Thanks summer...you were good to us!

It is hard to believe that this summer has come and gone...of course the real end of summer has yet to come and today it was 93 degrees (uggh)...but Labor Day always is the signal that things are changing and that I have to put my cute white purse from NYC on the shelf and haul out the black one. I love fall and I'm looking forward to crisp, cool fall mornings, the leaves changing and apple donuts....but the summer of 2008 was a great summer...so I just wanted to capture a few things that were either accomplished or just simply occurred during the summer of 2008 to make it great...

• Addie learned (i.e. got brave enough) to go down the slide and jump off the diving board.
• Clare started mastering the art of rotary breathing while swimming.
• New York City with my best girlfriends.
• Clare went ice skating for the first time.
• Vacation Bible School.
• A relaxing 4th of July and Labor Day weekend in Door County--with beautiful sunsets and lots of wine...see above picture.
• An extended weekend in Grand Rapids.
• DMB concert.
• Clare learned to ride a bike with no training wheels!!!
• Play time at the pool--nothing better than tired kiddos and the smell of chlorine.
• Visits from the Richards, Chiers and Donahues.
• I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of other wonderful memories--here's to a stupendous fall--we have the East Grand Rapids Triathlon coming up this weekend....and then Chris and I leave for our surprise trip at the end of September....I know where we are going...he does not...Nana and Papa are lined up for 6 days of fun in Roscoe...I will keep you posted!
  

Pretending...

Playing restaurant....
Clare: "What would you like for dessert m'am?"
Me: "I don't know, just bring me the Chef's surprise"
Clare: "Uh...Well...We don't have surprises here...you get Bologna...it's Bologna!"

Addie playing with her play cell-phone...
Me: "Addie what are you doing?"
Addie: "Texting my mother-in-law"
Me: Ok?????

Back in race mode...

This a.m. I went up to Beloit to do the Hailey Rath 5k--Number one it was for an excellent cause (organ donor awareness) and number two it got me back in the groove of being in a race.  It was a small race--but even small races give me pre-race jitters--so it was good to get a little race practice in before the big Triathlon on Sept. 6th!  I place 2nd in my age group and finished in 25.15....not a personal 5k best but much better than the 5k I did when I was 6weeks pregnant with Addie (guess I had a pretty good excuse for going slow for that one!).  Jennifer Bishop came out to run (placing 2nd in her age group!)  and her mom Amy came to cheer us on!  Thanks Ladies!  

A peak inside the first day of school....

Check out Chris' slide show of Clare's first day as a kindergartner!!

Part II...the bus

The bus dropped off Clare right on cue at the Roscoe Y--she came off all smiles--"how did the bus ride go Clare?", "Good...his name is Ron!", "How did school go?", "Good--we got a train cookie", "What else did you do?," thinking, thinking, thinking...."I don't know." Clearly too much too process as daycare at the Roscoe Y is also a new thing. When she got there they were eating lunch, which in Illinois has to be catered in...they were noshing on Salisbury steak(which looked like a hamburger patty), rice, applesauce and carrots with ranch...one of the other kids looked at her and said, "if you dip it in ketchup, it tastes like Beef a Roo"---So there you have it--lessons learned in kindergarten....when all else fails dip it in ketchup and all will be right with the world.

So far, so good...Part I...

Clare started kindergarten at 8:10a.m.---She got right down to business--putting stuff in her cute little locker (yes--Clare was right--she does get a locker...not a cubbie!) and playing legos with the other kids--I reintroduced myself to her teacher....who was my 1st grade teacher....and she remembered me...for real b/c she asked questions about my sister and parents and other people we are related to....I was in her class during her first year of teaching...so I'm guessing you tend to remember those kids.

When I told Clare that we were going to get going...she was like "Okay mom..see ya"...which is exactly what I wanted her to say....it would have been so much harder had she been clingy, crying,etc.....her confidence made me more confident...no tears (for me)...until we saw our neighbor and she asked how it went...and when I called my mom.....so no p.d.t's (public displays of tears)! Emotions are a funny thing....I think I cried because not only were we reaching a milestone with our first born but because I was super proud to be the mom of this smart, confident little girl! Will check back in with Part II--the bus ride to the Roscoe Y--I am going down today to make sure the trip goes well! Stay tuned!

The Fair...

It doesn't get more American than a county fair...mega corn dogs, elephant ears, cotton candy, rides run by interesting characters, demolition derbies--excess and craziness to the max. We attended the Boone County Fair this past Sunday and a good time was had by all--I personally like the side where the animals and local booths are located---it is far less populated and it is fun to see the kids working hard to take care of their animals. The other side of the fair is the ride side (cue the scary music)....I find it funny that I freak out before going on an airplane that has been checked numerous times by trained mechanics and smile gleefully as I watch my children, my pride and joy, ride on a rickety rides operated by Joe Dirt. Now I am sure that many of the carnies are really nice people....but there are a few (and you know who I'm talking about) that are the ones who posed for the picture in the dictionary next to the word "Carnie" or if we are being politically correct "Carnival Ride Operator".

The other thing I noticed was really interesting t-shirts worn by fair going parents....I was not gutsy enough to take a picture....but here are two that I spotted in the crowd:

1. If you think I'm a b**tch, you should see my mom!

2. All Knocked Up and No Place to Go! (except apparently the fair)

I love saying t-shirts as much as the next person...but there is a line I draw(see above)--Some of my favorites--mind you...not seen at the fair...just my faves:

1. Whine...no Wine...yes (I do own this one)

2. I Can Tell Your Bag is Fake!

Sorry I digress....back to the fair....Every year we go...every year the kids have a great time...every year we enjoy leaving--so here's to the 2009 Boone Co. Fair...where the kids have decided that they are done with the pony rides and are movin up to Camel Rides...Awesome!