Way to Go HUB!

I'm home from school today b/c I don't have a voice. The bright side - I was able to sleep in (Adam brought Gerrit to Julie's) and got a few things done that I've been meaning to do. I feel ok, just can't talk. Anyways, I decided to make muffins that my friend Elizabeth has raved about. It calls for flax meal and I figured I'd have to get it at a 'real' grocery store, not my little one in town. I didn't make it to a real grocery store so I thought I'd just see if they had it here in town seeing I needed a few things anyways. And low and behold (a phrase commonly spoken by my mother) they did! Way to go HUB! I need to give them more credit than I do, as they have quite a bit and are willing to get it if you ask.

The weather is beautiful and I took a few minutes to harvest some pumpkins - sound like a true farmer? "Gerrit's" isn't orange yet so I left that one but cleaned up the others that were ready. I noticed a little one had started (seems awefully late in the season) so I decided to write "Birr " on that one, we'll see how it turns out, might not be in time for Halloween, but still a good Fall piece of decor.

One last thing as I need to head out to pick Gerrit up, but he was quite a pistol last night! He didn't want to go to bed. I'm really hoping he isn't becoming a night owl because that isn't my style. I like having my few hours after he goes to bed before I go to bed. I am not sure what his deal was last night but we tried everything: a snack, rocking, laying with him in our bed (which he either jumped on or hopped off and headed for the office where Adam was working), and finally after a 1/2 hr of sheer crying, gave him some Tylonol (our version of sleepy medicine since he can't actually have Benedryl yet). That calmed him down from 11-2 30 and then he started up again. So we brought him back in our bed (hoping this doesn't become a regular thing). He fell asleep right away on me - with his head shoved in my neck! So Adam brought him back to his room - he screamed again! So we brought him back and he slept with us the rest of the night. We have a queen size bed and it wasn't big enough for the 3 of us. Gerrit is like his mother and is a restless sleeper - he was tossing and turning and of course sleeping more perpendicular than horizontal to us. Uggg. We all got some sleep and I am really praying that we can tucker the kid out tonight and get him back on track. Stay tuned.

Feeling Proud

Tonight I was invited to a high school volleyball game. It wasn't just any old volleyball game, it was "invite your FAVORITE TEACHER" to the game night. I have a 7th grader who is on the JV team and she invited me! I am battling a terrible cold - I don't have much of a voice but went to school today just because of this volleyball game. She had asked me every day if I was planning on going to the game which I thought was cute. I felt proud that she invited me as silly as she felt inviting a middle school teacher because the rest of the team would have high school teachers. I couldn't let her down. We lost the game but she did very well. Other than looking younger, you never would know she's in 7th grade. Her parents I have known for a long time as I have had her brother and sister in the past too. They both came and talked to me for a while and thanked me for coming. Following the game, Brittany came and thanked me for coming and gave me a thank you note. I didn't take the time to read it in the gym and waited til I got in the car. This is what it said: "Thanks for coming to my volleyball game. I hope you had fun. Love Brittany." I just chuckled after reading it; I don't know what I was expecting it to say - she is only in 7th grade.

I think it is a great idea to invite your teachers to your game. I had wanted to go to one of her games but didn't think I would because it would mean I wouldn't get home till after 7 30. This was a great reason to get me to go and it was nice to see other teachers there as well that probably wouldn't otherwise take the time to go.

Excitment at School

Today we had a bomb threat which always makes for an exciting day. I don't take them seriously because to be honest, I don't think of middle schoolers in my building as real threats. So often they tell on each other before they can carry out their 'plan' anyways. However, we have to treat them all as if they are real. So 5th hr we had to keep our 5th graders in the gym and not let them out to use the bathroom or get a drink. They just played dodgeball and we did another skill test. They loved that they had an extended PE period and at the end thought the lock down was just a test (as we have to practice lock downs these days like we do fire drills).

