No glasses for PeeWee

Jackson is using his 20/30 vision to watch for the older kids' school bus...We'll get to see more of his smiling face for the next six months, at least!
The eye doctor's testing turned out quite differently than the school nurse's did, so Jackson gets to stay glasses-free for awhile yet. He was happy about that! His vision is not perfect, and knowing family history, he will probably end up in glasses sooner rather than later. But for now, a carefree summer!

Guess who's coming to my house?

My BFFs, Karin!! Cindy!! And their eight children!! Add that up, and you've got eleven children and four adults. Well, three, really, because Jerry will be hiding out in a turkey blind enjoying the peace and quiet.

We can't wait to get together and talk, talk, talk. We all three lived in Syracuse, but within the last two years have moved away. Karin lives miles in the country near the metropolis of Manter. Cindy is in Missouri, soon to be Ohio. And here we are.

Yes, this picture was taken outside of a livestock barn. We're so hip. And I can prove that they had big hair in high school, too!

So anyway, they'll be here tomorrow night. Pray for me! I am desperately working to get my tax work caught up so I can play. I think I can do it, if my clients cooperate and send me the information I need. The timing is perhaps not the best for a visit, but Cindy is leaving this part of the country and we had to get together one last time before it involves plane tickets.

Where did I move to? Lawrence?

I woke up to the radio station this morning playing the Rock Chalk Rap. I've had that stupid chant in my head all day. Everywhere I've been today I've seen red and blue. You'd think the Jayhawks won a national championship or something. Geesh. There were even fireworks after the game in our neighborhood. But hey, as Dan says, K-State beat the NCAA Champions!

***update****
Apparently I've failed in my parenting. My older kids just came in from the bus singing Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU. I've got to run and teach them the K Who version. Quickly!

Homework

Isn't that a riot? My kids are doing math problems as we speak, so I thought it was appropriate. The next time Aubrey asks for help multiplying fractions I'm going to hand her the phone!

Western Kansas Kids

I've come to the conclusion that Western Kansas kids are just tougher (and probably skinnier!) Here in the big city, if you play soccer for thirty minutes -half of which you spend sitting on the sideline - at 8:30 in the morning, it turns out you are entitled to a snack (usually in the form of a bag of cookies) and some juice, or gatorade if you are lucky. Cause you work up a pretty big hunger in that amount of time. Actually, you are entitled to these items after every soccer practice as well, even if dinner will be served as soon as you get home.

Good grief! Do we have to give the kids an incentive in the form of empty calories every time they do something remotely good for them? I have noticed this at school here as well - every little thing must be rewarded and usually it involves food as a reward. No wonder childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions.

Jerry coached Luke's basketball team earlier in the year, and we were unaware of the snack/drink phenomenon. We failed to make up a snack list to go home with the players after the first practice. Luckily, some other mother, who knows her way around the YMCA, made one up for us.

What do you think, you other soccer moms out there? I didn't play sports after school as a child, since we lived 21 miles out in the country. Is this a new thing?

It was a beautiful day...

Perfect for smashing toy cars with hammers. Hmmmm.

In case you were wondering...

It hurts a lot more when you fall down and hit your shin on a table and your wrist on the brick wall and twist your knee at 36 than it does at 9. Roller skating is for little kids.