First Day of KINDERGARTEN

I can't believe I have a kindergartener! That can't be right. Sam started at Pope Elementary on Aug. 2, and so far likes it. He teacher Mrs. Johnson, has been teaching there for 28 years, so I feel slightly better about him going. I am not sold on the importance of Kindergarten especially ALL DAY kindergarten! I don't think he should be there from 8:30-3:30 everyday with only one 20min recess, that's just to long. He seems to be adjusting well and loves to learn. Everyday he comes home ready to tell me about his day. He has been couped up all day so he is bouncing off the walls when he gets home and it is SO HOT I can't just send him outside to play, which means he and Logan wrestle until one of them gets hurt. Fun for all! Logan however is not loving this whole Sam being gone all day. I have had to find alternate routes to the store. If we drive past his school Logan starts saying "You pick up my Sammy right now! Him wants me! School over!" Its really cute but at the same time sad, they are best friends! And YES he is wearing a uniform, I am still pretty angry about it! He is going to a PUBLIC school (not happy about that). I get why they have them do it, but I LOVE shopping! Plain black, white, or maroon polo's are not so fun to shop for people!
Sam loves school and I feel very relieved that he likes going and is looking forward to it everyday. I have been near a breakdown for months now about sending him to a public school in the Jackson. I have made a deal with Dave to send him to this school which is very close to our house until 2nd grade. The principal is great and there are only 13 kids in his class so I do feel better about it. (this IS better, people) He looks so grown up, I can't stand it!! I love the little kid in the background,(Alex) he looks so freaked out.

Lemmon Petrified Wood Park

Every year we stop by this park. It is all Petrified wood. It has all sort of dinosaur fossils in there. The boys can't get enough of this park and the added bonus is that when we get there we only have 1 more hour before we get to grandma and gramp's house!

Bowman County Fair

We spent a lot of time at the library in Bowman. It is so awesome, they have pillows, recliners, leather couches all for lounging. They also have a HUGE big screen TV with a Wii and all the games. You can just go and play all day and if you don't want to play the Wii you can play the GRAND PIANO!! Seriously I want to move to Bowman just so I can go to the library everyday. We went to story time and after the stories, it was art time. The girl showed them how to do straw art. you put drops of paint on a paper and blow on it through a straw. When they were done she said they could enter it into the fair that was happening that weekend so we went for it! Both Sam and Logan loved it, there was LOADS of spit every where but they were so proud of themselves. They both got blue ribbons and 3 dollars for their prize!

While we were at the fair checking out their artwork we saw some of Dave's distant relatives who had entered some of their animals. This little girl took the boys into all the animals cages and helped them to pet each of them. She was so cute, totally manhandling the huge cows and telling the boys not to worry. I swear that cow could have crushed her; but she was in there moving them around like they were stuffed animals at a tea party! The boys loved it........I was stressed out.




I love this picture. They loved all these things there were several different ones. I took the picture right before Logan got his head stuck in the hole, so funny because he got stuck in a few of them.

They were proud of their art.

North Dakota 2010

We took our annual trip to North Dakota a few weeks ago. We always have so much fun there. It is such a small town with very little to do but we LOVE it. Dave's grandparents are so awesome! It takes us 2 days to drive there, so we find a hotel on the way which is boys favorite part. We let them jump on the beds and back and forth between the beds (they get spanks if they jump on our beds). We drove for 16 hours the first day! We like to get as far as we can on the first day because the boys are hard to get in the car on the second day. The second day was only 6 hours in the car...much better! We drive through a tiny town that has these huge things made out of scrape metal, they are awesome. We stopped to get a closer look and the guy who made them was there so we got to see lots of others he has made, they are awesome. Grandma and the boys. I love this picture, they were so happy to see them. Every year when we leave it is SO HOT and when we get to Bowman we are all freezing! At least this year we remembered to pack warm clothes.
Every year Gram makes Dave a Prime rib on the spit (grill). It really is so good.
Gramp's chair. Every time he moves the boys take over. It is amazing how much they love Gramps, they climb all over him! They try to both sit on his lap when he is inside. Sometimes we have to intervene and protect him.
Sam and Logan loved to watch the cows, mostly just watched them run away.
The neighbor's (1/2 mile away) daughter was home visiting, she trains horses and asked if Sam wanted to have a ride. We thought that meant she was going to give Sam a ride, but NO........ She just tossed him up there and told him to go! And was he scared.....NO, he kicked the horse and they took off! I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I am scared of horses, so I was torn between protecting my child and staying away from the beast! I'm glad Linda was there because I made her protect Sam while I protected myself! Don't get me wrong if Linda wasn't there I would have stood closer......Maybe! The girl (I forgot her name) stayed that close to him, but when he trotted her didn't run next to him. Sam loved it, he could have ridden all day!
We spent a lot of time in the basement. It was cool and the boys could make big messes and be as loud as they wanted.