In the end, the dogs deemed the building safe and they actually caught the kid who wrote the threat. See, middle schoolers aren't real smart! After explaining to the kids that there wasn't an intruder with a gun in the building and yes, there were bomb sniffing dogs in the building, they all went home.

I'm not sure what will happen to the kid but it made for an interesting afternoon.

Late Night Snack

We had a beautiful fall day at Adam's bike race. Gerrit enjoyed hanging out in the backpack watching all the racers. We stopped for 'lupper' on the way home around 3 30. Pizza with Dave tasted good seeing we sort of missed lunch (had snacks during the car ride).

Anyways, we emptied the car and played until bed time. We put Gerrit down at his normal bed time but he didn't seem to want to sleep. I rocked him and laid with him but he still didn't want to settle down. Finally he fell asleep for 20 min. or so. He woke up and started crying again. It dawned on us that he hadn't eaten since pizza at 3 30! So I had to quickly think of something to give him that wouldn't make too much of a mess, be quick, yet filling.

I brought him some milk and a granola bar. Nothing like eating and drinking in the dark on mom's lap after bedtime! After most of the milk was gone and 3/4 of the granola bar, he is sound asleep!

I came back to the basement and said I think he was hungry this whole time - too bad he can't tell us this stuff! Then Adam said, "come to think of it, I'm hungry too". He came back down with 2 pieces of leftover pizza and a corn muffin!

Oops. We'll chalk this one up as a reminder to never skip a meal with Gerrit!

Muscles

Last night after Gerrit was in bed, there was a knock on the door. Adam answered it and it was our next door neighbor "uncle Nikki" bring Gerrit a gift from Mrs Putney (their dog). It was a huge container of animal crackers (from Sam's club).

We often find random 'gifts' left by our door or even on our kitchen counter if the door was unlocked. Adam asked, "How can we leave even leave Z-town with great people like this?"

Nick also trimmed his walnut tree which hangs on our driveway and will pay for it to be taken down because we are getting our driveway paved in the spring. He knows the walnuts stain and doesn't want that to happen to our driveway. How sweet is that?


This morning Gerrit noticed his gift on the chair in the basement. I forgot it was there but he had this look on his face that screamed 'guilty!'

Here he is attempting to bring the container to me so I would open it and give him some:

I love the look on his face - sheer determination! He was able to pick it up but then dropped it. We have bought one of these before and had to hide it from him because when it does get lighter, he will carry it around wanting to eat some.


Its suppose to be a beautiful day (when the frost melts!) so Gerrit and I are going to Adam's race with Dave the dentist. Its not quite as far today, just northwest of the cities.

Surprise - Happy Anniversary!

When I got home today Gerrit was playing with this:

And this was inside:

And here is mom wearing it!

Adam ordered me an anniversary ring and it finally came in! I think the wait was worth it. Gerrit might have gotten a basketball hoop but I think I got the better deal, although Gerrit likes the little black box the ring came in.

A quick story: just before dinner Gerrit filled his pants. I was on the phone and managing dinner and Adam had returned home from a bike ride. When I asked if Gerrit smelled, Adam responded with "He smells like diamonds!" I think I'm going to be hearing that line for quite a while!

Little Man

Tonight we finally took the plunge - Gerrit got a real haircut! I scheduled a cut here in town (1 block from home) where our friends' boys get their hair cut.

Here is Gerrit beforehand (don't mind the snotty nose, it was wiped before we left home):

Ready to go (he liked to chew the cape!):

He sat still at the beginning:

Getting sprayed didn't bother him; he wanted to eat the spray bottle:

He didn't like having his hair cut around the ears:

Taking a quick break before the bangs:

A quick run around the shop, playing with mom's cell phone, and being given a sucker didn't keep him still enough for the bangs so mom had to step in and hold him (we gave up on the cape for him):

All done!

The finished product: our Little man!

He no longer looks like my little peanut - he now has the look of a big boy. Such a sad day.