Fairly Random First Day of School Thoughts

Well, my boys are gone again. I don't understand why summer has to fly by every year, but it does. Seems like one day they are diving off the diving board, and the next, we are digging out snowpants. If I could just get time to slow down a bit!

Carter and Owen have both become very comfortable in their school surroundings. Carter has gone from an extremely apprehensive kindergartener to a confident third-grader. I love seeing that change in him, but it also reminds me that he needs me less than he used to. In that way, it's a bit sad. Owen didn't have quite the shell to come out of that Carter did, but he has definitely become more confident, and I really think they are both going to enjoy this year. Owen said his favorite thing about his first day of school was his teacher. That makes me very happy. It is always my prayer that my boys like their teachers, and God has been so good to us in that regard.

Speaking of teachers, Carter's teacher had a baby just before school started, so he began the year with a long-term sub. That sub happens to be a woman I have known for years. She is wonderful, she loves the Lord, and she is an answer to prayer. (I've been told his "real" teacher is also wonderful, so I look forward to getting to know her too.)

I have decided not to do first day of school pics. Last day of school photos are much better, because the boys give me a genuine smile on that day!

It has not yet hit Lewis that his brothers (and all the neighborhood boys) are gone for the year, but he will be sad when he realizes that summer is over. I'm just going to have to keep him busy!

Hobo Day 2010

The day started with the Hobo Run, which I ran alone because my husband wouldn't join me this year. Afterwards, the whole family watched the parade. Corey has a one parade per year limit, which is why my Huxley friends never see him at the Prairiefest Parade. He may be smiling on the outside, but on the inside he's thinking "When is this thing going to be over?" Love these boys. My brother's little guy, Lucas, is super duper cute!

We swam at the new "aquatic center" in Britt. Everyone had fun; especially Lucas, who apparently has no fear of water whatsoever. Corey dared me to do a flip off the diving board. I took him up on the dare, and now he owes me a backrub which I will be cashing in on soon.

A zonked out Owen on the ride back home

Water Water Everywhere

When Corey left home to work out in Ames at 5:30 yesterday morning, he had no idea that he would be beating the flood of the century out of town by minutes after he was done. He did have to take a slightly different route out of town as things were just starting to flood, but had he left Ames a little later, he would have had some major trouble getting out.
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I snagged these photos from weather.com. The first 2 pictures are of University Village which is where Corey and I lived when we were first married. The third photo is of the Target store where I bought my school supplies last week.
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Praise God that we are dry. Our backyard is pretty soggy, but the water is making it down into the swollen creek at the end of the cul-de-sac instead of into our basement. We have friends who have had water, and even sewage in their basements.
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Corey was commenting last night how we had thought we had such a rough winter, but the heat and rain of the summer are definitely competing with the snow and the cold of the winter. There have been several nights where the neighborhood has livened up after the sun has started making its way down and it is tolerable to be outside. So, though I usually try to get my kids inside earlier this time of year in preparation for the impending school year, I have found myself letting them play out in the evening when the hot sun isn't beating down on them.
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It's definitely been a crazy weather year around here.

Fun On a Rainy Day

Seems like it rains every other day around here. The boys and their neighbor friends found a way to have fun in it.

Adventureland

We spent one day last week at Adventureland with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson, and Keith, Tomi and Lucas. This pic was taken at the end of the day when everyone was a bit tired.

Grandma, Lewis and Lucas.

Hard to believe Carter and Owen are actually closer in age than these two.

Chillin at the waterpark.

Grandpa and Lewis

Owen and Keith on the log ride.

Keith running into Carter on the bumper cars.

Mini Ferris Wheel

After about 10 hours, Lewis had had enough.

Science Center

Since Owen has staples in his head, there have been no pool days for us this week. To occupy one day, we took a trip to the Science Center with my friend, Kerrie, and her two boys, Lucas and Logan. These guys have spent hours and hours and hours playing together this summer. They we all pretty wired at the Science Center, and we moms were pretty exhausted by the end of the trip.

Diving Boards, Staples and Long Blonde Locks

20 hours post injury

. One hour post injury

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In my previous post, I mentioned how we almost live at the pool this summer. Well, we'll be finding a new location to spend our time for the next week. Pictured above is my Owen. He is becoming very familiar with the back room of Dr. Testroet's office, what with a sliver that caused his thumb to swell like a balloon last fall, the tree that wasn't very nice to his arm while sledding this winter, and now, the diving board that attacked his head.
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Owen hit the board hard while doing a backflip at the pool yesterday, and ended up with 4 staples on top of his noggin. I was not even at the pool when it happened. I'm trying to kick this sense of "mommy guilt" I have for not being there when my little man was hurt. He was, however, in the very capable hands of my friend, Kerrie. And she, along with another friend Tish were able to get him to the clinic, where I met them. I'm also told that the lifeguards did a phenomenal job of taking care of him.

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By the time I saw him, the bleeding had stopped, but his beautiful blonde hair looked like it had been dyed red. After washing his hair back to its normal color, Dr. Testroet stapled his cut shut. My brave little man handled it well with no novacaine. I was very proud of him. Now, he's feeling fine, and I think he's actually kind of proud of the staples. As Dr. Testroet pointed out, they are no match for a professionally airbrushed cast, but to a seven-year-old boy, they are still pretty sweet.