Baby's drinking Coke at the Hobby Lobby.

There's only one day left of the boys' holiday vacation, and I know they're sad for it to be over. However, they're very excited to go back to school and begin riding the bus for the first time! All of their snowgear arrived on the 22nd, but their last day before the break was the very next day. That didn't give me enough time to 1) unpack the items (the movers didn't leave that night until 6:30pm), and 2) go to the school to let them know to add them to the bus schedule (which meant I would've gone in on Tuesday morning, and they would've had only the ride home that day... which seemed kinda silly). So, I'll take them to school again on Monday, and while I'm there, I'll head into the office to fill out the bus paperwork. They'll begin riding the bus on Tuesday...

... and I'll begin the jammied, goodbye-kisses-at-the-door! Wheee! (Yeah, I may be even more excited than THEY are! *wink*)

We need to find a larger size 'plate holder' for one of my Coca-Cola® trays in the dining room. We've hung the other ones on the wall, but the largest size we could find was adjustable from 11"-18". My tray is about 20" in length, so no dice. I had the idea of extending the stretchy brackets with zip-ties, but that didn't fully work either. (Philip tried for a good while, too.) We'll find or figure something out, I'm sure.

Speaking of Coca-Cola, we took two of my large puzzles to Hobby Lobby today to be framed. I put these puzzles together about 15 years ago, back in my freshman year of high school. In fact, Philip helped me to make one of them while we were dating. I've carried them from home to home for years, and they've never been on display. I am über-excited to get them back in a couple weeks and put them up in my dining room. Depending on how much I love them (and I'm sure I will!), then I'll take my largest puzzle in to be framed as well. It's about the size of Jack, so it'll be a pretty penny, I know. Still, Hobby Lobby was having a 50% off sale on custom framing, so I figured it was a great time to get them done.

Poor Baby kitty is so frightened of the main level of the house. The living room and the large office both have high ceiling fans, and she is just scared to death of them. Honestly, to see her expression, you'd think there was a giant monster with 200 teeth coming after her. It's been three weeks now, and she's just not warming up to them. The kitties have had their food, water, and litterbox down in the basement, but today, we moved the food up to the office. She has stood in the hallway and mewed at us in the most pitiful voice, and we keep inviting her to join us in one of these rooms. Philip and I have both brought her in here several times to show her the location of the food, calmly petting her and trying to reassure her. The last time Philip did so, she ate about four little kibbles. She'll get there, I know she will, but it's pretty pitiful to see right now.

Kiki, on the other hand, is perfectly happy anywhere now. She was cautious near the fans for the first week or so, but now she's very content. She's currently sleeping on my Coca-Cola bin near the windows while I'm here in the office.

I found a neat, wrought-iron plaque on clearance at Hobby Lobby yesterday with a cut-out design on it, as well as the text, "HOPE." I really waffled on buying it though, as I could see a small scratch in the finish. Philip and I tried to rub it out in the store, and it was almost gone... but I could still see where it was. Even though I thought we might be able to do a better job of it with a cleaner or a special pad at home, I walked away from it. I figured it just wasn't meant to be. I will be keeping an eye out for the perfect "HOPE" decoration this year, as I wanna celebrate and commemorate my word!

I've received a ton more Christmas cards, but I've been remiss this last week in thanking so many of you. Thank you to donnajean2277, hermioneluna, m1x3d3m0t10n5, and scarletharlot52. A special thank-you also goes out to tabbyfoo!

I'm not sure what the day holds tomorrow after church. Maybe I can get all my guys to sit around the table on our new chairs in our gorgeous dining room and play the new game I picked up - Milles Bornes! I loved that card game when I was growing up, and I hope they like it, too. :-)

New school.

The boys have had almost a full week in their new school, Dakota Elementary. This is their first time attending an on-base school, and I gotta say: it is super-nice. The security from knowing the school is under more protection than a regular school, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that each and every one of their classmates understands and lives the same hardships, difficulties, family separations, etc. is golden. I wouldn't trade it away for any price right now.

In addition, the school is brilliant. I love the stage in the gym - the fact that their new school can hold their own concerts and assemblies without traveling away. I love that the get to experience a "true" school cafeteria, complete with sliding their trays down metal beams while their food is served. Near the front of the building, there is a special place for the pick-up children to wait - it's called the "Snow Den." The classrooms for grades K-3 have bathrooms inside, so there's not much instruction time missed for a potty break. The student ratio is a bit smaller than our their last school, and that's always a plus, too.

