Onto the next big thing!

Well, basketball is officially over at DC-G. Our boys lost in first round district play on Monday night in a close game (3 points) with Carlisle. Jordan actually got to suit for that game. He received the OK to return to hand contact sports last Friday from our Dr as long as he buddy tapes it. Our girls lost their sub-state final last night against Harlan. You just feel so terrible for those seniors who were working so hard for 1 more game. The emotion on their faces always makes my heart hurt for them. So...now it's onto the next big thing. Track starts next week for both Jordan and Abbey. The boys actually started practicing this week but Jordan has to take a week off between sports so he will join them next week. He has been coming home and running after school. He isn't in as great a shape as when he left Cross Country. The basketball coach doesn't work them very hard so he needs to keep running or he will really be behind when he starts next week. Abbey is just excited to have something to do after school again.

Last week found Abbey with a case of strep throat. She woke feeling very badly on Friday morning (a no school day here!) and ended up passing out at the breakfast table. She isn't my little girl anymore! I had a hard time getting her back up off the floor. She was so worried about not feeling well because she had the last show choir contest on Saturday and since they missed their first one due to the weather she was not going to miss this one. So I made an appointment and Dana took her in. Strep, just as I thought! We squeezed 24 hours worth of antibiotics in over about 14 hours and she got up very early Saturday got herself ready and performed with a big smile on her face!! She went right to bed when they got home. Our choir got 3rd place, received the award for best band, and one of our girls received a star performer award.

The performance!

The sweet treat after!


Emma went to Sayler's birthday party on Sunday at Build A Bear. Emma had never been there and loved it. She asked me to buy her a new dress for the party and was so excited to wear it.


Emma stuffing her bear.


She looked so beautiful and she picked a pink bear and a dress that almost matched the one she had on. They all had lots of fun.


Sayler and Emma



Dana has a terrible head cold and is feeling a bit rough to start this week out. He continues to really like his new job and I can tell the difference it has made in our quality of life! He is home at a nice time each night and I never hear much about what is going on. So far, Casey's has not taken over our lives as KG did. He and another dad are coaching the varsity spring baseball team and he is getting very excited about that. He has been going over to the indoor batting cage every Sunday night and throwing buckets of balls to the guys. He and Steve take turns because "we aren't as young as we once were." I haven't had to help him put deodorant on so that's a great sign!

I am ready for spring and yesterday and today are feeling a lot like it! But they are talking ice for tomorrow....so I will just live in today!! Keeping busy with daycare and updating the calendar with new schedules. Track and Spring baseball will be starting soon. Also working on tax stuff. Never a fun time as I am a terrible procrastinator! (I guess Jordan comes by it honestly!) Am looking forward to planting flowers and working on the yard. Even more than that is getting the boat back out!! Should probably find some time to do some spring cleaning too! UGH! But for now, I will enjoy the calm before the storm of new activities.

From ABC's to ACT's!

Last week started with me attending a Kindergarten meeting for Emma. She will be attending the Kindergarten Round Up scheduled for the end of March. We have no intention of sending her to Kindergarten next year but rather the Optional Kindergarten program. She has to go thru the evaluation at the round up so they can tell me if they agree with our assessment of Optional Kindergarten for her. She is a July birthday and, just as Abbey did, will benefit from that extra year of physical and emotional growth. However, I have to say, she is probably more ready than any of them to go. That means she will graduate with the Class of 2024. Good God!! That will make me.....oh, never mind!

The week ended with me dragging our 17 year old to the computer to register for the ACT's. He will take them on April 4th. He is also filling out a Student Activity Information Form for consideration into the National Honor Society. We were so excited for him to get the invitation to complete the form for the selection process. We know that there are probably many that receive the invite and they only choose a select number. He doesn't think he has enough service hours to even be considered. The whole process of getting him to fill out the form was painful. He hates to brag about himself and REALLY hates essay type questions. I found myself having to walk away and let Dana take care of some of it. I already have visions of filling out college applications, scholarship forms, and financial aid forms with Jordan kicking and screaming the whole time.

So it was a weird week for me as a parent. Making kindergarten decisions for one and college prep stuff for the other. I honestly have to say that sometimes it's more than I can wrap my brain around. Every stage has it's challenges. I would just appreciate it if the kids would have a meeting and send us only one challenge at a time! Would that be too much to ask? The emotions of preparing your first for college and your last for Kindergarten are so much the same. It's just that I get to multiply those emotions times 2 since it is happening at the same time.

