Macker tournaments after I graduated high school, it’s still been a LONG TIME since those.  I thought, “What the heck, it should be fun!”  And if definitely was!!  I even made a few shots.  It felt great making a 3-pointer and a teammate saying “she’s still got it.”  Although, I think they’d all agree…..it was pretty brutal trying to go up and down that court, especially in those first five minutes of the game.  I think my body started getting used to it during the 2^nd half.  Gotta say, I didn’t think we’d beat the young ‘uns 49-22.  They were girls who were babies or not even born yet while I was still in high school!  THAT makes me feel really, r e a l l y old!  It was so nice playing with you all again.  Thanks Carol, Sarah, Brenda, Kati, BJ and Katie!!  It was so nice seeing so many familiar faces.  I wish I would've been able to chat with some of those I just waved to or said hello to.  It's been too long and I realized I really miss being able to see them or talk to them on a regular basis.  It's sad when someone you were once close with is almost a stranger now.  Why did I move away from home again?  So many wonderful people in Prentice...

A nice picture of the new gym.  Carlee and I are to the far right.  (You might  be able to see Carlee...she's holding a ball,  in between the 3-point line and free-throw line)

some of us warming up.
from left to right:  brenda, me, carol, kati & katie

Carter playing around on the floor.

Carlee and Carter on the gym floor

Winners of the first Prentice Alumni Basketball Game
Me, Sarah, Carol, Kati, BJ, Brenda & Katie 

One story I want to share that I know I won’t forget:  While warming up, Carol’s son Matti comes running up to me and wants to be picked up.  I realize he doesn’t know me at all, and I figure out what’s going on.  He too had mistaken me for his mom!   When I spoke and told him I wasn’t his mommy, he looked at me and knew he wanted down right away.  I don’t know how many times people said Carol and I looked alike in school!   It’s just Carol’s probably 7” taller than me…..lol  I think it’s because of the brown hair in a pony and blue eyes.  I also happened to have on a shirt that day that Carol said she also has, so maybe he recognized that.   I just thought it was so cute….and that’s alright, I was able to hold a darlin’ little man for a short time.

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From Prentice, we headed to Boyd and camped at Del & Re’s place.  Carter finally got his play date with Ella and it was an all-weekend play date so he had a lot of fun.  Once Monday came around, all the kids were pretty crabby…..not enough sleep and getting irritated at each other.  It was interesting to hear stories about Jay’s grandpa that Delbert and Lorraine would share.  He sounded like a pretty cool guy.

check out the video of carlee.  if you listen closely you can hear her little evil giggle.

  (don't forget to turn the tunes off first at the bottom of the page.) 

Carlee playing with Re.

Jay in his glory in the '42 wrecker

jay having a little fun driving it around

carlee, carter & ella playin' around

kids having a snack

ella and carter at the campfire

they caught a HUGE frog

jay with his aunt lorraine and uncle delbert

Re & Del

Ella, Lorraine, Delbert & Carlee

Carlee playing with play-doh

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Last night, I took Carter to his first Marathon football game.  They were playing Jordan & Jared’s team, the Phillips Loggers.   It’s hard to believe that Carter will most likely be playing out on that field in the future.  Before half time, he had his root beer and skittles gone already.  Just after half time he says to me, “I think I have a belly ache.”  You think? 

Carter climbing all over the place at the game.  he can't sit still!

Have a nice weekend everyone!!

FiRsT dAy Of ScHoOl

I have a “kidney bean”!

Remember when you were in grade school and all the older kids called kindergarten kids, kidney beans?

Me, this morning:  “Carter, are you excited for school to start?”

Carter, this morning:  “I’ll have to think about that and get back to you.”

Me, this afternoon:  “Well, did you have an exciting day?”

Carter, this afternoon: “Mmmm…......I guess I would say so.”

Some conversations just make you smile!  J

Getting ready to go and wait for the bus.

Waiting for the bus during this foggy morning.

The bus is almost here!!

Carter getting off the bus.

All smiles and excited!!

Carter pulling Carlee down the driveway after a long day at school.