We drove to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to check out so of the Bad Lands. It was really pretty, they seemed to go on forever.
Over about 2 feet there was an overhang that dropped to the bottom of the canyon. It didn't look safe at all and it went all across the overlook. Dave thought it fitting for me to stand over there, he thinks he is funny.
I'm not quite sure what Logan is doing, but it's a cute picture.
Dave's not even looking at the camera and still takes an awesome picture!
Dave stopped at a Prairie Dog town and they were trying to call them.
Navajo Tacos! Yummy.
A museum in Bowman. the boys see this dinosaur every year.

They boys 'resting' with Gramps.

Dave took Sam fishing out to Davis Dam.
Grandma Linda went too. Sam is still excited that she went with them.

Most of our evenings were sitting on the porch watching the cars on the highway.
All of us.
On our way home we drove down through the Bad Lands. It was so cool. It took us about an hour to drive around the loop. I didn't get car sick on the curvy road, that was our only worry. There were signs all over warning us about the rattle snakes but we got out of the car anyway, I just made Dave go first!! He is a good man.
Then we stopped at the Corn Palace. The whole outside of the convention center is decorated with corn. It was to cool and it gave us a good break from the car.

EARS!!!!

FOUR EAR INFECTIONS!!!!! FOUR! How do they get 4 of them within 2 days of each other. I know they are not contagious, but I am beginning to wonder! They do get along really well when they are both burning up and sickly, so there is a silver lining here. Thank the Heavens we have good insurance!

Logan's Surgery

Logan had a Bronchoscopy on the 15 of June. It was done at Lebhoner's Children Hospital in Memphis. We had to be there at 6:00 in the morning, so we left at 4:30 AM to make it there on time. It went well, he didn't have any down time after so he was back to himself by noon. The Doctor showed us the pictures they took and told us everything was normal and there is nothing causing all he breathing problems. So we still have no answers except 'He will have to grow out of it', which is VERY frustrating. The parking garage for the hospital is across the street. You have to go in a tunnel to get over to it. The wagon is for the children to ride around in so they feel more at home and so they don't have to be carried. Dave took advantage of the hill and took Logan for a ride.

His gown was peach. Not his color. He was so pale and his hair looked so red.

His special surgery blanket. He was so excited to get it, he absolutely LOVES Toy Story.

Mom and Logan

'The Bunny Room' Before you go into the OR all the kids get to stop in this special room. It is filled to the top with awesome toys and games. Logan loves this room, I mean wouldn't you?! He settled a rockin' tool set, he went through MANY other things first. The nurses are so patient with the kids. Logan was in the room for almost 5 minutes just looking and trying to decide.

Waiting in the OR. They don't give them anything to calm down, you just sit in there with your kids until the Doctor comes to visit and give you the final details.

Showing off his new tools.

The nurse that took Logan away. She was super nice. Logan had no problems going with her wherever she led him.

Apparently Logan didn't have a problem going with the nurse until they got him back to surgery and tried to put the mask on his face. We were told 'He sure is a strong little boy' and 'He sure is a fighter!'. We got a call about 45 minutes after they took him, telling us to come to PACU. We hurried over and when we got there the nurse told us we didn't need to run she hadn't even woke him yet. OK. She then told us about the time they had putting him to sleep and she didn't want to chance waking him alone. Funny, like he's the HULK or something. She turned the medicine off and started talking to him. He stirred and rolled on to his side. Dave then said "Hey buddy" and Logan sat up and was wide awake and excited to see his Dad. She was shocked that he was so happy, normally the medicine makes kids super crabby and bugged. That DID came later!

He was ready for a drink.

Dad and Logan

After the hospital we went and tested some Kayaks. Logan was still out of it but loved sitting in them. He kept yelling at every one he saw telling them they were going to sink if they didn't get in. He is so funny.

Then we played hide and seek.

After such a long day I needed some shoes, and since Dillards is only in Memphis we hit up the mall. Logan loved the Merry-go-round.