Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Helloooooo Summer!

Started with our annual crawfish boil!  Some of us are a little more excited about them than others...





And some of us are exhausted...


 And, we bought a pontoon.


The Luedke's went with us when we met Jay, Morgan, Max and Kemper on a maiden voyage.  We put in at Rulo and had a great time!



And can't wait for more of this in summer!


Monday, May 22, 2017

The end of 1st Grade.


What a fun year! 


He grew.  He outgrew two pairs of shoes.
He lost a tooth.
He can read so much better!



These two are excited for summer!







Can't forget these goons.  Our last after school day!


Thursday, May 18, 2017

Baseball is BACK!

But first, my 7 year old making orange Julius ALMOST all by himself.


Jed is helping coach this year.  Connor is just along for the popcorn and popsicles again.


Morgan, Jay, and Max were among some of his fans at his first game!


This year, Jace is playing shortstop!  His team is first graders and some kindergarteners. 



The first game was a win!  So exciting!  And, every mom loves it when the first baseball game is also the last week of school.  Because, we aren't tired enough already....


Monday, May 15, 2017

Here we go...

Jace needed a picture for school, and he wanted it with his animals...
Bottle calves and baby kitties.


Our front porch was falling in, so it got torn off.  And finally got a new one!  We did a concrete porch, with color and a stamp.


We tried to get the kids handprints in it, but  I think we were a little too late.  And, Jace's hand is right where the corner post is going back up.  #fail.  Oh well, we tried!




Love how it turned out!


Another meal on the way to the field... 


Jace is always ready to help!


This one, on the other hand...


But we love everything about farming! 


Monday, May 8, 2017

Fun With Friends...

Dinosaur friends...who doesn't love a hot pink dinosaur on roller skates?


Jace's first grade class spent an afternoon in May helping the Troy Garden club plant flowers in the planters on main street in Troy, and picking up trash in the area.  (Jace is sitting on the wall in the middle, in a grey shirt.)


Connor and Cassidy were great help feeding the bucket calf, Tuff.



Jace got to take Brook for an exciting Gator ride!


And we don't dare let Brook into the gator with either of these crazy drivers!


Our strawberry patch has been outstanding this year!  It's never produced so many strawberries!



Jace helped Jed do some scouting...


And this was awesome...Jace fell asleep, in my lap, and Connor wasn't sleeping.  I love these kids.


Thursday, May 4, 2017

Routines.

We've got some good ones. 



School drop off:  Every morning I stop in the middle of the street, in front of the annex, and drop Jace off.  We try to hurry, but we both get out because sometimes it's hard for him to get out of the truck with his bag, heavy coat, etc.  Give him a hug and a kiss (this won't last forever!), and tell him to have a good day.  But wait, that's not all...After I get in my truck I have to look back at him because he will turn around and blow me a kiss before I drive off.  What a sweetie.  :)


Bedtime: Bed times are a process at our house.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  I love it because we have some good talks and we read books.  I hate it because it takes a long time! We start off with books in Connor's room.  Jace reads to us, sometimes from his chapter book he is working on, and it takes longer for him to read, but it is amazing listening to him.  And amazing how much he seems to always be becoming a better reader.  Then Connor has her book, which sometimes she has to "read" to us, sometimes it's a short one, or a long one.  But, we cannot skip her book.  OR, instead of a book sometimes she asks to do a puzzle.  It's not the puzzle that takes so long, it her choosing which one to do.  "Eeny meeny miny mo, catch a tiger by a po, every dollar every day my mother told me to choose the one that...." She tries to do the saying, but it definitely is her own version.  And then if she asks me to pick, if I pick "the wrong one" she will say "We already do that one yesterday" and shrug her shoulders. 

After all that, then we lay in Connor's bed (unless Jed takes Jace to his own bed) and we say prayers.  And then becomes the longest part of the process.  I lay with Connor and as soon as I try to get up, whether it's one minute or ten, "Mom, will you lay with me, just one time?"  Yes, of course! Then the next time she lets me get up.  But there is always a question.  Either right when I get out of bed, or sometimes she will wait for me to get to the door.  A very important question, like what time will I wake her up? How many cats do we have? Can she have a snack when she wakes up? Then that's usually (hopefully) it.  She blows me a kiss, I blow her one, and good night Connor!

Then I go check on Jace. His process has gotten much shorter, but still, lay with him, and he has "important" questions and things to talk about. And then, when I get up to leave, "Mom, will you check on me after you do your jobs?" (I tell him I have to clean the kitchen, do laundry, etc.)  But yes...I come back and check on him.  Most nights.  :)