First Day of School!!

The BIG day! It almost feels a little surreal to me that I have a child in school now. To start the day, I had to wake him up. Of course he slept in on his first day of school. I hope this isn't any indication of what the next bazillion school mornings will be like! Thomas was a trooper and posed for quite a few pictures this morning. Above, on the front porch on the way to school. Below, next to the sign at school. Yes, it was sunny. Yes, it was cold. I had a hard time putting him in jeans and a hoodie on the first day. But, geesh, it was 47 degrees when we left the house!

Heading on in. I love that Puppy is peeking out of his backpack. Puppy stood guard in the locker. He waited patiently and protected T's stuff until he made his debut during rest time.

Thomas loves that he has his own locker. I wanted a picture of him with his name. He wanted a picture standing next to his open locker. You know, so you can see all his stuff.


Thomas is in Mrs. Flower's Pre-K (young 5s) classroom. He is very excited to be in her class this year. A couple of his buddies have had her in the past. He's heard lots of good stories. I had the benefit of working with Mrs. Flower for an entire year prior to Thomas starting school. I'm sure this will be a great year. She is full of energy, patience, and knows how to push each student to help them become their best.


Thomas (and I) did great today. No tears or emotional oubursts! He will tell those that ask about his day:

• I have 2 recesses.


• I saw Kyle and Maggie at recess. I played "monsters" at recess with Kyle.


• Hermie (the class guinea pig) knocked over his igloo and scratched at his cage when Mrs. Flower put him back in.


• I painted and played with blocks.


• We went to computers but didn't get to use them. We learned that you put a colored cup on top of your computer if it isn't doing what you want it to do.


• I colored 2 pictures.


• I made new friends- Oscar, Matthew, Charlie, and Gavin.


• I didn't care for having to walk in that line. Some kids push and don't make good choices. I want to walk like the workers.

To celebrate such a good day, Thomas and I went to the park. When we got home, I made nachos. Thomas requested them as his special first day of school dinner.

Happy Labor Day!!

I'm lucky enough to work in a field where Labor Day always means a day off. Some, like my husband, trudge into their jobs at the crack of dawn just like any other day. On his way home from work, Alan noticed our friends working on their farm. He decided to go help, so Thomas and I tagged along. Actually, to be more accurate, Thomas cancelled our trip to the park because he wanted to go "work" on the farm as well.

I've learned in the years that we have been friends with the Bennett's that there is always work to be done on the farm. Today's task - digging a trench to repair a broken drain tile. Today, they had 3 generations of Bennett farmers and 2 generations of Asiala handymen working the job. Grandpa Bennett now supervises from his tractor while Rob (far left) and Cal (on the left in the distance) do the work, with the help of anyone who is willing.

I'm intrigued by farming. Specifically, small family farms. I never gave much thought to farming in the past. I bought food at the store, cooked and ate it, and didn't give it a second thought. Now a days, we've shifted our focus. We buy our beef from this very farm. The Bennett's raise beef cattle and feed them their own corn and hay. It's a small, family operation and we are so lucky to be some of the few that are able to buy and eat this wonderful meat. In addition, we buy as much in season locally grown produce as possible. The local farmers market is one of our Saturday morning routine stops. Good thing, too, because this year, we stunk at gardening. This measly bowl:

was our gardens bounty for the season. Pitiful, really. We'll try harder next year. In the mean time, we'll continue buying from our local farmers and hitting up Grandpa Bennett's garden for seasonal treats. I picked 4 buttercup squash this morning. Can't wait to cook one later this week!

Cal grew little pumpkins and Thomas was thrilled to bring a couple home. He plans on painting them later in the day.

One Liners

Thomas, like his dad, memorizes lines from movies and then makes use of them on a frequent basis. Some of his current favorites:

From Rio, "I'm gonna bust that cage open like a soda can."

From Despicable Me, "Done got shrunk."

Also from Despicable Me, "Teeeeennnnny, tiiiinnnny, tooooiiiiilet."

Tonight, he got a new line from a song that was on in Alan's truck -

"Shake that healthy butt."

Yep, "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix a Lot.

Flashback: Summer: Chicago Children's Museum

Flashback to July, 7th when Beth and I went on an adventure. We packed up the boys and headed into Chicago. Destination- the Chicago Children's Museum. Thomas, Jack, and Brett had a great time exploring, using their imaginations, and role playing. Beth and I had a great time watching them in all their wonder and chatting along the way.

Chief Thomas. This is one of my new favorite pictures.

Thomas and Jack had a great time playing in the fire department/safety area.

Little builders. Thomas loves these boards, bolts, and nuts. I've searched the 'net high and low and can't find anything remotely close. Maybe a handy grandpa would like to make him a set...

Wow, 3 feet 10 inches tall in July. He's growing like a weed!

Beth and I grabbed some Starbucks on the way out and enjoyed a peaceful ride home. I'm so glad we got to share such a wonderful day with such good friends!

a little project :)

For the month of September, I will do a blog post every day. I will give this little project my best effort. I've had a couple of requests for more frequent posts, so hopefully this will point me in the right direction.

Stay tuned, there's a lot to come!

Blessings

Blessings are out there, you just have to recognize them when they look you in the eye. We were blessed, almost 5 years ago, with a sweet, rambunctious, eager little boy. Thomas changed our lives in ways we never would have expected.

Carol Rouse came into our lives a short 3 years ago. I met Carol in a few different arenas before she became our daycare provider. I remembered her as being full of energy, loving her family, and speaking highly of the services she provided and the families she provided them for. A couple of months later, during a time of despair and frustration with our then current daycare - I made the call. It's a call I will never regret.

I will be eternally grateful for the love and support she provided for our family. She has helped us to shape Thomas into the little man he is becoming. Carol has been such a blessing to us.

Today we parted ways, sharing a deep bear hug and many tears. Tears of happiness for the school year to come, tears of gratitude for the wonderful job she has done, and tears of sadness for the upcoming absence of our twice daily talks.


Thomas on his last day. He loved spending time with Carol's grandkids (and summer daycare helpers), Madissen and Aiden.

Just another day...

.... in paradise. It is such a blessing to live a short 5 mile drive from Lake Michigan. Thomas and I have been going to the beach 1-2 times a week all summer. I love to be in the water. On a hot, humid day there is no place I would rather be. Thomas follows in my footsteps. We pack toys and snacks and stay for a few hours. It's these carefree, quality moments with him that I am cherishing this summer. So glad we still have 7 weeks of summer vacation to enjoy in paradise.