Their school day is now from 9am-3:15. I was surprised to hear that, having always seen schools start between 7:45-8:15 or so. The later start is great for these darker mornings though, and I have appreciated the extra minutes of shut-eye myself. We had to purchase school supplies over the weekend for the first time (our old school district supplied them), and the boys had fun picking out certain colors of their items. The breakfast and lunch choices are FAR superior, and I love that there is no set pattern in the lunch menu. Philip and I were reading the monthly menu, and even then, *we* each picked several days we'd like to join the boys for lunch, if only for the great selection!

The change in weather between Nebraska and North Dakota is apparent, and not in the least on the playground rules. Back in Nebraska, the boys had outdoor recess at school unless is was below 20°. In their new school, the school operates with outdoor recesses unless it is -5° or the windchill is -15°. Wow! Due to these regulations, students are required to wear full snow gear for recess (boots, snowpants, gloves, hat, coat). All students are provided bus transportation too, but they must wear the full snow gear while on the bus. This week, we have been dropping off/picking up the boys, as we're waiting on their brand-new (tags still attached) snow boots and snowpants to arrive with our household goods. They are SO EXCITED to ride the bus for the first time, and I'm excited to turn in my years of driving them for a bit of jammy-clad, kiss-'em-on-the-cheek goodbyes at the door. ;-)

Both of the boys have been placed into the Gifted & Talented program at school. A.J. had previously been in the HAL program (High Ability Learner) since 3rd grade at their old school, and they simply transferred him over. Jack had been pegged for the HAL program by his other teachers, but was waiting until next year to start. (He's in 2nd grade, and the program does not begin until the 3rd grade.) At this new school, however, the Gifted program begins in the 2nd grade, and he has already easily tested into it. In addition, his teacher has placed him in a special math club for advanced students. She also will be supplementing his reading curriculum with material from the 5th grade classrooms (that is where he has level-tested now). With all the extra reading he does at home, I'm not surprised in the least!

A.J. will be playing a bit of catch-up in band, as the school here began instruction in the 5th grade, so his classmates are one year ahead of him. I hope he is able to hold his own, but I'm encouraged by how well he enjoys playing his instrument.

The boys don't break at the same time as their old school for the holidays. Instead of having their last day tomorrow, the 18th, they will continue until next Tuesday, the 22nd. They return on the 4th, which is the same. We also noticed fewer breaks throughout the year, but they have a solid 90-day summer vacation, and I am very happy for them for that. School won't begin next year until Aug. 27th - which will be the first year A.J. has ever celebrated his summer birthday (the 23rd) by NOT already being in school. He is ecstatic over the news!

All in all, we have no complaints with the new school, and we have only joyful news to share. What a blessing!

Moving: Makin' it.

We're on the home-stretch now: 530 miles down, 208 left to go. We will make it to Minot AFB tomorrow!

A la Kevin Smith, I yelled as we passed the border: "NORTH DAKOTA, I am IN YOU!"

*giggles*

Now the knowledge is out in the open, and that feels nice. Even so, it still gives me a great little thrill that we kept our moving news so locked down for six months to just a handful of special people in real life. I love that folks didn't know until I chose to let them know. For the sake of the boys and their church/school situations, it made things much simpler. Thank you, my LJ friends, for keeping mum on the subject since June - hee!

And it sounds like our friends in Nebraska have had more than a bit of snow since we left. We got some on Sunday night that put us in a tizzy over whether to leave or not... but we decided that we couldn't wait and then risk being trapped by the larger storm system due on Monday night. Apparently, we made the VERY RIGHT decision in leaving, as they have been nothing but blasted by snow since we left.

Meanwhile, I'm not a great big ol' fan of South Dakota. There was hardly any accumulation going on along the interstates, but the 3-5" of snow that was already in place was whipping across the lanes, and we felt as if we were driving in an intense fog. For most of the roads in SD, we were buzzing along at 35-40mph... in an area with a speed limit of 75mph. Philip's truck pulled the U-Haul, and he was the one equipped with our GPS, so I was lolling afterward. At one point in the afternoon, he was at 1/4 tank of gas, and I had a solid 1/2 left plus Jack and both kitties sound asleep. We made the decision for me to whip on and find a place for dinner and 'free time' for the kitties, and then it took Philip another 40 minutes or so to catch up to us.