On Wednesday, late afternoon, I was sitting down after all the daycare kids were gone to watch the early news and catch my breath when our phone rang. It was Jordan's coach....."You may want to come out here to North Ridge. Jordan has dislocated his finger and will need to be seen." Yikes! That sounds painful. So, off Dana and I go to find Jordan in the staff lounge with his head on the table and his hand in the air. "Are you ok?"....."Yeah, I just don't want to look at it!" Sure enough, his right pinky had a 90 degree angle in it. We put him in the car and off to the ER we went. I snapped a photo of the finger while en route. Not a great picture as the swelling was taking over that knuckle making that 90 degree angle not as impressive.

2 hours and 2 x-rays later they had it reduced and we were on our way home. Not a very fun way for Jordan to spend a Wednesday evening. A little codeine helped the night go a bit better. Basketball is done for our man! Two weeks with no hand contact sports. He didn't seem too stressed out about that. Very thankful that Track is next as he should get plenty of time to heal before baseball.

Abbey had been spending the week anticipating their first Show Choir competition scheduled for Friday night. Unfortunately, the weather took care of that. It was a bit frustrating as the Superintendent waited until half of the choir was already here in Grimes to pick up the other half before he denied the buses to leave. The competition went on without us. They even canceled the Varsity basketball games 15 minutes before they were suppose to start. The other team was already here and I am sure our girls were already warming up. I have to say.....we have had some really poor decision making with regards to the weather this year. Getting out early when the sun is still shining with anticipation that ice (that never showed up) is on the way.......sending the basketball teams to Carroll in the middle of a snow storm that pulled the plows off the roads. (That was way scary!) So she had a very quiet Friday night and is now hoping to compete in Pella next weekend.

Dana and I attended the "Have a Heart" Breakfast with Carson on Friday. The kindergarten classes do it each year. The parents come and have breakfast with their child and then we open their Valentine cards with them.


This year we got a bonus and were able to watch the Fairy Tale plays after. Carson performed in "Little Red Riding Hood" as the Big Bad Wolf. His play was last and boy he loves to perform! He had us all laughing. Both Dana and I took the morning off and were so glad we did! I took a video of it but none of the kids spoke loud enough to be picked up. All you see is their actions, you hear the teacher reading the story and the audience laughing! Carson is definitely going to be a friend of the fine arts. He loves to make people laugh!


Saturday, Dana and I snuck away and had a nice meal out at my favorite place....Sam & Gabe's. It never disappoints. We didn't stay out long. The little two have been a bit under the weather and we wanted to be with them too. It was great to have some alone time, though. Neither of us had to ask anyone to "use their quiet voice" or "stop using your sleeve as a napkin" nor did we have to tell each other to "sit still!" There was no chicken strips or mac n cheese on the menu! It's the small things!

A little Valentine love!

17 years!

We have been knee deep in basketball. Games every night except Wednesday's (which is our bowling night so we aren't home then either!) We have been having to battle at each game. Shooting % has been low along with rebounds. Maybe they are getting tired too?

Most exciting since my last post was Jordan turning 17 on February 3rd. We started the day by surprising him with donuts and juice at the early AM shoot around with the Varsity basketball team. Coach called them all off to the side and they sang Happy Birthday to him. The Varsity had a game that night and at the end of half time the student section broke into their rendition of Happy Birthday for him. It was a very close game and with 23 seconds left in the game the Coach put him in and the announcer informed everyone it was his birthday. The team set him up for a 3 point shot and.......it bounced of the rim! He asked Kelli home for cake after the game. All in all a pretty good day for a kid who doesn't like to be the center of attention! I looked back at some early photos and wonder where all the time has gone.


Jordan at 1 month old.


Kelli and Jordan (she claims it wasn't a good picture day, but I think she is darn cute no matter what!)


Jordan and his really yummy cake!

Most of the rest of us have been battling upper respiratory stuff! Emma and I have managed to not be affected by it. Dana, Abbey and Carson have all been feeling yucky. Carson was hit the worst, missing 3 days of school last week. They are all back on the mend. Carson spent this last weekend trying to catch up on school work and get his Valentine cards done. They wanted them in school today so we were busy yesterday.

I can breathe a sigh of relief! The father/daughter dance went fabulous this weekend. We think we had about 400 people. It was the most heart-warming event to be a part of! The dads in their suits and the daughters in their very nicest dresses, some with corsages, all dancing and having a very good time. To see the smiles on everyone's face was priceless. There was a Grandpa that was doing the 2 step with his blind granddaughter that I just could not take my eyes off of. Of course, there were dads that brought their daughters and were happy to sit on the side most of the night and let them dance with their girlfriends but I was so happy they came and did dance a little. We aren't sure of the total raised for After Prom but am certain we exceeded out expectation. I will definitely help with this event next year. Now it's on to the dodgeball tournament.

Thanks to all of you who sent up prayers for my aunt. I am so happy to report she is back home and doing much better. Sometimes those extra prayers sent up, even from strangers, can make all the difference and we are grateful!

Enjoy your Valentine's weekend.