First day of school pictures

Isaac and Adaline

Adaline

Isaac

Here are pictures of Isaac and Adaline's first day of school. Adaline is in 5th. Isaac is in 2nd. I think they are going to have a great year. Oh, and James already had his school pictures. I would hate to have him too obsessed with himself, but he wore an old family reunion t-shirt for pictures! Marilyn did a great job designing it, but in his school picture? I just shake my head and laugh. And sigh.

watermelon bust

Kendra, Jessie, Isaac, Adaline, and Bridie

Will, Levi, James, Kendra, Jessie, Isaac, and Bridie

Will, Matthew, Isaac, Adaline, Bianca

When I was a little girl we always had a watermelon bust in the summer. Last year we had one but the kids threw the watermelon from such a high place that it was busted into a billion tiny pieces. This year we had a party right before school started and we had a watermelon bust. It went much better than last year. It is so much fun. We hosed off the patio before so we didn't eat too much dirt. It was a great ending to a great summer.

Adaline's 10

Adaline is such a joy! We love having her in our family. Today for her birthday we took Twix candy bars for her to share with her classmates. We need to deliver her birthday party invitations after school. Her two best friends are coming over to make cake bites at 4. Later ,we'll go to diner as a family. Today while dropping off her treats I read one of her assignments that was hanging in the hall. It asked who her favorite person was she wrote "my parents". It asked what her favorite place is she wrote "home". This past summer has been one where the kids spent a lot of time together. We are all closer because of it. I am glad I am creating a place my kids want to come home to. Maybe I am doing something right.

High hopes

The beginning of the school year is a time when I like to get organized. I have great plans. Yesterday, Matthews first day, I had run, showered and was ready to go by 7:30. Well today I crawled out of bed at 8:10. No hot breakfast for the kids- I don't even know if they got breakfast. Oh, I did buy eggo waffles for their first day. The y had lunchables packed for lunch, Adaline's hair was in a pony tail. Isaac's shirt had so many wrinkles in it, it must have come from the bottom of his drawer. Last night was horrible. Bridie was up, Eleanor was up too many times to count and finally at 5:30 I told Gordon I was going to cry because I hadn't gotten any sleep. I slept 2 30 min chunks from 7-8. I am tired. What a way to start the year.

Matthew's first day of 7th grade

Matthew had his first day of school. He has been having nightmares for months. What if he couldn't get his locker open. How will he know where to go. What lunch does he have 1st or 2nd? Last night he came into my room and we talked. I told him how I cried the night before 7th and 9th grade. I still have nightmares I can't get my locker open or that it's the end of the semester and I find out I was registered for a class I never went to. This morning he was up early, got ready and walked himself to school. And he survived, he loved it. No bullies are in his classes. He got his locker open except for the one time he tried to open his locker, and figured out it wasn't his locker. They had pizza and pop and cookies for lunch. I am so glad he is happy. The 2 that are at the elementary met their teachers today and are excited to start school tomorrow. This summer went too fast for me. Today while at the school I thought,' Wasn't I just here last week for the last day of school?' I'll miss my kids. I will have three tough customers at home, and it's going to be a killer.

Bear video

So we have video of a baby moose that was killed right by our cabin by either a grizzly bear or a pack of wolves. The bear in the video is a black bear that came to scavenge up the remains. Here is the youtube address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY6Uj-nlN0E or search baby moose and bear.

Cooke 2010

The kids playing in the stream up lulu pass.

Our family at the top of the world.

The kids made a movie with uncle Ben. Some were cowboys, some indians.

Matthew caught a fox, then we let it go. He also caught a mink, squirrels, and birds.

Me with the bear mace.

As some of you know there was a bear attack in Cooke city the week before we went up. Thus the picture of me with the bear mace. It was a great time. My parents, Mark, Julia, and Athena plus spouses and kids were there. We really missed the rest of the gang.

It's stinky here

Bridie in front of the new wood floor.

This past week has been put on hold, well as much as it can be, because we are having wood floors put in the hallway. I wish I had before pictures. The carpet was disgusting!!! It was white berber. White carpet with 7 kids and now 2 dogs?! The berber had been ripped up by the vacuum. It was embarrassing to have people in my house. I finally convinced Gordon to put down wood. He thought it would be too noisy. Maybe, but we are already pretty noisy. I hate having workmen in my house. It totally throws me off - They say they'll be there 'first thing'. I had no idea 11:00am was 'first thing'. Last night they put down the varnish. We slept with windows open and fans on. I had them do a herring bone in the corner. I love it. It looks so good. I want to be the first one to slide down the hall in socks. P.S. as soon as the floor had it's last coat of varnish put down, Bridie walked on it, so I have a set of foot prints in the varnish.

Some advice

A little advice, if you think going to Thanksgiving point on $2 Tuesdays in August is a good idea, it isn't. That is unless you like being herded from room to room in the dinosaur museum with 5,000 other people. Standing in line, in the hot sun, waiting for an hour for the kids to ride horses for 3 minutes (even though the kids can ride all the horses they want in a week). I hate crowds! My advice would be to pay the full price and go on another less crowded day. It really is an amazing place.