I was super-nervous this morning when we hit the blustery roads, but by mid-afternoon, I was asking Philip to go faster. I'm more than a little proud of myself for keeping it together and pressing on. :-)

Philip just brought me a hot fudge sundae from McD's while I'm down here in the hotel lobby using the computer. Mmmmm!

My friends have more than kept me occupied with texts and Tweets. Thank you, all of you, for checking in so frequently. If nothing else, I catch up on potty breaks. ;-) Oh, and kerryblaze, thanks for the LJ gift, too!

hearts_refuge, did you get your box yet? Mailing that sucker out involved being a party to the most RIDICULOUS conversation ever. Seriously, I was shaking my head in bewilderment and looking around for a hidden camera.

kp_nut, I received your Christmas card in our last day's mail. Anything else should be forwarded right now, but yours came just in time. Thank you!

On a side tangent, our hotel tonight has the best showerhead ever. Goodness, it was relaxing to stand there forever after the chilly parking parade. I also love how hotels have neverending supplies of hot water. Philip jumped in with me, and then afterwards, Jack took his bath. We were dressing in our jammies and giggling, listening to Jack singing, "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" while he bubbled away in the tub.

I can't wait to download some pictures. I've not taken any of the trip, but I have several from before that I think will be keepers. We were SO PROUD of A.J. in his very first band concert last Thursday night. I was so tickled that we were able to stay until that point (the next day, Friday, was their last day of school), and that he enjoyed it so much. We sat in the second row, and I took a bunch of snaps. He is one of six clarinet players, and he clearly knew his stuff.

Even better, he surprised the heck outta me when we arrived back at the TLF that night. I had watched Mr. Holland's Opus with the boys the previous weekend, and A.J. had been particularly interested in the clarinet player's struggles (which I expected, and which is the reason I suggested the movie, besides just loving it to pieces myself). He told me he wanted to play something for me, and he pulled out his clarinet...

... and then he played THAT TUNE from the movie! He played it by ear, having guessed and practiced it by himself all week. I was ASTOUNDED! I told him he's really got a gift, and that not many folks can "hear" notes like that, and especially not just three months after beginning to play an instrument. He just grinned and played it over and over, working on figuring out the next note as he went. Wow!

I should probably get moving here. No one's waiting on the computer, but I would like to get a long, lazy sleep in, and that means I should start snoozing soon. 'Night, all!

Lunches and feasts.

Philip and I both headed up to the school for lunch today, bringing with us Subway for a treat. We can't go tomorrow on our usual Wednesday routine, as the boys' school is out for Thanksgiving break, so we bumped up a day.

When I asked them last night, no one was sure of the lunch choice for today. Because of this, we opted for lunch brought in, and they collaborated and chose Subway. Fine by me - I love subs! When we walked into the lunchroom, we found the school lunch to be hotdogs, seasoned potato wedges, milk, fruit, and a chocolate chip cookie. That choice is pretty decent - bummer!

Now I am STUFFED, and we're fixin' to head out shopping for all our Thanksgiving feast supplies. We've got two folks (and a guest) from work coming over to celebrate with us, and Philip also has a troop coming over. It should be good, and we'll be sending most of the leftovers home with all of them. :-)

Reading, lunches, and the boys' friends.

This morning was 'Breakfast & A Book' again at the boys' school. We all went, and while there, I also gifted their teachers with some cute, homemade goodies (to be shared about in a separate entry). I then walked the halls and gave the rest away to other teachers that happened to be milling about, as well as the entire office staff and the librarian. Then A.J. headed off to class, and Philip and I brought Jack home for a little bit.

The boys had their regular dentist check-ups yesterday, and Jack needed to go back this morning to have some sealants done. He's got the same substantial "grooves" on his molars that A.J. did years ago, and they want to prevent cavities in those grooves by sealing them now. I took him to that appointment, and then back to school before 9:30. While in the office, another teacher was asking me about the goodies, saying she'd already heard about them from several folks. Fun!

Then I went back at 11:00 for my regular Wednesday lunching with the boys. I'd forgotten to look at the school menu, so I had all my fingers crossed that it was something good... TACOS! I can always support tacos. ;-) A.J.'s group of friends was particularly talkative today, and that was fun. I had put a special, sealed bag in his friend Jade's desk early that morning, and she was BEGGING me to tell her what was in it. I shook my head, and promised her it was worth the wait! Then Jack's group of friends is always so much fun, and I love knowing all of them by name, and continuing individual conversations with the kids from week-to-week. Today, I let his friend Noah Dettmer know that I had *just* spoken with his mom and RSVP'd for the fun 'Mystery Theater' birthday party he's throwing this Saturday. He was very excited, and was *fist-pumping* the air. :-)

As I headed to the office, I was stopped by a few more folks, asking about the goodies. I apologized, saying I was now fresh out, but they still wanted to know how to make 'em. Then it became a baking jamboree discussion in the office, and I love that so many are so interested!

A.J. asked if we could head to Borders after school, and I've got a Bath & Body Works birthday giftcard burning a hole in my pocket, as well as a birthday giftcard to Wheatfield's, so... sounds like a plan to me!

No zoo for you!

It's my day off. My day off is usually on Wednesday, but it is Thursday this week because I had volunteered to go to the zoo with Jack's 2nd grade class for a field trip. I chaperoned this same field trip for A.J. in the past, and I was excited to do it again for Jack.

But it was drizzling all day yesterday. In fact, A.J.'s class had a field trip yesterday (no chaperones allowed, however) to a farm, and it was canceled then. And by early evening last night, it was raining.

And it hasn't stopped.

I charged my battery packs, cleared my memory cards, and made sure sack lunches were ready last night. I was up, getting ready, when the phone rang this morning. It was Jack's teacher, Miss Wiebers, informing us that the field trip was canceled due to the excessive rain.

Darn, darn, darn!

I hope it's rescheduled soon, but I'm not overly optimistic. A.J.'s class went on this trip in late September, and it's already late October. The way I figure it, they probably will try to reschedule the field trip for next spring. That makes me just as sad, because then Jack will miss it entirely. :-(

Book-a-licious.

I just returned home from the 'Pastries for Parents' breakfast event at the boys' school. Once again, the turnout was extremely low, but Philip and I were both there (he had gotten it approved to be half an hour late to work today). We ate our muffins and drank our juice, and then we began browsing the book fair.

I love books. :-)

We're all excited for the boys' conferences this afternoon. After school, while we're waiting for their conference time, we'll shop the book fair. After conferences, we're headed out to Borders to pick up A.J.'s reserved copy of the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He's been waiting for weeks and is excited to get it.

Should be a very book-ish day!

200!

I doubt anyone checks back to this older entry, but this is worth announcing:

JACK HAS READ 200 BOOKS THIS YEAR!

He's had lulls here and there, and he's had months where he just goes crazy with reading. His skill level is amazing, and we couldn't be prouder of his progress over the summer months! He received a progress report home on Thursday, and the news was insane: to be classified at the 'Advanced' level for second grade, he was expected to read 78 words-per-minute. His score:

192 wpm

*cartwheels* We are just blown away! Looking ahead, he should be reading 117+ wpm by the end of the school year to still be classified at 'Advanced.' I've got an idea that's gonna be NO problem. ;-)

First day of school.

Last Wednesday was the first day of school for my boys, and I can't believe it's already been a week since! My goodness, how behind I am!

A.J. is in the 6th grade this year, and I still shake my head at this, finding it impossible. How is it that he is already in his very last year of elementary school? *weeps* He has been placed in Mr. Loomis' class this year, and we are all very excited about the changes that his first male teacher may bring. This is his teacher's first year at the school, but he's no young'un: he's a retired Air Force officer with four grown children and eight grandchildren! He seemed very nice the evening we met him before school began, and I hope for good things this school year. From the get-go, he received props: for the first time in all A.J.'s school years, his items were labeled with "A.J." - not "Aaron," as usual. Success!

(As a child who never went by my first name, I can tell you what a monumental difference it makes to feel like a teacher actually CARES about you enough to get your chosen name down correctly from the very beginning.)

Jack is now in 2nd grade, and this is a bit easier to digest. After all, we kept him back for an extra year of preschool many moons ago (I'm sure some of you remember the tears involved in making that decision!). He is so bubbly, so confident, and so very excited about life in the 2nd grade. He snagged Ms. Wiebers for a teacher, and what a blessing - we are already very familiar with her from our church, as she is one of the most involved participants in the childrens' ministry! She had already labeled all his things (lunch card, desk, etc.) with 'Jack,' and that's a big plus from the start (usually things have 'Jackson' on them, and we only say that when he's in trouble!). She had also already heard his preference, and she gave him an orange-colored lunch card... WIN! The night before school started, she gave each student a large 'test tube,' asking them fill it with "something about their summer." Jack was ecstatic to pick something from our huge vacation and share with his class!

And now, on to pictures! :-)


A.J., the big 6th grader.


Jack-a-roo, the bouncy 2nd grader.



Here's to another fun year!


At pick-up at the end of a great first day.


Jack's 'test tube.'

(Filled with a seashell from our vacation, Jack was to use his 'test tube' for Show'n Tell. However, his teacher explained that the tubes are not really 'test tubes' at all - they are 2-liter bottles. They are shipped to the factory in this smaller size, then blown into shape, and later filled with cola. Neat! Neither Philip nor I had ever seen/heard that before!

Now... I've seen a large handful of "first day" pics over on FaceBook, but not over here. I wanna read the stories that go with the pics too, people! Get writing! *cracks whip*

Meet-the-Teacher.

This afternoon is the last day of summer break for the boys. We'll be headed to "Meet-the-Teacher(s)" in an hour, and then tomorrow is their first day back to school.

How do I have a sixth grader and a second grader already?!

I can't wait to see what they decide to wear tomorrow. I took them on a big clothes-shopping trip a day or so after we returned home from vacation, and they have tons of new digs. For the first time I can remember, they're both picking out their own outfits for the first day.

*crosses fingers for no major clashing*

My guys are just getting so very, very big!

Wha??

This afternoon, the boys got out of summer school as scheduled. I was still at work, so I assumed that Philip was getting them (he was off today). He thought I was off earlier than I was, so he assumed that I was getting them and was mowing the yard.

Do you see the problem here?

I got home at 3:40pm, and a neighbor kid was waiting on my front step. I asked if he was waiting on the boys for something, and he said, "Yeah." So I walked in, called to the boys to tell them their friend was waiting, but didn't hear a response. I went to pee really quick, and then called out to them again. No response.

The doorbell rang then, and I answered. It was the friend, and he wondered, "How much LONGER?!" I told him that they must already be outside in the backyard with their dad because they weren't anywhere in the house. I walked through the house, to the back door, and yelled out to Philip in the yard, "Where are the boys?"

He cut off the mower. "I thought you were getting them?" I replied, "I thought you were getting them. ACK!" And right then, the home phone rang. It was the school secretary, and I quickly explained the conversation that had *just* happened, and told her I was rushing straight down.

So I pulled up, and out came my boys. I had glanced at all the phones, and the school never once called the house, mine or Philip's cell phones, or our work numbers. The boys had been waiting all that time outside the school, and no one ever called!

I couldn't believe that they had waited outside in the sun for 45 minutes before ever asking the secretary to make a phone call. They have all our numbers memorized, and it would've been easy. A.J. said that they almost started walking home (which they've done in the past, but only 3-4 times - crazy kids, they BEG to do it often and treat it like it's a privilege!), but then decided to just wait because they didn't have permission from this morning to do so. We felt so badly for them, but it was a complete accident. :-(

Busy school week.

A couple weeks ago was the school year's last 'Breakfast & A Book' morning, that I attended. The busy school activities kicked into HIGH gear this week, however, and there seemed to be something every day!

On Tuesday, I went to school early in the morning again for 'Muffins with Mom.' A.J. and I chose banana nut muffins, while Jack had a chocolate chocolate chip muffin. This event was well-attended, and there were probably 30-some mothers there with their children. In fact, the library was so packed that they boys and I chose a place on the carpet in a corner of the book aisles. We ate our muffins, drank our juice, and then browsed the Book Fair set-up. It was a nice time, and I was glad to see so much participation this time.

On Wednesday, Philip and I had both taken the day off from work, and I made sack lunches for the entire family. We carted the lunches up to the school at noon, and we began eating with Jack's classroom. Ten minutes later, A.J.'s class came down for lunch, and instead of sitting with the 5th graders, he joined us at the 1st grade tables (I asked his teacher for permission, and she had said it was fine). The four of us jabbered on, and Jack's classmates asked us lots of questions. I packed identical lunches for Philip and myself as I normally do for the boys on cold lunch days, and I learned that it's WAY TOO MUCH FOOD! (A sandwich, chips, fruit cup, pudding cup, milk, and a juice box.) I was *so* stuffed when I finished everything! The boys' lunchtimes are 40 minutes long, and they are supposed to eat for 20 minutes, and then finish with recess for 20 minutes. Because we were there, both of the boys stayed longer and spent the extra time with us. It was a really pleasant time, and I'm glad we both got to attend together. There were five or six other parents around, but most of the cafeteria kids seemed shocked that BOTH of A.J. and Jack's parents were there! :-)

Wednesday afternoon, we attended parent-teacher conferences. Philip went to A.J.'s, and I headed to Jack's. Both of the boys are doing so well, and it's always fun to hear good stuff about your kids, right? Jack's teacher was just glowing about his creative writing, as well as her HAL recommendation for him. Since third grade, A.J. has been in the HAL program (High Ability Learner), so we're familiar with those standards and weren't surprised. It's awesome news for Jack! I could go into a bit more detail about Jack's conference, but it doesn't seem quite fair... as Philip wasn't quite as prolific about the nitty-gritty details of A.J.'s conference. ;-)

On Thursday morning, Philip took the boys to school early again, this time for 'Donuts with Dad.' He said there were probably 15 fathers there, and that he had a good time. He took along books, and they were able to read just a bit before the bell.

Thursday evening, we ate dinner a bit earlier than usual, and then skidded out the door to head to the skating rink. We arrived about half an hour late for the 'Pirate Skate,' but we got right into the action. Students were encouraged to come in pirate garb, so Jack wore his well-used, homemade pirate costume once more. (I made him leave the sword at home, as well as his holster. I also made him drop his eye patch to just around his neck each time he entered the skating floor. I figured he needed all the depth perception he could get!) Jack really took to the rink this time, and by the end of the evening (only 1.5 hours later), he was skating with good speed in the center of the track (as opposed to having a death-grip on the wall). He was probably falling once in each lap, but he'd just pop right back up every time. A.J. improved his skill as well, gaining more speed, but still clinging anxiously to the side. Philip and I made a promise to ourselves to bring the boys skating more often - after all, how else will they learn the skill and become better if we keep bringing them so sporadically?

Close to the end of the night, the rink did some drawings for prizes. I heard them call out, "Jack!" and yelped in excitement while skating, but then the DJ finished, "From the 2nd grade." Well, poop. After calling out three more winners, however, the last name rung out, "Jack! From the 1st grade!" And I whooped again, clapped and cheered as our Jack made his way to the music stand. His prize included a lollipop, a free drink coupon, and a free skate pass - neat! Once he claimed his prize, he headed back out on the floor. While Philip, A.J. and I were still standing at the music stand, the DJ yelled out to announce a Grand Prize drawing... and it was, "A.J.! From the 5th grade!" And we were ecstatic again! A.J. was right under the guy's nose as he called out his name over the loudspeakers, and then he went to the front desk to claim his prize: a GIANT bag of candy, and a free skate pass, too.

Sweet! Philip and I quickly giggled about really having no excuse not to bring them skating again now - they both had won free passes, even! :-)

And Friday? No school - yay!

Also, we received a note home at the beginning of the month that a piece of Jack's artwork had been chosen to hang in the Lied Activity Center here in Bellevue. Each year, the local schools create a mural of student artwork, and it was an honor for one of his pieces to be chosen to hang proudly. Jack has played in his second year of the Lied's indoor soccer league, and after his game one morning, we strolled upstairs to try and find his piece.


Jack with his artwork.



He poses with his self-portrait. He says that he drew his lips like he was "making a fishy face."


A portion of the Ft. Crook Elementary's wall.

School-wise, this week should be pretty quiet. Home-wise? This week is gonna FLY! :-)